Hello, happy Earth Week.
I wanted to share with you at home a video that, with some hesitation, I presented to the class today. In observing Earth Day and Week, I like to engage students with something inspiring and energizing–some sense that they can participate in caring for our planet. The kids are usually right there with me–almost like they know this drill.
Greta Thunberg, the Swedish environmental firebrand below, has challenged me (and all of us, including the world’s leaders) to act with much greater urgency–and honesty. She strips bare the notion that our individual choices can save the planet. She knows we need big systemic change, and we need it yesterday. Her message is very heavy, and I am not sure our 9 and 10 year olds were fully ready for it or for her. But on this Earth Day, I couldn’t think of anybody who is a better voice to share. Check her out; she pulls no punches. But I wanted to let you know, as sometimes we hit heavy stuff in class and I don’t always know what kids carry afterward.
And on a lighter note: Abbott and Costello. A couple of weeks ago, during Joke Week, we watched “Who’s on First?” the single greatest comedy sketch of all time. Brayden went home to try and find it and stumbled across another great sketch of theirs. Today in our math class (we’re circling around to the various operations right now) he and I presented it so we could figure out how can 7 x 13 equal 28? We watched the video twice and tried to find the mistakes–hopefully it reinforces our own mathematical thinking.