Bridging Subjects and Best Laid Plans (7th)
The seventh-grade lit class is reading One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. We are only four chapters in and the author has ignited deep and important discussions about family dynamics, racism, and the economy.
It’s the 60s and 11-year-old Delphine, the oldest of three sisters, must juggle adult responsibilities as they fly across the country. Although first to board the plane and wanting the window seat, she knew she had to sit in the middle to separate her younger sisters. As the plane circles the bay while approaching California, the pilot announces that the Golden Gate Bridge is visible to their left. Delphine read about the bridge in school and wanted more than anything to see it. Unable to see from her seat, Delphine encourages the sister by the window to look down. When the sister refuses to look, temptation sets in. Realizing it could be her only chance to see the bridge, she leans over to get a glimpse causing both younger sisters to shout her name and attract attention. Delphine had made a grand negro spectacle, the kind Big Ma had scolded her about becoming when they were back in Brooklyn.
Delphine then narrates:
“Even though there were only eight Negroes on board, counting my sisters and me, I had managed to disgrace the entire Negro race, judging by the head shaking and tsk-tsking going on around us”. P.10
There was plenty to unpack after this chapter. Students understood right away that Delphine took a risk and acted out of character in an attempt to see the Golden Gate Bridge. She got a glimpse of the orange steel through the clouds, but at what cost? Students took to their computers to reflect and answer questions about the reading.
What is meant by “Grand negro spectacle”? P.10
R: “Grand negro spectacle” means that if the two youngest kids were next to each other in the plane, they would have been the main attraction on the ride, but if Delphine is in between them, that wouldn’t happen as much.
L: Big Ma said to not make a big negro spectacle. By saying that I think she meant to try to behave well so not to confirm white people’s incorrect stereotypes.
E: What they meant by “Grand negro spectacle” is that all the white people on the airplane would stare at them and the white people would think that all black people act the way that the girls were acting.
Why does Delphine say that she managed to disgrace the entire Negro race? P.11
B: When Delphine says that she managed to disgrace the entire Negro race she meant that because she was getting out of her seat when she was not supposed to, it made her look bad in front of all the other people. Then when they saw her not doing what she was supposed to, they assumed it was about all the other black people.
O: Delphine says that she managed to disgrace the entire Negro race when she unbuckled to see the Golden Gate Bridge, the stewardess called her out and she felt embarrassed in front of all the white people on the plane.
The kids are moving on the right track as we scratch the surface of the black experience in America in the 60s and beyond. All trimester we will be supplementing our Lit work with One Crazy Summer in our social studies class. Students will dive into topics less commonly discussed in middle school and unpack important parts of the book through research and discussion.
Since we are bridging the gap between lit and social studies, it made sense to throw in some science! Next, we shifted from our reading to some learning. We watched a video about the purpose and construction of the Golden Gate Bridge to get a better understanding of Delphine’s excitement in the book. After the video, students were told that it was their turn to make a model of the Golden Gate Bridge and they split off into two groups. They browsed through a plethora of materials from our Projects Closet and began to discuss their plan.
The next day the two groups received their official assignment:
A boat has crashed into the foundation of the only bridge to Upperlandia. There were no injuries, but major structural damage. Your group has been tasked with designing and building a new suspension bridge.
Size:
Your bridge must span across the enormous river (aka the classroom sink) between Upperlandia and Downsville.
Function:
Your bridge must be strong enough for a rat to cross it safely.
Materials:
4 different types of materials from the selection
4 hot glue sticks
3 feet of tape (painters, masking, and scotch)
2 hot glue dispensers
Time:
Your bridge must be complete by 11:45am, the rat is coming and does NOT like to wait!
Be sure to label what materials you will use for the main suspension cables, vertical suspenders, deck, anchorages, towers and tower foundations.
The students agreed on which four materials they would use from the selection and worked through lit and social studies to construct their bridges. One group chose to build the bridge in the sink where the rat would cross. The other group built their bridge on a table. When it was time to test the bridges, Moss (the rat) was uncooperative, so the class took a field trip to the Mups classroom to get a different rat. Once back in the classroom, the replacement rat was able to cross safely. The second group moved their bridge into place, but it would not stand on its own, therefore we could not send the rat across. This week, students will use Google Classroom to reflect on their project as they make connections to the book. They will also have time to reconvene with their groups to decide if they want to make specific changes to their bridges.
When developing plans for this lesson, building a bridge was never in the cards. When I learned that most students didn’t know what the bridge looked like, I knew I had to change my plan for the next class. Slowing down and taking the time to break apart even the smallest section of a book can be so rewarding. In veering off-course to focus on the Golden Gate Bridge, students gained a deeper understanding of why Delphine had to see it.