This lesson was developed in collaboration with my co-teachers in the Upper Elementary environment (ages 9-12) at St. Joseph Montessori School in Columbus, OH.  The lesson focused the students' attention to the current national observance of Veteran's Day by inviting students to articulate their own feelings and understandings about veterans through creative writing.  This lesson included all 5th and 6th year students, who were asked to create an original poem about veterans, national service, and honoring the sacrifice of others.  The 4th year students attended the same lesson with a different guide, only their responses would be in letter form.  After the lesson was presented, students were asked to add the assignment to their work plan with a due date of November 18, giving them a full week to complete their assignment while setting their own work plan and process. While giving the follow-up work, I made sure to communicate that these poems would be given to local veterans, helping them to make connections to their community, and transitioning the work from just an assignment in to big, relevant, cultural work.  I enjoyed discussing their questions and listening to their ideas, unpacking the literary text while making connections to their own prior knowledge and experiences.   I can't wait to see what they have written!

Jennifer Robertson , Nov 16 at 9:21pm

For clarity, I developed the lesson plan for the 5th and 6th years, focusing on John McCrae's poem "In Flanders Fields."  The music and text selection, the format of the lesson, the discussion questions, and the follow-up assignment expectations were my responsibility.  My co-teacher developed the lesson for the fourth year students.

Jennifer Robertson , Nov 16 at 9:23pm