Cobblehill, 1991

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Summary: It is 1918 in Vermont. Within the rich flow of a farm year, Mason rejects his younger brother and a bully who tries to make amends. When the bully is killed at Ardennes, Mason must face himself.

Level: RL:4-8

Themes:

World War I

Vermont farm life

bullies

values

Activities:

1. Persuade local churches to replicate the victory bell-ringing that occurred in New England at the end of World War I. Publicize the event - perhaps it could be done on the anniversary of the end of World War I. Record the event from different locations. Compare the recordings and compile a cassette tape that students could listen to and imagine that they were Mason and his family experiencing the war's end. Circulate the cassette tape with the book.

2. Mason shares in the making of maple syrup and sugar. Write a how-to based on the information that you find in The Night the Bells Rang. [Use a word processor and LIST the steps. Use the cut and paste editing tools to adjust the list as you locate information in the book.] Share your how-to with classmates and discover what is confusing or what gaps exist. Take notes on how you can improve the directions. Research videos, filmstrips, books, local farms and refine your how-to. [You may need to use the cut and paste tools here also, as well as your mouse or arrow keys to move around your original document quickly to add or clarify information.]

3. Explore local outlets for maple syrup and fill in a chart you have designed. [Use a spreadsheet, preferably in a program that includes a word processor and database system, such as Appleworks or Microsoft Works.] You might record prices, quality, source of syrup, type of store, among other information. When you have 10 sets of entries, analyze the spreadsheet and write about your conclusions. [Using cut and paste transfer techniques, insert selected spreadsheet data for each of your conclusions.] One analysis should be the relationship between price and amount of syrup. Use the overhead projector so your class can examine your chart as you present and justify you findings. Project the entire spreadsheet and ask the class if they can suggest other meaningful information using the spreadsheet. If you have a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), you may implement their ideas on the spreadsheet and the class may evaluate the results.

4. Research the last five years of the maple syrup industry and write a summary. [An electronic index of newspapers and magazines will give you simple, quick access to articles about the Canadian maple syrup glut and barrels of syrup selling for $50.00, the effect of weather on making syrup, and the development and physics of current technology in the production of maple syrup.

5. Collect recipes that use maple syrup or sugar. [Design a database for these recipes that will have a number of access points; examining a number of recipe books will give you ideas. Enter the recipes into the base, making sure that one field contains the original source of the recipe.] Have each member of your group try a different recipe at home and add an evaluation to the recipe, including how much help was needed, how easy or hard it was to make, and the results of a taste-test. The collection may be printed and distributed and/or made available via disk.

6. Re-read about the sugar-on-the-snow party Mason's family enjoys. Plan, organize, and implement one at your school. Try to design it as a non-profit, but self-sustaining enterprise. [Use suitable computer programs to publicize, keep records of plans, decisions, changes that are needed, etc. Include a timeline of responsibilities for each member of the planning troop as well as one for the party planning as a whole. Leave a complete computerized analysis of the planning and the party for next year's team, including a disk and a printout.]

7. Research regional maple syrup farms that welcome visitors. One group can create a booklet for district distribution to be used as a guide during maple syrup season. [Use a desktop publishing to design the pamphlet.] Another group can visit some of the farms and compare their syruping as to fuel, how they collect the sap, depth of pans, use of butter, distribution practices, volume of business, etc. [This information should be entered into a pre-designed database so that the data can be analyzed to test hypotheses of the group.] Another group may record the comparisons on videotape. These groups may work independently, or they may combine forces. For instance, the 'booklet' could actually be a videotape, planned carefully to include the comparisons of one group, with a voice over that comprises a sophisticated guide for local families. Copies of the tape could be circulated from every school in the district.

8. Have a group of students design a series of projects inspired by the cider-making episode in The Night the Bells Rang. [Use a word processing program.] Import all the activities into one file, and group-edit and redesign. Distribute printouts to the class for evaluation and improvements. Incorporate suitable changes, and add the activities to this document. [This works best with a class that has had several experiences with similar information skills activities.]

9. Compare the bully Aden with another bully, such as Gordy in Stepping on the Cracks. What clues do you have as to WHY they are bullies? How do they bully? Relate at least 3 incidents of each. how do their victims respond? What worked? What didn't work? Explain. [Compose on a word processor or computer. At the end of your composition, write a few paragraphs on how you composed it. If you used notes, how did you take notes? Did you use phrases only? Did you take them on a word processor? How did the composing on a computer go? How did you handle spelling? Do you prefer composing with a computer or by some other means? Explain your answer.]

10. Research World War I. Make a timeline of the war from beginning to end, with major happenings included. (Use Snyder's computerized Timeliner.) Above and below where the battle of Ardennes appears, put two maps, one of Europe at that time with war zones, one of the forest and its war zones. [You may use computerized maps.] Also place there several paragraphs [done with a computer] of description and statistics about this battle.

11. Research this book's author. Make what connections you can between the author and the book ... it could be her education, where she lives, what her hobbies are, or other information you discover. Add this to the author section of the library's vertical file. Use a word processing program to write your conclusions and add this to the author section of the library's vertical file.

12. On page 54 Ira is told some misinformation. On pages 65-67 his resultant fears are resolved. Reread about this incident and recall instances of erroneous ideas you once had that have since been corrected. Remember and write down how you got those ideas, assumptions, misunderstandings, deliberate misleadings. Record when and how you became aware of the truth of the matter. Estimate the length of time from misbelief to true understandings. Share one misconception that you choose. If the group does this exercise, a circulating booklet or videotape may be prepared of "that was the, this is now" stories. The videotape or tape recording could circulate through the library services. Numerous Reading Rainbow videotapes include informal question-response segments using only one question. How these segments are filmed and edited may help a group decide format and techniques to fit their needs.

Resources:
Telephone books, cookbooks, state agencies, newspaper files, maple syrup farms, history books, grocery and gift shops, author references, for starters.

Prepared by Audrey Conant, Wayne School

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