Sunday, February 9, 2020

Wall in the Middle of the Book, The by Jon Agee. 2018.

Is a Wall a Scary Thing?

Inspiration Book:

The wall in the middle of the book by Agee, Jon— Dial Books for Young Readers, 2018 -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.1. A knight who feels secure on his side of the wall that divides his book discovers that his side is not as safe as he thought, and the other side is not as threatening. CCBC 2019, NSSTB 2019


Rationale: When I began the first iteration of My Books Alive, I wrote lesson activities for what I called “tough books.” They were tough because they were difficult to incorporate into the classroom curricula. Or, the topic might have been unusual, but the book as a piece of literature was excellent. Sometimes I needed to do a lot of research; sometimes I needed to think outside the box. The Wall in the Middle of the Book is such a “tough book” especially for the age range of the designated audience. My nine year old third grade grand-daughter read it to my five-year-old grandson. I tried to discuss the book with them. I got responses like, “It was a cute book.” Or when pushed about the lesson or message, “Well, it’s about climbing a wall…” They didn’t get it. As a result, I put this Inspiration Book in my “tough books” category.
As a “tough book,” I can also use it with students in my Wisdom Book program (See entry Wisdom Books https://www.mybooksalive.com/search?q=WISDOM+BOOKS) with older students. Instead of a half hour or hour lesson centered around The Wall in the Middle of the Book, I suggest you share the book when an appropriate time is evident, not as a stand alone lesson. When would/could that time be? 
  • At the beginning of the year to remind students to think positively about the upcoming year.
  • When you are ready to tackle a tough topic.
  • During an election year
  • When students exhibit preconceived or prejudiced ideas, especially those that are inaccurate or harmful.
  • As part of a larger unit featuring some of the titles in the Related Book section
  • When developing critical thinking, multiple perspective, and flexible thinking skills
The next question(s) to ask. What are some techniques or activities that could be used to introduce and develop the ideas you want to promote? 
  • Have student draw their wall picture on the front and back sides. Then hold the pictures up to a light and see what they created.
  • Graffiti Wall-- Ready to tackle a tough topic? First, give kids time to gather their thoughts by having them write answers on the wall. (This will especially benefit students who are hesitant to speak up in class.) Then, use their answers as a jumping off point to start the discussion. https://www.weareteachers.com/graffiti-walls/
  • Save the graffiti walls and compare answers after they’ve completed the book/unit to see what they’ve learned or if their understanding has changed.
  • Discuss the symbolic nature of this book as it pertains to xenophobia and so many other issues currently plaguing our country. There is tremendous danger in preconceived notions.  Why? Because most of the time, they are not just wrong but extraordinarily harmful! Preconceived notions become dangerous both in our classrooms and in our society, and it becomes exceedingly difficult to scale the walls we build when we are simply too frightened to address the differences we see on the other side. https://happilyeverelephants.com/home/2018/10/11/the-wall-in-the-middle-of-the-book-by-jon-agee
  • Throughout history walls have held a place in the shaping of communities but also the separation of people. Gather a variety of texts that feature walls and fences in the narrative  (See Related Titles below). Allow students to share about the characters, the situations, the ways the stories are resolved, and the impact of walls or fences on the story. 
  • With middle grade students, pair Hey, Wall by Susan Verde with Robert Frost’s poem, “Mending Wall” and discuss whether good fences make good neighbors which is a notion contested by Frost in the poem. Classroom Bookshelf http://www.theclassroombookshelf.com/2018/11/hey-wall/ November 5, 2018
  • Create a collection of other picture books that foster perseverance, multiple perspectives, and flexible thinking. (See Related Titles below).
  • Push students to think beyond how the concepts presented apply to themselves and can help foster a more socially just and kind world.
  • Help students develop their skills at reading and analyzing visual images. Review artistic principles, such as color, line, light and shadow, and texture with students to support their visual literacy skills. Teach about symbolism and motif, too. Teach students how to closely read an image, using these skills to construct deeper meanings. Classroom Bookshelf http://www.theclassroombookshelf.com/2017/10/after-the-fall-how-humpty-dumpty-got-back-up-again/ October 30, 2017
  • Is a wall only a structure? Why or why not? Describe or define a wall.
  • Discuss book parts, especially the “gutter.”
  • Examine a My Books Alive entry for The Wall by Peter Sis for exploration of another wall that separated. https://www.mybooksalive.com/search?q=the+wall+by+peter+sis
TEACHER RESOURCES
Book Trailer http://100scopenotes.com/2018/09/25/exclusive-book-trailer-premiere-the-wall-in-the-middle-of-the-book-by-jon-agee/
Jon Agee Website http://www.jonagee.com/html/p_books.php?nav=0&sub=0
Audio excerpt by Live Oak Media (1:43 min.) https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=17559

