Talking Points for Interactive Bibliotherapy
Goal 1: Promoting respect for life
1.How did the dying bird feel to Kenroy as he held it in his hand?
2.What is slavery? Can one person truly be owned by another person?
How do you think it would feel to be a slave master? To be a slave?
3.The part of the story which says that passenger pigeons were once so numerous that flocks of them would actually darken the sky for days is true. Can you imagine seeing something like that? How does it make you feel to know that these birds were destroyed by the selfishness and greed of humans? How does it feel to know that there animal species today who face a similar threat of extinction?
Goal 2: Enhancing self-esteem and clarifying self-perception
1.What was Pigfoot’s handicap? How did he show that he did not feel inferior to others because of it?
2.How would you explain the proverb: “Self-pity is like a trap laid by a bird catcher, if you fall into it your goose is cooked.”
3.Dr. George Washington Carver was a real person. What do you think may have enabled him to go from being born in slavery to becoming one of the greatest scientists in American history?
Goal 3: Increased discernment respecting interpersonal relationships
1. Why did Granny tell Kenroy so many stories? Is there anyone is your life that similarly tries to help you in finding answers to the questions you have about life?
2.How would you describe the relationship between Kenroy and Itchy?
3.Why is it a good to have friends? What do you look for in a friend?
4.Why did Itchy want to go back to San Miguel? Do you feel a similar responsibility to help the people of your community to improve their lives in some way? How could you help them?
Goal 4: Stimulating the search for meaning in life
1. If the dying bird could have spoken can you imagine what it might have said?
2.Imagine that you are one of the recently freed slaves. You have been promised ‘forty acres and a mule’ to begin your new life. After waiting a while for this promise to be kept you find out you’re not going to get anything. Is your situation hopeless? What would you say to yourself and what would you do with your life?
Bibliotherapy Lesson Plan
Title: Pigfoot and Pigeon Hands by D. Washington
Length of lesson: 2-4 Sessions of at least 30 minutes each
Development Objectives: After completion of the activities in this outline, the participant will likely have enhanced:
Their awareness of the threat posed to animal life by human attitudes, such as greed and indifference.
Their capacity to set worthwhile goals which are not based merely on selfishness.
Their sense of connectedness to other living beings, both animal and human.
Their sense that life has value and is worth protecting and worth living despite the difficult challenges of life in the modern world.
Facilitation Strategies:
Motivate with warm-up activity, such as an informal discussion of students knowledge of environmental concerns of Belize and world-wide. Let the discussion develop of itself, intervening only as needed to keep it on topic.
Provide time for individual and/or group reading of the story
Allow incubation time, perhaps a week, encouraging all to read over and ponder the questions.
Follow-up with a discussion using the questions. Keep it informal, without insisting that anyone who is reluctant to comment do so. Give the creative writing assignment for next session.
Conduct the group toward closure by giving each one the opportunity to read aloud their conclusion to the story. Others may be allowed to comment upon them
This activity is not for a grade and the students should be made to understand this
CREATIVE WRITING WORK PAGE
Choose one of the scenarios under Goal 4: Stimulating the search for meaning and write about it in the form of a one page story.
About David Washington
David Washington is a writer/publisher and founder of the Belize Poetry/Bibliotherapy Institute. He has developed and published a series of publications consisting of poetry and short story books created specifically for use as literature therapy resources by counselors, teachers. librarians, parents and anyone else engaged in assisting others or themselves in personal development.
Other Books by this Author
Connect with Me Online:
My blog: https://www.bibliotherapypublications.net/%23!ruminations/c1l7b
*******
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends