Sunday, January 11, 2009

Historical Fiction Lit Circles











Ladder #1:  Individual Activists - 




fighting societal injustices


Iqbal: A novel about a true story.  This book is set in Pakistan and shares the plight of children sold into slavery.  Read more about the nonprofit, Free the Children, that was founded after reading Iqbal.

1. Go to Issues and Controversies (jackson/hole). Type in Child labor and choose the one titled “Child Labor and Sweatshops.”
2. Google Iqbal Masih: There are a lot of great websites dedicated to him.
a. Read Wikipedia article
b. There are some great links at the bottom of the article! Feel free to check them out. Children's World and Who Was Iqbal Masih?
3. Check out Free the Children
4. Go to Culture Grams (jacksonbronc/hole)– build prior knowledge about Pakistan
a. Find information about child labor, Iqbal Masih
5. Wondering what you can do? Visit the International Center on Child Labor and Education (ICCLE) site to find out more about child labor facts and myths, and explore links between child labor, education, and poverty. You'll find true stories of child workers turned advocates - like Iqbal. There is poetry and art and a lot of students - like you - who are walking their talk!
6. After reading chapter 4, check out Bukhara rugs. Consider what Iqbal's rug may have looked like.
7. Check out this activity regarding Child Labor issues today.

The Breadwinner:  This book is set in Afghanistan during the time of the Taliban.  Learn how one young woman becomes the breadwinner despite the laws against such an act.

1. Go to Issues and Controversies (jackson/hole) – search Taliban, choose the first article.
a. Consider the first picture. What would life be from this point of view?
3. Go to WorldBook Online (Teton1/schools) - Taliban
4. Go to CultureGrams (jacksonbronc/hole) – build prior knowledge of Afghanistan

5. The Taliban is now an issue in Pakistan. Check out this article from cnn.com about a Girl Poet who is taking on the Taliban TODAY. There are also many current events links on this site.

Homeless Bird: This book is about a young girl who becomes a widow in India.  Learn about what this means for her life at a 15 year old and her future.  

2. Article about widows in India by CNN.
3.  Information about Amar Bari, "My Home" - a refuge for widows in India.
4.  So much informatin - WOW - from Widows International.
5.  Another non-profit that works for marginalized women and children in India:  The Guild of Service.
6.  Link to the movie blog: The White Rainbow Project (I ordered the movie; it should be here soon!) and for more about the movie, click here. 



 Constant Communication from the White Rainbow Project (newsletter sent out regularly!)


Journey to Jo’berg:  This book is set in South Africa during the time of Apartheid.  Learn about how a brother and sister risk their lives to simply get their mother home to her sick child.  Along their journey, they learn what apartheid really means for their family and their futures.

1. Go to BrainPop (teton/tcsd): Social Studies – Apartheid
2. Go to WorldBook Online (teton1/schools) - Apartheid
3. Go to: Apartheid Museum
4. Great site to understand Apartheid better.
5. Go to CultureGrams (jacksonbronc/hole) – build prior knowledge of South Africa
a. Look at timeline for information about Apartheid
6. After reading about Grace's brother and her stories about students fighting back, watch these United Streaming Movies.


Ladder #2:  Survival stories - surviving man-made &
natural disasters.  

Read Hiroshima  and Sadako:  These are stories about the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima at the end of WWII.  They also help us to understand the deadly consequences.


The Bomb:  This is the story of a small group of islands, very isolated from the rest of the world.  The US government chose Bikini Atoll to do further testing on their nuclear bombs.  Read about how this island fights back.


Under the Blood Red Sun:  This story is set in Hawaii and takes place in 1941 as America responds to the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Experience the fear and racism of the time.

1. Go to WorldBook Online (teton1/schools) - Pearl Harbor (good pictures and videos)
2. Go to American History (jackson/hole) – search Pearl Harbor (videos)
4. For information about the internment camps of the Japanese-Americans, go to Japanese Internment Camps
a. Toward the bottom there is information about Sand Island, Hawaii.
5. Read So Far From The Sea by Eve Bunting.

