Journal entry #5 – Journey’s end

I’ve just presented a mega-book talk to the group of teachers from Nellie McClung Elementary School centered on their ‘big’ idea for this coming academic year. It’s all about ‘journey’.

I always enjoy the process of reading and considering old and new resources with a specific focus. It gets me to think in new ways, re-envisioning how I might use materials in a classroom situation. In this case, I didn’t feel like I had any epiphanies about ‘journey’ but certainly enjoyed the many tangents I developed over the last couple of months. (See past postings, if you’re curious as to what those are.)


To wrap up, I thought I’d list three picture books that all touch on the same idea but in different ways and also speak to one element of ‘journey’ -- returning home.

The Umbrella by Ingrid and Dieter Schubert (823 Sch77U PIC BK) is a wordless picture book that illustrates one intrepid dog’s adventure as he is whisked along by the wind while holding a red umbrella. Strong autumn winds take him high into the clouds until he drops through a hole in the sky towards an African savannah. Danger is averted when helpful elephants blow him along until he catches an ocean wave. Enchanting sea life and an obliging whale help him continue his adventure. Over a tropical island, a pelican helps our pup avoid hostile people. Passing over a snowy landscape with polar bears and seals, his journey slowly winds down, as the weary dog gently lands at home again. (Suggested for preschool to grade 2.)

Follow Me by Tricia Tusa (823 T87F PIC BK) is an imaginative exploration of senses and colour. A young girl gets lost in the blue of the sky as she swings higher and higher. She asks us to follow her “deep into brown, into the bright white of yellow, into orange that slips into red all tumbled together…” which is in a natural environment of some sort (forest, garden, etc.). Exploring her world, reaching out, she returns once again to earth and home. Lovely illustrated poem. (Suggested for grades K-4).

And the last book I’ll highlight is Instructions by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Charles Vess (823 G126I PIC BK). This is a poem that guides the reader through a fairy tale land where there is much to enjoy and beware. Being kind and helpful will stand you in good stead and has its rewards. Being cautious is also very important, so as to not go astray or run afoul of savage creatures. Completing the journey requires turning back, feeling more confident in our ability to look after ourselves, trust in our decisions and realize that we’ve grown up and gotten bigger from our adventures. And, then it’s time to “go home. Or make a home. Or rest.” YouTube has an animated reading by Neil Gaimon. (Suggested for grades 2 and up. Maybe even a good graduation gift.)

So ends this summer’s ‘journey’. Poetry, imagination and an appreciation of things that are different and familiar, have all played a part. Really, it’s limitless, isn’t it?

Journal entry #4 – Things -- just moving along

I’ve been struggling a little bit with the idea of journey related to ‘things’. This is a component of the larger ‘big idea’ selected by the teachers of Nellie McClung Elementary School for next year’s theme. I’m having no problem coming up with resources relating to people undergoing journey whether it’s internal or physical. But ‘things’ are different. Journey is a human construct. Things just are. However, things do change, develop, get moved, disintegrate, become obsolete, are extended or developed, etc. So, this is how I’m framing my thinking around the idea of ‘things’ and journey.
What constitutes ‘things’?


Short answer: This is wide-open.


In terms of the natural world I’m looking at cycles, processes and occurrences. Some of these include life cycles, water cycle, and rock cycle (geological processes). Processes and occurrences kind of go together in my head and include evolution, seasons, migrations, global warming, violent physical phenomena, and other weather processes to name just a few.


Human impact on the natural world is a subcategory. These disruptions to natural balances might include endangering animal and plant species, disrupting habitats, pollution, creating land, etc. Global warming might fall into this area, too. These are often interconnected.


Human endeavors (or whatever word works for you) includes things like ideas, technology, industry, organizations, countries, cities, buildings, culture, artifacts (things, stuff), etc. –the big and small of life.


