Puzzle Description:

Can you guess what they didn't understand?

#1: karl (keicher) on May 24, 2012 [HINT]

hebrew? japanese? lack of puzzle technique?

Upside down?

it has nothing to do with a foreign language or direction (the book is shown right side up)

They didn't understand how to spell "student"!

lol John!

The symbolism behind Jack and Jill?

a full bucket on the left, not a clue about the right

ok, I fixed "students" in the title (in my defense, I use a net book and have arthritic fingers) besides it isn't what I don't understand. It isn't about literary elements, and each student had a different book to read. I'll post the answer tonight.

That you actualy have to open the book and read it to understand it?

why it wasn't turned into a movie so they could just watch it

The title is very vague. There's so many things that students don't understand. Perhaps your students don't understand the difference between fact and fiction.

The image seems specific, but we don't know how you intend for us to interpret the image on the two pages. Do they represent an image on the left and lines of text on the right? Could they be different images and still maintain the integrity of your question? Are they specific images that accurately represent something we should recognize?

If each student had a different book, then I might assume that the images shown in this book are not important, as each student would see something different from the other students.

Perhaps you could give us a clue to lead us in the right direction?

Is it something so simple that we are missing the obvious? Maybe your students are having the same problem we are having:

Your students did not understand what they were reading? They may have good reading skills but have poor comprehension skills.

I certainly don't comprehend the meaning of what is on the pages of your book. :-)

that letters make words and words make sentences and sentences make paragraghs and paragraphs make chapters and chapters make a book?

Don't judge a book by its cover?

Incidentally, I know you said this had nothing to do with a foreign language, but the character on the right is Japanese for "san" or 3. Probably just a coincidence! :)

It also looks like an oddly-spaced Greek Xi.

That we all feel foolish when we don't understand something?? ;)

That a book can have words as well as pictures, or even (gasp), *instead of* pictures.

re: #11 (why not a movie) ... The first time my kids saw a movie that they associated with a book, it was Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone. They were incensed at how much the movie left that was in the book. With a bit of explanation they got used to the idea that a movie has far less word detail, but makes up for it with the visual detail. A couple of months later, they were far less upset with the first Lord of the Rings movie.

It's written in braille (sp?)

The left side is the inside of the cover, the right side is the title page. These are old books (because my new modern books are packed for summer). The didn't understand something on the inside of the cover, the same in all these old books I inherited from many previous teachers. Hope this helps.
I wasn't meaning to make anyone feel foolish, and I will reveal the answer tonight,but since you wanted more info, I'll wait a bit still.

The books are library castoffs which some previous teacher salvaged, and at least two teachers before me had inherited and then left behind for the next Reading teacher. My 6th graders didn't understand why someone would glue paper pockets inside the cover of each book. This amused me because I hadn't thought anything about it, but the kids have never experienced the pre-pc system for checking books in and out. Library books now have bar codes and the due date gets stamped on a sticker, all on the outside of the book. I had to explain that when I was their age, all library books had the pocket and it contained a card with the book's info on it. To check it out, you signed the card and exchanged it for a card with a due date on it at the check out desk. Ancient history!

Oh my gosh, those ARE old books. I remember that check out system.

That was fun to try and guess, even though you stumped us. :-)

Ok I see it now.. good one! I remember that system. I wonder if my kids know anything about that!

I got it after your clue, but I've been out all day :)

Those cards have gone the way of the dodo, much like card catalogs.

At least at my south american little city library, they still use it.

Thanks Carolyn

Goto next topic

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