Multimodal Displays of Understanding in the Uppers

In Uppers, we work a lot on helping kids express their understanding through writing. We write responses to literature, lab reports, reflections and essays. We write opinion pieces, biographies, short stories, poems and scripts. Sometimes it’s important to remember that there are lots of ways to show understanding of a topic, and the 8th graders ended our recent class reading of The Outsiders by doing just that. 

After reading this iconic novel, one of the first “Young Adult” novels ever written, we set out to create a “one-pager” to synthesize all of the thinking we’d done throughout the unit. Using hand drawn illustrations, quotes and purposeful design, students explored the big themes and character developments in the novel. They connected these themes to the world around them as well as other texts. The themes they explored included ideas around violence, found family, loss of childhood, and what makes a hero. The kids really enjoyed creating a handmade final product, as we rely on the digital realm more and more these days. 

The final results are fantastic- check them out below!