In a small block west of Washington Square, the streets tangled up and broke into short strips called driveways. These passages form strange angles and curved lines. One street there even crosses itself twice. A certain artist managed to discover a very valuable property of this street. Suppose a assembler from a store with a bill for paints, paper and canvas meets himself there, walking home without receiving a single cent on the bill!

And so the artists stumbled upon a peculiar quarter of Greenwich Village in search of north-facing windows, eighteenth-century roofs, Dutch lofts and cheap rent. Then they moved a few pewter mugs and a brazier or two there from Sixth Avenue and established a "colony."

Sue and Jonesy's studio was at the top of a three-story brick building. Jonesy is a diminutive of Joanna. One came from Maine, the other from California. They met at the table d'hôte of a restaurant on Volma Street and found that their views on art, chicory salad and fashionable sleeves were quite the same. As a result, a common studio arose.

It was in May. In November, the surly stranger, whom the doctors call Pneumonia, walked invisibly through the colony, touching first one, then the other with his icy fingers. Along the East Side, this murderer marched boldly, hitting dozens of victims, but here, in a labyrinth of narrow, moss-covered lanes, he trailed foot behind the naga.

Mr. Pneumonia was by no means a gallant old gentleman. The petite girl, anemic from California marshmallows, was hardly a worthy opponent for a burly old fool with red fists and shortness of breath. However, he knocked her off her feet, and Jonesy lay motionless on the painted iron bed, looking through the shallow Dutch window frame at the blank wall of the neighboring brick house.

One morning, the preoccupied doctor called Sue into the hallway with a single movement of his shaggy gray eyebrows.

"She's got one chance—well, let's say, to ten," he said, shaking off the mercury in the thermometer. And then, if she herself wants to live. Our whole pharmacopoeia loses its meaning when people start acting in the interests of the undertaker. Your little young lady decided that she would not get better. What is she thinking?

“She… she wanted to paint the Gulf of Naples.

– Paints? Nonsense! Doesn't she have something in her soul that is really worth thinking about, for example, men?

"Well, then she's just weakened," the doctor decided. “I will do my best as a representative of science. But when my patient begins to count the carriages in his funeral procession, I discount fifty percent of the healing power of the drugs. If you can get her to ask just once what style of sleeves they will wear this winter, I guarantee you that she will have a one in five chance instead of a one in ten.

After the doctor left, Sue ran into the workshop and cried into a Japanese paper napkin until it was completely soaked. Then she bravely entered Jonesy's room with a drawing board, whistling ragtime.

Jonesy lay with her face turned to the window, barely visible under the covers. Sue stopped whistling, thinking Jonesy had fallen asleep.

She set up the blackboard and began an ink drawing of a magazine story. For young artists, the path to Art is paved with illustrations for magazine stories, with which young authors pave their way to Literature.

While sketching the figure of an Idaho cowboy in elegant breeches and a monocle in his eye for a story, Sue heard a low whisper, repeated several times. She hurried over to the bed. Jonesy's eyes were wide open. She looked out the window and counted—counted backwards.

“Twelve,” she said, and after a while, “eleven,” and then: “ten” and “nine,” and then: “eight” and “seven,” almost simultaneously.

Sue looked out the window. What was there to count? All that was visible was the empty, dreary yard and the blank wall of a brick house twenty paces away. An old, old ivy with a knotted, rotten trunk at the roots half braided a brick wall. The cold breath of autumn tore the leaves from the vines, and the bare skeletons of the branches clung to the crumbling bricks.

"What's in there, honey?" Sue asked.

"Six," Jonesy said in a barely audible voice. “Now they fly much faster. Three days ago there were almost a hundred of them. My head was spinning counting. And now it's easy. Here's another one flying. Now only five remain.

"What's five, honey?" Tell your Sudy.

- Leaves. On plush. When the last leaf falls, I will die. I've known this for three days now. Didn't the doctor tell you?

This is the first time I've heard such nonsense! Sue retorted with magnificent contempt. “What can the leaves on the old ivy have to do with the fact that you will get better?” And you loved that ivy so much, you nasty little girl! Don't be stupid. Why, even today the doctor told me that you would soon recover ... let me, how did he say that? .. that you have ten chances against one. But that's no less than what any of us here in New York have when we ride the tram or walk past our new house. Try to eat some broth and let your Sudy finish the drawing so she can sell it to the editor and buy wine for her sick girl and pork cutlets for herself.

