"Who are you?"

We've jumped down the rabbit hole and have begun our adventures with Alice in Wonderland. This classic provides many interesting themes for class discussion - the foremost one being the idea of finding one's identity. These early teen years are often confusing and frustrating due to all the changes going on not only physically but mentally and emotionally. Lewis Carroll's story is full of life lessons presented in a nonsensical manner. We're having fun with it. Please let me know if your child will be attending the GVT production on Sunday, March 24 at 2:30 pm. Student tickets will be paid for by GES. Adult tickets are $15 and senior (over 60) tickets are $13. I will be making the final reservations tomorrow Monday, February 25.


This Friday is the GES Social Studies Fair. We'll spend this week presenting student projects to the class and tweaking them as needed. All projects should be completed and brought to class tomorrow. Please plan to visit the fair on Friday and support the students by appreciating all their hard work.

March dates to remember:

• Friday, March 1 - GES Social Studies Fair
• Friday, March 15 - Visit to the North House
• Friday, March 22 - Taco lunch fundraiser
• Saturday, March 30 - Yard sale fundraiser

I've attached the rest of the student I Am poems below. Enjoy.

Mrs. J

I Am Poem

Character :Emma

I am the girl who was left behind

I wonder what freedom is like

I hear the drop the drops of the rain

I see the home that I have in my dream

I want to see the faces of past

I am the girl who was left behind

I pretend to act like I’m brave when I am not

I feel the warmth of embrace

I touch the cloud overflowing with rain

I worry to never see freedom

I cry for the tears that have been shed

I am the girl who was left behind

I understand money runs the world

I say run for the horizon

I dream of my past

I try to understand what I can

I hope to go someday

I am the girl who was left behind

By: Victoria

                         WILL

                              by Wood, Cody

                        Day Of Tears by Julius Lester

          I am a dreamer and respectful

          I wonder if I will see my sister one more time

          I hear words that hurt me inside

          I see people get whipped

          I want to be free

          I am a dreamer and respectful

          I pretend I’m ok

          I feel sad and hurt

          I touch my scars

          I worry I will never be free

          I cry that I will be whipped

          I am a dreamer and respectful

          I understand I will never be free

          I say that there should not be slavery

          I dream I will be free

          I try to be hopeful

          I am a dreamer and respectful

                               

I am observant and powerless.                               

   I wonder what freedom sounds like.                             

    I hear the unjustified abuse of the victims of malice.

      I see the brutal, unhuman mess of a world.

        I want a solution.

          I am observant and powerless.

           I pretend I am free.

             I feel the ache from the lack of compassion.

               I touch liberty, though it is just out of my grasp.

               I worry about tomorrow.

             I cry about bondage.

           I am observant and powerless.

         I understand that I shouldn’t understand much.

       I say people should all be respected.

     I dream for freedom to a happy life.

   I try to be content.

  I hope that sometime I will have a reason to be content.

                                   I am observant and powerless.

CHARACTER: Frederick Douglass

                   BOOK: Narrative of Frederick Douglass

                   AUTHOR: Frederick Douglass

I am charitable and answerable.

I wonder why there is enslavement.

I hear god’s tears.

I see god crying.

I want to be free.

I am charitable and answerable.

I pretend I am free.

I feel connected.

I touch hearts.

I worry about Sara.

I cry about being sold.

I am charitable and answerable.

I understand I am needed.

I say I will be free someday

I dream of being free

I try to please Master Butler

I hope to be free

I am charitable and answerable                             Baylor

I Am Emma

Day of Tears, Julius Lester

By Casey

I am hopeful and quaint,

I wonder about the ongoing trades,

I hear the arguments in my head,

I see the faith in others,

I want to stay hidden in a crowd,

I am hopeful and quaint.

I pretend that i'm invisible sometimes,

I feel what others feel,

I touch hopes that were already gone,

I worry about what isn't real,

I cry the unfairness of the grand scheme of things,

I am hopeful and quaint.

I understand that i’m not exactly perfect,

I say get the joke,

I dream that it will be different some day,

I try to help the best I can,

I hope for unreal ideas,

I am hopeful and quaint.

Sampson

Day of Tears

Julius Lester

I am loyal and trusting.

I wonder what would happen if I escaped.

I hear people talking about escaping.

I see Charles talking to Emma

I want my son to be proud of me

I am loyal and trusting

I pretend I am free and with my son

I feel like I’ll be free if I’m loyal

I touch freedom

I worry what will happen to Charles

I cry that Charles left

I am loyal and trusting

I understand why Charles set the barn on fire

I say the best way to survive is to be loyal

I dream I will be free and happy

I try to stay loyal

I hope to be free

I am loyal and trusting

Mason,

Jones

                                   

A New Trimester

Are we really beginning the last trimester of the 2018-2019 school year? These next 3 months are busy with activities and hopefully Spring weather soon. But I'm also concentrating on pushing ahead academically by providing some challenge studies.

Continuing Spirit Week...

• Monday, February 18 - Dress as your favorite character and bring your book.
• Tuesday February 19 - Imagination Day. Dress creatively.
• Wednesday, February 20 - Travel Day. Dress form somewhere you've traveled, somewhere you'd like to travel to, or as a traveler.

