[MOSAIC] Comprehension in general

[Bill Roberts]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joy" <jwidmann at rocketmail.com>
To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv" 
<mosaic at literacyworkshop.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2007 11:06 PM
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general


>>  You've got to grab their attention with really out there ideas and 
>> concepts. Give them something to rebel against, something they have to 
>> take a stand on.
>
>  Maybe if you show them what can happen when people don't take a stand??? 
> Read them Eve Buntings Terrible Things. It's a picture book allegory for 
> the Holocaust. Then read Flowers on the Wall, by Miriam Nerlove.
.
Read and watched Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery".  What came closest to an 
emotion was basically "Where did that happen?  I'm glad I don't live 
there..."  or "That was stupid".  When I tried to discuss it, many thought 
it was a real place and wondered why people would do that.  Most didn't get 
the point (even though I've done this with many 8th grade classes in the 
past with great results).  This is also the group that I've had it suggested 
that we should blow up all the Iraqis because of what they did.  When I ask 
about Iraqi women and children, their comment was blow them up also.  When I 
tried to point out that Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11, they politely 
listened and then continued debating how to kill all the Iraqis.  I also had 
an African American child tell me the reason the white slavers didn't take 
Native American slaves was because "they all look alike so they wouldn't be 
able to tell which ones ran away..."