“You don’t have to buy any more wine,” Jonesy answered, staring out the window. - Here comes another one. No, I don't want broth. So there are only four left. I want to see the last leaf fall. Then I will die too.

The short story by the American writer O. Henry "The Last Leaf" was first published in 1907, entering the collection of short stories "The Burning Lamp". The first and most famous adaptation of the novel took place in 1952. The film was called The Leader of the Redskins and Others.

Young artists Jonesy and Sue rent a small apartment for two in Greenwich Village, a New York neighborhood where people of art have always preferred to settle. Jonesy got pneumonia. The doctor who treated the girl said that the artist had no chance of being saved. She will only survive if she wants to. But Jonesy had already lost interest in life. Lying in bed, the girl looks out the window at the ivy, observing how many leaves are left on it. The cold November wind breaks off more and more leaves every day. Jonesy is sure she will die when the last one is broken. The assumptions of the young artist are not substantiated by anything, because she may die sooner or later, or not die at all. However, Jonesy unconsciously connects the end of his life with the disappearance of the last leaf.

Sue is troubled by her friend's dark thoughts. Persuading Jonesy to get rid of a ridiculous idea is useless. Sue shares her experiences with Berman, an old artist who lives in the same house. Berman dreams of creating a real masterpiece. However, the dream has remained only a dream for many years. Sue invites a colleague to pose for her. The girl wants to write from him a gold digger-hermit. Upon learning of what is happening with Jonesy, Berman becomes so upset that he refuses to pose.

The next morning, after Sue's conversation with the old artist, Jonesy notices that the last leaf has remained on the ivy, symbolizing for the girl the last thread connecting her to life. Jonesy watches how the leaf resists desperate gusts of wind. In the evening it began to rain heavily. The artist is sure that when she wakes up tomorrow morning, the leaf will no longer be on the ivy.

But in the morning Jonesy discovers that the leaf is still in its place. The girl sees this as a sign. She was wrong, wishing herself dead, she was driven by cowardice. The doctor who visited Jonesy notes that the patient has improved significantly, and that the chances of recovery have increased markedly. Girlfriends learn that Berman also fell ill, but he will not be able to recover. A day later, the doctor informs Jonesy that her life is no longer in danger. In the evening of the same day, the girl learned that Berman had died in the hospital. In addition, the artist learns that the old man, in a sense, died through her fault. He caught a cold and pneumonia the night the ivy lost its last leaf. Berman knew what this leaflet meant to Jonesy and drew a new one. The artist fell ill while attaching a leaf to a branch in the biting wind and pouring rain.

Artist Jonesy

Creative individuals have a soul more vulnerable than ordinary people. They are easily disappointed, quickly fall into depression for no apparent reason. That's exactly what Jonesy was. The first difficulties of life associated with the disease made her lose heart. Being a creative person, the girl draws a parallel between the ivy leaves, which disappear every day, and the days of her life, the number of which also decreases every day. Perhaps a representative of another profession would not have thought of drawing such parallels.

Old Man Berman

The old artist was not very lucky in life. He could not become famous or get rich. Berman's dream is to create a real masterpiece that would immortalize his name. However, time passes, and the artist can not get to work. He simply does not know what exactly needs to be painted, while realizing that a real masterpiece must come out from under his brush.

Finally, fate sends the artist the opportunity to fulfill his dream in an unusual way. His dying neighbor puts her hopes on the last ivy leaf. She will surely die if this leaf falls off the branch. Berman is saddened by the sad thoughts of the girl, but deep down he understands her perfectly, since his soul is just as vulnerable and full of artistic images that are incomprehensible to others. The real masterpiece was a small inconspicuous sheet that did more than the most stunning picture of any of Berman's famous colleagues.

Artist Sue

Jonesy's girlfriend gets the role of an intermediary between those who have lost hope and those who are able to return it. Sue treasures Jonesy. Girls are united not only by profession. Living in the same apartment, they became a kind of small family, support for each other.

