As you are probably aware, our scripts came on Friday! Yea! We were very excited to be able to read the play--but we only got through half of it. We had a lot of fun with reading the first half on Friday, and we read the second half of the play today. What a great story! I'm eager for the students to not only experience the play, but also understand the significance of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The message of salvation comes through loud and clear--especially if you're looking for it!
We spent a little time today talking about auditions and practicing for them. Students will be asked to read various scenes from the script, and they got a chance to do a little of that today. We will do some practicing on Wednesday also so that they can feel prepared and comfortable for the auditions on Monday. I encouraged students to practice at home, too!
We're continuing our journey through The Hiding Place. We read about the raid on the ten Boom house, and we will see God's provision for the family--though not necessarily in the way they would choose. It's been really interesting and exciting, I think, to see the war and the family's involvement in the Underground through the eyes of someone who lived it. I recently overheard a student say to someone else about the book, "It's so good!" I know I feel that way, and I hope that all of the seventh and eighth graders are enjoying reading the book together and are learning that God really is a hiding place in difficult times.
Chapter 10 is due on Wednesday, so let's keep on reading!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
January 20
Today brought a big announcement: our 7th and 8th grade play this year will be The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe! Students responded to the announcement with cheers and animated discussions about the characters and the possible roles they will play. I and they are very excited about getting started on our play! We are awaiting the arrival of our scripts, and if they arrive this afternoon (it's almost noon as I write) we will read through they play today. That would mean that we could hold auditions on Monday. If the scripts don't arrive in time for us to read the play today, we'll read it next week and hold auditions on the following Monday. Either way, we'll be getting started soon! A date for the play will follow. We need to request use of an auditorium and get confirmation from Dearborn Public, so it will be a little while before we know our performance date, but I'll send the date home as soon as I know it.
We discussed The Hiding Place today, focusing especially on the family's involvement in the Underground protecting the Jews. The ten Booms were uniquely suited to work with the Underground; students discussed in groups the characteristics that made the family prepared for this work, and we saw that, as Corrie says, the events of our lives are the perfect preparation for the work that God has for us to do in a future he alone knows. The ten Booms' work in the Underground meant that they were sometimes put in situations where things like lying and stealing seemed necessary to save lives, and we talked about when, if ever, these things we know to be wrong are acceptable. Students were very thoughtful and perceptive in their answers, and we heard from some who believe lying and stealing are never right and from some who pointed out that in extreme circumstances, when lives are in danger, such things might be permissible. I was proud of the students for the depth and quality of their answers, and we had a great discussion. It tied in nicely to our devotion, too, which talked about the measure of whether something is wrong or right being the character of God himself: those things that are like God and are part of his character are right, whereas those things that are not in God's character are wrong. We also talked about the courage and faith the family demonstrated in their work, and we imagined how we might respond in similar circumstances. We marveled, too, as we thought about sacrificing our safety for others, at Christ's willingness to sacrifice his life for all sinners. What a wonderful gift!
This weekend students should read chapter nine of The Hiding Place and may prepare for our auditions for the play. I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!
We discussed The Hiding Place today, focusing especially on the family's involvement in the Underground protecting the Jews. The ten Booms were uniquely suited to work with the Underground; students discussed in groups the characteristics that made the family prepared for this work, and we saw that, as Corrie says, the events of our lives are the perfect preparation for the work that God has for us to do in a future he alone knows. The ten Booms' work in the Underground meant that they were sometimes put in situations where things like lying and stealing seemed necessary to save lives, and we talked about when, if ever, these things we know to be wrong are acceptable. Students were very thoughtful and perceptive in their answers, and we heard from some who believe lying and stealing are never right and from some who pointed out that in extreme circumstances, when lives are in danger, such things might be permissible. I was proud of the students for the depth and quality of their answers, and we had a great discussion. It tied in nicely to our devotion, too, which talked about the measure of whether something is wrong or right being the character of God himself: those things that are like God and are part of his character are right, whereas those things that are not in God's character are wrong. We also talked about the courage and faith the family demonstrated in their work, and we imagined how we might respond in similar circumstances. We marveled, too, as we thought about sacrificing our safety for others, at Christ's willingness to sacrifice his life for all sinners. What a wonderful gift!
This weekend students should read chapter nine of The Hiding Place and may prepare for our auditions for the play. I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
January 18
We began our day with devotions in which we were reminded to seek wisdom from God and to persist in our efforts to make right choices. A great reminder for all of us, and a great tie-in to our book! The Hiding Place definitely shows Corrie and her family asking God for wisdom and seeking his will. The ten Boom family persisted in doing what was right despite the threat of danger and punishment, and we look forward to reading more of their story!
After a short quiz on our reading assignment, we worked with partners to look up some vocabulary words from The Hiding Place. Most of the words students looked up were not unique to the story or to the events of WW2; these words are ones students will encounter again, and they are worth recognizing and understanding. We talked together about the meanings and uses of some of the words on our list.
