Literature Summary 12/17/12

Presenting: The Life of Ben!

We continued our discussion of the life and contributions of Benjamin Franklin with a readers theater performance in class.

Unlike traditional theatre, the emphasis in readers theater is mainly on oral expression of the part, with no use of props, costumes or scenery.  Students had not seen the script prior to class, which made their interpretation and reading all the more impromptu and fun!  Once one student decided to adopt a British accent for their character, several others joined in, and soon Ben himself had taken on an impressive British lilt! 

The script took us on a journey through Ben's early years in Boston as an apprentice in his brother James' print shop, to his growth in Philadelphia as an inventor, scientist, entrepreneur and public servant, and finally on to his years in England and France, where he worked as an ambassador on behalf of the colonies for an independent America.  The summary of Franklin's life provided in the script will hopefully reinforce the knowledge that students have gained from reading Amos' humorous take on Ben's tremendous contributions to our society.

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Next Book Selection...

We will wrap up our discussion of Ben and Me when class meets again after the holiday break (Jan 7).  I have asked students to come to class with at least one book suggestion, as we will be voting to decide on our final book of the semester.  Here are the guidelines I have provided the students:

• You must bring the book or a printed summary of the book to class for it to be considered in the selection process.
• You should recommend a book that you have not already read.  Please do recommend one that you have always wanted to read!  Or, scout out a new book that looks interesting to you.
  
• The books should roughly fall into the 8 to 12 year old reading range so that all students in our class are able to independently read and enjoy the story.
• As we discussed, the agreed upon favorite varieties of books for our class seem to be: adventure (action), mystery, humor, and historical fiction.  Keep this in mind as you decide on your recommendations.
  

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Wishing all of our students and their families a very Merry Christmas and happy New Year!  See you all again in 2013!