RELATED TITLES AND RESOURCES
After the fall : how Humpty Dumpty got back up again by Santat, Dan — Roaring Brook Press, 2017. -E-; Int Lvl: K-3. After falling off the wall, Humpty Dumpty is very afraid of climbing up again, but is determined not to let fear stop him from being close to the birds. CBshf
Teacher Guide from Sunshine State Young Readers Award https://www.floridamediaed.org/uploads/6/1/4/2/61420659/after_the_fall.pdf
Video Book Trailer from Macmillan Childrens https://www.teachingbooks.net/booktrailer.cgi?id=4287
Website for After the Fall http://afterthefallbook.com


Hey, wall : a story of art and community by Verde, Susan; illustrated by Parra, John -E-; Int Lvl: K-3. Armed with pencils, paints, dreams, and Grandma Addy's memories of how beautiful the neighborhood once was, Angel and others paint the big wall that had been cold, empty, and cheerless. 



Lines by Lee, Suzy — Chronicle Books LLC, 2017  -E-; Int Lvl: K-3. In this wordless picture book, each image starts with a single line, whether made by a pencil or the blade of a skate--and the magic flows from there. CBshf


Wallpaper by Lam, Thao — Owlkids Books, 2018 : -E-; Int Lvl: K-3. Tells the story of a young girl whose family moves into a new house. Outside, she can hear other kids playing, but she's too shy to say hello. So she picks at the old wallpaper in her room--revealing an entryway to a fantastic imaginary adventure world behind the walls.
What do you do with a problem? by Yamada, Kobi — Compendium, 2016 -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.2. When a problem becomes too big from worrying about it, a child decides to face the problem and learns that problems can make us stronger.
Discussion Questions from Storypath (Union Presbyterian Seminary) https://storypath.upsem.edu/what-do-you-do-with-a-problem/
Teaching Ideas from Unleashing Readers http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=10053


The wall by Bunting, Eve  — Clarion Books, 1990 -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.3. A boy and his father come from far away to visit the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington and find the name of the boy's grandfather, who was killed in the conflict.
Families Lesson Plan from Reading Rainbow http://shopgpn.com/guides/rr/rr_families.pdf
Activity Guide from Reading Rainbow https://shopgpn.com/guides/rr/pa/126_0082pa.pdf


The other side by Woodson, Jacqueline  -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.7. Two girls, one white and one African-American, gradually get to know each other as they sit on the fence that divides their town.
Classroom Guide from Penguin Publishing Group USA https://www.penguin.com/static/images/yr/pdf/tl-guide-jacqueline-woodson.pdf

Video Book Reading narrated by Toshi Widoff-Woodson https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=16332
Audiobook Excerpt narrated by Susan Spain (3:25 min.) https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=12925


Baseball saved us by Mochizuki, Ken  — Lee & Low, 1993 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 4.1. A Japanese American boy learns to play baseball when he and his family are forced to live in an internment camp during World War II, and his ability to play helps him after the war is over. FREE Teaching Resources available for download at www.titlewave.com


Lesson Plan from Smithsonian National Museum of American History https://amhistory.si.edu/ourstory/activities/internment/

Emmanuel's dream : the true story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboahby Thompson, Laurie Ann — Schwartz & Wade Books, 2015. 362.4; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.2. The story of a West African youth who pursued an education, helped support his family and became a record-setting cyclist in spite of a disability traces his ongoing achievements as an activist.
Lesson Ideas from Maryland Association of School Librarians http://maslmd.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/EmmanuelsDream.pdf
Lesson Plan from Random House Teachers & Librarians https://images.randomhouse.com/promo_image/9780449817445_4187.pdf
Discussion Questions from Unleashing Readers http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=5304





at
Labels: , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Dinosaurs Big and Small (Revised Spring 2024)   Dinosaurium by Murray, Lily — Big Picture Press, an imprint of Candlewick Press, 2018 567.9...