Students then created two-sentence summaries of what we've read so far in The Hiding Place. This was a good challenge for students, encouraging them to really think about the most important elements of the book. Next, students in groups of four shared their summaries with one another and worked to create a new group summary, making it the best they could. It was encouraging to see students ask one another for ideas, take notes on important points, and work together to create the finished product. All groups completed satisfactory summaries, and as a class we noted the common elements of the summaries and talked about the decisions we made in creating the summaries.
Students had a few minutes to begin their next reading assignment: chapter 8. The story is very engaging! We're seeing the involvement of the family in underground activities grow, and along with that, we know that the danger to each of them is increasing. We look forward to seeing the story unfold!
After a short quiz on our reading assignment, we worked with partners to look up some vocabulary words from The Hiding Place. Most of the words students looked up were not unique to the story or to the events of WW2; these words are ones students will encounter again, and they are worth recognizing and understanding. We talked together about the meanings and uses of some of the words on our list.
Students then created two-sentence summaries of what we've read so far in The Hiding Place. This was a good challenge for students, encouraging them to really think about the most important elements of the book. Next, students in groups of four shared their summaries with one another and worked to create a new group summary, making it the best they could. It was encouraging to see students ask one another for ideas, take notes on important points, and work together to create the finished product. All groups completed satisfactory summaries, and as a class we noted the common elements of the summaries and talked about the decisions we made in creating the summaries.
Students had a few minutes to begin their next reading assignment: chapter 8. The story is very engaging! We're seeing the involvement of the family in underground activities grow, and along with that, we know that the danger to each of them is increasing. We look forward to seeing the story unfold!
Monday, January 16, 2012
January 16
We enjoyed singing together this morning in chapel. What a privilege it is to join together to praise God at the beginning of our week!
Not being in the classroom a couple days last week (one day because I needed a sub, and one day because we moved out for computer class) means I have a little catching up to do with you! We have continued our work with The Hiding Place, and students should be reading their books regularly at home. I assign a chapter or two each night, and students are required to have the reading done before the next class period. Most are getting the reading done with no problem, but a few students have struggled to stay caught up with their reading. Please check with your child to be sure he or she is on top of the reading assignments!
Students created crossword puzzles based on The Hiding Place last week. They identified important words from the text, created clues, and completed one another's finished puzzles. Students also did some research on the Jews to help them in their understanding of this group and what they experienced during the war. Students have taken short quizzes on their reading, and we've been discussing the situations that Corrie and her family experienced in the days before the war and in the beginning months of the war. Our involvement in Corrie's story is growing as we see her begin to be more deeply involved in trying to help save those who were persecuted during the war!
Today we looked at a group of words, many of which are homonyms, that can be tricky to use, and we practiced choosing the right word to use in various situations. We learned about the difference between accept and except, between affect and effect, and about other word pairs. We also learned that a lot and all right are always written as two words, not one. Now we'll try to apply this learning to our writing!
Students were assigned chapter 7, "Eusie", in the The Hiding Place today, which means the chapter should be read by Wednesday. I look forward to discussing the book with students then!
Not being in the classroom a couple days last week (one day because I needed a sub, and one day because we moved out for computer class) means I have a little catching up to do with you! We have continued our work with The Hiding Place, and students should be reading their books regularly at home. I assign a chapter or two each night, and students are required to have the reading done before the next class period. Most are getting the reading done with no problem, but a few students have struggled to stay caught up with their reading. Please check with your child to be sure he or she is on top of the reading assignments!
Students created crossword puzzles based on The Hiding Place last week. They identified important words from the text, created clues, and completed one another's finished puzzles. Students also did some research on the Jews to help them in their understanding of this group and what they experienced during the war. Students have taken short quizzes on their reading, and we've been discussing the situations that Corrie and her family experienced in the days before the war and in the beginning months of the war. Our involvement in Corrie's story is growing as we see her begin to be more deeply involved in trying to help save those who were persecuted during the war!
Today we looked at a group of words, many of which are homonyms, that can be tricky to use, and we practiced choosing the right word to use in various situations. We learned about the difference between accept and except, between affect and effect, and about other word pairs. We also learned that a lot and all right are always written as two words, not one. Now we'll try to apply this learning to our writing!
Students were assigned chapter 7, "Eusie", in the The Hiding Place today, which means the chapter should be read by Wednesday. I look forward to discussing the book with students then!
Monday, January 9, 2012
January 9
We began our week with chapel, and today we listened to a message by Mr. Steve Nichols, the discipleship director at DCF. We all enjoyed hearing about one of his favorite books, the Guiness Book of World Records, and some of the strange and amazing records held by people. Mr. Nichols reminded us that the Bible is the bestselling book of all time, and he shared with us the story of the disciples arguing about which of them was the greatest. There are lots of ways that people are recognized as the greatest in a book like the Guiness Book of World Records, but Jesus tells us that the way to be the greatest is to be the last, to be the servant of all. Mr. Nichols asked all of us to think about someone we can serve today and encouraged us to carry out our ideas and be the servant Christ wants us to be. What a great reminder for all of us: being the greatest means serving others. We'll keep working on one-anothering!
