Yesterday, I toured with a group of six middle-school (8th grade) girls who were very quiet yet interested. We were only doing one tour as there were only 30 students total. They were English-speaking Mandarin learners. I wouldn’t classify them as engaged, but they responded when asked questions and, on occasion, asked questions of their own. We were asked to include the oracle bones on the tour.
We began the tour with the oracle bones, where I gave a brief history of their discovery and their contribution to written communication and the history of China. We then discussed the process of divination, which I tied to some of Cai’s philosophy of mortality/immortality and permanence/impermanence. Finally, we looked at some examples of the evolution of the language from pictographs to current Chinese writing.
We spent time in almost every room, discussing various works and processes, focusing primarily on Palmyra, Return to Darkness, and Shadow: Pray for Protection. At Palmyra and Shadow I used the ODIP strategy: observe (silently, what do you see; not what you think you see), describe (share what you see), interpret (based on what you observe and connect, what do you think the story is), and finally prove (what makes you say that; what do you see in the work that demonstrates your interpretation).
The tour ended when half the group disappeared. They simply went to the restroom with the chaperone! Luckily, we were near the end of the tour, so we spent the remaining minutes in the garden.
Reflection (what would you do differently?):
Comments & Suggestions:
The groups were formed (by the teacher) into single gender (girls/boys) groups, which, in middle school, is a wise decision. Studies have shown that single gender grouping relieves some social stressors within this age group, making for a more successful experience for everyone.
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