Between the Pages Book Club
Between the Pages Book Club comprised of 5th graders: Jackson Simmons, Emma Lambert, Suvonna Bynum, Anna Ward, Owen Funk, Maeci Wilson, Lorien Rhoads, Mia Fair, Josie Travis, Griffin Hommel, Skylar Anthony, and Halle Meister met this semester at the Lower School to read and discuss The Door in the Wall, by Marguerite De Angeli. Students learned about medieval England, and the obstacles faced by Robin, the son of a nobleman, who lost the use of his legs.
Students built mock castles, researched about the Plague using BrainPop, and read about knights and chivalry. We had many discussions about the trials Robin faced and difficulties one must endure when dealing with a disability. As a culmination聽of our study, two former instructors from The Wayne D. Boshears Center for Exceptional Programs in Tyler, visited聽and lead students through several simulations. Mrs. Farnum and Mrs. Evans demonstrated several handicapping conditions. They showed students how the simplest of tasks become almost impossible. Students experienced the difficult task of writing a name on paper and tying a shoe without the use of hands. They held a lollipop between their teeth and tried to communicate with each other. One task involved tracing a star while only looking through a mirror. Directionality became very confusing much like that experienced by a person with dyslexia. Although The door in the Wall was an historical novel, we found many parallels to life today. We learned from Marguerite De Angeli, “Each of us has his place in the world… If we cannot serve in one way there is always another. If we do what we are able a door always opens to something else.鈥�
