Yesterday the Herons began a new read-aloud book: Flush, by Carl Hiassen. Today we encountered a new character, named Lice ("for obvious reasons"), who smokes despite his promise to quit. Hiassen's description of Lice inspired a storm of questions from the Herons. While everyone agreed that smoking was "gross" and unhealthy, the kids wanted to know: why would someone smoke? Why doesn't he quit? What is nicotine? Tobacco? What is addiction? Are cigarettes and cigars different? What is marijuana, some people smoke that, right? I answered their questions briefly, but I also encouraged all of the students to discuss these questions at home.
This conversation was a powerful reminder to me that 4th and 5th graders are hungry for knowledge about their world. They see smoking while out in their neighborhoods, and they want to know more. By this age they are able to construct a more complex understanding of issues, so "Smoking is Bad" becomes "I know that smoking is unhealthy, but why do people smoke? If smoking is bad, what should I think about the people who smoke?" Reading discussions are often safe spaces, where students can express their questions about emotionally charged subjects such as smoking or loss. I will keep you updated on these discussions that occur in the class, so that we can work together to help the Herons resolve their questions. Feel free to let us know if there is a topic that your Heron has been trying to understand – chances are that many students have questions about that same topic. What a wonderful opportunity for us as teachers and families to provide the information these students are seeking. -ET
The Rookery 