TP-Issue14.5

F rom fun times and triumphs to lurches and slumps…” The ideas in this article were created before schools were closed due to COVID-19, but the themes of overcoming setbacks and maintaining optimismabout the future are needed nowperhaps more than ever. Some tweaks will be required and of course you’ll need to be sensitive to the mood and experiences of your class, but with primary children inY6 back for their final terms, these lessons and resources provide a focus for acknowledging challenge, while also looking with hope to the road ahead. Part 1 - Digging deeper Oh, The Places You’ll Go! is great fun to read, but there are complex ideas here, too, and the story canmean different things to different people. On one level, it’s about the Traveller’s journey through a strange and surreal landscape. But there are otherways of reading this book, too –ways that relate to our own experiences and emotions, encourage us to imagine our futures and help usmake the most of what happens as our lives unfold. This part of the lessonwill help children think critically, explore some of the layers ofmeaning in the story and interpret what they find. Try summarising this book infive sentences.What do you have to leave out? Can you do In uncertain times, this Dr Seuss inspired project is perfect for helping older pupilsmake sense of the present, and feel hopeful about the road ahead YOU’LL GO! Oh, The Places “ example, or struggling to make progress. Re-read the book to find more examples of events or places that could have other meanings, or ideas that could be applied to real life. Activity 1 – What could it mean? As a class, discuss the six quotations listed on the table on Downloadable Activity Sheet 1 (available for free from plazoom.com/seuss ).Work on the first quotation together (“Unslumping yourself…”) and answer the questions, then give children time in pairs to explore the other quotations and discuss possible answers. Bring thewhole class together to share ideas, then ask children towork independently to complete the table. Part 2 - Navigating life’s story Oh, the Places You’ll Go! tells the story of a journey. This journey represents the Traveller’s life. Working together, make a list of the places the Traveller visits and the things that happen along the way – his life story. Draw a timeline andmark the places and events on it. Can you find a way of showing how the Traveller feels about these places and events? Perhaps the timeline could go up and down, or you could use colour to represent emotions. Talk about some or all of the following words and phrases. What do theymean?Howare these ideas explored in the book? l Responsibility (you are in charge!) l Your choicesmatter l Self-awareness l Good judgment a better job if you canuse ten sentences? Is your summary fair? Do you think this story is easy to understand?Why/why not? Look at the consecutive spreads showing the balloon stuck in the tree (“left in a Lurch”) and theTravellerwalking through the Slump. Talk about what’s going on. Does the Slump remind you of anything in real life? We’re unlikely to find ourselves walking through a blue and mauve landscape, but wemight find ourselves feeling sad, for 46 | www.teachwire.net CAREY FLUKER HUNT