The Killing Sea:  This story is set in Indonesia in 2004.  The story begins the day before the Tsunami hits.  It is a survival story that brings together two characters from very different cultures.

1. Go to BrainPop (online databases (teton/TCSD)): science – Tsunami  AND animated explanation of Tsunamis from BBC.  More to understand Tsunami/Earthquakes.
2. Go to WorldBook Online (Teton1/Schools) - Tsunami (2004), good pictures
3. Go to CultureGrams (Jacksonbronc/hole) – build prior knowledge of Indonesia
4. Go to :Tsunami Videos
7.  National Geographic video - from Mr. Wiley
8.  Japan's March 2011 Tsunami:  Before and After pictures, BBC article & videos, and more videos,
9.  A lot of great resources for Japan's earthquake and tsunami
10.  More on Japan's March 2011 earthquake and tsunami:

11.  Ways to donate.

Ladder #3:  Individuals fighting against a government.  Understanding propaganda and oppression.


Kiss the Dust:  This story is set in Iraq.  It is the story of a Kurdish family that must flee to Iran due to persecution against the Kurds in Iraq.  It tells the story of refugees in a way that will break your heart.



The Year of Impossible Goodbyes:  This story helps us to understand Korea's history from the end of WWII to the beginnings of the Korean war.  It's a story of a family that is forced to live in an occupied country for many years.  This story shows the power of propaganda.


Red Scarf Girl:  This is a memoir of a family living in China during Mao's Cultural Revolution.  It is a story of living with propaganda and conflicting beliefs.  It helps us to understand how difficult it is to live with fear. 
1. Go to WorldBook Online (teton1/schools) - Cultural Revolution
a. Check out some of the Back in Time articles
2. Check out these United Streaming movies (follow the directions telling you which movies to watch first)
3. Go to CultureGrams (jacksonbronc/hole) – build prior knowledge of China
a. Pay attention to the time line – China under Communism
4. Explore Ji-Li's company, East West Exchange, to promote cultural exchanges between the United States and China. "If I can help Americans to understand China, and the Chinese to learn about the United States, even a little, I will feel very rewarded. I will have contributed something to my country, China, and my home, America (p 271)."


~Other~

MAROO OF THE WINTER CAVES:



2. Go to BrainPop (online databases (teton/TCSD)): Science-Earth System- Ice Age
Go to ACTIVITIES-->Graphic Organizer-->Print--> Take notes on this activity sheet as you watch the movie-->Go back to movie-->Press CC button and read along --> Play the quiz-->Graded Quiz--> View your results --> OK --> Record your score --> Review answers --> If you missed more than 2, take the test again.

3. Go to BrainPop (online databases (teton/TCSD)): Science-Earth System- Avalanches
Go to ACTIVITIES-->Graphic Organizer-->Print--> Take notes on this activity sheet as you watch the movie-->Go back to movie-->Press CC button and read along --> Play the quiz-->Graded Quiz--> View your results --> OK --> Record your score --> Review answers --> If you missed more than 2, take the test again.

4. Go to WorldBook Online (Teton1/Schools).
Go to My Backpack-->Maroo and Wolf Brother--> Stone Age-->
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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Poetry Lit Circles - Movies

Please watch the movie(s) that are connected to your Poetry Lit Circle books.