Some of the resources I’ve selected that address the above three characterizations, include:
Chew on this / Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson (394.12 ScC 2006)
Cycle of rice, cycle of life / Jan Reynolds (633.18 ReC 2009)
Fragile Earth: views of a changing world (550 Fr 2006)
How nearly everything was invented / Brainwaves (609 MaH 2006)
Ideas that changed the world (609 Id 2010)
The Jupiter stone / Paul Owen Lewis (823 L5877J PIC BK)
Lucy of long ago: uncovering the mystery of where we came from / Catherine Thimmesh (569.93 ThL 2009)
Meadowlands: a wetlands survival story / Thomas Yezerski (577.69 YeM 2011)
The Patchwork house / Sally Fitz-Gibbon (823 F577P PIC BK)
Stars beneath your bed: the surprising story of dust / April Pulley Sayre (551.51 SaS 2005 PIC BK)
A Street through time (936 MiS 1998 PIC BK) and A City through time (936 NoC 2004 PIC BK)
Technology (Groundwork guide) / Wayne Grady (303.483 GrT 2010)

I’m always open to suggestions.

Journal Entry #3 – Tripping along

I’m having a really hard time not getting caught up with journey = travel. Mostly because it fits so well with personal growth, opening one’s horizons, experiencing life in new places, meeting different people, adjusting to new circumstances and maybe taking a few risks. My own personal experiences are feeding into this and are always niggling away in the back of my mind, while I’m looking for resources related to the next ‘big idea’ to be explored at Nellie McClung Elementary School.


And, there are so many good books, both fiction and non-fiction, that could work with this aspect of journey.


Here are just a few examples of what I mean:


Nonfiction
Marco Polo by Demi (910.4 DeM 2008 PIC BK)
Our Journey from Tibet by Laurie Dolphin (951.5 DoO 1997)
Shipwrecked!: the true adventures of a Japanese boy by Rhoda Blumberg (952 BlS 2001)
Uncommon traveler: Mary Kingsley in Africa by Don Brown (910.9 BrU 2000 PIC BK)
The Wall: growing up behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis (823 Si81ZS PIC BK)
100 Great Journeys: exciting voyages through history and literature edited by Keith Lye (910.202 On 2008)

Fiction
Home of the brave by Katherine Applegate (823 Ap53H FIC)
Grandfather’s journey & Tea with milk by Allen Say (823 Sa99G PIC BK; 823 Sa99T3 PIC BK)
I Know here by Laurel Croza (823 C8862I PIC BK)
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo (823 M829K FIC)
My name is Sangael by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed (823 W6733M PIC BK)
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
The Watson’s go to Birmingham – 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis (823 C941W FIC)
Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin (823 L527W FIC)
Ziba came on a boat by Liz Lofthouse (823 L8275Z PIC BK)

There’s a range of other things going on besides people traveling in these books. Some of these journeys are voyages of discovery and exploration (Mary Kingsley; Grandfather’s journey) whereas others are more happenstance (Shipwrecked!; Kensuke’s kingdom). Some of the journeys are undertaken because of desperate circumstances (Home of the brave; The Wall; Ziba came on a boat). Or sometimes it’s the desire to return home (Tea with milk) and be in the place you feel most at home (I know here) that drives the journey.


These travelers found themselves in situations (voluntary or involuntary) that took them out of their familiar surroundings, making them vulnerable and perhaps allowing them the opportunity to perceive themselves in different ways. Some of the questions the teachers at Nellie McClung School have come up with include those asking about whether a journey ever ends or what compels us to undertake a journey or what is a destination or what happens along the way and how linear does this path have to be. There’s a lot here to ponder and many of the above books will also give you lots to think about.

2011 Journal Entry #1 – Moving on

I’ve just started mulling over the newly selected ‘big idea’ that the teachers from Nellie McClung Elementary School have chosen to focus on for next year. Each year the whole school will base their learning around a central theme. My role is to present a ‘mega’ book talk at the end of August, before the school year begins and suggest resources that may inspire or support their ‘big idea’.

This year’s topic is – journey.


I’m excited.


So far, my preliminary thoughts have snagged on the transformative nature of journey for humans and non-human elements. In the planning sessions, the teachers came up with words they associate with journey including growth, challenges, quests, adventure, risk, opportunities, destinations, rites, baggage, beginnings, endings, regrets, freedom, pace, choice, survival, cycles, planning, spontaneity, mistakes, dreams, searching, fear, revisiting, forks, explorers, carpe diem, etc. Lots more besides these.


It really is wide open. This is looking to understand journey in the broadest sense, metaphorical and literal. Some of the questions they’ve come up with also reflect a philosophical bent, such as:
How do you know when something is a journey? Is not journey?
Does a journey ever really end? Is anything/anyone ever really gone?
Who owns, directs, and influences a journey?


