The Tale Of A Balloon Helps Young Writers Take Flight

By Tanjua Damon

The dead and dying lie in fields of gold

And this is the tale,

A young soldier told.

 

They explained the horror when the men screamed as the musket

Balls ripped through their burning flesh

And said the words of his general who said,

“Even the best men cry,

even the best men can die.”

 

In this young soldier’s dying words he cried and wept,

“As I become one of the many dead and dying,

I hope there will be no more suffering and stop the dying.”

                                              —Jon Morgan

Newtown Middle School students in Georgia Batey’s English class took themes from the novel The Last Silk Dress, which is about a southern girl who comes up with the idea of designing a hot air spy balloon during the Civil War. The students were asked to create their own balloons as well as pieces of writing that reflected what they learned from the novel.

“The balloon was used by both the north and south. Because the south had no resources, a young girl got the idea to use silk dresses to make a balloon,” Ms Batey said. “I thought it would be interesting for each of the kids to create a hot air balloon and a piece of writing.”

Ms Batey hoped the students would use their imaginations and creativity to show how the novel affected them.

“I told them to use their creative powers. Let the sky be the limit,” she said. “The United States still needs to come together. This is the generation that will bring this country together.”

The students created large and small balloons that hang from the ceiling in Ms Batey’s room. Some are made from paper maché; others are made from things found around the house. Students found the project interesting.

“I thought it was pretty fun,” Stephen Moulthrop said. “It’s always fun if I can do art with other subjects. It was pretty good.”

Some students worked in groups. Some found group work challenging, while others saw an opportunity to get to know people better.

“I really enjoyed the project,” Melissa Russell said. “I had a group and it gave me an opportunity to get to know them.”

Creating the balloon and writing about serious topics provided many students an opportunity to express themselves in a different way.

“The balloon was fun to make. It was different,” Grace Hubina said. “We wrote poems and had to relate them to serious topics.”

Becky Lukeris wrote about the flag and the symbols that come with it.

 “It was different that we got to do an essay,” she said, “but also design a balloon.”

The small balloons hanging from the ceiling made just as much impact as the large balloons that could easily be seen. Nikki Lebrone created a small balloon and focused her writing on dreams and the future.

 “I feel like it’s important to think about what’s going to happen and what your feelings are,” Nikki said.

Katie Fullman wrote three poems about her feelings about the Civil War. One poem was entitled “Freedom.”

 Freedom

To be free,

What does it mean?

In our world of hate,

Do we even think about it?

Long ago,

Not everyone was free.

Every race,

Was not their own.

 

Many people,

Were forced to work,

To serve a master,

Everyday,

No matter what.

 

How can we go on,

Hearing the truth everyday?

Had we been alive back then,

Would we have made,

The same mistakes?

 

“I wrote about my feelings on the Civil War,” Katie said. “I felt it didn’t really have a cause and it shouldn’t have been fought. It could have been prevented.”

The Last Silk Dress was more than just another novel for the middle school students. For many their feelings and creativity brought forth wonderful projects that all could learn from.