Hello book-clubbers,
I hope you all had a wonderful week. I hope you all enjoyed the first half of the book. This week we will be finishing the book. This week's post will be based on how you will or would use this book in your classroom ( like a lesson plan). Please post any resources you would use. Please make this post meaningful.
As well as how do you think you could use this quote in your classroom:
" The battle is not always to the strong, but to the active, the vigilant and the brave." by Pop
Please be sure to posted in enough time for others to comment on your posts. Most are posting very early and others are posting very late. The later posts might be missed by other group members and it would be a shame if they missed your great thoughts and ideas.
Kim
PS: I am working on the field trip as we speak and it is looking like a wonderful trip for us all. We will be staying in Hardin.
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Jim Thorpe is a timeless man. As I read the book I could see him being a 21st century man, just as easily as the time period he lived in. He has a potential to be a great role model for young adults, as well as adults. With that being said it seems logical to use his story to shed light on some of the common stereotypical views of Native Americans past and present. A beneficial lesson plan revolving around this book would be to have students identify common stereotypical views of Indians past and present. For each stereotype they identify ask them to find passages in the book, as well as other writings about Jim Thorpe and other Native Americans that are contrary to the stereotypes they identified. I can’t imagine someone reading about his life , his character, and accomplishments not walking away with a deep respect for him, the life that he lead, and the ambassador he was for Indians and athletes.
ReplyDeleteIt might also be fun to create a lesson around the changes in football during his era. Perhaps a recreation of Pop Warner’s primary, one including past and present outline of the game of football.
“The battle is not always to the strong, but to the active, the vigilant and the brave." - Pop Warner Equating “the battle” to learning something new - actively pursuing the knowledge, being alert and watchful while studied and in class, and being brave enough to make mistakes because learning involves making mistakes and correcting them.
I would love to see this book as one of our middle school or high school reading requirements! I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book.
This book is incredible. While I was reading it, I was constantly thinking of ways to use it in the classroom. It is obviously not geared toward the third graders that I teach, but it could be adapted and excerpts could be used. In this sense, I believe that this book could be used for many grade levels-elementary through high school. I have many ideas, but this one will focus on teaching the history of the boarding schools, as I have already done some of this with my students.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be interesting to work in a day, or part of a day, where the students were taught “Pig Latin”. I would tell them that for a period of time they must only speak and write this way to communicate. I would give them assignments in this manner and they would have to decode sheets and translate them into this “language”. They could somehow be “fined” for using Standard English. I wouldn’t let it go on for too long; just enough to frustrate them. This would be an interesting introduction to how the boarding schools operated, and how those native students must have felt being forced to learn this way. This intro might get their interest peaked, in any event.
I would then teach the history of boarding schools, focusing on Carlisle. I think the students would really identify with Jim Thorpe. From there, we would learn more about his life before, during, and after the boarding school days. I could also teach a lot about stereotypes during these lessons.
This is just an idea at this point, and I am searching for resources to develop it more. I know I have lesson plans at school, from OPI, that are third grade boarding school lessons; Vicki has the books I need in the library. In addition, I found the following websites to be quite helpful. I plan to use the information from these to create a slideshow or power point.
http://home.epix.net/~landis/histry.html
www.pbs.org/indiancountry/history/boarding.html
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/
http://home.epix.net/~landis/thorpe.html
“The battle is not always to the strong, but to the active, the vigilant and the brave." by Pop Warner
ReplyDeleteWhen Pop stated the above, he was referring to the quarterback position. Pop often had his smaller players in the role of quarterback. He was saying, particularly as quarterback, it is not enough to just be strong. A quarterback must also be an alert observer of what is going on in the game; he must be constantly attentive-watching for any dangers around him; he must be bold and fearless-ready to take action and willing to take risks to protect the ball.
This quote could be used in so many situations in the classroom. I certainly think it applied to the challenges Jim and the other boarding school students faced in their lives during the time of assimilation. That situation was a battle and they had to follow those guidelines not only to survive, but also to not lose their sense of self.
I would use this quote to show how it is applicable to being a good student and a good learner. All students have learning strengths and areas they need to improve upon. They must never give up. Students may not be strong learners of certain subject matter, but they must stay alert, be observant, and not give up in order to improve and to be successful. Jim Thorpe, for example, did all of these things when he got to Carlisle; he found his niche, observed, and did all he could to learn the game of football as well as the other sports he competed in. It would have been easy to give up- to run away and never come back. His story could have been so different. He suffered though a lot, but he hung in there and was a huge success.
I would also urge students to find other areas they think this quote would apply to their lives.