Sue sincerely wants to help her friend. But the lack of life experience does not allow her to do this. Jonesy needs more than just medication. The girl lost her will to live, and this is much worse than the inability to buy the necessary medicines. Sue doesn't know how to get Jonesy back. The artist goes to Berman so that he, as a senior comrade, can give her advice.

Analysis of the work

The skill of the author is manifested in the description of everyday situations. Excluding science fiction, not every writer can create the unusual out of the ordinary. The plot of the novel at first seems too prosaic. But for those who decide to read the work to the end, an unexpected and exciting denouement awaits.

Magic in the work

The Last Leaf is another example of a man-made miracle. Reading the short story, the reader involuntarily recalls the story "Scarlet Sails". The plots of the works are completely different. They are united by a miracle created by human hands. A girl named Assol waited all her life for her lover on a ship with scarlet sails simply because she received a “prediction” as a child. The old man, who wanted to give hope to the unfortunate child, made the girl believe in a miracle. Arthur Gray performed another miracle by making her dream come true.

Jonesy is not waiting for a lover. She has lost her bearings and does not know how to live on. She needs some kind of sign, which she, in the end, creates for herself. At the same time, the reader observes the hopelessness imposed by the girl. The ivy leaf will sooner or later come off the branch, which means that death is considered by Jonesy as something inevitable. In the depths of her soul, the young artist has already given up on life. Perhaps she does not see her future, expecting the same inglorious fate that befell her neighbor Berman. He did not reach any heights and remained a failure until old age, flattering himself with the hope of creating a picture that would enrich and glorify him.

- I am reading the text of O. Henry's story "The Last Leaf", you listen carefully and then answer the questions (in parallel with reading the text, a plan is drawn up and lexical and stylistic work is carried out).

“Two young artists Sue and Jonesy settled on the outskirts of the city.

In the fall, Jonesy fell seriously ill. The doctor said that she would survive only if she really wanted to live. But Jonesy had already given up hope.

“See the leaves on the ivy? When the last leaf falls, I will die,” she told her friend.

Sue looked out the window. She saw an empty, dreary yard and the blank wall of a brick house twenty paces away. Old ivy grew near the wall, and the cold breath of autumn tore off the last leaves from it.

How did your friend react to these words? (She began to persuade Jonesy not to think about stupid things. She began to cry. She got upset and left).

“What nonsense you are talking! Try to sleep,” Sue said.

Who is called a loser? (Work on the meaning of the word "loser" - a person who is not lucky in anything, no luck).

"He was going to write a masterpiece, but he didn't even start it."

- Give an interpretation of the word "masterpiece" (Work on the meaning of the word "masterpiece" is an exceptional work of art in its merits, an exemplary creation of a master. A picture that captures the soul).

"What a foolish thing to die because the leaves fall from the cursed tree!" he exclaimed.

The next morning, Jonesy whispered, "Pull up the shade, I want to see."

Sue obeyed wearily. And what? After heavy rain and strong gusts of wind, one leaf of ivy was still visible against the background of the brick wall, the last one! Green at the stalk, yellowish at the edges, it held up bravely on a branch twenty feet above the ground.

– Why do you think the author describes this last sheet in such detail? (Probably to show his importance for the heroes, because Jonesy's life depends on him. Because he is the main character of the story. Maybe the heroes will need him for some reason).

“The day passed, and even at dusk they saw that a lone ivy leaf held on its stalk against the background of a brick wall. And then, with the onset of darkness, the north wind picked up again, and the rain continually beat against the windows, rolling down from the low Dutch roof.

As soon as dawn broke, the merciless Jonesy ordered the curtain to be raised again.

- You have listened to the text, your task is to convey the main content of the text and answer the question "How, in your opinion, can the story end?" (students write, then read their version of the continuation of the story).

Now listen to the end of the story.

“The ivy leaf was still there.

Jonesy lay for a long time looking at him. Then she called Sue and said, “I was a bad girl. Wishing for death is a sin. This last leaf was left on the branch in order to show me this."

The next day the doctor said to Sue, “She is out of danger. Now food and care - and nothing else is needed. That same day, Sue went to the bed where Jonesy was lying and put her arm around her, along with the pillow.

