I am enjoying Lois Lowry's Number the Stars just as much now as I did in sixth grade! This was one of my favorite books as a child, partly because I remember my teacher being so enthusiastic about it. I will definitely include this novel in my curriculum whenever possible, and hopefully portray the same enthusiasm my sixth grade teacher did. This book is so easy to relate to, especially for children, which is another reason I enjoy it so much. However on my second read because I am older, I find myself relating more to Annemarie's parents than to Annemarie and Ellen. I cannot imagine being put in their situation with, say, the two little girls I babysit or my little cousins. I would not even know how to go about informing children of such a serious and dangerous event, but they seem to do it beautifully. In this sense then, Number the Stars offers young readers other children they can relate to (Annemarie and Ellen), and also wonderful role models (the girls' parents). The fact that a story of the Holocaust is told through the eyes of a young girl makes it so much less intimidating for our students. It informs them of how that terrible time affected children and young adults their own age, which can help them to comprehend much better than reading facts out of a history book. In my opinion, relating material to students' own lives will always improve their understanding and remembrance of it. Lowry also provides a glimpse of the Holocaust through the eyes of what could just as easily be these young readers' parents. I think making these connections when teaching a unit as serious and tough as the Holocaust can put the material on our students' level, and make it a little less scary to learn and discuss.


I looked online for ideas to teach Number the Stars in relation to the Holocaust. One website strongly suggested discussing with students the reoccurring Star of  David, and what it means to Jewish people. I think this is especially important, since it comes up many times in the novel and our students may not know a lot about the Jewish faith. Perhaps introducing the Jewish faith in general and major events and countries included in the Holocaust prior to reading the novel would be beneficial. In addition, Denmark may be a little known country to students in sixth or seventh grade. I remember wondering about characteristics of Copenhagen, Denmark in sixth grade. It is hard to understand the context of a story if the reader cannot grasp setting. One website offered this activity:

"1. Travel Brochure

Prepare a travel brochure using pictures found or drawn from Denmark to share with the class and encouraging people to visit this country after the war."

Some modifications could be made to this activity, such as half the class making a brochure of Denmark during the war, and half of post-war Denmark. Comparisons could then be made in class discussion. This would also be beneficial to students if completed prior to reading the novel, and help them to accurately imagine where Number the Stars takes place. 

A Fun Thought :)

Can I just tell everyone how excited I am to read a book that I actually want to read over Spring Break?! Any suggestions?

The Icing on the Cake: Ingredients of a Literature Circle

     I love Daniels' "Eleven Key Ingredients" to facilitating successful literature circles. They really highlight the positive aspects of lit circles in the classroom. The fact that number one is, "Students choose their own reading materials," shows just how student-centered this approach is (Daniels 18). I want students to love coming to my class every day; and what better way to achieve that great teacher-student relationship than by giving them freedom. In addition, another item on this list states that students extend their choice of reading by creating their own discussion topics. So not only can they choose their text, they can also highlight and discuss the sections and themes of it that interest them the most. I like how Daniels' suggests that groups be temporary. This gives students a chance to make a connection with many different classmates, and also to gain various perspectives and methods of learning from other students. 

     There is, however, one item on this list that remains a bit confusing to me. Number 8 states: "The teacher serves as a facilitator, not a group member or instructor" (Daniels 18). I find myself thinking I understand this concept, and then confusing myself all over again. To me, an instructor would assign discussion questions and walk around the room, hovering over students during class time. So I see why Daniels does not recommend this tactic. I have always thought a good way to go about group work, (as a teacher), though was to make your way around the classroom, joining each group as a contributing member for a few minutes. But Daniels' statement also disputes this idea. So how do I go about facilitating literature circles when I am a teacher? I really want to have a strong understanding of this approach because I think it could be such a fun and positive experience for my future students! 

