The Endless Steppe

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Walk in Esther’s Shoes”

After reading about Esther's experience in the declamation contest, students recreate Esther's experience by choosing a short poem, memorizing it, and preparing to recite it in class. Similarly to Esther, students are given a challenging distraction to overcome in their recitations.

Part 1—Homework Assignment:

• Choose a short poem (or an excerpt from a longer one) to recite in class.
• Memorize the poem and practice delivering it.

Part 2—Surprise In-Class Addition to the Assignment:

• In five minutes, make a pair of homemade shoes using cardboard, scissors, and string.
• Tie the homemade shoes over your current footwear.
• Recite your prepared poem in front of the class wearing the cardboard shoes.
• Write a journal entry reflecting upon your experience and evaluating your delivery of the poem.

Teaching Suggestion: In preparation for the shoe-creation part of this activity, consider securing materials from your school's art department or after-school program. Students will journal about their personal experiences of and reactions to presenting while wearing homemade shoes. It may be beneficial to help students extend their thinking beyond their own personal experiences by asking them to consider what the related scene in the novel reveals about both Esther's teacher's character and Esther's own character.