Teachers of
grades 7- 9 often ask me to read from Under a Living Sky and
answer questions. The students are quite interested in the Great
Depression and in the writing life. As the recent award
indicates, the book resonates with young readers of all ages and invites
plenty of discussion.
I conduct many “actual writing” workshops for grades
4-6;
these are always a hit, generating lots of enthusiasm from the students (even
from reluctant writers), not to mention a curious, surprised satisfaction from
the teachers!
For groups that might
include grades 3-6 in a single presentation, I have something I call "The Web
of Human Life." This is a presentation which requires 15 minutes, 10
volunteers, 5 ropes, and an antique cream can. Students take
away a vivid mental picture of life in the Great Depression, when for many
people the supports of human life were all but withdrawn.
I act as a living history resource to grade four classes as they work
on their Canadian history segment. They then produce their own essays about the Dirty Thirties.
For the grade threes, I have
developed "Where Ideas Come From." This is an interactive session in which we
dive into our creative sources. I trace how ideas come to us and then show how
to generate specific ideas that we may use in our writing, with promptings from
Under a Living Sky. This is a writing workshop requiring no writing by the
students, unless the teacher expects it!
Since November 2005 I have presented to thousands of students, from grades three
to nine, representing dozens of schools across Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Yes, there is a fee!
The normal fee for an author coming into any school starts
at $200 per half day (2 hours of class time).