A Stroll Down Mango Street

     I have been excited to read The House on Mango Street since the day I saw it on our reading list. I read it in my tenth grade Honors English and loved it! It was a breath of fresh air for me five years ago, just as it was this past week. In my tenth grade English class, it seemed unlikely and nontraditional to be reading a novel that, quite honestly, was so easy to get through. Placed amongst the classic texts of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Wuthering Heights, it was such an easy read. And again, this past week, I found myself reading The House on Mango Street before bed to help me relax. Hopefully when implemented in our classroom, Sandra Cisneros' witty and charming novel will have the same effect for our students. But does the fact that House on Mango Street is a short, easy read diminish its merit as a piece of literature? In my opinion, definitely not.
     I remember my tenth grade English teacher referring to the small chapters as vignettes, each one being its own little life story. We wrote our own vignettes throughout the course of reading the novel, which was a refreshing class activity. I think any time we can incorporate our students' own lives and stories into class activities, we should. It makes the activity more personal, meaningful, and relaxing to complete. Beyond all of the creative extensions House on Mango Street provides for us to do with students, it also offers an array of discussion and activities within the genre of multicultural literature. In fact, I think one of the vignettes I composed in tenth grade was about how my family celebrates a holiday according to our culture. Of course every holiday in my family is celebrated with a trip to church, a full table of food, and good beer and wine, fitting to the Irish Catholic demographic. But the point is, this came through in my vignette. We can offer students various activities that allow their own heritages to come through, just as Esperanza'a does through the entire novel. Some of these include constructing a family tree, and illustrating a room in their house that displays their own culture. Again, these activities are personal and so become meaningful, while also providing a reason to connect with family members and ask questions. The House on Mango Street also generates great class discussion, in which we as teachers could pose the question to each student, "What does your own culture and background really mean to you?" It is surprising to me that such a fun and relaxing read can supply us with so many windows of opportunity to explore with our students!

Happy Early Valentine's!

A Comic Epiphany

     I made a connection that really hit home with me between a point raised in Chapter five of Wilhelm's YGBB and Dr. Mortimore's article. Wilhelm states: "Much of what these students revealed to me made me begin to believe that these students did not 'see' anything when they read, and that therefore they could not experience and think about what they had read. They had no ownership over the process, and no sense that it could work for them in personally meaningful ways" (158). We as teachers need to teach students the strategies and motivate them to own their own stories and reading processes. We need to remind them that a book is what you make it; so they should each make it their own! I think many students, well most all students actually, are disappointed when they hear that the entire class will be reading the same assigned text. But if we can help them to understand that a text's meaning varies for each and every reader, maybe they will crack it open and read! The characters, conflict, and themes of a story will resonate differently with all of our students; and we need to remind them of that to create a sense of individuality, (something very important to secondary students).
     This is where Dr. Mortimore's article and the use of comic books in our classrooms comes into play. My favorite convention discussed is the "gutter," and not just because its name makes me laugh. The gaps or gutters in a comic allow readers to use their imagination and make the story their own. One reader may kill off the protagonist, while another murders the villain. And so I think we can use comics in our classrooms to teach the strategy of visualizing and creating meaning that students can then extend to more complex and longer novels. For example, I could assign all of my students the same comic to read and ask them to fill in each gap with their own picture and words of what they think is happening. I would then ask each student to share with the rest of the class their take on the story, or their own story rather. I can almost guarantee that each and every one will be different in some way, whether the variations are significant or small. This exercise would prove to a class that everyone interprets a story differently, when he/she really takes the time to engage and visualize it. It also provides great practice for imagery in reading, which can eventually transition to the mental imagery Wilhelm suggests "good readers" use.

Fun Activities for Our Students!

Reading Chapter 5 of YGBB motivated me to look for fun comprehension activities to use in my future classroom. Specifically I looked for ones that can include imagery because Wilhelm suggests, "...the ability to use imagery is a central difference between good and poor readers" (158). The activities I found are not just beneficial to students like Walter, Tommy, and Kae, but to all of our future students! :)

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/prodev/PAS_Sequence-Chain.pdf

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/TCR/0743932080_019.pdf

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/graphic-organizers/reading-comprehension/2279.html?detoured=1

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/reading/graphic-organizers/2280.html?detoured=1

For these organizers, students could draw or place magazine clippings in each box with a caption. This will help them to visualize the character, scene, or theme, and also to remember it (since they have drawn/chosen the pictures themselves). I think that these would most likely work well with middle school students, but the last link in the list says its age range is 2nd grade to 12th grade. More blogging later!