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‘John Heartfield’s photomontages for AIZ (Arbeiter-Illustrierte Zeitung, Workers’Illustrated Magazine) used satire to expose the deceptions of politics during the period of the Weimar Republic.’ Gale,Tate Modern
‘I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor never the tormented.’ Elie Wiesel.
I want to record how students investigate words and articulate the steps they go through when they examine a word. The quote above has been on the wall all year. Today I’d written the word humiliation on the board- we are currently reading various history sources, both primary and secondary, to consider the factors that influenced individual and group choices made during the Weimar Republic. Right now we are attempting to understand the ‘humiliation’ that many German soldiers felt about their defeat in 1918 and accompanying feelings of loss of honour. The signing of the Treaty of Versailles added to their anger and humiliation. This concept of humiliation will be a theme throughout our history investigation where we examine and reflect on the choices and behaviors that ultimately resulted in the Holocaust.
I had already printed out a Real Spelling matrix that I had considered giving the students but their initial exploration put a stop to this. They seemed so engaged by this investigation – all challenged by the word and the task of dividing the word into morphemes. They did not want to be given an answer, just given time to think. As yet … no definite conclusions just listening to one another, challenges, questions, discoveries, and modifications to tentative theories. More work to follow. The investigation today a brief 15 minutes, but enough time to begin to whet the appetite for more!
Huy and Upamanyu explain their investigation so far:
Part 2 of the discussion with the entire class:
Part 3 My second humanities class tackle humiliation:
Follow up work will consolidate understandings about root and base elements, about how one root can lead to several base elements, about the gramatical function of suffixes- the word class which influences the position the word occupies in a sentence. We’ll begin a chart to indicate the ways a particular suffix can be used… nominally, as a verb, an adverb or adjective. These are possibilities that occur after this lesson but we’ll see what tomorrow and the students bring! I loved watching Upamanyu’s reaction when Huy adjusted his initial speculation and proposed the suffix-ile. I am excited by Liam’s wonderings about the Latin root terra immediately provoking the question of how the roots terra and humus differ in meaning. Liam’s remembering of the root terra prompted me to dive into John Robertson’s Word’s for a Modern Age ..a host of earthy words!
Image: John Heartfield’s brave art satirizing Hitler and the Nazis made ‘laughter a devastating weapon to expose their violence and demagogy’ (Gale ,Tate Modern). Read more about him and investigate his art on our class blog, Hold Fast to Dreams
Word Nerds 
As ever the process of thinking these children have mastered is so impressive. They are completely comfortable presenting differing hypotheses, and considering evidence that counters their first ideas. This is a class on critical thinking and problem solving that just happens to use the structure and history of the writing system as the context of that crucial learning.
It is always inspiring to see not only your students’ thinking Ann, but also the way you facilitate it without getting in the way.
Your blog truly is a a precious gift to the world wide community of learners doggedly finding their way to improve our understanding of the written word and how to investigate (teach) it such that we arrive at an ever deeper and richer understanding of our world.
I feel rather humble before this dazzling display of orthographic semantics. I might be able to make a contribution if you get on to tracking down that ‘b’ in ‘humble’ – it’s intrusive! Let me know if you need a clue to follow.
The Augustan poet Alexander Pope (he’s the man who wrote, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread”) wrote the famous comment, “To err is human, to forgive divine” (actually, he spelled it ‘humane’).
And who knows? Your investigations might even take you to a skin-changing reptile that took itself to be a lion!
Tantalizing clues mon ami! I will definitely be in touch re the intrusive ‘b’ and wahoo! finally solved the skin changing reptile.. I’ve been puzzling away at the cryptic clue all morning!! I’m sure the students will be faster than me! They will love it!To be thrown to the voracious word nerds tomorrow!
Wow…SO good, Word Nerds. Your thoughtfulness is clear, but also know that it inspires deep thinking in your audience. I was able to make it through Part 2 without pausing and rushing to investigate, but then I couldn’t help it. That first group got me thinking about ‘hume’ as a possible base, and then I thought about ‘exhume’…but quickly dismissed it thinking “Remove from the earth vs. feeling humiliated? Doesn’t seem to fit.” Thanks to your lively debate, however, I remained open to the possibility…and finally consulted Etymonline. And there it was! Then I started wondering about how being ‘humble’ and having ‘humility’ can also be referred to as ‘being grounded.’ Maybe a stretch?
Great post, Ann!
Thanks Dan, it was a great class, some interesting thinking! I will read your post to the Nerds tomorrow when exhume (again) the roots and resume our investigation!
Wonderful student investigations and great questioning from you, Ann, guiding, leading without giving answers. The beauty of the investigation is in your questioning as well as their responses. I love how they listen to each other, engage and continue on their quest. I, like Dan, couldn’t wait to search for myself. Thank goodness for multiple tabs! Thanks for the inspiring work. Great!
Thanks Mary. I am happy that they are beginning to listen to one another and are open to ideas from one another. We work to foster this. I take my lead from them and often what I have assumed to be an answer is not necessarily so- that’s the exciting part, I learn as much from my students as I hope they learn from me!
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