By Peter Johnson, Middle School Social Studies and Language Arts Teacher

Is the study of literature purely for entertainment? Or, does the value lie in skill development, such as improving students’ reading fluency? In addition to these benefits, could literature offer us opportunities to grapple with big ideas and connect those ideas to our lives? Good literature allows for all of these benefits.

We recently finished reading our first book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.. Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a gull that dares to question the everyday monotony of life and rise above it to achieve something great. Our study of the book offered us many opportunities to dive into deep discussions, including discussing the pros and cons of the decisions that Jonathan makes and risks he takes. Throughout the story, Jonathan models such personal characteristics as perseverance, goal setting, creativity, courage, and generosity. A significant moral lesson in the novella is that we can soar much higher than we think we can and that daring to do so brings us nearer to our personal perfection. Students considered the many life lessons that they can take away from the story, and we discussed how to put those lessons into practice in school and in our personal lives.

For the final project, students found one quote in the book that they particularly connected with and created an inspirational poster to promote it. Then, they wrote a paragraph explaining what the quote means to them. The students’ posters will be displayed in the school. 

Below is a quote and brief interpretation by Lance (6th grade):

“He was not bone and feather but a perfect idea of freedom and flight, limited by nothing at all.”

I interpret this as a way of seeing yourself. A way to know that you can do anything, and that rules just make you afraid to do something, because laws do not physically constrict you. They only restrict you mentally. If people don’t realize that they need to crack a few eggs to make an omelet, we will never get anywhere. As this quote states, “he” does not think of himself as a seagull, but as an image of pure power and speed. This is how we need to put aside our limitations and be the best version of ourselves.

Below are a few samples of posters. In addition to reflecting on the quote, students also practiced using design software and learned about the fundamentals of good graphic design.