Dori,
ReplyDeleteWas fun visiting with you on the phone about the books. Thanks. I like the idea of removing students use of English from the room. I believe MCT did that with my first graders a few years ago and it was a big hit. Can you imagine how difficult it was and is to learn academics in a language not your own? Amazing!
I like the angle of using the book as a resource to teach about boarding schools and football. I think a Health Enhancement/PE teacher could have students read the book and have discussions leading into a unit on football. The quote “The battle is not always to the strong, but to the active, the vigilante and to the brave.” by Pop could also be a focus point in discussions of football, life, team sports, and what everyone needs to remember as they navigate their own life’s.
ReplyDeleteThe quote could also be used as an assignment where students make it personal by adding pictures, etc. that brings out what it means to them. These could be displayed in the classroom and used to encourage students not to give up on subjects or issues that are important to them.
This book has encouraged me to learn more about the boarding schools that were active in Montana and might be a great lead-in to students doing research and presentations on this history. In today’s often fractured family life’s, students could learn well the lessons of Jim and other Native Americans who made it through those trying years of being away from their families and forced into submission of another’s culture.
Dori’s idea of using “Pig Latin” was cool and students would see how frustrating it might have been for those attending the boarding schools. Discussions and teaching about stereotypes throughout the course of the reading could take place and one idea I have is to have a contest and see what student could come up with the most stereotypes found in the book.
All of the comments have been great about how to use this book in the classroom. It is obviously geared from 5th grade and above but the picture books about Jim Thorpe could be used at a lower level, and the teacher could add details based on this book. I, too, agree that a study of Indian boarding schools should be done. It would be great to research other schools and compare and contrast them with Carlisle. There are several fiction books of children in boarding school. During the time the students are reading independently about Jim Thorpe, the teacher could read aloud another book, then do activities to compare the life at both. For upper grades, various topics could be gleened from the book to do further research and projects. Some examples would be the evolution of the football game, the life of Pop Warner, comparing some of other Indians and the life they came from, the evolution of the Olympic Games, etc. It's a great starting point for several ideas. For the sports minded, a student could do research on other famous athletes at this time.
ReplyDeleteDori and Sue really explained the quote well. With perseverance, hard work and determination, the battle, or goals, can be achieved. It's not always easy but definitely worthwhile. This quote could apply to any individual who is successful in any area.
Vicki, you have so many good ideas for using this book. I think we all see its versatility. It would be fun to do the Olympic part during the Olympics.
ReplyDeleteSue, I enjoyed talking to you as well. Imagine how much we will have to say when we all get together. I'd like to hear more about this MCT thing.
Vicki, do you have the Jim Thorpe picture book in the library? I would love to see it!
ReplyDeleteSue, I have one picture book about Jim Thorpe in the library. There is another one that I will be getting.
ReplyDeleteI found the story of Jim Thorpe very interesting; I have had students read this book and they have enjoyed it and one told me it was the best book he had ever read. When using this book in the classroom I would want to include some sports related lessons because I enjoy sports and many kids do also. Jim was treated differently at school and maybe it would help kids think about how some people are given special treatment because of who they are and maybe they shouldn’t.
ReplyDeleteMy main focus would be to explore the boarding school experience for Indian students and make sure my students understood that the purpose of the boarding school was not to educate but to “kill the Indian to save the man”. I think these 2 quotes from http://home.epix.net/~landis/ a site about Carlisle describes the different thinking of the time :
"The common schools are the stomachs of the country in which all people that come to us are assimilated within a generation. When a lion eats an ox, the lion does not become an ox but the ox becomes a lion."
~Henry Ward Beecher
"If the Great Spirit had desired me to be a white man
he would have made me so in the first place. He put in your heart certain wishes and plans; in my heart he put other and different desires. Each man is good
in the sight of the Great Spirit. It is not necessary, that eagles should be crows."
~Sitting Bull (Teton Sioux)
We could read other books such as My Name Is Seepetza and explore some first source documents that discuss Indian education. The Library of Congress has some great resources, these may be more appropriate for middle school and high school and are good background information for teachers:
Western Boarding Schools
http://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/marr.html
Naming the Indians (1897)
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=TerName.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=all
Simon Pokagon on Naming the Indians (Potawami Chief responds)
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=PokName.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=all
Kill the Indian, Save the Man- Pratt on Indian Education
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4929/
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/01/indian/resources.html
There are a lot of photographs available from Carlisle for the students to look at and discuss. One thing that my students commented before when looking at a boarding school picture was that the students didn’t look Indian.
Tracy, thanks for all those websites. I haven't had an opportunity to look at them yet but I will. I like your idea about using this book to show that some people are treated differently because of their athletic ability or whatever. That same theme was in Counting Coup. I've started reading Full Court Quest and so far I'm not coming across that particular theme. I love reading books that can be compared and contrasted.
