A learning facilitator on Thursday, April 14, 2005 at 10:23 am +0000 wrote:
Joan emphasised that readers need to see themselves reflected in the literature they read (mentioning Treasure Island, that ‘masterpiece of womanless fiction!)
I'm not convinced about this. We can find something of ourselves in a story without it being about someone externally like ourselves. We'd cut kids off from so many chances to be someone else if we lived by this rule. We can find reflections of ourselves in some very unlikely places! It's one of the joys of literature I think.
Treasure Island is one of the stories our Network Learning Community has used for it's "Telling into Writing" project. Year 3 learn a short version of the story off by heart using visual cues, props and gestures. They also do lots of role play. There's lots of resources and a two week block of work planned out by a very creative teacher. It's then all used as a basis for extended writing using chapters.
The yr3 girls loved it and played pirates for hours. A couple of girls in particular enjoyed it and actually went on to read the whole book. Everyone went about being Long John Silver and shivering their timbers whatever their gender!
(my contribution in blue)
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