“I have something to tell you,” she began. - Mr. Berman (that was the name of the artist) died today in the hospital from pneumonia. He was ill for only two days. On the morning of the first day, the porter found the poor old man on the floor in his room. He was unconscious. His shoes and all his clothes were soaked through and cold as ice. No one could understand where he went out on such a terrible night. Then they found a lantern, a ladder, several discarded brushes and a palette of yellow and green paints. Look out the window at the last ivy leaf. Didn't it surprise you that it doesn't move in the wind? Yes, honey, this is Berman's masterpiece - he wrote it the night the last sheet fell off.

- Look carefully at your predictions for the end of the story, which of you have them coincided with O. Henry? (students evaluate their assumptions).

Student Predictions:

§ The story of the last leaf on the tree.

§ About the last sheet that remains to be read or completed.

§ About the leaf that the girl plucked.

§ About a leaflet that will fly in search of adventure.

Examples of students continuing the text.

1. The leaf hung, and Jonesy remained alive. She looked out the window every day, the leaf was still visible against the background of the wall. Jonesy got tired of waiting for him to fall, and she got better. Then he and Sue painted a picture that became a masterpiece. A leaf fell a long time ago, but no one remembered it.

2. Leaf hung. And no matter how the winds blew, and no matter how heavy the rain, the leaf continued to hang on the tree until Jonesy recovered. Then the old artist painted a picture, which depicted a tree and a leaf. This was his masterpiece.

3. The leaf also hung boldly on a branch. During the night the rain and wind picked up again. In the morning, Jonesy again asked to open the curtain. They saw that the sheet was missing. Sue looked anxiously at Jonesy, but Jonesy was smiling. She stayed to live.

4. The sheet is left hanging. Jonesy began to get better, but she did not know that the old artist had painted a leaf on the wall. And he left.

5. Jonesy saw that the leaf was still hanging. He holds on bravely and firmly, and Jonesy trusted that he would not come off until she was well. After a while she recovered, and only when she was completely healthy did the leaf come off the branch and fly away.

6. The sheet was still holding on. A day later, a leaf fell, and in front of Sue Jonesy died. The artist was upset. And Sue left that house and never came back.

- What is this story about? (About the power of art. About creativity).

What is the most important law of creativity? (Probably beauty and love. Service to people).

Appendix 3

III stage. Reflection

- To hear your opinion about the characters in O. Henry's story "The Last Leaf", use the "6 Thinking Hats" (group work).

White hat.In the fall, Jonesy fell ill. Sue shared her sadness with the old artist. Sue and Jonesy watched the paper. The leaf hung. Jonesy recovered, but the artist died. The masterpiece has been written.

Red hat.I was sad when Jonesy got sick. It was a pity for her. It was also a pity for the old artist, who died of pneumonia.

Yellow hat.I liked that the artist painted a leaf on the wall for the sake of the girl. The girl survived. I also liked the fact that a person risks his life for the sake of another person. This is very good. I liked the story itself because it talks about faith, love and hope for the best. I liked the fact that the artist risked his life and saved another life.

Black hat.Didn't like that Jonesy got sick. That the artist is dead. It was bad that Jonesy decided to die. That the action takes place in the fall. I don't like girl names. And in general, why did the old man climb to draw this sheet.

Blue hat.It seems to me that this story is about believing in yourself and in other people. And the story is written so that we appreciate the value of life and understand why it was given to us.

Green hat.I would change the names of the girls. The season is winter. I would leave the artist alive, let him paint pictures and please other people.

Homework: review “My attitude to the characters of O. Henry’s story “The Last Leaf”.

SELF-CHECK AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What are the main characteristics of critical thinking.

2. What other methods and technologies, besides RKCHP, can critical thinking develop?

3. Justify the logic of the stages in this technology.

PRACTICAL TASKS

A basic level of

1. Develop a lesson in RKMCHP technology using techniques.

2. Review the lesson above. What other techniques could the teacher use?

Enhanced Level

1. Give (think up) examples of the use of each of the techniques of the RCMCHP technology described in the materials for practical tasks.

1. Bolotov, V., Spiro, D. Critical thinking is the key to the transformation of the Russian school [Text] // Director of the school. - 1995. -
No. 1. - C. 67-73.

2. Bryushinkin, V.N. Critical thinking and argumentation [Text] // Critical thinking, logic, argumentation / ed.
V.N. Bryushinkina, V.I. Markin. - Kaliningrad: Publishing house Kaliningr. state un-ta, 2003. - S. 29-34.

