Collaborative Literary Discussion for HS Students
Ray Bradbury’s science fiction short story, “A Sound of
Thunder,” was the universal text that all Earl L. Vandermeulen High
School students read this summer. Once school began, students took
several days of in-class discussion and interaction with the text before
meeting in the library for a lively, multigrade exploration of the
story’s plot, characters, the Butterfly Effect and a guided time travel
expedition to the Cretaceous period.
According to English teacher Michael Augello, the reason the
school year begins with an activity like this is to get students used
to the expectations for their classes and to reflect and learn about
what good readers do when reading, analyzing and writing about
literature.
“When the students come together and meet with other classes
(especially different grade levels), they are amazed at the different
perspectives other students and teachers bring to the conversation,” Mr.
Augello said.