To help give students a better understanding of the book they were assigned to read, sixth-grade language arts teacher Maria Pirani has tasked her students with unique and engaging classroom activities.
Now that her class is finished reading “The Outsiders,” students will be participating in the mock trial of Johnny Cade, one of the characters from the novel, for their summative. They will have the responsibility of either defending Cade or prosecuting him. This realistic situation will force the students to really understand Cade so that they can come to the correct verdict in his trial.
To prepare for the trial, the sixth-graders were tested on their knowledge of the novel through an escape room activity. Students were given 45 minutes to work together to break out of the classroom by correctly answering questions about the book.
“I always love watching them compete in the breakouts because not only do they use their book knowledge and work collaboratively, but they also learn new things about one another,” Mrs. Pirani said.
After working together to break out of the classroom, the sixth-graders spent time reflecting on what they learned about each other as well as the importance of teamwork. Interactive activities like the breakout room encourage students to use the problem-solving skills they will have to utilize in their summative and in the future.
This story was written by communications intern Phillip Kulubya.