- Older brother wants to go to a video arcade with his friends; little sister wants to go also, but he doesn't want her to tag along.
- Younger sister wants to go next door to play with neighbors, but older brother has instructions from their parents for both of them to stay in the house until their parents get home.
- Younger sister enjoys outdoor activities and sports more than playing dolls; older brother recognizes her athletic skills but teases her about being a tomboy.
Roleplaying
Ask for two students to volunteer to role play. Tell them they will pretend that they are either the older twelve-year-old brother or the younger eight-year-old sister and will assume his or her role in one of the following situations.
Sample experiences:
Ask the class to critique the roleplaying from several points of view - the realism of the portrayals as well as the family relationships and social issues involved. The activity should set the time and establish the themes to be discussed in considering Scout and Jem's relationship in TKM.
Sentence Starters
The sentence starter activity allows students to express ideas in a non-threatening manner because they have the option of sharing their views. The written results may be read aloud by the teacher or stated by student volunteers. However, the value of the teacher's oral reading is that when the writers are anonymous, students will not be critized for holding unpopular views . Ask students to complete each of the listed statements. They can write a single sentence or do a free-writing elaboration.
My idea of a hero is ...America's idea of a model family may be described as...
A defendant in a jury trial has the best chance of being found innocent if ...
One advantage of living before 1950 was ...
One disadvantage of living before 1950 was ...
A Southern lady would never ...
The discussion is likely to reveal a wide range of viewpoints and values among students. It is important to insist upon tolerance of other's ideas and on thoughtful explanation and reasoned critique.The exchange here of ideas can set the stage for understanding and discussing TKM and serves to prepare students for the discussions to be held during the live broadcast of the two-day teleconference.
