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Humor:
Teacher:
I wish you’d pay a little attention,
David.
David:
'm paying as little as I can,
teacher.
Silent Spring Questions
Comprehension:
• What is the name of the author of Oliver Twist?
• When and where was the author born?
• Compare Oliver Twist with the author’s other books?
• What was the author hoping to change?
• How was the first chapter different from the rest of
the book?
Discussion:
Compare the two quotes from the first chapter of
Oliver Twist .
How did each quote make you feel?
Think of someone else who attempted to make a
change in society.
Brainstorming
As
a class, make a list of environmental problems you
see in your area. Have students share ideas and
create a list on the board.
Examples might include the following:
Overuse of plastic bags
Litter
Water pollution
Traffic/air pollution
Two-minute Discussions
Let
students know they will be having short
discussions in pairs and that after two minutes.
Write the following prompts on the board:
• What is the problem?
• Why is it happening?
• How does it affect people’s lives?
•
Do you think it is an important problem?
(Do you think something needs
to change?
Or is it important to continue with no change for
other reasons?)
What changes could people make to help fix the
problem?
Once students are in pairs, pick one of the topics on
the board and let students discuss it.
When the two minutes are up, have students switch
pairs quickly, select another topic, and start
discussing again. (You can decide how many two
minute discussions to allow students to have based
on the length of your class, the number of topics your
students have thought of.)
Creating a Story
Put
students into groups. Have each group choose
one of the topics listed on the board or come up
with another topic.
Tell groups that they will write a story similar to the
first chapter of Oliver Twist . Reread the two
quotes from Oliver Twist to the class.
Tell students that the idea is to create a story that
describes what your area or the world could look like
in the future if no change is made. Encourage
students to use descriptive vocabulary, to show
contrast between the present and the future, and to
include specific places and specific details.
Extensions
Have students share their stories:
Have each group read its story to the class.
Post the stories around the room and have
students read them.
Lead a class discussion after students have
listened.
Use the following example prompts
Which of these scenarios is most likely to
happen?
Least likely?
Which situation worries you the most?
What actions can you take to help prevent these
scenarios?
Teaching Forum 2014, Volume
52, Number 3