Resource: Fiction book
A Terrible Thing Happened by Margaret E. Holmes
Published: 2000
Magination Press
Washington, DC
Summary:
This book is about how a child deals with the aftermath of witnessing a “terrible thing”. It explains the main character, Sherman’s, feelings in a way that children can understand. The story tells about how at first, Sherman tried to just forget the terrible thing, and how that made him feel upset, angry, and sometimes sick and do different things because he was still thinking about the terrible thing. It then goes on to tell how Sherman starts meeting with Ms. Maple and she helps him explain his feelings to her and has him start drawing his feelings. Meeting with Ms. Maple helps Sherman start feeling more like himself again and start doing good things again.
Application:
This book would be a great resource for any children who have experienced any sort of traumatic experience (violence, accidents, death, natural disasters, fire, acts of war, assault, etc.). The book gives names to the feelings and emotions children who have witnessed a traumatic event often feel. It talks about how adults often help children learn to talk about and understand their confusing feelings as well, and makes feeling confused and angry and upset less scary for children.
Integration:
This book would be a super great introduction to an art unit. After reading this book as a class, students could be asked to draw pictures of their feelings when doing certain things. They could be asked to draw how it feels when they don’t get what they want, or when they are really excited. Drawing about one’s emotions is a complex and abstract idea for children, but this book does a really nice job of explaining how to do that, and I think it could be a really beneficial activity to help students learn to draw abstractly and think about their feelings.
Excerpts:
“Sometimes his stomach hurt or his head hurt. Sometimes he felt sad, but he did not know why. Sometimes he was nervous for no reason at all. Sometimes he did not sleep very well. Sometimes when he did sleep, he had very bad dreams. The bad dreams scared Sherman.”
“Sherman did not understand all of his feelings. He felt confused. Sometimes parents help children figure out their feelings. Sometimes teacher or other grown-ups help. That is how Sherman met Ms. Maple.”
“Once when Sherman and Ms. Maple were coloring, she told him to draw a picture of how he felt when he was angry. This seemed like a strange thing to draw, but Sherman did it. After that, Sherman drew lots of pictures. Pictures of the pain in his stomach, Pictures of the bad dreams he had. Pictures of the fear he felt. And at last, pictures of the terrible thing he saw. Sherman and Ms. Maple talked about the pictures. He asked if the terrible thing he saw was his fault. Sherman said he worried a lot about that. “No,” Ms. Maple told Sherman, “it was not your fault.””
“Nothing can change the terrible thing that Sherman saw, but now he does not feel so mean. He is not so scared or worried. His stomach does not hurt as much. And the bad dreams hardly ever happen. Sherman Smith is feeling much better now. He just thought you would want to know.”
Standards:
HBO’s-
4- Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
7- Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.
8- Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.
KSE’s-
1- Express feelings in a healthy way.
4- Prevent and manage emotional stress and anxiety in healthy ways.
6- Get help for troublesome thoughts, feelings, or actions for oneself or others.
National Coalition for CORE ARTS Standards (NCCAS)-
1. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
6. Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
10. Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.