The End

Manuel wrote about a character who remembered a time when he was in a similar situation and thought about saving a crab. He doesn't say whether the stepbrother character is older. I think it is interesting that he chooses a "small" crab to save when the stepbrother keeps attacking bigger and bigger ones. He does show inordinate understanding, at an early age, for diplomacy in a blended family. He was very careful not to pass judgement on the brother. He doesn't fight his battle in an overt way, he fights it covertly. I thought perhaps he was showing no real strength to fight, but the realized that it took a great deal of courage to fight his battle this way. He was able to handle what could have become a volatile situation between brothers with diplomacy and without condemnation.

Latasha retold the Star Thrower story using an old man and young boy and elaborated and brought it more into her own environment, but she kept the story basically the same. Then she sat down and rewrote her story and the following is what evolved. 

Knots

by Latasha Toliver - 9th grade

Drip drop, drip drop.

The sound of rain from outside dripping in filled the hollow space in my room. The sound echoed and bounced off the walls. The shadows from outside filled all corners in my room, bringing out the monsters and creatures that only lurked when the darkness came. I hate the rain. Whenever it cam it always brought those dark shadows, those muddy puddles, and those days of walking to school in my old holey sneakers as mama didn't want me to get my new shoes all messy.

The rain outside pushed hard against my window as if trying to break in and steal me away. I turned around facing my dresser instead of the window. The water from the roof was leaking into the pot right next to my bed. Drops of icy cold rain splashed my face and I sat up. It was full again. I climbed out of bed and picked up the heavy pot. The handles were freezing. A chill went through my warm body and I moved towards the bathroom. I opened the door with my big toe and tottered into the dark hallway. The bathroom was right across from my room so I wouldn't have to walk far. I crossed the hallway and closed the bathroom door. I turned on the light and dumped the water in the tub. I headed back to my bedroom to go to sleep.

The alarm clock went off in my room. I quickly hit snooze and got up. I crossed the hall to the bathroom and began to wash up. I could hear footsteps in the kitchen. My family was up and ready to start the day, and as usual I was not. I finished and went back into my room. I slipped on the blue jeans grandma had bought me for Christmas and the striped red shirt to match. I brushed my hair and left the room. Anthony was waiting for me at the front door. I grabbed my backpack, kissed mama goodbye and headed for school. We walked to school with the morning sun shining down on our faces. Our daily routine was already begining, pick up our other friend Isiah and detour to the doughnut shop and eat in the park. After that sprint the rest of the way to school and make up an excuse about being late.

"Tiffany?"

"Present."

"Michael?"

"Huh?"

"Anthony?"

Silence.

"Uh, Anthony Wallace?"

We sprinted in the door just in time for attendance.

"Here!"

"That's obvious now. Why are you so late? Should I call your mother's and ask them?

"No ma'am. It's just that when me and Vincent and Isiah here were coming to school like we do everyday there was this accident. This bus crashed int this man on a bike and we stayed to tell the police what happened. That's all. Sorry Ms. Padea we should've told those police we had to go to school."

Anthony was the best liar. His stories always saved us.

"Oh, well take your backpacks off and sit down." She looked suspicious.

I sat down at my desk and looked around. There were only three other black kids besides Anthony Isiah and me. This was the first time I had really noticed this. We didn't really play with the other kids in our class; most of our friends were in other classes.

The day was just like the others. Anthony got his house called anyway 'cause he didn't do his homework. So young to be startin' off so bad. That's what his momma would mumble whenever I went over and he got in trouble.

We were on the subject of math and this was my strength. I raised my hand to answer every question and of course I was always right.

In the middle of one of my genius answers there was a sudden snickering that covered the room like a little black rain cloud. I could hear laughter in front and in back of me. I stopped and looked back at Anthony, he was holding a drawing of a small boy with torn up clothes and nappy hair. He passed it to me and I laughed. The boy's hand was raised and he was slurring out numbers. My laughter stopped quickly. The small nappy-headed boy was me. The illustrator of the picture was laughing harder than ever. Tears of amusement fell from the audiences' eyes. I could feel the pain welling up in my chest and those salty raindrops that marked the sadness and embarrassment filled my throat. I could not cry though. It would only give them more satisfaction and they would know that they succeeded in tearing apart my pride and self-esteem. I looked back at my friends, they were not laughing, neither were the other black children that shared my embarrassment. I smiled and they smiled back; my support system would never let me down. I stood up and crumpled the paper. I walked over to the trash can and shot it in. The laughter halted and they stared at me. I walked back over to my seat and sat down. At that moment I had been the bigger person and I left the classroom feeling and knowing I had been better than they could ever be.

