 |
|
October 2001 | Grades 2-8
Out of the events of September 11th remarkable heroes have
emerged—the firemen who gave their lives to help others, our
leaders who responded with compassion and resources, and the ordinary
people who in the midst of life-threatening terror lent a hand to
someone else. Remember, too, the teachers in those schools, practically
at ground zero, who were able to guide every single one of their
frightened students to safety.
In the coming days and months all teachers will be called to guide
their students—through feelings of fear and anger and sadness
toward an understanding of what is happening in our country now
and how we can all be of service.
To support the teachers in your school during this time Scholastic
is providing you with activities, books, and Web sites that you
can share with them. With them, they may begin to help students
process their emotions and come to terms with recent events. Please
take a look at them below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C L A S S R O O M A C T I V I T I E S &
W E B S I T E S |
|
|
| |
The Power of Poetry
In the midst
of destruction and violence, one of the most powerful things we can
do is make something beautiful—like a song, a drawing, or a poem.
Creating something in such moments helps us experience hope and renewal.
It can also help us come to terms with our feelings—to reflect
on them and move forward. The following activity allows your students
an easy way to write a poem and express what is inside them.
Activity for Grades 2-3
- Offer your students
a few different poem "starters"—phrases they can repeat at the
start of each line to help keep their thoughts and feelings flowing.
Some "starters" might include:
"I imagine a world..."
"I wish..."
"I used to... but now I..."
"I wonder..."
"If only..."
- Encourage your
students to write a lot of lines—too many. You may want to time
them—for ten minutes or so—and when they finish, have
them reread with a partner what they wrote. Then they can choose their
favorite lines, put them in an order they find most powerful, and
add any new thoughts they want to complete the poem.
- Share your poems
together. Publish them on one of the sites below. Illustrate and display
them in a prominent place in your school or community. Celebrate creation!
Note: One variation
of this exercise is to do it as a whole class with everyone contributing
lines to one poem. Follow the same process of brainstorming and revision.
Activity for Grades 4-8
- Have students identify
a powerful emotion they are feeling now or have felt recently: fear,
sadness, anger, joy, etc. (Note: It may not necessarily be connected
to global events.)
- Now have them freewrite
for 15 minutes on all the thoughts, images, feelings, and experiences
they have connected to this particular feeling. Have a few students
share what they have written.
- When they are done,
have all the students count the number of words they have written
and note it on a piece of paper and circle it. They are now to cross
out exactly half the words they have written. Which ones are necessary
to convey their emotion? Which ones can go? Then repeat—have
students cut their words in half again! Only what is absolutely essential
will remain. Explain to students that poetry is distilled writing—the
essence of meaning.
- Finally, students
can take their remaining words and organize them into free verse lines
adding a word or two or repeating a phrase if necessary.
- Celebrate your
poems! Give them titles and publish them in your classroom or on one
of the Web sites below.
 |
 |
| |
Related Web Sites
|
|
Feeling
Poems — These reproducible activities help young people
write about their emotions using colors, images, and descriptive
words.
Poetry
Writing with Karla Kuskin — This online curriculum
explores how to use powerful language and imagery. In addition
to activities and examples, it includes online publishing opportunities. |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
| |
Reaching Out To
The World
Grades 2-8
America honors diversity. We
are a country of many different peoples practicing different religions
and honoring different traditions—this is one of the things that
makes America great. Now more than ever we must assert this greatness
through openness and tolerance.
For children one of the most straightforward ways to learn about a different
culture is to make a friend. Pen pals are a wonderful way for students
to reach out to the world.
- Using Classport,
Scholastic’s international Web site, your students can connect
and collaborate with children from all over the world. Many teachers
around the world, including numerous Arabic countries, are looking
for pen pals for their students. Join
Classport today.
- Set aside a special
time for students to write letters to their pals and also to share
the responses they receive. Encourage students in their letters
to ask questions and learn.
- To support your
older students’ e-mail correspondence you may want to explore
together the history of these different countries in your social
studies curriculum. A great resource is Global Trek,
Scholastic’s Web site that allows students to travel to countries
around the world without ever having to leave the classroom.
|
|
|
| |
Beyond Sterotypes
Grades 4-8
You can help students explore
the assumptions they unwittingly make about others with the following
activity:
- Ask students to
write for about ten minutes in response to the question, "Who are
you?"
- Then, write the
following sentence on the blackboard: "All Americans eat fast food,
drive big cars, and wear blue jeans," and discuss. Is this statement
correct? Why? Why not? What exceptions to this statement can you think
of? Did anyone in class describe themselves this way in their writing?
Why? Why not? Discuss it with your students. Let students share the
writing they did at the beginning of the class.
- Explain what a
"stereotype" is to your students—that it is generalization or
set of assumptions about a group that ignores individual uniqueness.
Have any of your students ever been stereotyped? Has anyone ever assumed
anything about them because of their religion, their ethnicity, or
their gender?