Enjoy!
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Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Elyssa ~ "Niagra Falls"

New York

Two years ago my dad and I planned a vacation to go to New York. We went to New York to see my dad’s side of the family in New York. The family members were his brothers my uncles, sisters my aunts and my cousins. We went on three great trips and saw a lot of cool sites. But I had to said this was one of the best trips I have ever gone on. Beside going to Florida with my mom. We were going to Niagara Falls Canada with my dad and all my family members in New York. When we got to New York, I felt reunited again because we had not seen them since I was two years old. It had been eight long years!
The morning we went to Niagara Falls everyone was anxious to leave the house, so they were running up and down the stairs. After that we all dashed to the car and drove for about an hour, my cousin Cody’s breakfast of bean soup started kicking in! He was stinking the car up terribly. The car ride was especially bad, too, because there was seven people in one small car. I couldn’t move my legs and was stuck in one spot for 2 1/2 hours. I felt trapped.
About an hour into the car ride, my aunt and uncle started asking me question after question. “So Elyssa how was your school year?’’ asked my aunt Dee.
‘’It was good. I had a lot of fun and we went on a lot of field trips.” Right after that lead to the next question. But before my uncle asked me the next question, I yelled, “Niagara Falls, here we come!’’
This didn’t distract them, and the next few questions popped out like fireworks. “Did you like your teacher?’’ My Uncle had to yell at me because my three cousins were singing in the back seat. I love my cousins and I am happy they are part of my family, but they can get very crazy and out of control. To make matters worse, every once and a while my uncle would slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of him. It scared me a lot.
Once my aunt, uncle, and cousin stopped asking questions, we all listened to my cousin’s music, which was rock. I did not like that his music, but it was entertaining and distracted them from asking more questions!
Finally, we arrived at Niagara Falls. We all jumped out of the car, relieved because we had been in there for a long time. My uncle bought us all tickets for a boat ride. I couldn’t wait.
The boat was huge. It was two stories tall and the top part was full. Additionally, the whole bottom was so full you could not even turn around without seeing a person at your side. The boat surprised me how big it was. Before we got on the captain said, “ Everyone who is going on the boat please come and get your rain coat on.’’
“ Why do we need rain coats?’’ It took him a while to reply. When he did, his answer was, “You’re going to get wet.”
After that my dad said, “You need rain coats because you get really close to the waterfall and might get really really wet!’’ If I did not want to get really wet, I would just hide behind all the people. So if you want to go on the boat sometime, just know you will have to be ready to see a lot of people and get really wet. Besides getting soaked and being crushed, it is a beautiful view. It surprised me of how close we got to the waterfall. The water sprayed in the air and when it is was sunny, it looked like glistening snow after the first snow fall of the year.
Once we got off the boat there was a ton of people exiting all at once and a lot of walking to be done. I had to be careful not to lose my dad and the rest of my family. So I was holding on to my dad’s sweatshirt with all my might.
We walked for long time just to get to lunch. Lunch tasted so good because we had not eaten for a long time. We finally had to walk back to the car and drive for another 2 1/2 hours. It was kinda light in the car because my cousins were playing their video games. Every one of us was awake until my aunt, uncle, and dad said, “All four of you kids should close your eyes because it is a two and a half hour drive and you will be very tired when we get back to New York.” We all fell asleep even though we did not want to when we left Niagra Falls. I still dream of going back to Niagra Falls!
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River ~ "Middle School"

