By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Fourth grade English Language Arts classes at Union City Elementary School recently wrapped up a challenging reading assignment with a ‘sweet’ ending.
In completing a study in the CKLA curriculum that included personal narratives by Peg Kehret and Elanor Abbott, students enjoyed chocolate milkshakes and played the iconic board game Candy Land in a fun end-of-the-unit activity.
Students made several connections between the content of their readings of Kehret – who detailed her personal experiences of battling polio as a child – and Abbott, the creator of Candy Land, who also battled polio.
Teachers Corey Anne France, Laura Nipp, and Mallory Powers then collaborated on a plan that celebrated both women who successfully battled the same disease.
Abbott was inspired to create the game while recovering from polio in a hospital ward surrounded by other children with the disease. Her idea was a fun game that encouraged imagination and served as a distraction to other patients, and became so popular it is now one of the most famous board games of all time.
The milkshake connection came from one of the chapters of Kehret’s book. In that particular chapter, Peg’s parents brought her a chocolate milkshake to the hospital and, remarkably, her fever broke for the first time in eight days.
Students enjoyed similar treats while playing Candy Land, which the UC Elementary School PTO provided.
“Students loved having chocolate milkshakes and playing Candy Land with their classmates,” Powers said. “The timing on Homecoming week was perfect, as Peg Kehret’s story of polio began on the day of her school’s Homecoming celebration as well.
“The students thought that coincidence was so cool, and we, as teachers, hope this is a Homecoming week they’ll never forget.”