TITLE: Through the Cracks Grade Levels: All- through Adult AUTHORS: Carolyn Sollman, Barbara Emmons, and Judith Paolini THEMES: Cooperation, inclusion, communication NOTE: This book is an excellent resource for school teams to use in their efforts to create a school ethos. Before using it to initiate discussions within and among the various school communities it is important to ascertain the degree to which your school/classroom has implemented or wishes to implement the ethos it prescribes. SYNOPSIS: Stella has joined those withdrawn and silent students who have shrunken in the traditional classroom and have "fallen through the cracks." She introduces us, through pictures, to her town and school. When Christopher drops out of an uninspiring school environment, she invites him to search with her for a positive learning atmosphere. The two find a rich, stimulating, interactive environment, and join it. They are not just watchers anymore and find themselves "thinking - not shrinking." DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Q. Describe the town which is the setting for the story. A. Most of the activity is taking place at the State Employment Agency. Fights are occurring; children are being scolded; litter is around; buildings are run down; the Museum is closed; a building reads "Going out of Business," etc. The town is dismal. Q. Who are the characters and how do they feel about school? A. Stella loved school and looked forward to going when she was little. Then "something went wrong." Christopher is smart but delighted to be out. Both of them were totally bored. Q. What was it like below the classrooms? A. It was creepy and lonely. The kids kept to themselves. Q. When she first fell through the cracks Stella though the monsters were raging fires. What were the real monsters? A. Fear and silence kept her from finding something better. Q. What noises did Stella and Christopher hear at the end of their exploration? A. Students and teachers talking and planning together. Q. Why weren't Stella and Christopher sure what classes they were observing? A. Art, music, drama, literature, computer and dance were integrated into traditional subjects. Guests and community volunteers were a part of the school environment. Q. How does the last picture of the town differ from the first? A. It is alive. Museums and businesses are open. Parks replace littered lots. Broken down buildings have been repaired. People are interacting in a positive way. Developed by Anita Whitely, OSU and Terrence T. Wheeler.
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