Projects and The Giver

While we have wrapped up our Nonfiction unit, I'd like to take a moment to note how impressed I was with the level of work I saw in students' projects.  They were thoughtful, artfully constructed, and meticulously researched.  Reading through them, I learned about topics from the Hubble telescope, to architecture, to NYC history and beyond.  Perhaps you'll experience some of this too by listening to this recording of students sharing their favorite project factoids.

We have now shifted our focus back to literature with our study of The Giver, by Lois Lowry.  We will be continuing to hone concrete skills and knowledge relating to literary elements and devices, but will also be discussing some rather philosophical issues like: is a utopian society possible?  How do we find a balance between the rights of an individual and the good of the community?  How do we perceive the difference between breaking the law and resisting an unjust authority?  This should be a great way to give students the opportunity to consider issues they may not have ever pondered in great depth.