My challenge will be to look for resources that reflect this all encompassing ‘big idea’. I see a lot of the children’s literature fitting with the inquiry as most stories have characters undergo some transformation on some level. There’s usually some ‘conflict’ which the character must resolve and likely come to some understanding about. Finding resources outlining human journeys won’t be a problem.
 I’ll need to keep in mind that the inquiry also includes non-human elements as well. This was explained as all things having histories and that things change over time. An example is water. In this inquiry it will likely be used more as a metaphor for journey because its nature is so variable – it can flow fast or slow, be still, cut new channels, seemingly disappear, etc. The historical depth of inanimate objects will be an interesting component for me to work on, as well, as the human stories.


I’ve a couple of months to think and read about the nature of journey. Should be interesting.


What are your thoughts on this? I’d love hear your suggestions for resources. Please feel free to leave a comment.

Journal entry #6 - Legacy wrap-up.

So, I met with the teachers from Nellie McClung last week, feeling a little trepidatious.  With all the reading and selecting of books I’d done over the past two months, was I going to be able to offer anything concrete?  My own ideas about legacy made me see how personal an idea like legacy can be.  Also, that in using the word legacy, humans construct what it is that is being left for future generations.  For example take the legacy of 9/11 – What is the legacy of 9/11? When do we decide what it is – 1 year after the event, 5, 10 or more?  Does it change over time?  Legacy is something we make up to denote that something is being left behind, something important.

I presented the teachers with a rough draft of an Inspiration mind map as well as an outline organized into broad concepts, not organized by grade.  I did this to accommodate the overlap between the grades on particular points that the teachers had given me in June from their brainstorming sessions.  Some examples are interconnectedness, nature/natural world, inspiration, intention, and mindfulness.  I made a distinction between the natural world and humans.  Under the heading Human World, I further distinguished between the individual, the family and then the community.  Community started with Calgary went to Alberta, then to Canada and finally to the world.  There were many subtopics under these headings as well.  This allowed me to organize the resources into some kind of logical frame.  Well, it was logical to me, at any rate.

In terms of resources – let’s just say I had heaps and heaps of books (probably close to 300) from every section of the library.  I had both new and older materials but tried to focus mostly on the newer ones.  There were so many great resources to share.  I don’t know how many times I told them “You have to read this” or “You really must take a look at this one.”  I know, I know. Pushy, pushy…but at least I’m enthusiastic.

I do intend to publish the mind map after somehow meshing the questions and outline I generated plus attaching a bibliography of some the books I selected.  I’ll add it to the Doucette Library homepage under our Books for Big Ideas .  It’s the ‘when’ I’m less certain about.  Sooner rather than later would be good, I know.  This all depends on what else comes up this fall once the academic school year starts.  I’ll post something here when I get it up, to let those of you who are interested know.

I had a few comments as the session went on.  The one that sticks with me and I think is really pertinent, is that most of the topics I focused on were fairly dark (ie., Holocaust, poverty, residential schools, child labour, nuclear bomb, BP oil spill, Cold War, 9/11, etc.).  Not sure what to say to that except these are events that are current or big and powerful in nature, so they stick in my mind and offer lots of potential for discussion and investigation.  Not to say that there are no ‘big’ positive events.  I just didn’t think of them or didn’t have books to support them.

Overall, the teachers seemed to have enjoyed the presentation and it got them thinking about what they might want to focus on or bring into their classes around this incredible idea of legacy.  It’s a start.

Thanks to the teachers at Nellie McClung Elementary School for including me in this year’s big idea.  I hope I get a little feedback to hear how it turned out (hint, hint…).

Journal entry #5 – Legacy continues

I just had a thought: What if students are asked to determine whether events –big events -- have left legacies or not?  This is related to my last journal entry where I’m finding lots of great books about people involved in changing situations, yet the books are often not explicit about people being driven by the idea of leaving a legacy.

In pursuing the idea of legacy on the internet, I saw how the word ‘legacy’ is commonly seen as “a given”, that a big event does indeed leave a legacy.  But is this always true or just an easy, trite cliché? Is there only one legacy or how many?  Is it always apparent as to what the legacy is? Is this something linear or more tangential?