- Divide students
into smaller groups and brainstorm some practical responses students
can make when they notice anyone around them is stereotyping a group
of people. Share your ideas.
|
|
|
| |
Ordinary Heroes
Grades 2-8
Our children have discovered that there are people in the world who
wish Americans harm. But they have also learned that everywhere there
are people who are ready to help—firemen, ordinary citizens, and
our elected leaders. The newspapers have been filled with the comforting
stories of those who care. In these frightening times, you can help
your students feel safe by thinking about all the people ready and waiting
to protect them.
- Talk with your
students about what a hero is. Do they know any heroes or stories
about them? What qualities do heroes share? How are real-life heroes
different than cartoon super heroes?
- Read some stories
with your students about heroes: Ghandi, Thoreau, Abraham Lincoln,
Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, John F. Kennedy, etc.
- Have your students
write a story about an ordinary hero. They can create the character,
imagine the situation, and describe their hero’s actions. Read
and share your stories.
- You may also want
to set up a classroom bulletin board where students can post stories
from the newspaper of heroic acts in everyday life.
|
|
| |
Related Web Sites
|
|
Heroes
Big and Small — This photojournalism activity explores
the meaning of the new fireman statue at Ground Zero. From the NY
Times lesson plans developed in partnership with Bank St. College
of Education.
Let's
Roll — Learn more about the Todd Beamer Foundation,
which honors the bravery of those aboard the planes and those
who remain. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Learning From History
Grades 4-8
"The terrorist attacks on September 11 were just like Pearl Harbor." "We
must be careful not to treat Arab Americans like we did the Japanese Americans."
"New York looks like London during the Blitz." Each newscast and newspaper
article these days makes reference to history, often to the events of
WWII. We make sense of what is happening now by comparing and contrasting
it to past events. Many students, however, are unfamiliar with these references.
Now is an excellent time to show them the importance of learning history.
- First ask students
if there are any references they’ve heard in the news that
they would like to know more about. Then, bring in a selection of
newspaper and magazine articles for students to read and have them
highlight any references they do not understand or any places they
don’t know. Scholastic
News has a number of articles that are just right for kids.
- Point out to the
students how many of these references relate to World War II and make
a list of all the World War II subjects you would like to learn about
as a class. Such a list might include: Pearl Harbor, Japanese American
internment camps, the London Blitz, Hiroshima, etc.
- Now divide the
students into groups and have them each pick one topic they will research.
For their research they should ask themselves, "What is this event,
place or topic and what does it have to do with the events of September
11? How does it change the way I understand what is happening today?"
- Explain to students
that they will present their research as news journalists. Encourage
them to dress up, speak properly, and use maps and other visual aids.
Maybe you can seat them at a table with a microphone or turn a big
box into a TV set. Have fun with the presentations!
- Also, as part
of your language arts curriculum you may want to read one of these
compelling young adult novels about WWII: Farewell to Manzanar
is about the Japanese Internment camps. Sadako and the Thousand
Paper Cranes tells of a young girl suffering from leukemia after
the explosion of the bomb at Hiroshima. And many of the Dear
America series books focus on the events of World War II.
|
|
|
|
O N S C H O L A S T I C . C O M |
|
|
| |
Related Articles
and Activities
Scholastic has created a special
section in its Web site about the terrorist attacks: 9/11/2001:
The Day That Changed America.
You may also want to read "Teachers
Turn Tragedy into Lessons," an article from the St. Petersburg Times,
for suggestions on how classrooms are weaving current events into their
curricula.
"Helping Children Deal
with Scary News: Thoughts from Fred Rogers" is an article on PBS.org
that is full of listening tips and activities for helping children feel
safe.
|
|
|
| |
R E L A T E D B O O K S |
|
|
| |
Lucky October
- In Their Own
Words Pack. Includes a biography of Paul Revere!
- Harry Potter
Pack. Harry’s mythic triumphs over evil in these stories
have offered children in all kinds of situations hope and faith in
ordinary goodness.
- G.I. Joe at
Pearl Harbor. The heroic everyman from WWII.
- The Scholastic
Encyclopedia of the United States. Read about the people who changed
the course of history.
Visit scholastic.com/lucky for more
books and activities for your class!
Arrow October
- Early Sunday
Morning: The Pearl Harbor Diary of Amber Billows
- My Name Is America
Pack. Learn about three different American Wars from these fictional
diaries of young soldiers.
- The Scholastic
Encyclopedia Pack
- The Scholastic
Atlas of the World
Visit scholastic.com/arrow for more
books and activities for your class!
Tab October
- The Little Prince.
The classic story of peace and love written by a pilot.
- The New Big
Book of U.S. Presidents. Lots of fascinating historical facts.
- The World Almanac
for Kids 2002. Thousands of facts, full color photos, and maps!
- The Good Fight.
About the heroes of WWII.
- Pearl Harbor
Zero Hour Interactive CD-ROM.
Visit scholastic.com/tab for more books
and activities for your class!
|
|
 |
