What the Dickens?

We only have one week of school left until the end of the semester. All of the teachers in the middle school have been wrapping up their units and testing their students. Beth is finishing up a unit on Charles Dickens with her eighth graders. Before giving them a test next week, she threw a Dickens party.

The morning started with the students sitting around their tables discussing the character that they had chosen to represent. Beth went around the room asking questions about who they were and about life in Victorian England. It was a great learning experience for the kids.

They also enjoyed the chance to eat cookies and brownies that Beth had made the night before. There was no meal, so we only served hors' dourves and dessert with some punch. Since this was a fancy Victorian party, there had to be some hired help to serve the guests. Dave was responsible for keeping the guest's plates and cups full. Of course, our students took full advantage of the opportunity to order the butler around.

When the meal and discussions were over, Beth organized all the students into a Victorian dance. Many of the students were a little hesitant to touch those of the opposite sex, but they still seemed to enjoy themselves.

This ended up being a great experience for the kids. It was a student-centered activity that even got some history and PE components involved. Hopefully, Beth can live up to these expectations when we come back to school in February.

Dave and Beth