Monday, November 16, 2009

Today, to prepare for reading Kaffir Boy, we conducted a gallery walk. Posted around our room were various images and quotes regarding Apartheid in South Africa. As you walked around the room, you recorded your personal responses and questions regarding each quote or image. Everyone then returned to their seats and we discussed the themes that emerged from viewing these images and quotes. Oppression, poverty, racism, discrimination, freedom, conflict, power, and protest were all themes that you suggested and that we recorded on the board. Next, we discussed your predictions about what this book is about, based on what you saw in the gallery walk. After sharing your thoughts, you got out your notes and took down some definitions to some key terms, including what Apartheid actually is and what the word "kaffir" means. After a brief power point and slide show, I passed out your books and we read Chapter One aloud in class. For homework, please read Chapter 2 by Tuesday.