As I read a chapter out of Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn Dixie aloud today I felt the need to explain the backstory and summarize the Civil War to my third graders. After briefly sharing both the positions of the north and the south to one of my more curious, and outspoken students she spoke out. "Really?" she questioned incredulously. "We fought each other?" Her eyes were now wide like saucers, and her face was painted in disbelief. "Americans really fought other Americans?" She asked again. I nodded to her to affirm.
Yes, Yahvi I thought to myself. It's hard to believe isn't it?
I love that book! I just recommended it to one of my students last Friday. But, wow(!), yah, out of the mouths of babes, for sure.
ReplyDelete