I almost sprinted to my new locker in my new school, the Jackson Hole Middle School! I nodded to my new teachers standing in the hallway. I nodded to some of my old friends, but I had no time to talk! I was so excited about middle school! When I finally got to my locker, I spotted one of my old friends, the one I had done Jungle Book with the year before who also has the same birth-day as me. She was my best friend. “Cheyenne!” I yelled.
“River,” Cheyenne responded nearly yelping. Excited was my only feeling until I found out what homeroom she was in.
“What?” I questioned, “You are barely in any classes of mine,” I whined, and then a question occurred to me that hurt me even more. What if it was like this for all my friends?
Panic showed up and started pacing while whispering in my ear, “Oh great! NO FRIENDS! You are on your own!” He paced faster and faster and whispered louder and louder.
That’s when Worried showed up. “Oh no, no friends that’s not good at all,” he muttered in my other ear. Worried and Panic get along just fine. They love these types of situations most.
What if it was like this for all my friends? What if I have no friends in middle school? What if I have no one to trust? No one to be there for me? My head hurt from all of these terrible thoughts that were running though my head. Then the bell finally rang and I hurried to my new class.
Nervousness was just like Worried but acted like it was a horror movie going on. “Don’t do it River” “Don’t go though that door!” it was my homeroom door but Nervousness made it seem as if I was walking to the house of a killer. Happiness pushed Nervousness out of the way and pushed me though the door, there was a smile on my face with happiness at my side. There were some of my old friends I knew, Heather, Kinzel and Catlin, and some new people like Nicole, who is a great listener and Hailey, who has just about the same crazy level as me. They had gone to a different school then me, but these new people I met were my friends quickly! It was the end of 5th period and I was walking past the rather tall 8th graders…
That’s when one more of the emotion's friends showed up; his name is Scared. He was hiding behind me shaking, and pointing at the 8th graders saying stuff like, “ You know some of them.” This caused more shaking and hiding. “They could make fun of you”… Easy”. But I had my new AND old friends including Cheyenne by me.
“I love middle school,” I told my friends almost in a whisper. But then almost a yell at the last bell, and skipped thought the halls I thought to myself, “Why was I even scared in the 1st place?” I was in middle school, grown up, and had awesome, outrages friends!
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Schuyler ~ "Italy"

Italy

They ditched me. They ditched me!
“Hey, wait up! Where the heck are you going,” I yelled. The only voice I heard was my own, echoing in the distance. At that moment my confusion was like a tsunami, washing over a beach. I sprinted down the trail Adam had taken. When I burst into the clearing where Adam should have been, it was as silent as a shadow.
I remember the day when I got the phone call. The phone was yelling, “I have something important to share.” When I answered, I was overjoyed to hear Adam’s offer. That is how this trip to Italy was born.
I was in Imprunetta, Italy in a olive vineyard on practically a square mile of land. Lush, rolling hillsides of Italian countryside surrounded me, engulfing me. Adam was one of my best friends in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He had rented a house in Italy for a year. I wondered if I could survive without him. I had other friends, but still it would be different without him in Jackson Hole.

I arrived March 12 in Rome, Italy. I had just gotten in from a eight hour trip but I was as awake as ever. I was so excited to be in Italy. I remember taking the train, staring out at the beautiful countryside. Yellow daises spotted the country side making a beautiful effect. When we arrived at our hotel we loved it. It was small, three stories, and had a tiny little elevator that could only one person could fit in. Our rooms were small so we rented two. I loved Italy.

I arrived March 12, and the fun began. Adam, his friends, and I were walking down a beautiful passage with twelve foot tall, green perfectly manicured bushes. Ahead of me there were two neat paths, one to the left and one the right. When we were advancing up to the paths, they ditched me. Adam had gone left, and Eric, William, and Mathew had gone right. I sprinted as fast as I could down the left trail. Lost in confusion, I burst into the clearing. This is where Adam had gone. It felt like life was at a stand-still. Out of nowhere, I heard a loud rustling noise. I rotated my head to the source of the noise like a owl. Surprisingly, I saw a little manhole I hadn’t noticed earlier. I saw movement in the manhole and dashed after it like a tiger on its prey.
“I know you’re here,” I shouted. I saw the color of his yellow shirt and grabbed. “Gotchya,” I yelled as my hand snagged his shirt, like a eagle’s talon its prey. So much for all the silence. I stopped him in his tracks. My first question came speeding off the tip of my tongue, “Why did you ditch me?” I was panting, out of breath.
“We had it all planned out,” he said panting, just as out of breath as I was.
“Where was everyone else?” I asked sternly.
“Not telling,” he said in a singsong voice.
Just as he had said it, I said, “Yes you are.” I just realized that this was a little joke. I laughed at how uptight I was, it was all just a joke.
Two minutes later I knew exactly where everyone was. Now that I knew this was all a joke I slowly walked to where William and Mathew were supposed to be. They were to easy to find. They had orange shirts and were hiding in green bushes. Base point is, it was hilarious.
“It’s not like you’re wearing camouflage.” I shouted. I ran up to them, smirking. William was the older brother of the two. He was tall, extremely energetic and had very sharp features. Mathew was like a mini model of him but was less energetic.
“Hey, do you guys know if Erik has moved,” I asked.
“No,” he answered “he hasn’t, and I have the perfect plan.”
We had spotted Erik, and believe me it wasn’t hard. He was in the vineyard, probably not expecting anything. In my opinion the vineyard was the most beautiful place in the countryside We ran behind some leafy green trees with a peculiar all smell like fresh green grass. The beautiful nature put a gentle, settling calm in me. That was near to where he was coming.

