Marilyn Bishop Shaw

One Book One School Celebration
Kanapaha Middle School
Gainesville, Florida
April 2008

Celebrating their second annual One Book One School project, students and staff of Kanapaha Middle School in Gainesville recently read Solomon.

         Students spent several weeks studying the novel in reading classes and teachers in other disciplines made curriculum connections to the book during that time. At the end of the project students enjoyed three major activities: Homestead Building, Meet a Cowboy and Cracker Horse, and Meet the Author.

          To build their homesteads, classes divided into small groups representing family units named for families in Solomon. Students had to use the raw materials the organizers scattered throughout the homestead area to construct a lean-to and a spit for the fire – and they both had to stand up! They also had to forage the area for items like firewood, food, and eggs then start a fire. (No, they didn’t really start fires.) When all tasks were completed the head of the family was paid and went to the general store for food in the form of snacks. The first family to finish in each class also enjoyed a peppermint stick bonus.

A highlight, and definitely the favorite of the several characters appearing for the day, was Pork. Wearing an ominous long coat and displaying a typically bad attitude, this parent volunteer (and very good sport) annoyed the “homesteaders” throughout their building process.

Students also enjoyed meeting cattleman Billy Ray Hunter (flcowhunter@winstream.net) of Alachua and his incredibly calm marshtackie or cracker horse, Roadie. Mr. Hunter and Roadie have completed several extended trail rides, most recently from the Tampa area to Tallahassee to gain support for the cracker horse to be named Florida’s official horse.

         Appearing in period dress, he gave information about the differences between whips used in Solomon’s day and modern ones and between marshtackies and quarterhorses as used for working cows. He also demonstrated whip cracking from Roadie and afoot. Hunter made sure that all who wanted to try cracking the whip did so, giving patient instruction and a helping hand to assure that everyone got to feel a good, loud pop. What made Hunter’s presentation unique was that he has read Solomon and connected many of his comments directly to the people and events of the book.

         I spent a great day at Kanapaha working with about 25 young authors in a writer’s workshop, meeting students and teachers on campus, and touring the halls enjoying the door decoration contest. Some of those were simple and eloquent while others were complex and often very academic as they all represented the story well. It was easy to tell what subject was taught in each classroom, too, as there were math, social studies, and science related designs in addition to literature and writing ones. A Survivor on Solomon’s Homestead board game is pictured. There were great examples of innovation and creativity from both teachers and students and it was impossible to pick clear winners.

         The students in technology classes engineered products like chairs using only period appropriate materials. A display of artifacts, most handmade by students, added an authentic flair to the media center and Florida history books were highlighted. I was overwhelmed when I saw what a parent and some students painted on windows in the media center. They absolutely captured pioneer Florida!

         The day ended with a live broadcast from Kanapaha’s television studio with hostess, Chloe. A small studio audience asked questions previously submitted and students emailed further questions from their classrooms to the studio during the interview.

         What a day! Many thanks to Principal Jenny Wise, students, and staff for a warm welcome and special appreciation to Literacy Coach Diana Chance for organizing things so well that the day went flawlessly.

Personal Note: I can’t help but be proud of the increasing popularity of the One Book One School (OBOS) concept in schools throughout Florida because my own Oak View Middle School is one of the initiators of what we describe as a “giant book club”! For details on how to develop your own OBOS, contact me at mbshawwrite@aol.com.