Setting the Scene

“Please keep reading!”  When you hear that you know it’s a goodie!   An afternoon shared book becomes a high stakes piece of classroom literacy and motivation.   Another example of integrating Mitey into the curriculum. Pennies for Hitler, by Jackie French...A story steeped in history just begging to be ripped apart through process drama baring the concepts of war, loss, grief, new beginnings, kindness, compassion and courage. The story explores the ideas of discrimination, hatred and fear of being different. There is the ongoing idea that while hatred is contagious so is love. Discussion was in-depth while writing became purposeful with highly descriptive language articulating the pain and suffering of those caught up in the era. Non-writers became silently obsessed patiently waiting to share their work. Critical moments, in a section of the story, were examined, rationalised for significance, re-created through process drama and expressed in clay. Through hot seating students suspen