Grade 8 (Lisa)

Be on the lookout for eighth-grade travel memoirs to be posted in the hall later this week! They have worked hard at crafting engaging travel stories and have some fun and even moving stories to share.

Travel writing instruction began even before students left for Rome. We reflected on the various purposes of the genre and used mentor texts to examine the importance of thinking about their audience: what kind of storytelling makes for an evocative text that draws the reader in, rather than sounding like a dry itinerary or diary entry? Students practiced new skills, such as thinking about their setting like a character, as well as lots of good ol’ “show, don’t tell” in their writing.

Have you asked your student what they wrote about? If you don’t have regular opportunities to come into EW, ask them to share their memoir with you!

Next up is the climate fiction unit, which kicked off today. This will involve book clubs, nonfiction reading to supplement their fiction texts, mini-presentations on the technology and social issues that appear in their texts, and a final project. Novels students chose from are Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, The Words In My Hands by the Australian author/artist Asphyxia, and one of the novels collected into a trilogy in Kim Stanley Robinson’s Three Californias.

While my goal with this unit is to engage imaginations toward a future that involves collective action and care, I understand this is a heavy topic. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or concerns. Included in their GC is a whole section dedicated to resources for dealing with climate grief and anxiety.

For a hopeful and even sometimes funny take on a successful response to our changing climate, try reading the short story we’re starting off with: “Sunshine State” from the collection Everything Change from Arizona State University’s Imagination and Climate Future’s Initiative.