I’m thinking about the book like Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Bartoletti, which is a fantastic compelling look at how the Nazis trained young people into following fascist thinking. Was there a legacy from this early indoctrination? What is/was it?

A more contemporary scenario is the US and 9/11.  Lots of great books to support looking at this event like September roses by Jeanette Winter (823 W7338S PIC BK) or  Ask me no questions by Marina Tamar Budhos (823 B859A FIC) (this is recommended for grades 7 and up but because Nellie McClung Elementary School has in past years selected materials above grade level, I will suggest this item to them.) But what is the legacy of this occasion (besides more airport security)?  Is it different for the individual compared to society? When does a legacy become apparent?  Is it too soon to determine?

Would students be able to follow through on this? Could they discover the connections between the past and the present and determine for themselves what legacies have been left from the Hitler Youth or 9/11?

Lots to think about, but great critical thinking possibilities.

Journal entry #4 - More about legacy

I’m starting to think a little more concretely about the big idea ‘legacy,’ in terms of actual books which may or may not have a direct connection to the curriculum.

Some of the titles I’m considering so far:

100 suns: 1945-1962 by Michael Light (355.825119 LIO 2003)

The first time: innovations in art by Florian Heine (709 HeF 2007)

Eye for color: the story of Josef Albers by Natasha Wind (709.2 WiE 2009 PIC BK

Dream: a tale of wonder, wisdom and wishes by Susan V. Bosak (813.6 BoD 2004)

One hen: how one small loan made a big difference by Katie Smith Milway (823 M648O PIC BK)

Besa: Muslims who saved Jews in World War II by Norman Gershman (940.5318 GEB 2008)

Pier 21: gateway of hope by Linda Granfield (971.6225 GRP 2000)

The Librarian of Basra: a true story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter (020.92 WIL 2005 PIC BK)

Planting the trees of Kenya: the story of Wangari Maathai (333.72092 NIP 2008 PIC BK)

14 cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy (327.676 DEF 2009 PIC BK)

Peaceful heroes by Jonah Winter (303.66 WIP 2009)

Listen to the wind: the story of Dr. Greg and Three cups of tea by Greg Mortenson (303.66 WIP 2009)

Hitler youth: growing up in Hitler’s shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti (943.086 BAH 2005).

Not a lot of fiction and most of this is pretty lofty in terms of positive legacies (with the exception of Hitler Youth.) I’m also noticing that most books don’t refer to people being motivated to leave a legacy but being driven to improve life in some way. And this is okay.  Books don’t have to directly link to the big idea.  They can be the bridge that enables the teacher to direct the students thinking.  Sometimes implicit works even better then more explicit books.

Any thoughts out there about any of this?

Read any books lately addressing the big idea of legacy?

Want to share?

Journal entry #3: Update on the legacy theme

So there it was.  On page 182 in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (823 Al278A FIC) – LEGACY -- plus it was in the context of two factors that I’ve been mulling over that may affect legacy -- age and culture.

Here’s the quote starting on page 181:

          Townspeople were starting to compare us to the great Reardan teams of the past.  People were starting to compare some of our players to great players of the past…

But nobody talked about me that way.  I guess it was hard to compare me to players from the past.  I wasn’t from the town, not originally, so I would always be an outsider.

And no matter how good I was, I would always be an Indian.  And some folks just found it difficult to compare an Indian to a white guy.  It wasn’t racism, not exactly.  It was, well, I don’t know what it was.

I was something different, something new.  I just hope that twenty years in the future, they’d be comparing some kid to me:

“Yeah, you see that kid shoot, he reminds me so much of Arnold Spirit.”

Maybe that will happen.  I don’t know.  Can an Indian have a legacy in a white town? And should a teenager be worried about his fricking legacy anyway?

Jeez, I must be an egomaniac.”

You can maybe see how all my mulling can start to turn philosophical. When does a person start with the idea of ‘legacy’?  Would a kid do this?  Is this more relevant to older adults?  Do most people start off with a ‘dream’ instead of a ‘legacy’, as a motivating factor?  What’s the difference between the two?

And as Arnold Spirit from the book asks: should a teenager be concerned about legacy anyways?  Which is really what the book is about. A ‘rez Indian’ who looks to do something different instead of being ground down by circumstances, striking out in a different direction from everyone else he knows, risking alienation but also possibly achieving  a better or at least, a uncharted life.

