Well, ok, let me explain. We have been working on creating a classroom civilization with students working in various committees to meet all of the fundamental needs of humans in our chosen settlement location. I learned a lot about what my students are capable of (being "turned loose" to work on a project, not so much - yet), and it was a lot of fun. Today we added a new twist: The Written Word. I taught the 4th Great Lesson this morning, and it went almost as I thought it would. I called the students to line and proceeded to speak Spanish as though I expected them to understand. I carried on in this manner for several minutes feigning more and more frustration as they failed to catch my meaning. Finally Kati intervened and helped the students come up with the idea of giving me something to write with. I began to draw pictures, and we then had a discussion about how drawing pictures leads to the creation of writing. It was fun, and I think the message got through.
At lunch time I took the food committee outside and lit the charcoal for the dutch oven cornbread. It got a lot flamier than I expected it would, and I thought to myself, "Remember the day that Miss Shelly burned down the school?" Soon the flames died down, and the food committee and I mixed up the cornbread and got it cooking. It was done by the time lunch was over. I took the class outside while Kati had the food committee help her set up the bread party. We had several different bread options and toppings for the bread including meats and cheeses, fruit dips, cream cheese, butter and honey.
It was DE-LICIOUS! The cornbread turned out so well, I can't wait to do it again next year!
After we ate bread, we cleaned up again. I introduced the idea of creating their own written language for our civilization using pictures that start with each letter in the alphabet and stylizing the pictures into written characters. I think many students will take this idea and run with it.
We then cleaned up one last time and then each committee had the chance to present what they had learned.
Once again we had not so much work time, but I feel pretty good about the way this day went.
To sum up:
The day as I had it planned:
- 4th Great Lesson on morning line
- Cook dutch oven cornbread with food committee
- Bread party in the afternoon
- Committee presentations
- 4th Great Lesson on morning line
- Cook dutch oven cornbread with food committee
- Bread party in the afternoon
- Committee presentations
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