Hakim's style

Joy Hakim's style of learning / writing is infectious.  It begs you to read more....much like a good novel does.  Being a left brain person, you must show me the details.  I scour a movie looking for missed details but reading history the way Hakim presents it, is similar to a college professor I once had.  Everyone loved his lectures.  He spoke the way Hakim writes.  The only problem way his tests came straight from the textbook.  Loved the class, got lousy grades!  I imagine some of my students face a similar conflict. 

Today in our school (and many others as well) we are faced with preparing and dare I say, teaching to the standardized tests.  Back when I was in college (eons ago) it was pounded in to us NOT to teach to the test.  But we are doing more of that today than ever before.  Am I alone in thinking the tests favor the logical left brain thinker??

Do any of you enjoy Gary Paulsen's books?  One of his newer ones is Woods Runner.  It is written in the same style as Joy Hakim's book.  It is historical fiction but every chapter or so Paulsen inserts a page of facts to back up his story. 

I found myself taking notes on Hakim's book just so I could refer back to certain passages or points of interest that I might want to include in a future research unit for my students.  Also, love the maps in the back of the book.  Geography is a lost subject these days.  These maps or making these maps with your students to reinforce the subject would be great.

Reading Reflections

Right brain, left brain....Of course we all tend to focus on putting ourselves or one of our "favorite" students in to these categories.  The left brain in me wants everything to be organized, logical and just so. For me that works well at school.  After all, being a Librarian, I must be right and give out correct information.  The trouble is, I was like that long before I became a Librarian.  Take one look at my office and you would think the left brain hijacked my right brain.  I have a sign that says "A messy office is a sign of character.  You should see the character that works here!  Creatively I appreciate and can visualize what I want or need but often I can't be the artist.  I see a lot of that in my students.  Since I cover a wide age range (grades 4 through 8) I see different kids make the connections between right and left brain learning at different times.  It's fun to watch as the kids tend to let their guard down aroung me as I'm not their "official teacher".  What an opportunity that gives me to help nudge them towards one or the other!!

The current 6th grade library unit that Sherri Conard and I rewrote this past year as a product of last year's Keystone's of  the Federation Class is addressing  historical literacy for the first time.  We are actually doing much of what the article  on historical literacy discusses.  The results are mixed so far. Final project is due late May.  The other 6th grade Communications teachers we have involved in this are excited with the project.  Now we have to find a way to involve the Social Studies teachers as well. Our library curriculum is taught through the Communications block of time.