After getting into the swing of things during the initial days of school, we spent our first full week building the background knowledge necessary for our study of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. In addition to learning about the author, we discussed and wrote about our essential questions for the year: - What does it mean to 'fit in'?
- Is it important to 'fit in'? Why or why not?
- What is normal?
- What does it mean to be an outsider?
On a lighter note, the students enjoyed a read aloud of The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss. We discussed its relevance to what was discussed thus far and predicted how it might connect with The Outsiders. It's amazing how a seemingly simple book can explore such complex themes!
We also began to study important terms from the first chapter. Students utilized Marzano's strategies and context clues to help develop long-term relationships with the words.
We've read The Sneetches in 7th grade English too when discussing classification, racism and genocide. Dr. Seuss is so smart!
ReplyDeleteAfter having children, I have a new-found appreciation for Dr. Seuss. It is interesting to read his work now that I am an adult.
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