Life in an Orphanage...Reality and Literature

Today, we tried to step into what life might be like in an eastern European orphanage. First, we got out of our seats and each had a marker with which to write down key moments from Chapter 13 and Misha's life at the Romanian orphanage.

Then, with all of the evidence from the book on the board, you each had the chance to do a walk-about and record your reaction with a "+" that meant you agreed, or a "-" that meant you thought differently. Here are some images from this activity:

Next, we returned to our seats and I showed you some pictures from a trip my wife, Jennifer, and I took to Orphanage # 105 in Moscow, Russia, and our weeks living with kids there. We saw many similarities to Misha's life in The Absolute Value of Mike, and we discussed possible connections and emotions between the two examples.

Finally, we wrote 1st person POV narratives imagining a day in the life at one of the orphanages, trying to record the emotions and thoughts and experiences that we would have were we in their shoes.

Thank you for a wonderful class today.

Our word of the day was REDEMPTION, which means the process of gaining back what was lost, of returning value to something that appeared to be worthless. An example of the word in a sentence is: In our family, we use the idea of a "do-over" to show that any situation or person can undergo redemption.

For homework tonight, we are reading Chapters 15 and 16 in The Absolute Value of Mike (pp. 123 - 136).

Peace,

Mr. R

It's All About Empathy

After reading chapters 11 and 12 in The Absolute Value of Mike over the weekend, we used Mike's plan to raise $40,000 to adopt Misha from Romania as a topic for discussion and empathy. How might it feel to be vastly out of your reach to do something you love?

How do people like Poppy and Moo make ends meet?

Connecting to our recent field trip to Overlook Farm at Heifer International's MA site, today we explored how people struggle to make ends meet, and we brainstormed what we might do if we were in their shoes.

First, we used two-column notes to explore what Mike is doing to try and help raise the $40,000 to bring Misha from Romania to Karen, in Pennsylvania.

Then, I shared a personal story about my time in England with family and the difficulty of making ends meet.

Subsequently, we transitioned from literature to life. How would you fare if you were in Mike's shoes? What ideas would you craft to try to make ends meet and raise the $40,000?

Below are two examples from two classes on the ideas you generated for both Mike and for yourself:

I admire the ways in which you tried to empathize with the characters, and how you tried to see life from their perspective!

For homework tonight, we are reading Chapters 13 and 14 in The Absolute Value of Mike (pp. 107 - 122). 

Our word of the day today is SEGUE, which is a verb that means: to transition smoothly. Here is an example of the word in a sentence: A great writer knows how to segue from one idea to another.

Have an awesome rest of your day!

Peace,

Mr. R

Responding to Cruelty...

Today, you all worked perspicaciously on the Vocabulary quiz, and did a great job connecting our words to a section within Habibi. I loved seeing you all flip through the pages of our novel, and figure out how to connects words as diverse as LACONIC and EMPATHY to a section from our book.

It's all about the connections! As we continue to read, explore, think, debate, wonder, and challenge ourselves in Room 340 this year, keep contemplating how all kinds of texts, art, words, ideas, and experiences connect to one another. It's what makes us beautifully human--what helps our hearts grow and our brains form new synapses (remember those 10,000 gooey neuron connections we talked about!? Huzzah for neuron connections!).

Our word for the day, today, is APATHY. It is the exact opposite of EMPATHY. APATHY means the total lack of feeling / concern for someone else or for a situation. Here is an example of the word in a line: Sometimes, we feel apathy because we are being mean; other times, we feel apathy because--like Poppy in The Absolute Value of Mike--we are struggling with out own grief or problems. But we always hope to come out of apathy and into...EMPATHY!

Tonight, be sure to read to page 106 in Habibi. After reading, share your insights about this question below:

In our reading for today, Liyana talks with Bassam at his spice shop. A man enters the shop and is quite mean to Bassam, calling him an animal. After the man leaves, Nye shares how Liyana felt: "Later, Liyana wished she had chased him through the streets and hit him with her little spice bag," (95). 

Why do you think Liyana wishes this? And, if you were Liyana, what would you wish you had done? Do you think it would be your responsibility to respond to the man's mean comments and defend Bassam or not? Why or why not? 

The Effects of War...

Today, you all became art explorers and cross-cultural thinkers and even social scientists! IN pairs, you explored Picasso's famous mural, Guernica. Without knowing the artists or the painting asyou discussed it, you made insightful observations and then connected your ideas about the painting to a passage from Habibi.

I enjoyed watching you figure out what the painting might mean, and how to connect that meaning and symbolism to our class novel. Even though the themes of the painting are quite tragic, you explored how those messages can also speak hope about how suffering can be prevented.

Here is the mural of Guernica which we analyzed in class:

Our word for today linked to our discussion of Picasso's painting and also our discussion of your passages from Habibi: EMPATHY, which means the ability to imagine how someone else feels or experiences life--to walk in someone else's shoes, enabling them to not feel so alone. An example of our word in a line would be: When one person has empathy for another, it can be a life-changing difference. 

For tomorrow, we have our vocab quiz on five of the following six words: EMPATHY, CIRCUMNAVIGATE, CREDIBILITY, INTREPID, LACONIC, and MOROSE. Bring your Habibi books with you for the quiz tomorrow, as you'll need them.

Thanks for sharing your insights today; looking forward to tomorrow. 

Peace,

Mr. R.