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Extensions and Activities for Chamber Readers 7th-8th grade Performances Written by: Melissa Cooley and Julie Gordon Supplemented and Edited by: Kristen Miller |
ACTIVITIES
INCLUDED FOR THE FOLLOWING STORIES:
·
Bull Run By Paul Fleischman
·
Growltiger's Last
Stand By T.S. Eliot
BULL RUN
By Paul Fleischman
Overview:
In Bull Run,
Fleischman provides multiple perspectives to the first battle of Bull Run
during the Civil War.
Activities:
A good follow up to these multiple perspectives would be a creative writing exercise that gets students thinking about writing from different viewpoints. Given what the students know about various historical events that took place during the Civil War, World War 11, The Great Depression, etc, generate character personas with the class or provide them with your own.
For example the attack on Pearl Harbor could have students writing from the perspective of a journalist, a drafted American soldier, a native Hawaiian, etc. Each identity will have a writing activity unique to their perspective such as a journalist writing an article for a newspaper. Come up with enough personas to divide the class into groups four or five. Randomly divide the class into groups with a given identity.
Allow them time to discuss their writing
prompt. As a group have students answer the following questions:
1.) What is this person's
perspective?
2.) How does their role influence
how they think about the incident?
3.) Is this person's race, social
class, or gender going to affect their perspective?
To prepare each student for their
individual writing exercise, have them answer the questions:
Does the person sympathize or
oppose the event?
Have students write for 15
minutes. Ask for volunteers to share their writing aloud.
Then, have them discuss what they
came up with in small groups before a whole class discussion on different
perspectives and view points. Ask for volunteers again.
Bull Run
worksheet
As a group discuss these questions and take notes.
1. What is this person's perspective?
2. How does their role influence how they think about the incident?
Now individually write down what you think about these questions in regards to the character you were given. These answers may, and probably should, be different from other members in your group and will give uniqueness to the perspective you are writing from.
1. What is the person's gender and how is that going to affect their perspective?
2. Does the person sympathize with or oppose the event?
GROWLTIGER'S LAST STAND
By T.S. Eliot
Overview:
The story of a cat named Growltiger. This story explains how the Bravo Cat Growltiger got the title "The Terror of the Thames".
Activities:
Read the poem "The Naming
of Cats" (from handout) to your class, and maybe pass out a
copy to everyone. Have a discussion about the meaning of names by asking the class members what their name means.
· Who picked it out?
· Does it mean something unique in different languages?
· Does mean something different to them and their parents?
· Is there a family history behind their name.
·
You might have them find out the history of their names for homework.
In this poem Eliot talks about the
importance of each cat's special name, which only the cat knows. Have the
students write a paragraph about what name they would make up for themselves,
have it be meaningful and made up of words that are important to them. For
example, a girl who plays soccer and likes to cook might come up with the name
Kickingocookies, or something even sillier. You might want to brainstorm some
names, such as for yourself or a celebrity, to get the class started.
Handout for Growltiger's Last Stand By T.S. Eliot
THE NAMING OF CATS
By T.S. Eliot
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey—
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum—
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover—
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation.
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
In this poem Eliot talks about the importance of each
cat's special name, which only the cat knows. What does your name mean? Who
picked it out? Does it mean something different in another language?
While this name was probably given to you at birth, what
kind of name would you give yourself now? For example, a girl who plays soccer
and likes to cook might come up with the name Kickingocookies, or something
even sillier. To generate ideas about your special name, you might want to answer
these questions.
—What are your hobbies?
—What are words that describe your personality?
Write a paragraph about this name, describing why you chose it.
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Extensions and
Activities for Chamber Readers 2001/02 Performances |
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Please use the space below to note which activities and extensions you used and enjoyed in your classroom and to note any activities you found did not work well as well as any other comments Thank you for your time!