6th grade consults on upcoming HBO Max series

Sixth Grade English Teacher Katie Sandidge’s annual unit on “The Westing Game” took an unexpected, yet exciting, turn for the Class of 2028.
By: Sierra Smith, Communications Specialist

“Is there a trailer for the movie?” asked sixth grader Sebastian Hetrick. His simple question prompted a unique and exciting opportunity for students in English Teacher Katie Sandidge’s class. 

Students were immersed in their class reading of “The Westing Game” by Ellen Raskin, which Sandidge describes as the only book she keeps in her curriculum each year. 

“It’s just that good,” Sandidge shared. “No matter what is going on in the world or in the students’ lives, they always find these characters and this story to be relevant and engaging.” 

The award-winning mystery chronicles the story of 16 heirs to one fortune as they compete to solve a puzzle in hopes of gaining control of their benefactor’s successful business and millions of dollars. And year after year, Sandidge’s students are found in the hallways or during break pitching their guesses about how the plot will unfold. 

The unit is complex and captivating to any observer passing by Sandidge’s room. It’s inherently communal, building class bonds as the story comes alive with each student taking on a character’s persona and reading lines in one giant classroom-sized circle. 

As students strengthen their literacy skills and develop a passion for reading, they’re introduced and immersed in how to annotate a text for the first time as well. Students develop a sense of confidence around capturing their thinking, discovering meaning, and identifying different literary devices as they read through the novel, all leading up to the big ending and a big paper to turn in. And, of course, that paper serves as each student’s ticket to watch the movie adaptation of the book they’ve just finished. 

As Sandidge typed a quick Google search in an attempt to answer Sebastian’s question, a recent news headline caught her attention just before clicking over to watch a trailer for the film students would later watch. 

“‘Westing Game’ Series Adaptation in the Works at HBO Max,” the headline read. 

Her interest piqued, Sandidge proceeded down a rabbit hole of research to learn more about the series in question, which eventually led her to cold contact the series’ executive producer Julie Corman, who owns the rights to the novel. 

“Obviously I had little expectation that I would ever hear from anyone, but within minutes she’d responded,” Sandidge said. 

A steady email correspondence ensued, giving USN sixth graders the unlikely opportunity to share their opinions and ideas with a production team as the series is being made. 

Corman initially sent the students a few of what Sandidge describes as “soft ball questions” — who was your favorite character, did you like the ending. However, the conversation quickly evolved with students sending Corman their recommendations for honoring Raskin within the series, opinions on what producers absolutely cannot get wrong, and suggestions for improving the story for an audience in 2022. As Corman and the rest of the production team deliberated over whether to set the show in modern times or create a period piece based on when the novel was published, she reached out to Sandidge and USN’s sixth graders to weigh in too. 
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