Read aloud Conversations

We are reading One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, which about 3 black young ladies who go visit their mother in California in 1968. 

There is so much to discuss in this text and in life.  Some of the questions that came up were:

Who were the black panthers?
Who made the decision to make black people into slaves? 
Who/why did the idea ever come up that one type of person was better than another?
Why do we say "People of color" rather than colored? Is "African American" an appropriate term to refer to describing all people with black skin?
What is white privilege?
Does racism still exist today even though there is no slavery?


These conversations led to questions about labeling/judging people by gender, size, and age...
I was impressed with the thinking that has been done, and I hope these conversations continue at home.  Our kids are trying so hard to be respectful!  I am so proud of them.

Craft supplies Needed-- any of these laying around your house?

Holiday Craft Supplies needed!

Size 1 snaps--lots of them!

Ball jar lids

Tooth picks

Twine

felt--black, red, green, gold, brown
thin ribbon

Narrative Publishing Party!

What a great celebration!  Thank you for bringing in snacks!

Publishing party!

We are publishing our narratives in hardcover books!  The kids had so much fun with this project!  We will have a celebration next Wednesday.  Can you bring in peanut free snacks for the party?

Congratulations!

 Regis, Lauren, Ben, and Ayden's poems about winter will be performed on stage at the Black Box Theater next month!  Several poems were submitted to the Winter Tales competition through  the Young Writer's Project, and we got four Mountaineer winners!  So proud of them!