That day I felt shame for not having the straightest or the longest hair, but now I realize that that is not necessarily a bad thing. It's part of who I am and I will never be ashamed of my heritage or my family.

Latasha lives in an environment of leaky roofs and dark rain and monsters that rise from the shadows. And she realized, through her character's anecdote of an early age, that monsters exist in many forms. But one child doing the right thing can make a difference. Latasha also wrote about a character who found ways to cope within his world although her character shows evolution in his way of responding because he responded to his situation with a more assertive nature. When the students in her story laughed at her character "there was a sudden snickering that covered the room like a little black rain cloud." Not only did she refer to the fact that her character was being laughed at because he was a black child, but she is referring back to the rain in the beginning of the story, a rain that her character was able to cope with on his own in spite of his fears. The rain represented the "monsters and creatures that only lurked when the darkness came." Through symbolism this student was able to show where the monsters in her world reside. Her character clearly felt set apart by racial issues and knew that he had to handle them alone and survive.

Our evolution continued. Geoffrey realized that no matter how bleak a childhood can be, that with hard work , perseverance, and caring for people, a child can grow up and make something of his life. This was represented in his character who repaid the kindness that set him on his journey, that allowed him to walk on his own. 

The Colorful Walking Stick

by Geoffrey Yeager - 9th grade

It was the middle of the depression. The biggest event in the city was the carnival about to come. Knowing that Sally would not be able to take herself and her crippled nephew she decided to work twice as hard and if she earned enough money she would tell her nephew. Doing laundry and cleaning houses she earned the amount of money that was needed. So when she returned to her home she told her nephew that they would be able to attend the carnival.

The colors of the carnival amazed the nephew, but the thing that caught the little 5 year old's eye were the clowns that made him laugh. Yet there was one clown that stood out the most. He had a bright colored walking stick and a pet zebra. On the zebra was a sign that read "A ride just for a nickel."

Loving the zebra, the crippled little boy wanted to ride the zebra, but the aunt replied "we can't even ride the trolley home." Hearing the conversation the clown picked the boy up and put him on the zebra for a free ride. While the ride was happening the boy felt like he could do anything. Like most good things, it had to come to an end. After the clown took him off the zebra the clown reached out and handed him the colorful walking stick. Then the clown whispered "Let this help you with your troubles." After receiving the walking stick the boy and his aunt went home. But this time the boy was walking home by himself.

As the years went on the boy grew into a man and he still had the walking stick. Even though he didn't need it anymore, he still used it. After 20 years went by, the nephew became a doctor to help all those like himself.

While working one day he recieved a message that the carnival was coming back, so of course he would have to attend the great carnival.

When he walked around he saw the clown who gave him the walking stick when he was 5. The clown didn't have the zebra though and he was much older. He went up to the clown and asked where the zebra was, but the reply was that it had died.

Suddenly the wind started to gust and in the distance they saw a tornado. The nephew ran, but the clown was much too old to run. Crash. A post had fell right on top of the clown. After the tornado had passed, the nephew who was now a doctor, saw the clown's hurt leg. The nephew decided to take the clown home. When the clown was restored he took his things and the clown said goodbye. Before he left the doctor realized a limp in the clown's leg and he reached out, hugged the clown and gave him the colorful walking stick.

MORAL: True kindness will always be repaid

Geoffrey's story represents the evolution of my students' thinking about a larger world and bringing their values into the wider society. He deals with a problem by saying that the kindness of strangers will go a long way in making a difference to the people who are struggling. He chose to start his story with a depressing note that represents the bleakness of the world he and his fellow studentd know, but at the same time, Geoffrey keeps his distance by setting his story in the past and contrsting it with a circus clown. He has the clown tell a " crippled child "let this help you wioth your troubles" and the colourful walking stick becomes a symbol for making a difference in the life of a child. He seems to be saying there is HOPE in this world and troubles can be overcome with a little help from a friend.

In other words, what goes around comes around.

If my students learned anything from this project, it was that: What goes around comes around or one person can make a difference and their lives can evolve.

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