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
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?
by boot | Mar 11, 2025
As a class, locate Israel on a map. Identify the locations of Bethlehem, the West Bank and where the wall of the book’s title is located. How would students feel if they lived in a community surrounded by a wall?
by boot | Mar 11, 2025
One of the major themes of The Cat at the Wall is perspective and how our point of view shades how we see things. A good way to illustrate this idea to students is by showing them a few classic optical illusions. Search “optical illusions for kids” on the internet and...
