Mrs. Hummel’s 5th hour class recently wrapped up their study of The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill, diving deep into the novel’s powerful themes of courage, identity, and freedom. Throughout the story, one character uses paper birds as a meaningful way to communicate and symbolize her longing for freedom. As part of the class’s final discussion, students reflected on this symbolism and were encouraged to create their own origami birds to represent the themes they explored in the novel.
What began as a simple extension activity quickly turned into something more. Inspired by the story and their conversation, several students chose to take the project to the next level. During SRT, Brielle DeGraaf, Masyn Leuck, Julia Langlands, and Corinne Albers collaborated to design and construct an oversized paper bird using large bulletin board paper. Their teamwork and creativity transformed a small symbolic gesture into a bold visual statement.
The finished piece now proudly decorates Mrs. Hummel’s classroom, serving as a daily reminder of the novel’s message and the power of student creativity. The project not only reinforced the literary themes discussed in class but also showcased the initiative and collaboration of these students. Through their efforts, the symbolism of the paper bird continues to “fly” long after the final page was turned.