ReplyDeleteLet me start by saying that I have really enjoyed this book...it has left me wanting to read more about this true American hero.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this would be over first graders' heads, I think it would be fun to do a unit in the fall about the history of football and punctuate it with this book. In doing so, I would follow up with a unit about Indian boarding schools. I would have students work in pairs or small groups to do research on specific boarding schools and present their findings to the class. I would also have on-going discussions about what they think it would be like to spend a day as an Indian student in one of the boarding schools, etc.. I think this would be a great way to teach students about stereotypes and injustice.
" The battle is not always to the strong, but to the active, the vigilant and the brave." by Pop
What a great quote to post in the classroom! I know when Pop said this he was referring to the quarterback, but it could be applied to so many aspects in life. I could definitely see using this quote to inspire kids to do well at whatever task they are given.
Dori,
ReplyDeleteI LOVED the idea of having the kids learn Pig Latin and not allowing them to speak or use English for a period of tim!
Sue,
What is this MCT thing? I'm sorry I didn't get back to you about the paper but am glad you got hold of Dori.
Tracey,
Great websites! Thank you for doing so much research! (you, too, Dori!)
Vicki,
I am looking forward to seeing the picture books you have on Jim Thorpe. I may actually be able to do a little football/Jim Thorpe unit afterall!! How exciting!
It was great to see so many great ideas from this weeks posts!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this book! I believe the grades before me will do a wonderful job focusing on the boarding school themes, so I would like to explore other ideas that this book has to offer. I will be teaching a Native American studies class next year with my 6th grades. I am very excited about this. I am working with Mr. Clairmont from Corvallis to make this class happen in my classroom.
I liked Nathan's idea about character education with this book. I spend so much time teaching character education, Habits of Mind, and team building in my classroom each year and this book would truly reflect these ideas.
I plan to use this book to emphasis those themes using parts of this book. In the end my students will build a website based on Jim Thorpe and how he inspires the themes in our classroom. Students who design the best webpage will earn team points. I use a team points system within my classroom. I can not wait for to bring parts of this book alive for my students.
The quote I picked this week will be a theme quote for the school year. It relfects the Habits of Mind ideas I use within my classroom.
Tracy and Vicki,
ReplyDeleteYou did some nice research for your ideas. I apprecriate you sharing your ideas.
Tracy- please read my response from assignment 2.
To the whole group,
If you do make lesson plans in your classroom please share and I will post on our website so OPI can see the work you are all doing. Again thank you for your hard work this summer!
" The battle is not always to the strong, but to the active, the vigilant and the brave."
ReplyDeleteThis saying has been in similar forms to motivate people in different circumstances for a long time. Everyone had wonderful ideas to use this quotation in the classroom. I agree with Dori’s statements; she did an excellent job of relating this to the academic setting and how important motivation and perseverance is to success. I know most of my best students have not been the smartest but the ones that are willing to work and take on challenges. I like Nathan’s ideas for this and would like to do them with my students at the start of the year if he doesn’t mind.
There are endless ideas for using this book in the classroom and my peers have listed some excellent lessons.
Dori- like the pig latin also!
Sue- Jim Thorpe is an excellent ambassador and role model
Nathan and Kim- great the character building ideas
Annika and Vicki- like the sports and history relation
Vicki- I also like reading books that can be compared
Kim – I had read your response for assignment 2- thanks!
Tracy, You nailed that quote... our best students are more like what Pop said than smart kidos.
ReplyDeleteHey all! Loved the story, didn't love the writing, so much. (Sorry Mr. Bruchac)! I do sometimes read novels to my middle school students as they work at their desks on artwork. I would want to use something that was more in line with my subject area that has an affective, supportive relationship to what we're working on. That being said, I am sometimes surprised at what I end up covering when I collaborate with other subject areas. And I learned a few specifics about Indian boarding schools reading this book. Evolution of football reveals a great deal of creativity, too and it is an interesting example of the energetic flowering of a discipline or field. What are the odds that Pop Warner and Jim Thorpe and all the other talented Indian athletes they worked alongside would get to work together to further the sport? (I can just about imagine the Johnny Unitis narration for this "perfect storm" of football evolution)!
ReplyDeleteSo, Pop's quote follows what I believe, myself. It takes bravery to be innovative and creative. It takes the kind of people who seldom give up, to make a difference in life's battle. Strength can be possessed by the small and quiet, who are yet focused on their goal. I can see myself discussing this story informally with certain students who are interested in athletics. I can see myself utilizing this quote as a motivator.
(As a side note, I am interested in Thorpe's later life and would be interested to see the movies he was affiliated with, as well as the Hollywood version of his story).