The Hiding Place is giving us the opportunity to talk about and see the use of some common literary practices. Today we spoke about the genre of the book. We talked about the difference between fiction and non-fiction works and saw that this story fits within the biography genre--although it doesn't tell the whole life story of Corrie ten Boom. Biography certainly doesn't mean boring, though! There's plenty of action coming!
We also talked about characterization and discussed together what we have learned about the various characters in the story. We created a character sheet on which we are recording the qualities and attributes of the ten Boom family members. We created a list of Father's attributes together, and then the students worked in groups to list qualities of the other family members. We'll continue to add new things to our sheets as we discover them.
The chapters we've read gave us a chance to see how authors use flashbacks to give us information and help us understand characters and situations. And we got to see that the author even used foreshadowing within the flashback!
Students were assigned chapter 3 of The Hiding Place as homework, and we'll continue our work with this book on Wednesday!
The Hiding Place is giving us the opportunity to talk about and see the use of some common literary practices. Today we spoke about the genre of the book. We talked about the difference between fiction and non-fiction works and saw that this story fits within the biography genre--although it doesn't tell the whole life story of Corrie ten Boom. Biography certainly doesn't mean boring, though! There's plenty of action coming!
We also talked about characterization and discussed together what we have learned about the various characters in the story. We created a character sheet on which we are recording the qualities and attributes of the ten Boom family members. We created a list of Father's attributes together, and then the students worked in groups to list qualities of the other family members. We'll continue to add new things to our sheets as we discover them.
The chapters we've read gave us a chance to see how authors use flashbacks to give us information and help us understand characters and situations. And we got to see that the author even used foreshadowing within the flashback!
Students were assigned chapter 3 of The Hiding Place as homework, and we'll continue our work with this book on Wednesday!
Friday, January 6, 2012
January 6
We began our study of The Hiding Place today! I'm really excited to share Corrie tenBoom's story with the seventh and eighth graders! It's a suspenseful, action-filled real-life story that I think the students will really enjoy, and it gives us a first-person perspective of a WW2 and concentration camp survivor. Even more, though, it is a story of God's providence and love and the peace and security that come from relying on Him, even when (and especially when) circumstances are incredibly difficult. It's my hope that reading this book will help us all to learn and grow in both our knowledge and faith!
We began our study by sharing our knowledge of World War 2. The students and I talked together about the causes of the war, the different countries involved, and the effects the war had upon people here in the U.S. and in other nations. Together, we know quite a bit--and I think that we will gain a more personal knowledge of the war as we read The Hiding Place.
We then began reading The Hiding Place together. We read the introductory comments written by some who knew Corrie ten Boom personally, and we read the first chapter of the book aloud in class. We're getting to know the characters and setting of the story and learning about things like foreshadowing that are occurring already in this first chapter.
Students were assigned chapter 2 as homework and were given time to read in class. Many students chose to read other books during this time, which was fine. Most are still in the middle of other books, and I encourage them to continue to read other things--we want to keep that habit of reading going!
We began our study by sharing our knowledge of World War 2. The students and I talked together about the causes of the war, the different countries involved, and the effects the war had upon people here in the U.S. and in other nations. Together, we know quite a bit--and I think that we will gain a more personal knowledge of the war as we read The Hiding Place.
We then began reading The Hiding Place together. We read the introductory comments written by some who knew Corrie ten Boom personally, and we read the first chapter of the book aloud in class. We're getting to know the characters and setting of the story and learning about things like foreshadowing that are occurring already in this first chapter.
Students were assigned chapter 2 as homework and were given time to read in class. Many students chose to read other books during this time, which was fine. Most are still in the middle of other books, and I encourage them to continue to read other things--we want to keep that habit of reading going!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
January 4
It was good to have our group of seventh and eighth graders back together today! I hope that every family had a wonderful Christmas break!
Today we took a look at the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus. We read the story written by Penelope Farmer and talked about the lessons this myth teaches us. We also read the poem "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" by William Carlos Williams and examined the painting of the same name by Brueghel. It's definitely interesting to compare these three works all based upon the Greek myth! Students then wrote a summary of the myth. We talked together about the types of details that would be important to include in a summary--and the types of details that should be left out--and the students created a summarized version of the story and the lesson learned from it.
Students spent time reading in class. I was pleased to see that many students did lots of reading over the break! Others didn't get much extra reading done, but we'll continue to work at making reading a regular habit for all students!
Today we took a look at the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus. We read the story written by Penelope Farmer and talked about the lessons this myth teaches us. We also read the poem "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" by William Carlos Williams and examined the painting of the same name by Brueghel. It's definitely interesting to compare these three works all based upon the Greek myth! Students then wrote a summary of the myth. We talked together about the types of details that would be important to include in a summary--and the types of details that should be left out--and the students created a summarized version of the story and the lesson learned from it.
Students spent time reading in class. I was pleased to see that many students did lots of reading over the break! Others didn't get much extra reading done, but we'll continue to work at making reading a regular habit for all students!
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