Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2001 06:55:20 -0500
From: Paul  Becker 
To: tednellen 
Subject: Re: a request 

Ted -

I'll try to organize my response as best I can, but it may turn into a
"stream-of-consciousness" so if that happens, I'll apologize in advance.
:-)

I'll start with the lesson plan.  I read the plan first to anticipate what
to expect and the rationale and so on - straight forward and to the point.
Similar lesson plans were probably completed in our country as well.

Then, I went to the compositions and looked at them.

I wondered if the prompts from each grade came from the students, or were
they assigned by the teacher?  I know that what the letter from the
principal says and what the methodology/rationale says regarding this issue
but it was something I kept thinking about.

I looked at the younger grades first and their support for their essays.  I
noticed that the support for each essay was similar.  I wondered how each
student came to their own conclusions and their examples.  Did it come from
their realm of experience or did they need help in developing it?  Did other
points of support emerge in the brainstorming session that were excluded?
How were the supporting ideas selected?  What were the reasons for the
rejection of other supporting ideas?  Did the class reject them or did the
teacher reject them?  These are the questions that came to
mind after reading the methodology and then reading the compositions from
grade 7.

Next, I read the grade 9 compositions/art.  The art shows very clearly what
these young people are thinking.  They are very concerned about our war
effort and their country's role in it.  I can easily see the comparisons and
similarities between my classes and theirs.

The compositions from grade 9, had more of a voice and even though the
support was similar, the voice of each allowed more freedom of opinion.
Given their cultural perspective, the facts show the other side of the U.S.
foreign policies.  I didn't have as many questions as before because I read
growth or the possibility of growth in their argumentative essays as they
would begin to revise them.

The composition of the media's coverage and role in the attacks had the best
sharing of opinion and thought - even though revision is needed.  I had the
sense that this young person took/acquired information and synthesized it
for him/her self.

I think there will be a huge reaction to the younger grades compositions
that might get in the way of the overall purpose.  People may not listen and
quite possibly focus on the support that these students have regarding
the blaming of Osama bin Laden.  More questions would be: What were the
teacher's role in this process?  How did they guide/coach their students? I
had my concerns when I read that somehow the Jewish population is to blame
since according to the essays, 4000 of them did not go to work.  How did
they arrive at that?

I think by the sharing of the differing opinions that we all have
regarding what happened, and what is happening is a good thing.  However,
feelings are pretty strong on both sides of the fence and major debate
will occur when the writing from the early grades is exposed.

Anyway, this is the first reading/reaction, and I hope it was helpful.  You
mentioned earlier your concerns.  Did mine match yours or are there things
that I did not consider yet?

P