Big Ideas

The concept of Big Idea is really challenging for kids this age. It seems so simple to us-the Big Idea of Where the Wild Things Are is you can go anywhere in your imagination. Or the one from Chrysanthemum is to love all facets of your identity no matter what. Sometimes the kids don't always glean the same messages. We've been working on this icon throughout the year. We use photographs a lot-a rose growing in the middle of tornado debris--what could the big idea of this be?

So we are finished our chapter book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and I asked them, without any discussion beforehand as to possible answers, to simply go write about the Big Idea of the story. They made a triorama to try to capture this thought and then wrote a few sentences. If you haven't read it, the story is about a stuffed rabbit whose whole purpose in life is to look handsome-he was very elitist. After accidently falling overboard on his owner's ship-ride-spending time in the bottom of the ocean, in the dump, in a doll-mender's shop--his heart starts to open up, he loves others instead of just himself and he starts to take less and less for granted. Even though love hurts sometimes it's better than never having it in your life. A great message for grown-ups as well! :) Anyway, here's what they came up with:

I love the scrapbook-y feel to his triorama design.

Edward was broken and he got fixed by a man.

Edward learned that Abilene grew up and he was bought by a little girl. (I hate when the copier has paper of another color in the drawer and you don't notice-the kids love it, but I don't think their print shows up as well).

He was bad in the beginning, he was mean [to] Abilene, he learned to be good and nice.

Growing up to be happy.

He learned how to love people and he's good now.

Edward learned that when it is deep inside you, you can come out.