1. 4.10 Seeing Big Ideas in Small Details

2. CONNECTION
Sometimes we come to scenes that make us say, “Don’t stop! Read on, read on!”—like the scene with Bud and the hornets.
It’s easy to race through and move on but we have to ask ourselves:
What is significant about this part of the story?
How does this part fit with other parts and relate to what the whole story is really, really about? How do all the parts of the story fit together and contribute to the message of the book?
Why might the author have written this part in this particular way, including these details, using these words?
What might the character be learning about life and the world, and what might I be learning about life and the world?

3. TEACHING POINT
Today I want to teach you that when we write or think about big ideas, it helps to lodge those thoughts in concrete details.

4. TEACHING
Big ideas are often crystalized around physical objects—like the photos of Dan and Amy’s parents in The Maze of Bones. Or Grace’s necklace that Amy kept.
What objects in “Bud, Not Buddy” lead to big ideas?
Listen to the following passage and remember that big ideas are often grounded in physical objects. Write about those objects and their big ideas!

5. TEACHING
I opened my suitcase to get my blanket. Even though I trusted the woman who’d guarded it for me, I checked to make sure everything was OK. I picked up the tobacco pouch that had my rocks in it and pulled the drawstring open. I shook the five smooth stones out and looked at them. They’d been in the drawer after the ambulance took Momma away and I’d had them ever since. Someone had took a pen or something and had writ on all five of them, but it was writ in a code so I couldn’t understand what they meant. One of them said “kent-land ill ” Another said “Loogootee in ,” then there was “Sturgis m ” and “gary in ,” and the last one said, “flint m ” I put them back in their pouch and pulled the string tight. Then I pulled out the envelope that had the picture of the saggy pony at the Miss B. Gotten Moon Park. It was fine. Next I counted the flyers again, all five were there, I slid all of them back, except for the blue one. I held it up so it could catch some of the light from the big fire. I kept looking at the picture and wondering why this one bothered Momma so much. The more I thought about it the more I knew this man just had to be my father. Why else would Momma keep these?

6. TEACHING
What is significant about what we just read? How does it fit with other parts?
What is the author teaching about this?

7. LINK
Remember to pause at sections that seem to be written in bold and ask questions to think deeply.

8. MIDWORKSHOP
When you approach something knowing it has meaning, suddenly everything can have profound meaning.
Think about when you knew you were seeing a friend for the last time or visiting a place for the last time. Suddenly everything seems meaningful and precious. The same thing happens when you are reading a book. Once a book becomes meaningful to you, you start asking “What’s this really about?”
Find something with hidden meaning you can share with your club!

9. SHARE
The work you’ve been doing today, identifying when things really represent or stand for other things, is symbolism!
For example in the book Number the Stars, the Jewish star of David necklace symbolizes a connection to the character’s heritage.
In the book Letters from Rivka, she wears a charm bracelet. Each charm stands for a person in her family who is dead. So each charm symbolizes her memories of her loved ones.
What are some examples of symbolism in your stories?