A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park contains the SEL themes of cultural competence, dealing with challenges such as loss and poverty, perseverance, alienation, and belonging. Our fun fact about this novel is that Celadon ceramics (often referred to as greenware) are some of the finest pottery produced anywhere and are coveted by collectors. The name Celadon comes from the French word of Greek origin, which refers to the colors ranging from blue-green to soft grey-green.
A Single Shard is the story of an orphan boy named Tree-ear living in a Korean potter's village in the 112th century. Tree-ear becomes interested in learning the craft of making the beautiful celadon pottery after he watches Min, a pottery master in the village. He realizes that he cannot just walk up to Master Min and ask to be his apprentice so he works hard to prove that he has earned the right to learn the skills. Master Min is reluctant to show Tree-ear because tradition is that the skill is passed down from father to son, but Master Min doesn't have any living children to share this skill with. Tree-ear goes through many trials but eventually proves his value when he displays tremendous courage during adversity. The SEL themes highlighted in this novel are cultural competence, dealing with challenges such as loss and poverty, perseverance, alienation, and belonging.
Chapter 1
The farmer tells Tree-ear that "good deserves good."
Crane-man says that "Work gives a man dignity, stealing takes it away."
"Scholars read the great words of the world. But you and I must learn to read the world itself" is another piece of advice from Crane-man.
Grade 8, Unit 1
For the full Socratic Seminar for this novel and full lesson plans for the topics listed, please visit our website for more details on how to get Emozi for your classroom!