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Interesting bit of synchronicity here. Let me explain, and then make some comments on the chicken bone assignment.

In English classes, in addition to the expected grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary studies, there is a good amount of reading and discussing of high quality literature. It should without saying that the greater a person's empathetic capacity is, the more likely that that person will be able to understand literary artistic excellence, such as characterization and even irony. If students occasionally go through exercises in which they empathize with either a character or a real life person in an unusual way, the student will begin--with encouragement and direction from a well-meaning teacher--to look at life through other people' eyes, whether fictional or otherwise.

OK. End of mini-lecture and on to assignments to increase empathetic ability:

For example, my kids this fall interviewed each other, took notes, went home, examined their notes, and returned to class to deliver a speech in which they presented themselves as the person they interviewed. This is an example of a basic exercise in developing empathetic awareness. Ninth grade boys presented themselves as girls and vice versa. At first, the speeches were chuckled over--the first couple of speeches. But that initial laughter died down quickly as the audience began to listen to the interesting tales their classmates told about each other--but delivered in first person. Their next public speech, due first class after Thanksgiving, will be a second first person narrative speech, but this time they will present themselves as a character in a book they've read for an oral report. Bonus points given for dressing as the character and having a prop or two.

Now on to the chicken bone. I, too, as assuming this assignment came out of the English class--and, because I like to write, if I were a student, I could have a good time imagining being a chicken bone in a baggie for several days. It could be a very depressing narrative because I might end up in the city dump--or perhaps it could end positively as someone tosses me into the woods, freeing me to become one with the land as I disintegrate. If the assignment was to show in this narrative diary how I was like a mummy, well, I suppose plastic baggies preserve to some extent. I suppose I could do a little research and find out how long I would be preserved in that baggie. Might be interesting to contact a baggie company and talk to a rep.

The value of the assignment would be to imagine origins, development, personal history (of the bone), prospects, potential climax, and denouement. At least, the assignment could be an early attempt at first person narrative--and without having to worry very much about character development. The writer could focus on sequence of the narration and various crises for the bone, and it would probably be fun to decide whether this was a serious or comical bone--a bone of great angst or a Dave Berry bone.

If the assignment is simply as you've stated it: write a diary of a chicken bone in a baggie--well, that's an easy narrative to attack and one in which the writers could use their imaginations scientifically, tragically, or humorously.

Ethically, this assignment would cause some students to consider the lives of chickens--and, who knows, you might consequently end up with a few more vegetarians.

Here's the synchronicity I promised way up top:

When I was talking to my ninth graders today about their first person narrative book report, I said, "You do not have to be the main character. You could choose to speak through one of the main character's relatives or friends. You could speak through the voice of a minor character who observed what was going on. In fact, you could choose to speak through an inianimate object that was present during one of the critical scenes, but..." (I warned them) "...you would have to be very creative in order to pull off a book report told in the voice of a table or a gun or even a room."

And tonight! I read a parent complaining about an assignment in which a student must write the diary of a chicken bone! I'll mention this assignment to my students to let them know that students in a GT program had to write through the voice of a bone.

Remember that method acting in which actors had to be bacon frying on stage?

Anyway, I like the chicken bone assignment although I wouldn't give it to my own students because I would want them to be able to choose their own character--or inanimate object--to narrate through a diary. But I might offer the chicken bone assignment as a bonus assignment out of curiosity what the kids would create.


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This is more than a few days. It's for 30 days. I can see the assignment for an English class. I'm adamant that's it's completely inappropriate for an algebra class.

k




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I'm with you, FF. I can't imagine why a math teacher would assign this chicken bone assignment. Is there some other part of the assignment that is mathematical in any way? More to the picture?

I will be sure to mention this to the algebra teacher on my team tomorrow. She may have some insight into it, but I'm not holding my breath. (How long could a chicken bone hold its breath in a baggie without affixiating?)


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I don't see any connection of the chicken bone diary to math.



will be sure to mention this to the algebra teacher on my team tomorrow.


I've spoken with a colleague who used to teach 8th and 9th grade algebra.

He said that he has team-taught before and organized (with the appropriate teachers!) around various themes (match-box derby i think was one). My main issue here is 3/4 of the effort of a large project being expended on something related to math.

My daughter's biggest issue is that in the sample schedule the teacher layed out, she only allocated one day for research. The kid spent till 10:30 last night just doing the research on Egyptian gods for part IV. The research on Egyptian math could take weeks - several days at least, if she skimps.

The more I think this through, the more I think it could be a great project if it were actually taught by a team. This is a new teacher. Maybe she doesn't know what's expected of her yet. She's also very new to the school. Maybe she doesn't realize that these projects are meant to be done in conjunction with other classes. They could replace the actual major English research project with the two creative writing sections from this exercise.

I'm still getting a lot of different opinions on the correct course of action.

"Daddy, please don't say anything to her! It could affect my chances! You should consider that Anna has to go to school here in a few years!"

"Keith, man, you should go straight to the principal."

"Get the VSOL section on math and ask the teacher what areas are being addressed by the chicken bone exercise."

One fellow said I should go to the school "right this minute," but if I go, I'm inclined to wait at least till Monday to give the sarcasm a chance to subside.

k



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you might just drop a little email to the teacher saying you're having trouble figuring out how the chicken baggie exercise fits in with algebra. since she's new, she might appreciate having a chance to talk about the idea.



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I agree with et'--and then you could report back here and let us know how she explained the connection between the bone and math. By the way, I forgot to ask my colleague, but I will remember next week, I promise.


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The core team (math, science, civics, English) showed up. This worried me at first, but it turns out it was a good thing. I made my points, I think. They agreed with what I was saying and, as it turned out, were already working on ways to improve the assignment by, for example, having the science teacher grade the science related portion and the English teacher grade those portions - and give credit in the appropriate classes.

I made clear that I consider schooling and education to be very different things, education being an attempt to broaden the horizons and also to connect the subject matter from various courses - that is, in general it's an attempt to put the schooling in context. I also made clear that I applaud the fact that they're attempting the more difficult goal, but that the implementation is flawed (severely in my opinion) AND that this is PERFECTLY OKAY so long as at the end of the year the kids (my kid in particular, but all the kids, really) actually understand the algebraic material.

I was half-way expecting it to be a big bash when the whole crew showed up for what I thought was going to be a 2-way, but it turned out they were very receptive to my suggestions. (I spoke for well over half the time, and they never interrupted.) In fact, it seemed like they were grateful to get some feedback. I'm glad I cooled off before I went in and also glad I took it directly to the teacher instead of the principal.

I was tempted to go back and delete my first post or edit it - it was way too harsh. But nope, I'm leaving it.

k




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Well, don't leave us hanging, for Pete's sake! Tell us about the bone assignment--the objectives. Were the obvious ones behind it (i.e., developing a first person narrative kind of monologue/narrative, developing empathetic capacity--we all need to know the parameters in which a bone could respond to its environment), or were the objectives surprising or, if not surprising, disappointing?

I'm waiting in great suspense...


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Tell us about the bone assignment


I didn't ask the particulars of it, but what you related previously seemed perfectly reasonable. As the English teacher will be the one grading that part, I assume you nailed it.

It's a very odd thing: Math and Science have always been my daughter's favorite subjects, but this year it's French and English.

k



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