Response to Teacher’s Sites

The two biggest take-aways I got from looking at the teacher’s sites were 1) killing multiple birds with one stone (i.e. combining, say, a science lesson with a language arts lesson) and 2) using technology to provide a sense of accomplishment within students.

We’ve discussed combining subjects in class many times.  I like how these teachers combined, in general, a science curriculum with a language arts curriculum.  The common way of doing this seems to be by publishing a book of what the class learned.  This is an important lesson because as teachers, we have a limited amount of time to get things done.  The more efficiently we can work, the less stress will be on us, our students, parents, etc…

The other thing I like is being sure to use technology in the classroom to enhance “old school” assignments.  I remember making books when I was in elementary school… Eh… I never got a big rush out of it.  I do remember “checking out” our published book from the classroom so that I could bring it home and show my parents and that was cool.  So I would think the idea of putting your students work on the internet for parents, grandparents, other family, etc. to see would be really cool for the students.

Pirate Questions

Click below for data retrieval chart:

adam berk data retrieval chart

1. In your own words, what is a Pirate? Why did so many sailors turn to a life of piracy?
A pirate is somebody who works on one boat with the goal of stealing goods from another boat. I think sailors turn to piracy for the same reasons anybody turns to a life of crime. Even though there is a chance of being caught and punished, for some the risk is worth the reward of gaining wealth quickly. Also, in comparison, being a sailor that followed the law was harder work and less pay. If you’re going to work hard, why not do so and get more in return?

2. Who were known as Buccaneers? How was their name derived? What were their other nicknames? When and where did they live? What became their goal or mission?
Buccaneers were privateers who mainly attacked Spanish ships and cities in the Caribbean. Their crews were also generally larger than other pirates. Their names derived from the word buccan which was a wooden frame used for smoking meat. Buccaneers called themselves privateers. They lived in the Caribbean in the late 17th century.

3. Who were Privateers? Who commissioned Privateers? What was their purpose or goal?
Privateers were “pirates” with a Letter of Marque which was a commission from a government to attack and seize goods on enemy ships. They were then required to split the goods with the government that issued the Letter of Marque.

4. Do you think Privateers were pirates or patriots?
I think they were pirates because, in general, I think privateers were fighting to gain wealth and the government “contact” was a necessary evil, whereas a patriot may get paid to fight, but their first goal is generally to protect their government.

5. What is a Letter of Marque? Why were they issued?
A Letter of Marque was issued by a government to a pirate that allowed that pirate’s ship to sail and attack enemy ships of the government without fear of prosecution from said government. This was a good way for governments to protect their own shipping interests without attempting to extinguish piracy all together.

6. In what ways were pirates engaged in democratic governance?
Buccaneers started the tradition of democratic governance among pirates. The ships’s captain was elected to serve and could be disposed of at any time by a vote.

7. What symbols are used on pirate flags?
The first pirate flags were red which was meant to signify blood. Later, the black pirate flags were meant to signify death. The hourglass was a symbol that meant your time was up. Symbols would let the potential victims know whether they were to be captured, or murdered, and possibly murdered quickly or painfully slow.

Response to “Pirates in Historical Fiction and Nonfiction: A Twin-Text Unit of Study”

***Note: I love the word “piratical.”

There were two main things about this lesson that really stood out for me:

1) The KWL (what i KNOW — what i WANT to know — what i LEARNED).  I think this is an awesome idea and if it’s a common knowledge thing for teachers today, then I’m glad I caught up with the curve.  I think this could be a great tool to use throughout the year.  The “what i KNOW” part can be great because it gives the teacher an idea of a starting point and perhaps a road map for driving the lesson.  For this lesson for example, if a lot of your class has been to the Gulf of Mexico, you can use that when teaching.  For a math lesson, if you ask your students, “What do you already know?” you may be able to be more efficient in your lesson.  This could also be a good tool for substitute teachers.  You could tell them to look at a couple of students KWL to get an idea of where the class is.  “what i WANT to know” gives the students an opportunity to contribute to the curriculum.  This could help them stay interested if you make sure to answer the questions they have in the lesson.  Again, this would be useful in any lesson subject.  Finally, the “what i LEARNED” is a chance for teachers to evaluate what the students have gotten from the lesson.  Tests are of course necessary, but this gives students a chance to express what they learned in their own words.  If necessary, the teacher could provide some prompting questions to get the students on the right track.  Again, I like the whole idea of KWL for any subject and/or lesson because ultimately I think it can make the students feel more involved in the lesson.

2) I also like the Double-Entry Diary (DED) as a tool for other lessons and/or subjects.  I think taking notes is a skill that we should teach students.  Speaking from my own experience in school, I think there should be more emphasis put on how to take notes and how to study.  Making two columns with quotes, vocab, formulas (for math and/or science), etc. on one side and a reaction, definition, and/or response on the other is a great way to organize notes and possibly a great way to study.  Students could cover one half of their notes, practice explaining on column, and then check their response; similar to flash cards.

I think the most interesting parts from this lesson were the KWL and DED because of their ability to be used across different lessons and subjects.

