The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle Academic Program
Activity 1
Title
Blackout Poetry
Introduction
In the book, The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle, the children are whisked away from
London because of the Blitz. As they are traveling to Rookskill Castle they are reminded to pull
the blackout curtains and remain quiet.
TEKS
Language Arts 6, 7, 8
Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real
or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:
(15) (B) write poems using:
(i) poetic techniques (e.g., alliteration, onomatopoeia);
(ii) figurative language (e.g., similes, metaphors); and
(iii) graphic elements (e.g., capital letters, line length).
(4) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences
and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from
text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain how figurative language
(e.g., personification, metaphors, similes, hyperbole) contributes to the meaning of a poem.
(8) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make
inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in
literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are
expected to explain how authors create meaning through stylistic elements and figurative
language emphasizing the use of personification, hyperbole, and refrains.
(15) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings
about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:
(B) write poems using:
(i) poetic techniques (e.g., alliteration, onomatopoeia);
(ii) figurative language (e.g., similes, metaphors); and
(iii) graphic elements (e.g., capital letters, line length).
Detailed Description
Step 1
Students will watch short video about the London Blitz. Discuss use of blackout curtains and the
need for safe havens.
Step 2
Brainstorm a list of reactions to the video.
Step 3
Share examples of blackout poetry.
Step 4
Give students pages from a withdrawn/damaged book or magazine.
Instruct students to scan the page first before reading it completely. Tell them to look for key
words that will help illustrate possible themes for their poem.
Step 5
Instruct students to circle any words that help illustrate their theme as they read the text in its
entirety.
Step 6
Using a pencil, lightly design the image you wish to create; boxing words that share the
student’s creative vision.
Step 7
Illustration or design the page of text so that it connects to the poem. Using sharpies and
markers, blackout the text that is not needed to convey the poetic message.
Step 8
Share created poems on a bulletin board outside the library.
Optional: In Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle, Kat utilizes colloquial sayings as magic
spells to break the charms. Students can create a poem/saying about a charm that they pull
out of a bag. (A bag of 100 charms can be purchased from Amazon.com for about 10.00)
Books to Display
Janeczko, Paul. A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick
Press, 2001. Print.
Kleon, Austin. Newspaper Blackout. New York: Harper Perennial, 2010
Raczka, Bob. Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2016.
Supply List
1. Examples of blackout poems
2. Pages from discarded/withdrawn books or magazines
3. Sharpies, markers, pencils
4. Bag of miscellaneous charms
Possible Incentives (optional)
Finished product
Activity Resources
Blackout Poetry Flyer (2 versions)
Blackout Poetry examples
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vWiJBlwcT4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxsMWAEpHxU#t=136.980784
http://textileandtype.com/blackout-poety-poems-even-middle-schoolers-love-writing/
Other Resources
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/john-depasquale/blackout-poetry/
https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005437
http://www.homesweethomefront.co.uk/web_pages/hshf_blackout_pg.htm
Living Voices : Multicultural Poetry In The Middle School Classr
Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle
Activity 2
Title
A Tale of Two Countries Timeline
Introduction
Lady Eleanor has lived through some troubling times. To get a better picture of what was going
on in the world during Lady Eleanor’s time, students will utilize research skills to identify
significant events to create a timeline.
TEKS
Social Studies
Grade 6 & 7
(21) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use
information acquired through established research methodologies from a variety of valid
sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(C) organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including
graphs, charts, timelines, and maps;
(D) identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the frame of
reference that influenced the participants;
Grade 8
29) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use
information acquired through established research methodologies from a variety of valid
sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships,
comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and
predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;
Detailed Description
Step 1
Give every student a copy of the timeline template. Students may work individually or in pairs.
Discuss the reasons for the chosen years for research. (Events in the novel occurred during
those years.)
Step 2
Explain to students that they are going to use their research skills to discover the key aspects of
each year highlighted in the novel (1746, 1863, and 1940). Allow students to research using
resources listed in the activity resources list.
Step 3
Students are to identify the rulers for Great Britain and the United States for each year on the
timeline, as well as key events that occurred during that time period. Identifying inventions
developed during each time period reinforces how far we have come as a society.
Step 4
Students will write down the information on the timeline templates and share what they
discovered with the class.
Step 5
Create a class timeline with students contributing information to the whole.
Optional
Create a chronological timeline of the events in Eleanor’s life.
Books to Display
Roberts, J. M.. Modern History: From the European Age to the New Global Era. London: Duncan
Baird Publishers, Ltd, 2007. Print.
Harness, Cheryl. The Tragic Tale of Narcissa Whitman and a Faithful History of the Oregon Trail.
Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2006. Print.
Bell, Amy Helen. London Was Ours: Diaries and Memories of the London Blitz. New York: I. B.
Tauris & Co. Ltd, 2008. Print.
Harris, Carol. Blitz Diary: Life under Fire in World War II. Unknown: History Press, 2010. Print.
Supply List
Computers or devices for research
Timeline template
Activity Resources
Timeline Template
“1700-1799 (A.D.) World History.” Infoplease, Sandbox Networks, Inc, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2017.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001231.html
"Dates in History by Year." On This Day. On This Day, n.d. Web. 5 Mar.. 2017.
http://www.onthisday.com/dates-by-year.php
“Espionage and the SOE.” The History Press, The History Press, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2017.
, http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/world-war-ii/espionage-and-the-soe/
The 1800’s From 1800 to 1919.” The People History. The People History, n.d. Web. 5 Mar.
2017.
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1860to1869.html
"The Battle of Culloden.”. Historic UK. Historic UK, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2017.
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/The-Battle-of-Culloden/
"World History Timeline." Macrohistory: Worldhistory. Frank E. Smitha, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2017.
http://www.fsmitha.com/time/ce18-5.htm
Possible Incentives
Finished product
Other Resources