Moving on...

• Friday, February 22 - All the Social Studies projects are due this Friday. This includes a completed board and abstract. I will provide some time in class this week, but the students will need time at home to complete this. The GES Social Studies Fair will be held Friday, March 1. This gives the students a week to tweak their projects as needed.
• Friday, March 1 - GES Social Studies Fair
• Friday, March 15 - North House mini day trip. Friday morning, the class will visit the North House in downtown Lewisburg and be guided through the exhibits.
• Friday, March 22 - The Galaxy class will provide a fundraiser taco bar lunch. I need a volunteer to coordinate this activity. The students will set it up and serve.
• Sunday, March 24 2:30 pm- I am planning for the class to attend GVT's production of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". This is a high school performance. I'm inviting parents to attend with their student. We will read the book ahead of time in order to compare/contrast different genres presenting the same story. More information will be coming.
• Saturday, March 30 - Fundraiser yard sale. I also need someone to head this up.

I'm attaching some of the students' most recent writings. After reading Day of Tears and The Narrative of Frederick Douglass, the students composed I Am poems from the point of view of one of their book's characters. They all embraced this writing activity. (I'll attached more next week.)

Mrs. J

Fredrick Douglas narrative by Fredrick Douglas

I am smart and free in the mind.

I wonder what life beyond the plantation is like.

I hear the singing of freedom afar.

I see the chains cut lose for me to run.

I want my life as my own.

I am smart and free in the mind.

I pretend not to feel the pain.

I feel the warmth of the sun.

I touch the country by feeding it.

I worry the pain will never end.

I cry about my brothers' death.

I am smart and free in the mind.

I understand what I am.

I say no longer I am a slave.

I dream for my fellow peoples' freedom.

I try to free them all.

I hope I can succeed.

I am smart and free in the mind.

Written by  Ian Lowthorp

Frederick Douglass

The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass

By Frederick Douglass

Maxine Casto

I am determined and courageous

I wonder how cruel a human can be to his brother

I hear the voices of salvation

but only as an echo

I see bloody hands holding bloody whips

I want to know who I am

I am determined and courageous

I pretend not to know

I feel the sear of pain on my back

I touch the calloused hand of a mother

that I never really knew

I worry for my spirit

I cry in songs of agony

I understand

that I shouldn’t

I say that am content

I dream that actually am

I try to own myself

I hope for justice

I am detemined and courageous

I am Poem

Emma

Jada Church

I am caring, and considerate.

I wonder when the war will end.

I hear a faint echo in a cave.

I see a rainbow I chase but never reach.

I want to be free and be in control of my own life.

I am caring, and considerate.

I pretend i’m still with frances and sarah.

I feel like I am missing a piece of myself.

I touch the clouds, but only for a moment.

I worry that I will be beaten.

I cry of lost contact with friends and family closest to me.

I am caring, and considerate.

I understand the world does not taylor to my fit.

I say it will be okay.

I dream for the best life possible.

I try to stay positive and keep moving forwards.

I hope to gain real happiness soon.

I am caring, and considerate.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

I am courageous and thoughtful

I wonder why they don’t teach us to read and write

I hear inspiring songs

I see the gates of heaven

I want to be free

I pretend to be a free slave

I feel sadness for others

I touch my father

I worry about certain people

I cry that the whites chose us to be slaves

I am Frederick Douglass

I understand that I am different

I say that all men are equal

I dream that I will be a abolition ist

I try to stay positive

I hope I will live to be successful

I am Frederick Douglass

Jordan Wood

Sarah

Day of Tears

by: Julius Lester

Julia Troyer

I am understanding but annoyed

I wonder what would happen if mama was here

I hear her voice near me

I see men being bought from their families

I want to help them

I am understanding but annoyed

I pretend its all fine

I feel like its not

I touch Emma’s hand

I worry I will never see her again

I cry when I find out I won’t

I am understanding but annoyed

I understand why she left

I say its not fair

I dream Emma is with me

I try to be happy

I hope its all fine

I am understanding but annoyed

Mary Johnson

Sampson

Day of Tears

By

Julius Lester

I am wise and tired

I wonder what is this boy thinking

I hear the beating of the whip

I see freedom but it is blocked

I want to stay with my son

I am wise and tired

I pretend to be neutral on slavery

I feel safe in slavery

I touch the face of my son

I worry about Charles and Joe

I cry for Charles

I am wise and tired

I understand people desire freedom

I say slavery is better than freedom

I dream that he is here

I try to make him stay

I hope he knows I love him

I am wise and tired

Pierce Butler.

Day of Tears

By Julius Lester.

I am respectful and conscious.

I wonder what’s deep inside.

I hear old sounding music.

I see black and white.

I want to be content.

I am respectful and conscious.

I pretend to be bad.

I feel suspicious.

I touch ancient material.

I worry how the slave seller treats the slaves.

I cry when thinking about slaves.

I am respectful and conscious.

I understand how to be a master.

I say that you don’t abuse the job of being a master.

I dream heaven and hell.

I try to make sure my community is safe.

I hope my community is doing well.

I am respectful and conscious.

Aiden Beebe