Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1449741
The Glass Castle: A Memoir, by Jeannette Walls, is the story of the author and her siblings growing up in extreme poverty as they weathered their parents' dysfunctional behavior. School Library Journal notes the book is appropriate for ninth graders and up, and says Walls "presents an objective portrait of her circumstances that is both poignant and forgiving." demonstrate a reading or writing strat- eg y during the mini-lesson. Take, for example, the goal of encouraging stu- dents to include setting details in their writing. I'll begin by handing out copies of the read-aloud text. Next, students collaborate in small groups to high- light, analyze, and discuss the passage's setting details. Students then go through their own independent reading book looking for examples of setting details. Finally, they write and highlight vivid setting details in their own pieces, then present their favorites to the rest of the class. Further creative connections e read-aloud also provides a platform for other creative explorations. Here are a couple to consider. Projects: After reading aloud Jean- nette Walls' memoir The Glass Castle, my students are inspired to create real or digital models and floor plans of their own glass castles. Everything from card- board dioramas and meticulous doodles to Minecraft and Tinkercad mansions demonstrates my students' ingenuity and excitement. During a gallery walk showcase, they describe their models using the vocabulary they've learned. ey share feedback and celebrate each other's creativity. Playwriting and performances: Students reenact or create new situations based on the day's read-aloud. Groups use the guiding questions below to plan out their ideas before drafting their skits. • Describe the characters in the scene. How do they look? How do they act? Decide which group members will perform each role. • Will your scene have a narrator or be told from a first-person perspective? • What problem does a character or characters face? • What's the theme or lesson? What message should your audience take away from your performance that will leave an impression? • What props and/or creative elements will you include? For example, I've had students write a scene from Quixote the cat's perspec- tive from The Glass Castle, d e pi c t i n g his new life after getting tossed out of a car window. When students act out characters' experiences, it also cultivates empathy and helps them to relate to the story on a deeper level. Often my students choose t o re e n a c t s c e n e s of h o m e l e ssn e ss , filming themselves outdoors in winter, lacking essentials. Read-alouds encourage enthusiasm and creativity in the classroom, transforming isolated lessons into ones that stick. ey encourage students to think critically, foster a sense of community in the classroom, and make learn- ing fun and enjoyable. I've never looked back since I started reading aloud to my classes years ago. Interdisciplinary Coections R E A D - A L O U D S C A N B E expanded outside of language arts. Here are just a handful of the areas that my students explored based on their own interests in subjects related to The Glass Castle. Social studies: • Create tourist brochures with information about the cities where the characters lived. • Read articles about underlying issues in the United States, such as poverty and food insecurity. Math and science: • Collect and compare statistical data about the various cities where the author lived. • Investigate things that interested the father character, such as binary numerals and the solar system. Music: • Write and perform songs based on characters' experiences. This article originally appeared on edutopia.org. 46 cta.org Teaching & Learning