The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye and the Philosophy of Innocence Day 1 Day 2 (optional)
Area: Literature/Language Arts
Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White
Plot Summary: Charlotte’s Web opens at the Arable family farm. A sow has just given birth to piglets and Mr. Arable is preparing to slaughter the runt. His daughter, Fern, pleads for her father to let the small piglet live. She claims it would be an injustice to kill him simply for being small. Mr. … Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle
Plot Summary: Meg Murry, her youngest brother Charles Wallace, and their new friend Calvin join forces with three intergalactic beings – Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Who — to rescue Mr. Murry, Meg’s and Charles’ father, from IT, a source of evil and total mental control that devours individuality and self-perception. Discussion Questions:
The Real Thief, by William Steig
Lesson Plan: The Real Thief raises questions about friendship and loyalty, as well as the meaning of justice. The book also includes an argument that students can analyze. In the story, Gawain, a goose and the Chief Guard of the Royal Treasury, is blamed when jewels from the Royal Treasury go missing. The Prime Minister, … The Real Thief, by William Steig
The Little Prince, Chapter One
Why do we sometimes see the same thing differently? Step 1 Depending on the age or grade level of the participants, either the facilitator or the participant/s read chapter one of The Little Prince. Step 2 Facilitator introduces the prompt (Step 3) and poses the questions (listed below each image) for participants to consider, discuss, … The Little Prince, Chapter One
Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbit (1975)
Book Summary Tuck Everlasting tells the story of the Tuck family, a family of 4 who, years ago, discovered a spring of water which, they realized after they all drank from it, makes you immortal. Winnie Foster, a 10-year-old girl who has stumbled upon the well, makes friends with Jesse Tuck (who appears to be … Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbit (1975)
The Hundred Dresses, Eleanor Estes
Book Summary In The Hundred Dresses (1944), a new girl at school, Wanda, wears the same faded blue dress every day, Yet Wanda tells the other students that she has one hundred beautiful dresses at home, “all lined up.” The other girls don’t believe it, and when Peggy starts a daily game of teasing Wanda … The Hundred Dresses, Eleanor Estes
My Friend the Monster, Clyde Bulla
Book Summary: In My Friend the Monster (1980), Prince Hal’s parents are disappointed in him because he is “ordinary.” They won’t let him play with the other children around the castle because they claim those children are “beneath” Prince Hal. Prince Hal makes friends with a girl, who gives him a book about the monsters … My Friend the Monster, Clyde Bulla
You Can’t Say You Can’t Play
In You Can’t Say You Can’t Play (Paley, 1992), MacArthur Prize-winning educator Vivien Paley describes her introduction of a new rule — “You can’t say you can’t play” — in her kindergarten classroom. The book raises questions about friendship, exclusion and inclusion, and what is necessary for a rule to be a good one. Preview … You Can’t Say You Can’t Play
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
Understanding Beliefs and Cultural Blindness Understanding Beliefs and Cultural Blindness Materials Needed Steps Involved 1. Introduction (10 minutes) Journal: Do you (or we, collectively as a society) have any rituals, customs, or celebrations where we may not understand where it originated or what the purpose serves? 2. Reading the Text (20 minutes) Facilitator: Distribute copies … “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
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