Imagine that students have begun their first reading of The Scarlet Letter. Rather than beginning on page one, the teacher chooses to introduce students to (the unnamed) Hester Prynne and Pearl as they exit the prison door.
Next, the teacher distributes different colored sticky notes to each student. Then, the teacher states (with visible cues):
Students then consider the following excerpts with a focus on the highlighted areas:
Original
… he laid his right upon the shoulder of a young woman, whom he thus drew forward; until, on the threshold of the prison-door, she repelled him, by an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air, as if by her own free will. She bore in her arms a child, a baby of some three months old, who winked and turned aside its little face from the too vivid light of day; because its existence… had brought it acquainted only with the gray twilight of a dungeon, or other darksome apartment of the prison.
Gold
…he placed his right hand on the shoulder of a young woman, pulling her forward. However, upon reaching the threshold of the prison door, she pushed him away, displaying a natural dignity and strength of character. She then walked into the open air as though it was her own choice. In her arms, she cradled a three-month-old baby that blinked and turned away from the brightness of the daylight. This child had only known the dim and gloomy confines of the prison, where it had spent its existence to this point.
Silver
… placing his other hand on the shoulder of a young woman and pulling her forward. But, in the doorway, she bravely pushed him away and walked out of the prison on her own, as if it were her choice. In her arms, she held a three-month old baby who blinked and turned away from the bright sunlight. The baby had only known the darkness of the prison until now.
Of course, the teacher gives students anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes to examine the highlighted sections and write down their logical possibilities based on the evidence provided. As students jot down their ideas, the teacher places a paper bag near one student from each group.
When students are ready for the next step, the teacher asks them to reflect upon their ideas and select one to share.
The teacher then directs the student with the paper bag to collect all ideas from each member of the group and place them in the bag. Once all the ideas have been gathered, the student with the bag selects an idea from the bag and shares it aloud with their respective groups. Disagreements, confusion, and gasps may occur, however, students must work through their emotions in order to raise the barn.
Each group now has the task of bringing the selected idea to fruition. As student groups begin their conversation journey, they will soon realize that full barn construction will undoubtedly uncover truths based on everything from historical to political contexts to patriarchy to the criminal justice system. In addition, the teacher may consider having student groups engage in a new “barn construction” the following day.
Barn Raising Reflection Considerations
In this way, the leveled texts have supported the endeavor of comprehension and deep cognition. Here’s how:
Allowing Access to Challenging and Unfamiliar Vocabulary:
Supporting Close Reading Skills:
Emphasizing Inclusivity:
Conclusion
Educators who strategically plan learning experiences like these not only cultivate an environment where everyone is comfortable enough to share their ideas, they also thoughtfully nourish meaningful student conversations. Using Kolb’s terms, these teachers – raise the barn.