We had a whole a day to be in Rome, to explore everything we could. We went to the Coliseum, the Pantheon, Palentine Hill and even Ceasers grave. Everywhere I looked I saw beautiful scenery.

“Boo,” we yelled as he jerked in surprise. The look on his face was so surprised, startled, and stunned.
“Got you there,” I announced in his face, grinning.
“How did you find me,” he asked quizzically, still dazed.
“It wasn’t hard,” I replied.
“Lets go home,” I announced, all of a sudden tired of all the action. Everyone agreed.
As every one else walked ahead, Adam and I stayed behind, walking slowly.
“You have cool friends,” I told him, breaking the silence like a bullet.
“I know,” he replied
“I never realized that here, even in Italy you can easily know someone you have never known.”
“I know” he calmly said “that is the beauty of the world.
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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Matt ~ "My Birthday Surprise"

I ran outside school and saw something incredible: a Jeff Gordon jacket.
“You like Jeff Gordon I love him, he’s my favorite racecar driver.” “Hey nice jacket I have one just like it I got it last Christmas,” I said.
Last Christmas, I was opening my presents and found an interesting gift from Santa. I ripped open the box and found... “Jeff Gordon clothes!!” I screamed. There were three things under the raping paper: a Jeff Gordon jacket, a Jeff Gordon fleece jacket, and Jeff Gordon sleep pants. I ran further and saw that it was my dad wearing my jacket.
Once I got over dad taking my jacket, mom said, “Trade me jackets!” She was wearing my Jimmie Johnson jacket.
“Why,” I asked.
Then she told me, “Matt, you’re going to the race.”
Speechless I said, “Are you I have kidding me? I’m going to a race!!”
They said, “Happy Birthday!”
Ever since I could remember I’ve been watching the Nascar race every Sunday with my dad. Every time we came home from church, we go in the media room and turn on the race. We
sit and watch the entire race. My favorite driver in the Hendricks team is Jeff Gordon. I have been following him every weekend. Then comes Jimmie Johnson, he is my second favorite driver. He has won the Nextel cup for a few years and has been wining most of the races this year. Dale Earnhart Jr is my third favorite. He Just joined the Hendricks team last year but he was pretty famous with his colors. Casey Mears, is also a favorite he joined the team last year but he got in a big wreck at the race I went to see.
When I woke up the morning of the race, I was getting dressed in my Nascar wardrobe. Of my Jimmie Johnson shirt, my Jimmie Johnson jacket, and my Jimmie hat. I knew that this was going to be the best day of my life and the best birthday weekend of my life. I could feel the excitement grow stronger and stronger inside of me as we drove closer and closer to the racetrack.
When I walked through the gates, I could hear the sound of the loud driers driving around the track. The racing of the pace car, (the 2008 ZO6 Corvette) testing the dryness of the track. I could smell the smell of rain; it had been raining all night. As I saw all the haulers; rows and rows of haulers lined up the sell all the souvenirs. I had to run down every row of haulers to see the entire Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhart Jr hauler to see there entire stock. There were other haulers I saw a Sprint cup series hauler, who had a big screen T.V. that showed the reporters interviewing all drivers.
In the FAN ZONE there were game tents. 25% of my excitement was on those games. There was a AAA tent that had two driving games but they weren’t ordinary driving games they were Nascar driving games. They made me feel like I was in the driver seat of the racecar. They shock like the shaking of a big powerful engine rumbling around the track. When I crashed, I could fell the impacted of the crash. When I spun out I could feel the shaking of the car spinning around and around (I played a lot of games a lot of times). There was a tent down a way from the other tents that was an ordinary driving game. Suprisingly it was really addicting. My dad and I played it, but he got kind tired of it. but I played it a while longer he watched me. There was a game right next to it that was a racecar split in half. It had a computer in it, and it was cool. It also felt like I was in a racecar, but it didn’t shake like the other one did.
At the end of the day it started to rain again, and every body left. There was no racing that day because of the rain, and the Craftsmen Truck series was delayed until the next day. While dad and I were still there, we walked into a Bose trailer. When I walked in, I could hear a videogame being played, and it was a racecar game being played on a gigantic flat screen T.V. I asked, “can I play it?” I played it for a long time. When Dad wanted to leave, I had to go.
The next day the whether was good. They ran the Craftsman truck series it was so cool to see the racecars in person. It was so exiting to see the cars and hear the roar of the loud engines, louder than you hear on T.V. We had pit passes, so we went down threw the tunnel and we were in the infield. It would be cooler to watch the race from our R.V inside the infield. And so we went down to pit road and to see the command centers being set up all along the back wall of pit road.
The End
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Brady ~ "Haunted Houses"

