Students in Kimberly Perillo’s 12th grade Manhattanville English class are reading the classic book “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, but they are discussing it in a modern way: hexagonal thinking.
“Students come up with an idea, characters and concepts which they write onto a hexagon cut-out,” said Perillo, “Every hexagon connects to six others. The goal is to make creative connections. Then students have to play devil’s advocate and defend their connections. This lesson requires students to go beyond the surface and connect ideas in new ways”
Students are in groups at round tables in the library discussing characters Bob Cratchitt, Ebeneazer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come. Have they read the book? Yes. The discussions are animated and specific.
“Scrooge connects to the idea of corruption and change since he was so moved at the end of the book,” said Will Dignan, “He had a change of heart after seeing the ghosts of Christmas and bought a big turkey for the Cratchits and raised Bob’s salary.”
On the tables are hexagon cut-outs students have colored and labeled and on occasion decorated with pictures. The groups are busy discussing the connections they see and putting the pieces together like a puzzle.
Tiny Tim connects with poverty, which connects with the ghost of Christmas present; Bob Cratchitt connects with Christmas Joy, which connects to a giant turkey.
Students then had to play devil’s advocate and defend their positions. They wrote out their evidence–quotes from the book–on giant arrows that they glued to their hexagons.
“It’s all how you explain it. There’s really no right or wrong,” said Perillo.
One group was obsessed with the idea of coal in the book.
“Coal symbolizes so many things in the book,” said Jayron Sandoval, “It symbolizes how greedy Scrooge is, how poor and good the Cratchits are, the conditions of the rich and the poor–how cold it is in the Cratchitt’s house and how warm it is in Scrooge’s house.”
The hexagonal takeaway: a creative teacher connects to engaged students which connect to a good conversation which connects to a classic holiday book which connects to a feeling of living a better life which connects to the holiday spirit.
