Sunday, October 28
My fourth graders and I read Tuck Everlasting. Lots of great themes to explore. Very rich in vocabulary and imagery. A nice balance between character and story development. A truly wonderful, wonderful book.
I assigned my students an opinion essay. They picked a side: what are the advantages or disadvantages of living forever? Most wrote that living forever is full of disadvantages. Interestingly, students wrote that not being able to die and go to heaven was at the top of their list of disadvantages. One very young girl wrote that living forever meant that she would never feel the peace experienced in heaven if she lived forever. Another boy wrote that witnessing his entire family pass away and leave him behind was too much to bear. I would have thought these scenarios were too deep for people so young. I was wrong.
Our next assignment (which needs to be finished asap before progress reports are written) is a narrative piece. My students will be writing their own versions of famous fairy tales. We read some of the Grimm versions and compared them to Walt Disney's softer, gentler adaptations. Now, they are giving it their best shot at that their own creations. While some are pretty weak all around, there are some good ones. One boy has re-imagined the fairy godmother as a rapper, yet she doesn't rap once in the story. Oh, well, maybe she was a one-hit wonder with no real rapping skills.
I've been sick all weekend with a minor head cold. I feel miserable, but not enough to stay home tomorrow. I have to push these kids to finish their stories before Wednesday.
I assigned my students an opinion essay. They picked a side: what are the advantages or disadvantages of living forever? Most wrote that living forever is full of disadvantages. Interestingly, students wrote that not being able to die and go to heaven was at the top of their list of disadvantages. One very young girl wrote that living forever meant that she would never feel the peace experienced in heaven if she lived forever. Another boy wrote that witnessing his entire family pass away and leave him behind was too much to bear. I would have thought these scenarios were too deep for people so young. I was wrong.
Our next assignment (which needs to be finished asap before progress reports are written) is a narrative piece. My students will be writing their own versions of famous fairy tales. We read some of the Grimm versions and compared them to Walt Disney's softer, gentler adaptations. Now, they are giving it their best shot at that their own creations. While some are pretty weak all around, there are some good ones. One boy has re-imagined the fairy godmother as a rapper, yet she doesn't rap once in the story. Oh, well, maybe she was a one-hit wonder with no real rapping skills.
I've been sick all weekend with a minor head cold. I feel miserable, but not enough to stay home tomorrow. I have to push these kids to finish their stories before Wednesday.
