A Slice of Life - The Watsons Go To Birmingham

 

 

I've been participating in Slice of Life, started by Two Writing Teachers. I love the challenge of composing a piece of writing at least once a week about life or teaching.

 

 

     This past weekend I had the pleasure of watching The Watsons Go To Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis movie made for The Hallmark Channel.  Everyone involved in the project deserves high praise!  The cast was perfect, and it kept true to the book while enhancing the civil rights aspects of the story.  I loved using the book in my gifted reading class last year with fourth graders.  My students loved it, so it was great to see it brought to life like this.  Many of my students watched it and enjoyed it!  The book, and now the movie, has so much to it.  There is a strong but vulnerable multi-generational family, full of love and imperfections, laugh-out-loud humor, a combination of real-life trouble and strife blended with hope and strength, a nation on the verge of major change, and a journey that transforms its travelers.  

 

 

 

Be sure to watch the cast, crew, and Curtis in the video on the Hallmark website:

 

http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/thewatsonsgotobirmingham/video/OnLocation/TheWatsonsOnLocation

Go here to download the educator's guide:

http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/thewatsonsgotobirmingham/educatorsguide

 

     I'd love hear your thoughts on it if you watched it!