6th Grade readers and writers are mid-way through their exploration of the novel Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of dozens of characters who live near the same street in Cleveland. Each belongs to a different ethnic group and has different ideas and perspectives about one vacant lot in their neighborhood. Each experiences tensions with neighbors, and each suffers the sting of stereotypes. Through time, the characters uncover new details about their neighbors, come to understand and appreciate each other differently, and arrive at a solution that meets everyone’s values for the vacant lot: a community garden.
I already read through it and now I’m looking back for good details.
This week, students each wrote a short summary of a chapter, using the notes they had made along the way while reading. As students worked, they shared updates and strategies like, “I already read through it and now I’m looking back for good details.”
As their teacher conferenced with them about their writing one-on-one, she pushed individuals to improve and expand on their work, “When you introduce someone, you have to share something about them. If I’m reading this summary, I don’t know who [character] is, so you have to help me.” She also encouraged them to use this week’s vocabulary words and add details to their writing. “If you say a character is lofty, you have to add context, like ‘their plans for the project were lofty.’”
After their writing, students did an all-group mini-lesson about capitalization rules. They added ideas they already knew, like, “it doesn’t have to be a place, it could be a TV show. So it could be a name of a book or movie or show.”
And, “It can’t just be a regular place though, it has to be like the official name of a place.”
As they continue their reading, students discuss the central themes and message of Seedfolks, and will also prepare for a maker project that connects their novel study to their studies of early human societies in History.