A Wrinkle in Time

Reflections

I read this book in one afternoon.  I absolutely could not put it down.  This posed a problem, however, as I found it hard to make authentic postings.  I would post questions about upcoming chapters when I knew the answer already.  These Edublogs would be a wonderful addition to an older grades classroom.  There should be some way of regulating the reading so that all the students are on the same page (so to speak).  There is no harm in reading ahead and finishing a book before deadline, but the postings become artificial.

To remedy this teachers can post guiding questions throughout the book for students to think about as they read.  The students can then post their reflections on the book when they are finished.  This would have worked wonderfully for us Georgia State students.  All in all it was a good experience! 

Calvin has an Idiom Chatper 12 JF

In chapter 12, Mrs. Whatsit is talking to Calvin about sonnets, and he is growing impatient. L'Engle writes on page 198, "Mrs. Whatsit's voice was stern, and for a moment Calvin stopped pawing the ground like a nervous colt."

While the teacher was reading about the periodic table, many of the children pawed the ground like a nervous colt, waiting for the reading to stop.

Reverberating Chapter 11 JF

Reverberate means to resound or echo back.  At the end of chapter 11, "Suddenly a thundering voice reverberated throughout the great hall: 'WWEEE ARRE HHEREE!'" I thought the word reverberated allowed me to visualize what was happening at the end of this chapter. When we graduate from Georgia State the cheering sounds will reverberate through the city.

Finding Comfort from the Beast Chp 10 JF

I thought it was interesting that Meg found comfort in the creatures at the end of this chapter. Although Meg did not know anything about the creatures, she felt warmth when it touched her. Throughout the book, Meg is always concerned with  what people think about the way she looks. In this chapter she is thinking "I must look as strange to it as it looks to me...and then realized with a shock that of course the beast couldn't see her at all." I think that Meg found comfort in the beast physically, but also emotionally. In the following chapter the beasts talk about how they know someone ONLY by who they are, not at all by how they look. When I thought about this more, I really could not imagine a world that judged only by the way someone acted. What do you guys think about this???

Bloom's Chapter 8 JF

Knowledge: What planet are the children on in this chapter?

Comprehension: What do Calvin and Meg do to try to bring Charles Wallace back to himself?

Application: What would you do to try to bring Charles Wallace back to himself?

Analysis: What conclusions can you draw about Mr. Murry being in a cylinder after reading that the little boy was being punished in a room for deviating earlier that day?

Synthesis: How do you think the children will try to help Mr. Murry get out of his cylinder?

Evaluation: What would you have done to help save the little boy and Mr. Murry?

Biblical Parallels

Throughout much of the book, the author seems to make many parallels between the story and the Bible. One parallel I found that I thought was interesting was that the "man with red eyes" got Charles Wallace to go with him to learn about who he was. While Charles Wallace was with him, he became a different person. Before when Charles Wallace was eating the turkey dinner "the man with red eyes" provided, it tasted like sand. After Charles Wallace had been overtaken by "the man with red eyes" everything tasted delicious. This story somewhat parallels to the story of Adam and Eve. The snake tempted Eve to taste the apple, once she did it changed the future of mankind. I think parallels like this make the book interesting for both children and adults to read. What do you guys think of this parallel?

Absolute Zero

In the chapter called Absolute Zero, Meg is frozen physically but can hear all that's happening around her.  She can hear voices and commands but is helpless and cannot communicate to her travel companions that she can hear them.

I would take this passage and encourage children to write their own versions of a feeling of helplessness that they've had in their lives.

IT

If we had the choice, would anyone want to change the IT's name to something more interesting?

Bloom is blooming...

Knowledge - Where do the characters live?

Comprehension - What does Meg say that makes you think she isn't confident with her looks?

Application - What would you like to change about the planet Camazotz?

Analysis - What conclusions can you draw from the way people on Camazotz act to the way they run their lives?

Synthesis - How would you improve the lifestyle of the people living on the planet Camazotz?

Evaluation - What choices would you have made if you were Meg trying to save your little brother from the control of IT?

Chap 11 SG Dont Judge...

     

"Don't judge a book by its cover."

Once again L'Engle refers to one of the major themes in the book: reality vs. appearnces. First we see how the town judges the Murry's by what they see. Then Meg is so preoccupied with her mother's beauty that she has failed to see her own beauty within. Next, we have the food on Camazotz, which looked delicious but tasted like sand to Charles Wallace, the food on Ixchel is gray and dull but tastes wonderfully delicious. Wow! This would be a wonderful lesson to share with your student's. In the fifth grade children start to judge their peers and themselves by the way kids look and dress. This theme would really help your students understand that what's on the outside doesn't necessarily give you a clear indication of what is in the inside.