Who says English must always be taught in the classroom? Students in English I headed outside to learn why details are important. Students are learning how to "close read" a story. In order to understand this concept students were assigned plants in the courtyard to "close read." Students had to observe the plant from a distance (like a first read) and then gradually made observations that included more details (like a second reading) until they finally were allowed to touch the plant (like a third reading). Students then took their observations back to the classroom and attempted to identify their plant with the help of the internet. Most students successfully identified their plant or tree and all the students said they now understand why just reading a text once does not allow a reader to grasp all the ideas embedded into it. As one student said, "you don't really know your plant until you get to touch it."
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