Yes, it really does say "Nigger" for homework!

I inadvertently picked the hottest day of the year to read Mr. Lincoln's Way to the students and have them talk and write about some of the themes.  But we managed...

The Lessons

After yesterday's introduction to some key vocabulary, and a pre-reading connection to other books we've read this year that include themes of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, we did a "picture walk" of Mr. Lincoln's Way so that students could make some predictions about what this book might be about.

Today, I read it to them, pausing to think aloud and also to clarify any confusing vocabulary ("atrium", "bolted" and a few other 'tricky-for-ELLs' words).  Then, I sent them off to have grand conversations in their groups.

Later in the day, we debriefed as a class, and students wrote about both the book and their group conversations, as well as their resultant reflections, in their learning journals. 

Defining the N-Word

One topic that arose was the use of the word "Nigger".  (One of the characters in the book nearly uses this word to describe his school principal.)  Interestingly, some students had never heard this word before!  Those who had heard it knew that it was a "bad word".  One mixed-race student in my class noted that she was neither allowed to say nor write this word.

Can a "Bad Word" be Reclaimed?

I told them about a movement within the black community to "reclaim" the N-word.  Students were intrigued.  I asked them if they thought that using this derogatory word often, in a NON-derogatory context, within the black community, decreased its negative power.  They had varying ideas about this. 

Below are some students' voices, as well as the "Sly and the Family Stone" anti-racism anthem they made me play for them at the end of the day, after I told them about the title! :-)

A "Swear Word" for Homework?!

For homework, I simply wrote the word "Nigger" 10-15 mins  on the board.   Most of the students were able to infer that that meant they should chat with someone at home about the book we read and wrote about today in class, and their feelings about some of the themes and comments that arose. 

As a precaution for the less astute children and their poor parents, I also added some of the key vocabulary we had learned ("racism", "bias", "prejudice", etc.), lest they misunderstand my noble intent!

It's interesting, the things one stumbles upon while surfing the net.  With a classroom to pack, an apartment to move out of, two workshops to prep and 21 report cards to write over the next few weeks, I've been doing a lot of that  (surfing, a.k.a. "procrastinating", I mean!)

Earlier today, I followed a rabbit hole that originated from a list of online parenting articles a friend from my former church sent me.  The path eventually led me to Tony Campolo's new project, a blog entitled "Red Letter Christians". 

I first "met" Tony in Toronto's High Park area over a decade ago, at a sermon he gave, about poverty, and our call as Christians to serve the poor.  I was intrigued at his dry, authentic humour and his charismatic approach.  I heard him speak again some years later at a prayer breakfast event, and was again moved by his heart for the marginalized and his apparent commitment to convicting his fellow Christians of our collective need to address the complex and varied issues of Social Justice during our sojourn on Earth.

Campolo's blog project is kind of a neat space, where so-called Christians are challenged, by an assortment of bloggers, to reflect on a variety of sometimes "difficult" themes...

The above quote was taken from one of the blog posts on the site.  Check out Red Letter Christians, here, for more.

Are you an occasional teacher?  If so, or if you are a new Fac Ed grad, why not come to Kitchener-Waterloo this summer, and join us as we explore some fun and professionalism specific to supply teaching?!  Registration fee to ETFO includes 3 full days of activities; lunch is also included on all three days.

Hope to see you there!

We're about to start one of my favourite books, Patricia Polacco's "Mr. Lincon's Way".

With the "grand conversations" I've been facilitating in my classroom since the arrival of the Smart Board this year, I'm more inspired than ever, especially since I just got invited to present a session on engaging students in conversations about Social Justice and Equity issues in the classroom at this year's CONTACT conference, in Charlottetown PEI!

In addition to my old favourites, I dug up a few new questions and activities online, thanks largely to these two websites: Patricia Polacco and Teaching Kids Philosophy.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- picture books are not just for primary students!  The series of lessons I've prepared below will be a stretch for many of my Grade 3s... but I am confident in the abilities some have developed this year, and I hope they will pull along the others in one of our grandest conversations yet!!!

As some of my readers may know, we're heading to Buenos Aires next year, and will be home schooling the boys for most of the school year.  As of last week, our apartment is booked, and we've just begun researching ticket prices for the second leg of our journey, which begins in January 2014. 

As we prepare for the year ahead, I've been googling to see what I can find out about home schooling groups in the city.  Although I'm fairly confident in my abilities to provide intellectual stimulation for the boys and cover the Grade 4 curriculum, it's important to me that they meet other children, both locals and fellow English speakers.  After all, one of the main reasons we're going there is to soak up the local culture, and that is not something I alone can provide!

Home schooling in Argentina is a bit of an anomaly, but it is beginning to gain momentum.  Recently, a conference was held for home schoolers, in BA.  Today, I stumbled across this relatively new website (too bad she's leaving before we get there!)  Another interesting read is offered here.

With any luck, I will succeed in finding some others who are on a similar journey as we are, and the timing will work out so that we can connect with other families while we are living abroad next year.

My first attempt at using Smart Ideas, on the fly, as part of a whole class math review... you can read about it here, or by clicking the image above.

In other news, we started reading Sir Winston of Churchill today (great book if you are examining climate change in your classroom; it's accessible for younger grades, 3-5, but with older students you can go deeper with the Winston Churchill connection).  We'll revisit with a grand conversation tomorrow -- anyone who's been playing along in their classroom can download the Smart Notebook file below:

Well, here it is, folks, my first attempt at curriculum mapping next year's exciting Grade 4 adventures in Argentina!!  

Two pages of word doc, encompassing nearly every strand of the Grade 4 curriculum.  Exceptions include Pulleys and Gears, which Trevor will teach the boys as a discrete unit over the summer, and Light and Sound, which Tats will teach (also as a discrete unit) in Argentina, along with Phys. Ed., in order to free me up a little (no union = no planning time, lol!)

My plan is to spend several days this summer while the boys are in summer camp, fleshing out specific lessons, units and tasks for this map.

There is also a list of rich mentor texts like this past year, mainly from the SJBWM kit.  It will be posted sometime in the coming weeks/months, for those interested and/or teaching Grade 4 next year.  In the meantime, our book list can be found here. 

Well, apart from the giant hailstones hitting us in the head while riding the Ferris wheel, the next day was pretty fun – no crowds and 0 line-ups meant the boys could stay in the bouncy tent as long as they liked, and ride the log ride as often as they wanted to.

Tatsy joined us halfway through the afternoon and got her money’s worth of rides and hailstones, too.  Then it was back the ferry to head to the city and find our car on the other side, before heading home from this very wet, cold island adventure.

Click the photos below to see full size images of our trip…

Time for our annual island adventure...

After a week of glorious sunshine and temperatures well into the mid-20s, the boys and I were looking forward to our mother's day overnight at the Toronto Islands.  Alas, the weekend welcomed us with cold winds and threats of rainstorms! 

Nevertheless, we bravely made our way downtown and ferried across the water to Ward's with our scooters and our overnight bags.

(Click to enlarge)

After a stop at the Pirate Playground (so named by Alex and Simon several summers ago), we checked in at our rooms on Algonquin.  There were even some ducks to feed!  (They came right up to the house!) 

Then it was back across the bridge to the playground, followed by dinner with a friend at the extremely delicious Wards Island Café.

After dinner, we went to the beach for a bit before heading "home" to settle in for the night.

So far, the rain has held off.  Let's hope it continues to do so for our Centreville plans
tomorrow!!!