Nov. 14th.

Today we started our unit on 'Knights' with the boys. Mary did the VTS with the very rich image of St. Maurice. The boys were on it right away and it seems like their skills and responses had vastly improved just from the last VTS. 
The boys noticed many interesting details and many of them made suggestions and  implications as to who the men where, what position they held, what they were talking about, what had happened to them and what certain symbols might be. The boys had a very lively and engaging discussion while staying respectful, most times, when disagreeing with others observations.
The boys were good at stating what they saw and then adding "I disagree with ...  because I think..." A question I have is that when one boy is noticing and pointing out things and continues to go on and on making two or more observations is that ok or would it be best to limit them? I am wondering if when one boy points out many things if he may be taking away the chance for other boys to speak up with the same observation? Since these boys are older, they may not want to repeat the same observation and therefore not speak up. I realize the purpose is to not limit them and to allow them to express all that they find but it is still a question. Im wondering how it fits into the democratic idea of sharing the floor, so to say? Nothing was mentioned about the knight's ethnicity which was something we discussed at a meeting as to how to handle any questions or statements directly referring to the knight. The boys were more interested in the entire scene, the defining vestments, the possibility of battle and the weapons in the image.
After the VTS the boys were directed to return to their seats. At this point Mary began to speak about trading cards and how the boys were going to create their own cards with a Sir (knight) name with an image on the front and all the other info on the back. While Mary described all the directions, several boys were fidgeting with their pencils and notebooks and some began to draw in their books. I suggest that the boys do not bring their journals and paint pails to their tables until it is time to start using them. After Mary explained what to do and how to do it, two boys asked me what to do and later two more thought that they were creating the final card and did not realize they were doing a first draft to use for their final creation on the real card. Mary even asked one boy to tell her what the directions were for jotting down the information and he told her with accuracy what she said, but then it was the same boy later, that did not realize the paper was just a draft. I know how hard it is just for me to focus and carefully listen without any distractions therefore I am sure for them it is not easy to take it all in while some are talking and others are opening their journals to draw.

After the directions the boys eagerly began to fill out their papers. Some began with drawing the image of their knight while others began to fill out the information about their knights first. All of the boys were engaged and thinking and talking aloud about their idea and sharing with us and with each other.
They were smiling and excited. A few got done within a short time and had plenty of good ideas and a full image of their knight drawn. BoyJ, was having a hard time finding adjectives and describing his best battle. After talking with him and asking him if he ever saw a movie about battles he said, "no but I played a game". I asked him how were battles won and what did the knights or men, do to win? What kind of strategies did they use or secret devices? This helped him to generate ideas and he quickly started rattling off some good ideas as to what his knight did to win his great battle. I remembered what Mrs Tilley told us in the literacy meeting, and I parroted his statement back to him so he could hear it again and he said, "Yah, that's it." and I said, "Yes, write it down" and he did and all was good and right in the land of Boys Writers Club. The end.