I really enjoyed the book, by the way and highly recommend it.  I also love how serendipity played into the big topic of legacy.  I’m not sure if I would recommend it to elementary students but will likely bring the book to the attention of Nellie McClung’s teachers.  They often take on challenging books that are rated for older kids because of the GATE program.  I leave it up to them as to whether all the resources I showcase are appropriate for their students. 

So, I’m still left wondering about legacy…

Journal entry #2 : Legacy – the journey begins…

Okay, been doing some mulling and brainstorming about this idea of legacy.  Poking around on the internet, too.  You never know what might spark an idea.  So far, I’ve got a bunch of roughed out ideas, questions, words, scribbled on a piece of paper becoming more cluttered all the time.  I really should start with a much bigger piece of paper.  You’d think I learn …

Random thoughts:

Legacy:

definition - something left behind due to a 'leave-taking', death, or departure; something big that goes beyond us and extends into the future

       (typically related to death - How will school handle this? Sensitive issue?)

    : intentional vs. unintentional

    :good and bad legacies

    :What constitutes legacy:

        -possessions, money, personal narratives, spiritual legacies

        (values, hopes, wishes, advice, etc.)

    :Does age or identity play into creating a legacy?

    :opposite of legacy - consequences - worth exploring?

    :What does legacy mean for those who receive or benefit from...?

    :How do legacies change over time? Static vs dynamic

    :Is it important to leave a legacy?

    :Legacy vs consequences/after effects - Are they the same or different?

        Is it a matter of intention?

    :"Lasting legacies" - Does this mean legacies don't last?

    :start with dreams vs. start with planning legacy

    :How is the word legacy used? In everyday conversation? Media?
        Politics? Religion? Science? Art?

   

specifics                     : people

       Ruby Bridges, Nelson Mandela, Craig Keilburger, Mother Theresa, Wangari, One Hen guy, Hitler, Tommy Douglas, Pierre Trudeau, Obama, Prophet Mohammad, Julius Caesar, Louis Riel, Henry VIII, John A. MacDonald, Hana Brady, Hannah (Ladybug Foundation), David Suzuki

: situations

                                        Holocaust, WWI, WWII, environmental issues, tsunami, consumerism, nuclear war, Pier 21, multiculturalism, politics, business, 9/11, civil rights movement, slavery, TV, residential schools, apartheid, plagues, public education, industrialization, globalization, revolutions, scientific ideas, artistic ideas, social movements, feminism, imperialism

So far…

Journal entry #1 :Next great big idea.

For the last few years, I’ve offered mega-book talks for teachers from the 

Nellie McClung Elementary School, here in Calgary. By the end of each August, I’ve pulled a schwack of books for Kindergarten to grade 6, focused around a very specific theme selected by all the teachers the previous spring.  This theme becomes the springboard around which learning will evolve for the entire upcoming school year, as well as tie into the Alberta curriculum.  Whew!  Quite an endeavor.

I’m given the topic in June and then spend the next couple of months mulling over and reading books with this idea tucked into the back of my mind, seeing or imagining how it may tie into the big idea.

In the past some of the big ideas have been justice, change, cause and effect and identity.  This last one, identity, I turned into a mind map  and developed a series of questions and ideas around the concept and attached a bibliography. It is challenging to come up with a broad enough range of resources that tie into the big idea.  You just never know what the spark will be to get the topic launched at the top of the school year or supported later on.

This year’s challenge is ‘legacy’.  I’ve only been given the bare bones of the potential specific focal point for each grade but I’ve already got a few ideas kicking around.

Over the course of the next couple of months I’ll post an update or two about the progress (hopefully) I’m having coming up with resources that tie into the idea of legacy.  I hope this will help you see the process as I develop my book lists and inspire you to build or freshen up your own.  The word ‘process’ makes this sound like I have a set course of action. Ah, not so much.  It’s all pretty much a hodge-podge of thinking and reading and then more thinking and reading.  We’ll see if I can articulate the ‘process’ any better than that as we go along.

Maybe I’ll ask your for input too, once I start to get a better handle on the topic.

Now I need to get busy thinking and ah, reading, too, I guess.