Challenge:  #2 Elementary

School Name:  Glenn C. Marlow Elementary

Team Members:  Abby, Caroline, and Elijah

Group Facilitators:  Karen Whiting and Lynne Fender

Book Summaries:

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is a book about two girls, Anne Marie and Ellen, who struggle to survive during World War II.  Ellen is Jewish and is Anne Marie’s best friend and neighbor.  As the Nazis move into Denmark, Anne Marie and her family must help Ellen and her family escape.  It is a scary adventure as so many courageous characters rise up to assist with the escape.  Anne Marie goes the extra mile as a friend to help Ellen stay safe against the Nazi regime.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio is a book about a boy with a facial deformity who takes on the challenges of everyday life going to school.  He learns about true friendship as his peers have different reactions to his physical appearance.  In the end, all of the characters learn that beauty is more than skin deep as Auggie proves that beauty shines from within.  He discovers who his true friends are and learns how to face his bullies head on.

Friendship through adversity is a key theme in both books.  The characters learn that bullies can come in all shapes and sizes and that true friendship can develop even in the hardest circumstances.

Challenge:

For this challenge, we created a skit where Anne Marie (from Number the Stars) travels through time to meet Julian (from Wonder).  They tackle the problem of bullying and learn that it is important to treat everyone with respect.  Check out the video we made:

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