Since getting back from winter break we started a new unit based around fantasy. To start the unit off we learnt a bit about wonder. That’s what I’m writing this post about.

Anyways we started off by getting into groups and writing down different words that came to mind while thinking of wonder. As a whole class we selected the best words from all the groups and made a mind map from it. Here is my mind map:

After that we read an article “How Wonder is the most human of all emotions“. We were then tasked to answer the following 3 questions. My answers are shown below.

1. How was Prinz’s experience with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus different from his parents?

His parents experience was basically they had fun but they didn’t love it. Where as Prinz saw it completely differently. He was amazed at how it could take him out of reality.

2. What are the three bodily symptoms Prinz postulates as components of wonder?

The first is sensory, when we stare and widen our glance at something that makes us star struck. The second is cognitive, the suspension of breath as all we can say is ‘wow.’ The final symptom is spiritual, we look upwards at the sky in disbelief.

3. How does Francis Bacon consider wonder?

Francis Bacon had called wonder ‘broken knowledge’. This is a mystified incomprehension that science alone could cure. Scientists live off wonder. (I struggled a bit with this question to create my own words so it isn’t a very long answer).

Finally we had to write a paragraph about one time we ourselves have experienced wonder.

We won the provincial championships and that was exciting. Holding the banner and celebrating with my teammates felt good and yet it all still seemed unreal. It felt like we were the kings of the world. The excitement began to build as we had team meetings, got new uniforms and met at the airport to fly to Calgary. The bus ride from Calgary to Lethbridge seemed like it took forever. Then all of a sudden we were there. I stepped off the bus and walked into Spitz Stadium. I was struck with awe when I realized that I would be playing in a 5000 seat stadium. Looking around at the teams from provinces all across Canada it suddenly hit me – this was my moment. I had always dreamed of playing Little League nationals and now here I was and it was no longer just a dream.

The other thing we did in that class was a writing prompt from an image our teacher showed us. The photo was in a grass field and had daisies and grass shooting up towards the sky as if we were the size of an ant. So here’s what I wrote. Unfortunately I didn’t quite finish it but I still think it’s a pretty good story.

One day there was a kid named Bill. He was a big bully towards small animals such as ants and Mosquitoes. One time when the doorbell rang he went to answer it. When he opened the door he saw a guy dressed up as a wizard. He though to himself “What kind of weirdo dresses like that?”. The wizard said “I know what your thinking right now. You think I’m in a costume.” This guy was not wearing a costume he was actually a wizard. His official title was ‘The Protector of the Plants’. He was here to teach Bill a lesson. “You have been bad recently. In the last 2 days you have killed 20 plants and bugs. How do you think it would feel to be that size?” asked the wizard. Bill was scared he had no idea who this guy was or why he was here but he had already threatened to make him tiny. “I don’t think it can be that bad.” he said.
“You wanna try it out?” asked the wizard
“No not really.”
“Well too bad.”

Just like that Bill had gone from a normal human to a human that was 2 centimeters tall. Bill looked for the first thing he could punch. All of a sudden an ant walked up. Bill went to punch it but the ant caught his hand in its antennae. Bill was amazed that his punch had been blocked. The ant then said “Follow me.” So he did. Bill had no idea where he was being taken but as he looked up at the sky the daisies looked like skyscrapers. When they came to a stop they were at the entrance for the ant hill that Bill had tried to kick over just yesterday. It was partly demolished and it was a very tight fit to get in.

To be continued…