As soon as we crept in the old creaky house in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, my heart disintegrated. I didnít want to go in because I was afraid of ghosts. Even though it was a tourist attraction, I still said, ìI am not going in!î Fear was squeezing me around the neck, and suddenly I couldnít breath. Fear wrapped himself around my ankles, so I couldnít move, and Worry bit me in the back. There was nothing I could do about it, my teacher had bought the tickets. I now knew I had to face my fear.
I mustered up enough courage to get inside. I shuffled through what seemed to be real snapshots of ghosts. Once I was done gazing, my eyes sneaked up and I acknowledged two big black doors. For some reason I got the slight suspicion it was a fun house, and you had to open the right door. Not the right door, but the right door. Then, a side door it magically emerged and it showed the way out side. I was saved, but not for long. Our tour guide was here and primed to get the tour started, and to pull me to my death.
Now I was dawdling down the sidewalk from house to house with shivers gnawing at my back. I think I was giving off the impression that I was terrified but I was mortified. ìHere we have stopped at what used to be a shoot out,î Yelped the tour guide. We all turned to face a dark faded wood house that read Twin Sycamores.
ìWhy did they call it that?î My friend Eli wondered aloud.
ìBecause there were two Sycamore trees in front of the building,î barked the tour guide. Nonchalantly Eli and I peered back to come across a pair of helpless, bright, yellow eyes. Reluctantly I followed my instinct and screamed at the top of my lungs,
ìGHOST!î Then I heard a girlish voice, Marisol screamed.
ìOUCH! That hurt my ears, besides Its not a ghost, they are only lightning bugs.î
ìOHHHHHHHHHH! I knew that,î which I really didnít. A sigh of relief went up my spine for all to see. I was now officially bananas.
After finishing the tour, we headed back. ìAHHHHHHHH,î the peaceful trip all the way back to the hotel was the best part, and getting to bed. When the blankets so soft swallowed me to the most comfortable place on earth finally drifting asleep until...Peaceful had vanished, and nightmares had arose.












I am white
I am the color that blows through the windy days
I am the feeling of being alone, fearful, and depressed
I am afraid of what is unknown to all
I am the color of when joy and misery collide
How I help daily life I know not
I am what you get when other colors fade or vanish
I am not just a color I am a feeling
I am taken for granted every day
To the average mind I am a dull color
But I am more then that...
I am the color of thought
I am white
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