All Quiet 11 - A Loaf of Bread: Discussion Chapter 7 part 1
"A man dreams of a miracle and wakes up to loaves of bread."
All Quiet on the Western Front - A Loaf of Bread: Discussion - Chapters 7 part 1 : Like Chapter 6, Chapter 7 is huge and is divided into two parts. It also makes sense because there are thematically 2 different chapters here as well. "A man dreams of a miracle and wakes up to loaves of bread." This Ringmaster Teacher discussion (see my page on Class Discussions) brings together so much of what has happened up to this point (including the preReading lessons). On the surface, the first part of Chapter 7 seems like a Romantic Interlude - exactly the kind of thing that Kurt Vonnegut's friend's wife warned against in the opening to Slaughter House 5. Paul and the men somehow believe that their interaction with the young French Women can bring them back from this "front" world they've fallen into. To bring them back to the youth - that's been stolen away from them. In the end - they "wake up" and realize that it is all transactional - and their salvation - if it comes - must come from somewhere else.
Lesson Overview
See the top of the page for more on an overview of the big ideas that come out of this lesson. I do hope you can read my writing because today's lesson is a Teacher Led discussion that is documented and planned out in my hand-written Lesson Notes. There is so much in this first part of Chapter 7 - and if you take the class there together - they will see it for themselves - making all the critical thinking leaps - and discovering it together (I love whole class discussion of whole class novels).
The discussion covers the first part of Chapter 7 from 137 to 153. As nearly always, begin with a quiz on this reading.
For instructions please see my Lesson Notes below - they include page numbers for easy referencing for the teacher and students. Always make sure when you are discussion that the students have their books open and are taking notes - I usually remind them to take notes in their books (and to have a sheet of paper out for general notes) in a different color pen than what they took their own notes in so that they can see their progress in note-taking. (for info on these different types of discussion go here):
Some main points covered in this Lesson (this is less than 1/2 - see my Lesson Notes for more)
The fate of Himmelstoss
Again - at the front they are animals
The poster with the man and women in their immaculate civilian clothes
The river and its demarcation of the two worlds
What the men do to get ready for meeting the French women.
How the women react (and don't react) to the men
Paul's reaction to the women - including his profound disappointment
Why this "interlude" is ultimately NOT romantic...
Links to the The Things They Carried - and Lemon's sister in that book
Lesson Notes Chapter 7 Part 1 for a Discussion
For all the different kinds of Class Discussions that I used - I honestly believe there is a reason for going with one way or another. In today's class - they have heard about the dangers of "romanticizing" war - and yet, we have this very funny, very what seems to be happy encounter with the young French Women. But.... as the teacher you can guide this lesson back to what came before - and have the students put the pieces together - before it gets spelled out. To me, this is what learning is.
A Sample Reading with Notes
From the reading, comes the discussion - comes my lesson notes - comes the quiz, comes the Group Works - comes everything. If you want your students to have that same (though different and unique) experience, I found it necessary to read the book every time that I assigned it - and to take notes. When and if I ever stopped spotting new wonders - I knew it was time to stop teaching that text.
Group Work - Chapter 7 part 1 thru pg 162
Often, I will be unable to have a class discussion (I'm absent or some other reason) and in the old days - I think I just used to have a lot more Group Work in my class. I do believe this lesson is best done as a class discussion - but if you decide to go the other way - here is the Group Work that I created.
Most Recent Quizzes
As always - without a quiz, I believe the teaching is pretty empty. Students need to actually do the reading - and do it on their own. Today's lesson is a great example of this. When they see how the warning about not romanticizing war, actually applies to this book in a very big way - and they've already read it - and some of them will have marked it up (on their own) - the experience can be transformational. Please note, I always ask students did they do the reading - which they should check first thing - before beginning the quiz.
AllQuietdisc_ch7_pt1to153.m4aClass Recordings
An audio recording of this discussion - Chapter 7 Part 1
Of course every discussion is different - but this gives the listener a good idea of how one class approached these ideas as outlined above.
Remote Enhancements
Of course a discussion works in Remote, as does a Group Work - though the logistics for that are always a bit more complex.
Links
All Quiet on the Western Front - Chapter 7 Part 2 Group Work: In the previous lesson - we discussed the "deflating" of the Romantic Idyll that Paul and his friends have with the French Women. The second part of Chapter 7 is a wonderful bookend to those events. Paul comes home - and the expectation, of course, that leave is a wonderful thing. To be away from this horrific war - how can it be bad. And of course - as with the encounter at the "Front"; this encounter at "Home" proves just as detrimental to Paul's mental (and as it turns out later, physical) well-being. Because the parts of this Chapter mirror each other - it's a great opportunity to do the first part as a discussion - and this part as a Group Work.
WHAT CAME BEFORE:
All Quiet on the Western Front 6 Part 2 - No Man's Land Solo Work
Thoughts on the Lesson
The entire discussion builds up to the quote - "A man dreams of a miracle and wakes up to loaves of bread". Not only crucial to this novel - but we will use that quote and that idea for the rest of the year. Students can so relate to this idea - so many times to push that rock up that hill - only to see it go rolling down again. By year's end - I hope they see the wonder and joy in that pushing the rock up.