Monday was an event-filled day at HP. Katie Dawson, director of UT's Drama for Schools program, along with Lara Dossett and film crew, were on hand to film a model lesson taught by Kennedy Center Master Teaching Artist and published author Dan Kelin. Fifth grade teacher Pam Kolodziej and one of her classes graciously hosted the lesson and came away with some really cool new ways to think about "power and point of view using tableaux as an activating strategy." The finished arts integration instruction video is one of several being created to support the program's work, per Katie and Lara. During part of the lesson I observed, students, through movement, demonstrated body traits connected to characters in the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin; traits included shapes, space, action, and attitude. All then tied specifically to how words hold power over people, a concept with direct connections to Mrs. Kolodziej's Social Studies TEKS. New strategies learned by the teacher and new ways of thinking about text by students.
Those of us on hand for the continuation of our Book Fair week got a special treat during the Poetry Slam Monday evening. Safe to say we were slamboozled! Students (along with Mrs. Land, Mrs. McDaniel, and myself) performed original poetry to a packed house of students and parents. We heard poetry about fluffy bunnies, gummy bears, cars, orks (ask 4th grader Bennett for clarification), and quite a few about science topics - one or two specifically written and performed in honor of 5th grade science teacher Mrs. Matetich. Sweet. I must say our own Mrs. Land went out on a limb with hers - she wrote her poem on sentence strips, then silently held them up for the audience to read. It was pretty neat to hear the applause and affirmations for her silent poem as it detailed how it's okay to "be different" and to "be yourself". I also was impressed with our students reactions to each performer. They applauded and cheered as each poet headed to the stage, as well as when they exited. Hopefully recognizing the courage it takes to perform, especially if performing's not your thing. Thanks Scotties for showing that Scottie Spirit and special thanks to Christy, Ellen, and Stacy for another terrific Slam!
Alyssa Smith, third grade language arts teacher, also hosted parents on campus one day this week as a culminating activity to her James and the Giant Peach novel unit. Per Ms. Smith, in addition to the basics of annotating text written by the author Roald Dahl, studying literary elements, learning vocabulary, and making connections with other text (such as Dahl's biography), students had a variety of in-class and at-home projects to complete. In-class projects included a research paper, a critical-thinking paper, and a creative writing piece, with specific criteria given for succesful completion. A variety of sources, both online and through books, were used for the research; finished projects "ranged from research on glow-worms to magic potions to determining fair punishments for the antagonists of the story". Students were also given a list of 9 at-home project ideas and had to choose at least 3 to complete. Examples I saw during the open house were "Wanted Posters" for characters, multiple choice tests over the book, book cover designs, handmade puppets accompanied by biographies for two main characters, and some really neat dioramas. Mrs. Smith tells me several kids completed "more than 3...just for fun!" Thanks for hosting the parent open house, thanks for keeping the learning authentic, and thanks for providing multiple ways to make meaning of text.
Black History Month is always an important recognition time in our schools. Teachers prepare lessons and activities and celebrations tied to accomplishments of notable Black Americans. Some classrooms, such as our fifth grade Social Studies classes, are focusing on the study of important Black Americans tied to their TEKS (Rosa Parks and Colin Powell are two people who come to mind). These fifth graders have created poetry related to important facts, read connected text - My Dream of Martin Luther King by Faith Ringgold is one - and written about Dr. King's Dream. Has it been realized in our society? Purposefully done through the themes of change and peace and very relevant discussion for us all.
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| Mrs. K's Celebration Board |
However, second grade's celebration of Black History Month included new activities this year that deserve special note. In their quest to further incorporate more creative teaching strategies within their classroom, they hosted Zach Scott theater in their Social Studies classes. This week, Zach teacher Mr. Frank taught students lessons on Black History through games, role play, and discussion on the lives of Ruby Bridges and Medgar Evers. "The kids viewed actual photos of Ruby Bridges and had a great discussion of the paintings of Norman Rockwell, specifically the well known 1963 painting The Problem We All Live With," shared teacher Mrs. Pappert. "New vocabulary was added, such as 'segregation', 'protesting', and 'equality'. The kids acted this out as they recreated the (Rockwell) painting depicting Ruby Bridges and her guards. They also created a protest and role played the Medgar Evers scene with passion. One student said, 'It felt like I was really there and having to defend myself'." Pretty powerful learning tool, but more importantly, one more way to help kids build empathy and understanding for others in the world they inhabit today.
