As you may have heard, the Elms recently adopted some gourds. They've been describing their gourds, measuring them, and creating personas for them.
Predictably, some gourd weddings are already planned. Gourd clothing has been made. Cars have been designed.
When I saw the gourds at the farmers' market, I knew right away the stir they would cause in the Elms. Fourth and fifth graders still love imaginative play -- but they sometimes need permission to engage in it. A class wide project grants that freedom and it's a wonderful thing to watch.
The gourds also called out to me for another reason. I've been searching for a way to approach this November's elections in a way which avoids the shallow partisanship that often mars elementary units on elections. Passions run high but students aren't prepared for informed politcal discourse -- things devolve quickly, especially when I'm not there to referee.
But a presidential election is too important an opportunity to ignore. I became a teacher in large part because I believe in the importance of an informed, critical electorate. What to do?! GOURDS.
On November 4, there will be an election in the United States of Gourd. We'll be reviewing the structure of the government - the Sentate, House of Gourds, Supreme Gourd and the executive branch. I'm planning on re-writing with the some students the platforms of the Repbulican and Democratic parties with gourd-centric planks. There will be debates and history lessons as the gourds get ready to vote. I'm inviting you to join the fun -- perhaps you'll be a guest lecturer on the Gourd Bill of Rights. Maybe you'll share something on gourd civil rights (some are smooth...some are bumpy...). Maybe you'll want to create the Statue of Gourdity for the classroom. We'll be working out a lot of the details together as the election nears.
Bravo! Great idea. Is someone writing an inaugural song ... "Hail to the Squash/ Gourd/ Lumpy Thing?"
Posted by: Mrs. P. | October 06, 2008 at 10:56 PM