31 Days of Halloween - Day 9!

I have always enjoyed the adventures of Minerva Louise. She is what you might call a bird of very little brain. She interprets everything that happens around her from her own chicken point of view. Well, why wouldn't she?

This is a delicious way to open the door to discuss schema, or what we think we know about something. Since our schema is based on our own experiences in life, sometimes it can contain errors. Minerva Louise thinks of the humans who are in costumes as "farmers." She thinks the candy corn is "corn." She thinks the ghosts are "just the laundry."

It is fun to go page by page and discuss what Minerva is really seeing. For instance, there are some children bobbing for apples. How is it that we know what they are doing, but Minerva does not? Perhaps because we have read about this party activity in a book, or seen it in a movie, or participated in it at a party ourselves! That is what schema is all about! 



A fun activity might be to turn it around and write about what a chicken's day is like. Students can come up with ways to determine whether their ideas are correct or not. They can use technology to do a little research. Fun!

Happy Reading! Till next time, Nancy