Literary Research

Sixth grade Language Arts students are finishing a research project based off of the book A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. The students read the book as part of their summer reading requirements and have spent the beginning of the year analyzing the book using literary terms such as plot, character, conflict, and setting. During class discussions, the students asked questions about the scenarios in the book, such as “Why didn’t the Dinka and Nuer tribes get along?”, “What was it like to live in a refugee camp?” and “How did the Lost Boys survive?” which led to a research project based off of those questions. As they did research, they practiced choosing credible sources, analyzing websites for bias, and learning about the consequences of plagiarism. This week in class the students are presenting their research, diving even deeper into the lives of Salva Dut and the people of South Sudan.