P4 kids engage in a lively discussion about temptation after reading It's All the Fault of Adam, a Nigerian Folktale..

Seminar!

Each Wednesday, children and teachers at The Harbour School convene in their various classrooms to hold Seminar! using the Junior Great Books program. This program uses age-appropriate, engaging and well-written literature to help children develop skills in reading, comprehension, vocabulary, writing, analysis, discussion, creativity and respect.

In Seminar!, children learn to ask and respond to interpretive questions, support their ideas with relevant evidence or logic, respond respectfully to others’ ideas and arguments, change or modify their ideas, and weigh evidence. They also learn to listen (both to stories and to others’ opinions), to state their ideas clearly, to explain or defend their arguments, and to generally participate in a reasoned discussion. In related activities, they learn to take notes, use graphic organizers to write, practice creative writing or descriptions, narratives or exposition, and revise their writing in response to feedback from others.

All teachers at The Harbour School have received the Core Training from the Great Books Foundation and lead their classes in Seminar! once a week. In addition, activities related to the week’s literature or discussion may be incorporated into other curriculum activities throughout the week.