Mystery Skypes (or Google Hangouts) are a virtual way to connect with another class in the world in a game-like manner. Ms. B finds a class with whom we can connect and sets up a time. When we call each other, our job is to ask a series of questions to help us guess where in the world the other class is located! This is a great way to build on our knowledge of geography as well as practice our critical thinking and collaboration skills. We have had the opportunity to do 3 or 4 Mystery Skype calls throughout the Global Read Aloud and also had the chance to ask other students questions about the novel and share our predictions and feelings with them. So far, we've connected with students in Victoria, BC as well as Saskatchewan and Missouri.
What is Blogging?
Our blogs are places we can share our writing with an authentic audience. Anyone who visits our blog can read our thoughts and leave a comment. We are "officially" connected with 2-3 other classes whose blogs we also visit sometimes. This allows us to develop relationships with students in other locations around the world but also provides us with some genuine feedback and conversation about our writing. You can check out our blogs here. So far, we've written about what makes a home and the costs of war, as these are questions that came up during our reading of the novel.
Inquiry
Of course reading a good piece of literature also allows us to explore characters, themes, and allows us opportunities for inquiry that we may not otherwise have come across. One of the major themes in Pax is war and what it costs. One of the main characters, Vola, used to be a medic in the war and now suffers from PTSD. Peter, who is separated from his pet fox Pax because of the war, goes through a journey of self discovery in the novel and realizes that the costs of war impact not only humans but animals and the environment too. He also grows up on his journey to find Pax and develops a stronger sense of self-identity.
PTSD became of particular interest to our class as we were reading so we decided to learn a bit more about it. We are definitely not finished this learning, as it will tie into learning about anxiety and depression as well, but we made a good start with the videos below. For example, we now know that PTSD not only affects war veterans, but can also affect children or others who have lived through any sort of trauma such as abuse, neglect, or near death experiences. Some of our inquiry questions are still not answered, but we will continue our ongoing learning in this area.
Here is a poem about the impact of PTSD that the Grade 6s co-wrote and shared at our Remembrance Day assembly:
Many Canadians fought for our freedom.
These men and women made sacrifices.
Lives were lost, but that's not all.
Families were broken.
They returned but they weren't themselves.
They remembered the war.
They avoided their loved ones.
Sights, smells, were triggers for flashbacks.
They suffered from depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
All of these have a name: PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Always remember the struggles of those who survived.
Overall, the Global Read Aloud has been a great experience and we look forward to sharing our learning about other themes and characters once we have read the ending!