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The Teacher's Funeral; a Comedy in Three Parts
Peck, Richard. The teacher’s funeral; a comedy in three parts/
New York, Dial Books, 2004.
Hardback ISBN: 0803727364
Paperback: April 2006
Other formats: No
Grade Level: 6-8
Author Information:
http://www.richardpeck.smartwriters.com/
http://www.tallmania.com/peck.html
Synopsis:
In rural Indiana, in 1904, fifteen-year-old Russell’s dreams of quitting school and joining a wheat-threshing crew are disrupted when his older sister takes over the teaching of his one-room schoolhouse after mean old Myrt Arbuckle dies.
General Review:
This was an amusing book with strong characters which gave the reader a sense of the days of one room schoolhouses. Russell Culver, 15 years old and tired of school, hopes he can quit and go to North Dakota to work with a threshing crew after the teacher dies. But Tansy his sister takes over, and he knows he has to stay. Russell finds Tansy more than a match for his mischief, pranks, and ill-considered plans. In the end, Tansy has 3 suitors-- two of whom are pupils-- but her biggest challenge is the superintendent's visit. This would make a great introduction to the study of pioneer days and one room schoolhouses.
Themes: One Room Schools, Country life, Teachers
Discussion Questions:
- Focus on classroom rules and contrasting the consequences for breaking them. What specific rules did teachers have to follow? What rules were imposed on students of the past? Are there any rules that continue to be important? How have consequences or punishments changed over time? Why? What rules do you think will be relevant for children of the future?
- Examine the similarities and differences between objects and people of the past and present. How are they alike/different? What have students always had in common? (opportunity for learning, need to acquire knowledge and skills for future success, desire to play, rules to guide behavior, etc...)
- Would the type of education that students received in the 20th century be adequate for the demands facing students of the 21st century? What materials, knowledge and skills will students of the future need to possess? How will schools of the future differ from those of the present day?
Activity suggestions:
- Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast one room schools to today’s schools. Standard 3, Benchmark 1
- Interview your mom, dad, or grandparents and see what stories they have about one room schools. You might want to record the interview(s) on cassette or videotape. Standard 7, Benchmark 1
- Arrange to have a senior citizen visit the classroom to talk with the students after they have read the book. Have the students decide on some questions they would like to ask about their school days. Standard 7, Benchmark 1
- Visit a one room schoolhouse or tour by way of internet.
Standard 1, Benchmark 4
http://www.natureshift.org/oldsite/natureshift/curricula/Grandparent_Attic/school/gpa_school.html
http://www.nps.gov/tapr/VirtualTour/Vtschool.htm
http://www2.johnstown.k12.oh.us/cornell/states.html
5. Re-create the school day that a 20th century child would’ve experienced. What was it like to go to school in 1904? How would your day have been different from your present school day? Are any of the events the same? Standard 9, Benchmark 4
