Lower School
The classic advice to novice writers is “Write what you know.” The Fox Room is building on this bit of wisdom by writing about one of its favorite things: Hot Dog Day. Teachers Divya Seshadri and Allison Berman concocted the idea of teaching about different types of paragraphs (narrative, expository, descriptive, compare and contrast, persuasive) by exploring all aspects of this annual (and beloved) MMFS tradition. For the students who know and love Hot Dog Day, as well as for those who are new to the school, this provided a perfect opportunity to hone research, interview, and writing skills.
The Fox Room writers interviewed Hot Dog Day Doyenne (and Associate Division Director) Franziska Laskaris about how this tradition got started and changed over the years. They then wrote up an expository journal on The History of Hog Dog Day, which will stand as the definitive description of Hot Dog Day for future generations of MMFS students. After the big day on Thursday, the students practiced their skills by writing descriptive paragraphs about what they ate; narrative paragraphs about their day; paragraphs comparing and contrasting this day with other special events at school; and persuasive paragraphs describing other special days they love. This is an ongoing writing project, so the memory of Hot Dog Day will linger.
The students love Hot Dog Day, and this is a wonderful way to combine learning with fun (and a little mustard).
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