Introduce the film by telling students that they will be watching a film about a young environmental activist who risks his life to protect an old California redwood forest. Ask students to think about what they might protect or defend that is important in their lives.

Many young people around the world are making a difference. For example, seventeen-year-old Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize for her activism with female education. Eight-year-old Cayden Taipalus of Michigan stood up for his friend who was a denied a hot school lunch. He began collecting money and raised $64 to pay off students' lunch program accounts. This sparked a worldwide movement, where donations were made to pay off lunch balances for low-income kids.

Ask students: What is an issue you are facing as a student at your school? What might you do to express your opinion about this issue in your school community?

Direct students to note as they watch the film how the young activist has an unwavering commitment to the cause of saving this particular redwood forest or grove. Students should observe how his dedication resulted in a positive action. They should also observe the impacts, big and small, of his decision to sit in a redwood tree for three years.

After viewing the film, lead a discussion with such questions as:

• The film states that over 435,000 acres of California forests have been clear-cut since 1990. Clear-cutting is a logging practice in which most trees in an area are uniformly cut down, causing major environmental damage. Many environments in the U.S. are under threat. The Palisades, a scenic landscape along the Hudson River in New Jersey is endangered and it may be replaced by an office tower. Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, as well as public land around the country, is at risk due to fracking, a process that extracts natural gas from rock that is deep underground. Fracking threatens drinking water, air, and the health of those who live nearby. Which one of these would you like to save? Why? Is there another place that you can think of that is worth protecting?
• Farmer said that he feels a sense of freedom in the forest that he doesn't feel in an urban landscape. What do you think about this statement? Do you think his "sense of freedom" contributed to his action to save the forest?
• Farmer had to maintain his tarp system as well as collect firewood for his wood-burning stove, among other duties. Would you give up living a comfortable life to devote your life to a cause? Why or why not?
• Do you think young people, like Farmer, have what it takes to positively impact the world we live in? Why or why not?
• What if Farmer decided not to tree sit in this redwood grove? What would have been lost for society? For nature? For Farmer personally?
• Why do you think the filmmakers incorporated aerial cinematography towards the end of the film? What effect did this have in the film's message?
• Have you ever fought for something you believed in and felt alone while doing it? What was the cause or outcome?

Give students one of the following reflective writing prompts to demonstrate their understanding of the story. (Note for teachers: Just as quotes from a book or text are used to prove an analytical thought, students use the film to justify their reasoning.)

• "It's too easy to put the blinder over your eyes and pretend that everything is alright," says Farmer in the film. What do you think he means by this statement? How might this statement apply to something you've witnessed or experienced in your own life? How can a perspective like Farmer's fuel one to act in support of the environment? (NGSS.HS-LS2-7)
• "Anybody who puts their mind to it has the potential to make a lot of change," says Farmer in the film. Do you agree with this statement? How can one's commitment contribute to reaching a goal, big or small? What decision did Farmer make to protect the redwoods? What can you take from his decision and apply it to your own life? (CCSS.ELA.SL.9-10.5 and SL.11-12.5)
• Do you think that protecting the redwoods makes Farmer a responsible citizen? Do you think there is value to his action? Why or why not? What if Farmer got arrested? Choose an argument for his defense as well as an argument for the prosecution. (C3.D2.Civ.7.9-12)