My Pirate Flag

• the RED represents my reluctant willingness to kill you if necessary
• the BLACK SPEECH BUBBLE represents my willingness to have a conversation before i decide if i will kill you
• the HOURGLASS represents that the time of our conversation will be limited
• the DRIPPING RED BLOOD represents a reminder that during our conversation your life is on the line
• the DOLLAR SIGN represents a clue that giving me your money will be a good way to save your life
• the SHIP FLOATING IN BLOOD represents that you might as well give me your whole ship in addition to your money

Cinderella Tales Comparison Chart

 

Story Element	Cinderella–Grimm	Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters–Steptoe	Turkey Girl–Pollock
Father?	Yes, “rich man”	Yes.	None
Mother?	Yes. Dies after giving life advice in first paragraph.	None.	None
Setting	Cinderella’s house and prince’s festival.	A small village across a river and ½ day journey from city in Africa.	A Pueblo Indian village.
others —antagonist(s) / traits	In order of meanness: Step-mother, step-sisters, father.	Manyara- mean, jealous, disrespectful, craves power.	Wealthy family that owns the turkeys and rude girls in the village.
Cinderella character / traits	Passive. Does what she is told. Determined.	Nyasha- extremely kind, caring, humble	Turkey Girl- She’s caring, but also unable to balance gifts and greed.
prince or king character / traits	Hooked on Cinderella. Determined to find her.	Tests his suitors.	None
event(s)—what events and how many?	Lots of repetition: 2 tests for Cinderella, 3 dances/costumes.	Meeting the hungry boy, and old women	Turkey girls get gifts from the Turkeys, but must be back by sundown.
test—Is there a test for the characters?	Lentils in the fireplace for Cinderella x2.	Kindness to the King in disguise.	Back by sundown.
magic — What is it? Where does it come from?	Bird at grave tree and fireplace	The old “fortune telling” women in the moon light. Snake to king transformation,	The Turkeys can talk and give the Turkey Girls gift so she can go to the dance.
artifact (shoe  & material made from) and events around artifact ?	Golden shoe- worn 3rd night of festival. Got stuck in pitch on steps from prince.	None	None.
resolution — How does the story end? What happens to Cinderella? To antagonists?	The shoe fits. Cinderella marries the prince. The sisters’ eyes are pecked out by birds.	Nyasha has been nice to the different form of the king all along and she is chose to be queen. Manyara is the servant.	Turkey Girl does not make it back by sundown.  The Turkeys escape and Turkey girls loses the gifts.
message or moral?	Pious and good is favorable to wickedness and falsehood.	Kindness to all living things.	Honor your commitments.  Don’t let success/happiness go to your head.

 

Reflections on Ch. 3 of Charlotte Huck’s Children’s Literature

One of the things that stuck with me through reading the chapter was the section titled Color.

“Colors can evoke strong emotional connections in readers.  Many classic picturebooks did not use color in the illustrations, such as the sepia pictures of Robert McCloskey’s Make Way For Ducklings and the well-loved black-and-white illustrations for Millions Of Cats by Wanda Gag.  Modern publishing techniques make it much easier and less expensive to publish full-color books, but many illustrators are still using black-and-white graphics to create exciting picture books.” Page 63

My first thought when I read this was, “If colors (plural, leading me to believe many) can evoke strong emotional connections, then why are these classic examples Charlotte is giving us using simply sepia and black-and-white?”  It made me think perhaps it would have been more correct to say that “Color” or “The use of color can evoke strong emotional connections…”  It made me think of the movie Schindler’s List.  Schindler’s List is filmed almost exclusively in black-and-white except for one Jewish girls that we see but never meet.  Spielberg shows her wearing a bright red coat walking in a crowd.  Later in the movie, we see her still wearing her bright red coat, only now she is dead on a cart with some other bodies.

  

Though the viewer never even learns her name or hears her speak, the contrast of color on the black-and-white film makes us have a connection to her that makes us feel greater emotion that if she had been filmed in black-and-white and we had simply seen her with other dead bodies.  In books, just as in movies, color can have a lot of meaning and connect to emotions.  I remember a book I had as a little kid called The Brave Cowboy:

 

If you don’t see it right away, the red represents the boys imagination while the black is reality.  Throughout this short book, the brave cowboy goes on adventures and we, the readers, get to see how he is playing make-believe.  What is it about this book that some 25 years later I’m still reminded of the drawings?  I think it has to do with the contrast of the two colors on a plain white background.  In both cases, I agree, with a slight change in language, with Ms. Huck’s assertion that color can evoke strong emotional connections with readers.

Later in the chapter, Charlotte addresses how colors can mean more than simply a blue sky or green grass.  She discusses what different colors mean in different cultures and how this can be used in picturebooks.  For example, in Iran blue can signify heaven and spirituality whereas for the Cherokee, blue means defeat or trouble.  In the Western hemisphere, black represents funerals, death, and “bad guys” as opposed to China where black is a color for young boys.  This gives the illustrator virtually the same power as the author to create meanings and themes within their drawings.