Teaching+Ideas




 * Writing a Prologue/Epilogue **

-Asking students to write a short piece chronicling Nico's family before Prose's story begins or after it ends makes them creators of important text! They can even write about other characters from the book whose stories aren't tied up -- a sort of "spin-off" piece -- Aaron's character would be perfect for this. Students could write about Margaret and Aaron's relationship before the story picks up, or about Aaron's life after Nico's family moves. Creativity is great, but it must somehow relate to some idea idea the novel, even if it is a small one.

**Playing with Perspecitive** -Having students consider alternate perspectives can be fun, too. If you've ever read [|//Grendel//] //or// [|//The True Story of the Three Little Pigs//]//,// you know how reinventing a story from an alternate perspective can have valuable possibilities. Give students the option to rewrite //Goldengrove// from another character's perspective -- giving Aaron or Margaret a voice in the narrative they didn't have before cold open some doors for further interpretation of the larger questions in the novel. Again, creativity is what you're going for, but the storytelling must somehow relate back to the original text.

**Make a Playbill/Movie Script** -Pretend //Goldengrove// is going "Broadway" or "Hollywood." Who's going to play the parts? Students can design their own playbills, listing the characters and which Hollywood actors and actresses will play their parts. it must relate to their interpretation of the text, however. They simply cannot just pick their favorite actors and actresses, but instead use the specific emotions and characteristics of Nico, Margaret and the rest of //Goldengrove//'s characters to pick their appropriate players.They should act out one short scene in class as one of their chosen actors to show why they're perfect for that part. Students should like this!

**Design a CD**

-Ask students to make a CD of songs that illuminate the meaning of the novel for them. They should write a paragraph for each song that directly explains why they chose each song and how it relates to the book. Play the CDs in class and have the students present their ideas orally alongside.


 * Performances in the Classroom **

-Pick scenes from the novel, or allow students to pick their favorite scenes from the novel, and have them reinact them in class. Let them make all of the directorial decisions about stage direction, where characters are situated, emotions, the speed and volume of their voices and action. It can be as simple as one sentence or two, or as elaborate as a few pages if the students enjoy it.
 * Giving a Eulogy**

-It sounds morbid, but hold a mock funeral for Margaret. This puts students in a somewhat authentic situation where they have to write for a slightly different purpose than usual. You can ask students to write for half the period about Margaret and use quotes or evidence directly from the book to make their final statements. Set the desks up in the classroom in a circle and put a desk or two in the center to be the "casket." You can really go over the top and use a dummy, headstone or toy coffin if you want. Have students get up in front of the class and read their short eulogies aloud. Teachers can even go a step further, assigning students to take the perspective of other characters from the book in their final words, or even hold a mock funeral for the "old Nico" that is dead and gone by the end of the book.

=Playing With Poetry=

-Take a closer look at the poem Margaret was named after, which can be found in the novel. Read through it as a class, and try to analyze what the poem is trying to say, and why Margaret was named after it. Then, have the students create a poem about their own name, and have them give an explanation of what it means. This allows the students to connect with the material in the novel on a personal level, and make it come to life in their own way. Depending on the type of class you have, you could have each student share their poem aloud; or, the students could keep their poems to themselves. The students will have the creative license to write their poem as they see fit, and this will allow them to express themselves in whatever way they choose.