by boot | Mar 11, 2025
“Desiderata” is a critical element of this book. It helps illustrate Ms. Sealand’s philosophy. Come together as a class and read the poem aloud. Clare called it the punishment poem, but is it really? What role does it play in the life of Omar and his classmates? How...
by boot | Mar 11, 2025
In The Cat at the Wall, Clare lives her life in two different Bethlehems — one in Pennsylvania and one in the Middle East. Come together as a class to compare and contrast how the author presents these settings to the reader. What words, phrases and descriptions of...
by boot | Mar 11, 2025
As a class, look at images of the West Bank Barrier or “wall” online, to give students an impression of what it is really like. Then, working with an adult if necessary, have students use resources from the library and internet to write a short research paper on the...
by boot | Mar 11, 2025
Have students keep a list of unfamiliar or interesting words and phrases that they encounter in their reading. Can they derive a definition for the word or phrase from context? Have them consult reference materials for the precise meaning of the word or phrase, the...
by boot | Mar 11, 2025
Discuss with students the following questions: Why does a classroom or school have rules? How are these rules enforced in your class or school? How do these rules prepare students for the world outside the classroom?
