Day 3

Bringing the class novel alive

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

This is my favourite book to read to my class 5 (10/11 year olds).

Objectives

To foster skills of reflection, curiosity and empathy.

To build an appreciation of the 'threads' woven within a novel.

To explore the historic context of the novel.

To just love it!

To enhance the reading experience using technology.

Why this novel?

I have been using this novel so many years and yet find something new to appreciate every time.  I read it myself to the students, as I feel I have such a depth of knowledge of it I can foster a greater appreciation.  Also I am modelling reading style.  I make a reasonable attempt to give each character a unique voice and accent.  We enjoy the novel once a week and it can take up to 15 weeks to finish it!  I have never had a student - boy or girl -  who did not love it. It is a romantic tale imbued with mystery, science, spiritualism and much more.

Visuals
Some say the author was inspired by the house and gardens she lived in at that time.  You can view pictures and get more information here .  I love the image of her writing at a table in the gazebo, always wearing a white dress and floppy hat!
The Secret Garden was an illustrated book and the illustrations and original text can be seen here .

Technology
What better way to marry the old and the new than to let Fakebook bring them together. That's not Facebook but Fakebook!
Create pages for Mary, Colin, Martha, Mr. Craven and more.  I undertake the editing on the characters behalf but we brainstorm on what to write, charting the characters' progress through the book. The students can post comments and you can upload images too.  Considering the geographical spread of the book - India, England and Switzerland - there is a lot to explore.  We uploaded images of travel in Edwardian times - ships, train, carriages; the Yorkshire Moors, India, Edwardian fashion, Edwardian family portraits, Switzerland - the list is fairly endless.
Zoom in on locations using Google Earth.
Track Mary's journey on Google Maps .
Create Wordles along the way.  Before and after Wordles, using adjectives to describe Mary would be one example. Display a family of Wordles in one place on the wall - character name worldes, place name worldes, Wordles describing characters - the list is endless.




Talking Points

Frances Hodgson Burnett wove a tale with silken threads of wonder leading into so many areas of the modern curriculum.
Inspiration: Burnett overcame a lack of formal education, reduced circumstances and loss of her father at a young age. How are these reflected in her story?  Her biography can be read here . 

Personal growth - Mary and Colin overcome loneliness, disability and orphanhood to emerge triumphant.

Friendship- Friendships cross social divides and emerge from the ashes of dysfuntional childhoods.

Social History - this is very much an 'upstairs - downstairs' book, opening opportunities for much discussion; the industrial revolution, educational opportunities, concepts of class, child labour...

World History: Colonialism

Physical Geography: India
Creative Writing: Finding inspiration in personal experiences. For this age group I like to focus on positive experiences. A good example is Burnett setting up a school, despite her lack of formal education. Guide the students to an inspirational person, friendship, celebrity, book, movie, etc in their lives. 

Beyond the curriculum

In Edwardian times there was great interest in Spiritualism .  It is not overtly present in the story, so will not challenge any religious beliefs the children might hold.  However, the robin as the spirit of Colin's mother is a lovely touch.  The belief that birds are the spirits or souls of those who passed on was quite prevalent.  And in the novel it is the robin who makes the discovery of the garden and its healing powers possible.

Colin represents on another level the advance of Science. He is one of the new breed -always looking for scientific explanations for the workings of the world.

The healing power of Nature is one of the dominant themes.  It is through Dickon that Colin and Mary leave the cossetted and highly charged atmosphere of the house and Colin's room in particular and go outside, allowing their imagination and feelings the space to grow.  The tangled, cluttered, uncared for garden is a metaphor for the neglected children. 

Dickon's mother, Susan, is mother nature.  Though poor and uneducated, she is wise and respected by all classes.  Even the absent patriach, Colin's father, respects her.  This is another example of the class divides becoming blurred.

Perhaps they sound like big themes for this age group, but they soak it up.  It is after all essential for them to glimpse where they have come from!