At the beginning of Mrs. Tabor’s 7th grade ELA class at Brame Middle School, she explained to her students that “red flags” sometimes emerge as one dives into texts and explores different perspectives. These red flags can challenge students’ thought processes and even worldviews.
In this class, students grappled with the idea of “whether perfection is worth a sacrifice.” Students discussed this statement and found relevant textual evidence to support their opinions.
Then students were divided into groups and assumed the roles of: predictor, questioner, clarifier, and summarizer. They were tasked with determining predictions in the novel, asking questions in the group about the story, and using context clues to determine the meaning of certain words while using the dictionary as proof for their answers.
This enriching lesson allowed students to develop stronger critical thinking and communication skills.