Collaborative BWP Writing

Please provide feedback on:
1) Do I need more detial as far as what we hoped to accomplish?
2) Do I need more detail about the example of the lesson plan?----I didn;t have it in fron of me so this could very well be.

VI. Bluebonnet Contributions: Working with What We Know-08/01/06

Amidst a flurry of beginning of the school year activity, I received an email reminding us of a continuity meeting for the Texas Bluebonnet Writing Project. We meet throughout the year to sharpen our literacy strategies and continue to build our community. On the agenda was not the ordinary procedures for a continuity meeting. This meeting was dedicated to creating units to help displaced students cope with what had happened with Hurricane Katrina.

We were asked to bring in young children’s books that focused on characters who recently experienced a very difficult situation or tragedy. Many of us expanded this. We found books that spoke to everyday goings on. We realized, as a group, what these students were missing the most was their home. They missed traditions, friends, and familiarity.

We needed to find a way to get a discussion going about that. We not only wanted our displaced students to have an outlet where they could share their feelings, but we wanted the other students to understand their situation.

We chose several books across levels and created teaching units that used this literature as a springboard for discussion. The extension activities allowed all students to reflect on their own values and how they would like to see these clearly in their own lives.

For example, one book that was used was Patricia Polacco’s When Lightening Comes in a Jar. It’s about an annual family reunion weekend. There were several celebrations via food and photo-sharing, but the story is centered around family story time. The children longed for this time where elder family members would share their stories from the past. After the story was read, the students were invited to discuss their own family celebrations and traditions. Next, they were asked to write and brainstorm about their fondest family traditions, and if they could start new ones, what they would be. This reflection allowed displaced and home students to share their values and dreams. As a culmination of the unit, the class is asked to create their own celebration, where families would be invited to learn about the types of activities and celebrations they hoped to have in their own lives. This allowed the students to create new traditions in their new environment. All the while, a class community is fostered, where although it’s not home, a familial atmosphere is promoted.