Guess Who is Coming to Dinner

No, not Sidney Poitier. On the guest list is Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Dana Bruns, Mark Jamison, my brother Fred Gottschalk. We are all in the back yard next to the pool. Fred has a beer in one hand and a spatula in the other. Because I am a poor college student, all I could afford to entertain my guests was hamburgers, potato salad (home made, not that store bought crap), Coca-Cola (I may be poor, but I am not drinking that generic cola. It is nasty.)

I hear the door bell ring so I tell Ms. Betty the house keeper to go let who ever it is in and bring them out back. When she returns, she brings with her Ms. Rosa Parks. She is the last one to arrive 'cause the poor girl has to rely on public transportation.

Me: Rosa! How you doin' girl?




RP: Oh baby, let me tell you it was just hell. I refused to give up my seat and go sit in the back of the bus and all hell broke loose. They'll get over though.





MLK: Ms. Parks, I am so proud that you chose a non-violent means of defiance. That is what I am all about - non-violent expression of protest.




Mark J.: Well, race relations are getting better. We are making progress. We have Jackie Robinson playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers now. Only a few years ago, he would have relegated to the Negro League.





Dana: Excuse me. What is for dessert?



Me: I don't know Dana. This was supposed to be a pot-luck type BBQ. You were supposed to bring dessert. I hope it is something home made and not any of that store bought crap.




Fred: That's OK Dana. I don't eat dessert anyway. Unless you count beer as dessert. Speaking of which, this one is empty. Will someone please bring me a cold beer?





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_robinson

Historical Fiction

Historical Fiction: What is it?

Historical fiction is literature that takes place in the past. Even though the plot and characters are fictional, the settings and other events are real. For example, the RMS Titanic was an actual Olymipic-class passenger liner owned by the White Star Line that sank in 1912. There are several stories that center around this event. Fictional characters and plots are intermingled with historically accurate events and information.


Using Historical Fiction in the Classroom

1) Use t-charts to seperate fact from fiction.

Example:





2) Have the students pick out other significant events that happened or were happing at the same time. Who were the world leaders at that time? What was popular culture like at that time?

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

1) Create a Super Sentence (is that similar to "up sizing"?) definition of contemporary realistic fiction.

Contemporary realistic fiction books have plots, characters, and settings that are found in real life and deal with realistic, believable situations.downs.

2) How might I use this in my classroom?

Using a book from this genre could be used to help students cope with issues in their lives. This genre can also give students a perspective on dealing with issues ranging from drug use, teen pregnancy, relationships, divorce, and death.

For reading assignments, instructors can let students pick a book for of their own choice so that the topic will be something the student can relate too.

Modern Fantasy

I. What is modern fantasy?

Generally speaking, modern fantasy is literature that take revolves around alternate universes and other worldly environments. Books like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, come to mind. Here, characters of the "normal" world are taken or transported to worlds where laws of this universe do not apply.

Also, modern fantasy can consist of stories such as James and the Giant Peach. Although the story takes place in the "real" world, some of the characters and the situations they encounter are beyond the normal universe.


II. Design a classroom activity.

Although common, my favorite activity to assign my students would be for them to lift passages from their favorite stories and act them out. This is ideal for groups of 3 to 5 students. This is ideal for many reasons. Students who aren't able to read as well as others will still be able to get the story down. Also, it enables students to practice public speaking. And of course, learning to work in groups is a great skill to acquire.

Petey!

Tell me if you like Petey.

http://personal.bellsouth.net/j/m/jm_morse/

Traditional Literature

Traditional Literature

I. Give a Super Sentence (who came up with this word?) definition of Traditional Literature. One definition of traditional literature is that it is a type of story. It could be a fable, a folktale, a myth or legend. It is passed down from older generations to younger ones in the form of a tradition.

II. How can you use traditional literature in the classroom? Give details.

Any time folktales, fables, legends or myths are introduced to students, they will be exposed to traditional literature. For younger grades, a story like the Jack and the Beanstalk or The Three Little Pigs or Billy Goats Gruff. Also, stories like The Tortoise and the Hare, The Hardworking Ants and the Lazy Grasshopper, and The Boy Who Cried Wolf. You can use these stories to teach students about repercussions and consequences of their actions.

III. Will I use traditional literature in my classroom? Why or why not?

How can you avoid using it in your classroom? Well . . . I guess if you tried hard enough, you could avoid it. But yes, of course I will use traditional literature in my classroom. I think it is a great tool for teaching values. My favorite example is that of The Grasshopper and the Ants. What a great story to use to teach that: a) idleness brings want b) to work today is to eat tomorrow, and c) it is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

Of course Disney, much as I love Walt and the crew, softened their version a bit. Their (politically correct)version of the fable shows the ants taking pity and giving the grasshopper some food, on the premise that turning the grasshopper away in his time of need is also morally questionable. In their 1934 animated short subject produced by Walt Disney, the Queen of the Ants decrees that the grasshopper may stay in the ant colony, but he must play his fiddle in return for his room and board. He agrees to this arrangement, and the ant tunnels become a grand ballroom where all the ants happily dance to the music of the grasshopper, who finally learns that he needs to make himself useful.

Nowadays, we just use food stamps.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Picture Books

picture book: a book that consists wholly or chiefly of pictures
Function: noun
Date: 1847

http://www.m-w.com

Picture books are the type that tell stories through a series of pictures combined with little or no text. Picture books emphasize the importance of illustrations, especially books made for younger children. By using picture book, children are able to create their own stories that coincide with the pictures.

Although picture books are primarily used in lower grade levels, say pre-kindergarten through third grade, they can be used in any grade level. At lower grade levels, picture books are mostly use for entertainment. At higher grade levels, picture books could be used in conjunction with an English Composition class.

When evaluating picture books, the instructor needs to determine what he or she is trying to accomplish. Lower grades will be happy with picture books. Higher grade school children will not be so easily content with picture books. They need something more challenging.

When I was a young child, I loved to read. Since I lived 'out in the boonies', my choice of books to read were whatever my mom bought at one of the many yard sales that were common in my neck of the woods. At first, my parents were proud that I chose to read instead of watch television. However, they weren't to so happy with my selections: The Godfather, The Entity. But again, these paper-backs were the only thing available to me!




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