Fences

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Building Fences”

In this activity, students will revisit the Personal Connection Prompt to construct model fences, placing on one side of the fences things they want to keep in their lives, and on the other side, things they want to keep out of their lives.

Bono suggests that Ruth wants a fence to keep Troy and her family tucked safely inside. Troy says he will build the fence to keep Death away from his family. 

• In thinking about the idea of a fence, what things do you want to keep safely tucked inside your life? What things do you want to keep out of your life? Brainstorm lists for each; return to your lists after some reflection time to revise, add, and delete items.
• Using any artistic construction material, such as popsicle sticks, toothpicks, paper clips, or something else, construct a fence for your life. You may employ color and texture as well, to personalize the fence so that it clearly belongs to you.
• Now, returning to your list of “keep ins” and “keep outs,” choose a symbol for each. The symbols may be physical items, images, or word drawings.
• Affix each symbol to the appropriate side of the fence.

Present your final project to the class. As part of your presentation, explain whether you are more like Ruth—concerned with keeping things in—or Troy—keeping things out.

Teaching Suggestion: Fences are a popular subject in painting. You might display and discuss with students a number of visuals of fences to inspire their thinking about materials and moods for their own work. Consider “The Rocking Horse” by James Ward, “A First Rate Workman of Melton” by Henry Thomas Allen, or “House in the Countryside” by Jean-Baptiste Armand Guillaumin.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who need additional scaffolding, consider providing time for them to sketch their ideas before assembling.  As an alternative to tactile construction, visual students may photograph rather than build a fence.