Chapters Sixteen & Seventeen
Arriving for the first time at a new school (especially a boarding school) can be overwhelming—even more so when the gateways to each element domain are death-defying, school signs are posted in an obscure language, and students come from different planets and dimensions.
Pete’s now officially going through the Ocademy’s recruitment process known as the Appraisement Cycle. The first throes of shock are over, but the wow factor continues. He’s met a cute girl of a species he’d never heard of, and he’s been given a glimpse of two of the elements (Terris and Arbis). Without giving it conscious thought, he’s learning what he likes and what he doesn’t care for.
In today’s lesson, take your time getting your readers immersed in the unusual world and experiences described, and sharing how they would feel if they were in Pete’s situation.
⏰ Time: 60-75 minutes depending on your chosen activities.
Add 15-30 minutes for Omnopoly Quiz Game, Vocab Quiz, Ponderlings, and Memoir Writing Prompt (which can be done at any time after the session) + as much time as you like for Multigenerational Meanwhile activities
🔗 Reminder: LINKS ON THIS PAGE ARE LIGHT BLUE (or pink if you've already visited the link)
- 🤓 Theme Overview (above)
- ⏰ Timeframe (above)
- 📋 Supplies
- 🏫 Academic Activities
- ... Multigenerational Meanwhile ideas
- 🔗 Lesson Links (vocab, quizzes, answers, prompts etc)
- 📐📏 Skills & Disciplines
- ⏩ Link to next lesson
🔚 At the end of (or after) the lesson- ♟️Omnopoly Quiz Game
- 📓 Ponderlings
- ✍️ Memoir Writing Prompt
- ⛺️🗓️ Today's Story Advent{ure} Calendar action (if applicable)
- ☎️ 🌊 This week's FATHOMS group call (optional)
📋 SUGGESTED SUPPLIES
☐ Your Teachizz edition and your student's digital or tactile version of Destiny by Design
☐ Memoirs
☐ Piddlypedia
☐ Dictionary
☐ Access to internet for chapter links, Omnopoly, Ponderlings, and research questions
☐ Melt-a-Malefactor supplies (optional) - Poster board, markers or paint, bean bags or balls
🎁 Experience Enhancers: More fairytale music, Brisket Sundae, flambé dessert, shooting stars video. If you're mounting a Ceremonials Inaugural Parade, you may want some music by Elgar (Pomp & Circumstance for starters). If you want to design element pennants, Amazon offers some colored ones at a reasonable price
🗄️ DETAILS by Category
1. ⏪ RECAP previous chapter - As you recall ... Pete made it to the Ocademy and is overwhelmed by the sights and sounds around him. There are different languages and even different species. He hopes to be one of the kids who is cut from the student roster and sent home.
2. 🔨🎡 BUILD & PLAY
- Create a DIY carnival game to play at home. The internet is loaded with ideas. Here are a few sites to get you started: 57 Top Carnival Games, 59 Fun & Easy Carnival Games, DIY Carnival Games, Pinterest
- 🔨 🎨 If you’re feeling especially ambitious, create your own Melt a Malefactor game using poster board and bean bags or lightweight balls (such as Nerf or tennis balls)
3. 🧠 🗣️ MEMORIZE, RECITE, RE-ENACT et cetera
- The “natural elements” are fundamental to life in our universe (as well as to Pete’s story). Have students memorize the following. Then verbally quiz them:
Ignis — FireTerris — EarthArbis — WoodAquis — WaterNitris — AirPlaten — MetalAether — Soul~Spirit
- 🗣️ Have students make the sound of wind through the trees
- 🎭 Greet the person next to you the same way, by touching the inside of your wrist to theirs
- 🧠 What is the school slogan?
- 🧠 Name 3 of the accessories that belong to upper-level students?
- 🔠 🗣️ Please say the following in simpler more understandable words: "
- that the abilities to shape-shift into humanoid form, walk erect, and speak the lingua Omniversal—the People’s Parlance he knew as English—were practical requirements for admission to the academy."
4. 🔎 RESEARCH
- In 1 sentence, how would you describe the Appraisement Cycle? (Consult Piddlypedia, pages 2&3)
- What’s an oceanid?
5. 🦄 🎨 ENVISION & DESIGN 
- Draw your own banner for one of the elements
- Draw an unfurling fern leaf and see how it resembles the basic Omni logo
- Draw how you envision the fairgrounds
6. 💬 DISCUSS & DEDUCE
- Refer to passages in the book that deal with the theme of dealing with all of the wow stuff
- 🌱 Why is individual contribution important? And what does “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” mean?
- 🤔 How many "fiddleheads" are in the Omni logo? [7] Do you think there is a particular reason for that number? [It’s the number of elements]
- 🧮 How many students are in the following:
Pod [2]
Pin [4 made up of 2 pods]
Blade [16 made up of 4 pins]
Frond [83]Estate / Domainitory [166]
- 💬 What do you think is happening back at Pete’s house now that he’s gone?
- 🤔 Why do you think the game is called Melt a Malefactor? What does the name mean?
- Based on your students' age, if they had started at the Ocademy at age 10, what level uniform would they be wearing and what would it consist of?
- If you could shapeshift into any sort of creature or "thing," what would you choose?
*indicates a character or activity not specified in the narrative
a perfect way for group members who are either too young or too advanced for the lesson's specific subject matter to get involved
- Have a *narrator read aloud parts of the story while others re-enact
- Have group members portray the Curator and upperclassmen, and look confused like most of the recruits
- *If the group re-enacts the "invisible chair" ride, try to find a rolling office chair to use and let a group member push it
- Encourage group members to strike up a conversation with someone else who is waiting for the Ceremonials Inaugural to start
- Have various members of the group *march by holding banners representing the elements (Here's the 6-element image from the book, should you wish to print it and cut out each element)
- *If you have a sufficient number of group members, have some roleplay what might be going on back at home with Pete's mom, father, and brother
- *Let someone walk around selling brisket sundaes
- *Have group members pose as Ignin students at the fairground (per the book description)
- *If you have enough group members, you could have them pose as the Melt-a-Malefactor cutouts and let others toss soft squishy balls at them
- Invite non-students (in your household or friend circle) to participate in the Discussions, Omnopoly Quiz Game, Ponderlings, Writing Prompts, Noshes, Creative Projects, and Group Activities
🔗 Links to this lesson's digital content:
🔠 VOCAB
🗃️ Flashcards
Ask students to share their 3 favorite entries from the Glossary
OMNOPOLY
✍️ Memoir Writing Prompt:
If you were Pete, what would be the biggest concerns on your mind?
📐SKILLS
Handling sensory overload in a strange environment, Meeting new kids at a new school, Understanding the context of unusual words, Hand-eye coordination (to play carnival games), Dexterity in constructing games, Imagination, Design & drawing, Memory, Imagination
📏 DISCIPLINES
Math, Reading, Communication, Humanities (Greek mythology), Project Construction
Reminder, we are not affiliated with any of the entities linked (aside from the Ocademy, of course)