During the past five weeks, 120 6th graders have spent every Tuesday deep in discussion - Literature Circle Discussions during Humanities classes. Five different novels were completed in groups, important passages, amazing questions and responses, plus vocabulary was shared.
The characters survived, problems were solved and surprise endings shared.
The characters survived, problems were solved and surprise endings shared.
The final blog post is a choice of activities:
2. Write a letter to the character . Include any questions that you may want to ask the character, provide specific evidence from the novel.
3. Write a letter to author. Information that could be included.. Where did the author get their ideas? What inspired them to write the novel? Questions that you may have?
Minimum requirements - 3 well structured paragraphs.
I chose to write a letter to the Doyle Family.
Dear Doyle Family,
I send my personal apologies for the loss of your dear daughter Charlotte. I have to admit, you have nobody but yourself to blame for losing her. She was a wonderful girl, despite her unexpected change while on the ship. I know that you raised your daughter to be a "proper" lady, but she is your daughter and if she wants to be someone different altogether, you should respect that. After all, you can't force her to become someone she didn't want to be anymore. This doesn't imply that you should let her become a complete rebel, but somewhere along the lines of her behavior, she was only rebelling against the oppression of a family of proper people.
What Charlotte had become wasn't someone who was a bad example to people everywhere, she was better than she was before. She had become more social, and had made new friends in the process. Friends who let her be who she really was. I don't know if you have realized that Charlotte has left to be with those true friends, who will hopefully fill in your place and support her. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Not only have you lost the respect of your daughter, but you have also lost her love for you. It is possible that you have lost the respect of Albert and Evelina because you couldn't control one daughter.
Mr. Doyle, I believe you owe the most apologies for burning down the tool she used to communicate with the readers of her story and burning down an event filled journey overflowing with change and a story worthwhile reading. You dismissed her repeatedly, acting like she was crazy. For instance on page 263, you insisted that you thought that she should go to bed. It hurt Charlotte's feelings. She had something important to say and you wouldn't give her the time, it was very disrespectful to Charlotte. Forbidding Charlotte to talk about the most wonderful experience of her life yet filled with distrust and danger was unfair to your daughter. It was during this voyage that she had a taste of her own freedom, maybe you should have a taste as well before judging her.
Mrs. Doyle, I know that you are proper but this has caused Charlotte to lie about things and say things that weren't true [Page 260]; like the reason she cut her hair was because there was lice on board. This isn't true, she cut it off in order to see well and climb up the royal yard. Her rough hands were roughened with the everyday routine of climbing of the royal yard, not doing her own washing! I don't know what's wrong with speaking to others of lower status if they only have good intentions. Those of higher status like Captain Jaggery tend to be more cruel and end up dying. As a mother, I know that you wouldn't want Charlotte to lie to you just to please you, even if it is what you want to hear from her.
Evelina and Albert owe Charlotte apologies. Though you are children it doesn't excuse you from insulting your sister and calling her an Indian because of her tanned skin--[Evelina Page 262]. You didn't go through the disasters that Charlotte had to face and even if you didn't know, a warm welcome would've been better than chiding her for her "tattered dress and dirty gloves" (Page 258)!
I can only wish Charlotte a safe journey through the winds chosen and hopefully those winds will obey Charlotte's will.
I can only tell you that you should be very ashamed of yourselves.
If anything should happen to Charlotte you would be the blame.
Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if she decided never to come back to you again.
Cindy, a fond lover of Charlotte's story
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