3. Boostrom, R. Development of creative and critical thinking. - M .: Publishing House of the Institute "Open Society", 2000.

4. Butenko, A.V., Khodos, E.A. Critical thinking: method, theory, practice [Text]: textbook-method. allowance. – M.: Miros, 2002.

5. Zagashev, I.O., Zair-Bek, S.I. Critical thinking: development technology [Text]. - St. Petersburg: Alliance-Delta, 2003. - 284 p.

6. Zagashev, I.O., Zair-Bek, S.I., Mushtavinskaya, I.V. Teaching children to think critically [Text]. – Ed. 2nd. - St. Petersburg: "Alliance-Delta" joint. with the publishing house "Rech", 2003. - 192 p.

7. Meredith, C.S., Still, D.L., Temple, C. How Children Learn: A Core of Fundamentals [Text]: A Training Manual for the CPMP Project. - M., 1997. - 85 p.

8. Nizovskaya, I.A. Dictionary of the program "Development of critical thinking through reading and writing" [Text]: teaching aid. - Bishkek: OFTSIR, 2003. - 148 p.

9. Halpern, D. Psychology of critical thinking [Text]. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2000. - 458 p.

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O.Henry

"Last page"

Two young artists, Sue and Jonesy, rent an apartment on the top floor of a house in New York's Greenwich Village, where artists have long settled. In November, Jonesy comes down with pneumonia. The doctor's verdict is disappointing: “She has a one chance in ten. And then, if she herself wants to live. But Jonesy just lost interest in life. She lies in bed, looks out the window and counts how many leaves are left on the old ivy, which has wrapped its shoots around the wall opposite. Jonesy is convinced that when the last leaf falls, she will die.

Sue talks about her friend's dark thoughts to the old artist Berman, who lives downstairs. He has been going to create a masterpiece for a long time, but so far something is not sticking with him. Hearing about Jonesy, old man Berman was terribly upset and did not want to pose for Sue, who painted from him a hermit gold digger.

The next morning, it turns out that only one leaf remained on the ivy. Jonesy keeps an eye on how he resists the gusts of wind. It got dark, it began to rain, the wind blew even stronger, and Jonesy has no doubt that she will not see this leaf in the morning. But she is wrong: to her great surprise, the brave leaf continues to fight against bad weather. This makes a strong impression on Jonesy. She becomes ashamed of her cowardice, and she gains a desire to live. The doctor who visited her notes improvement. In his opinion, the chances of surviving and dying are already equal. He adds that the downstairs neighbor also caught pneumonia, but the poor fellow has no chance of recovery. A day later, the doctor declares that Jonesy's life is now out of danger. In the evening, Sue tells her friend the sad news: old man Berman has died in the hospital. He caught a cold on that stormy night when the ivy lost its last leaf and the artist painted a new one and attached it to a branch in the pouring rain and icy wind. Berman still created his masterpiece.

Jonesy and Sue, two young aspiring artists, rent an apartment on the top floor of a house in New York's Greenwich Village. From time immemorial, people who are directly related to art have settled there. In November, Jonesy learns that she has pneumonia. Doctors tell the girl that her chances are about 10 percent, and she will survive only if she really wants to live. Unfortunately, Jonesy lost interest in life. She lies motionless in bed and looks out the window, counting how many leaves are left on the ivy that has wrapped around the wall opposite. Jonesy thinks she will die as soon as the last leaf falls from the tree.

Sue shares her friend's dark thoughts with Berman, an old painter who lives in the same house. All his life he dreams of creating a masterpiece, but so far he has done little. Berman, hearing about Jonesy's misfortune, was incredibly upset. He lost the desire to pose for Sue, who painted from him a portrait of a hermit gold digger.

The next morning there is only one last leaf left on the ivy. Jonesy watches as the wind tries its best to rip it off, but the leaf stubbornly resists the elements. It is getting dark outside, light rain is falling, the wind is picking up. Jonesy no longer doubts that in the morning he will not see this last leaf. But she was wrong. To her surprise, the brave leaf continues to fight, and does not come off even with the most powerful wind attacks. Jonesy is stunned by what is happening. She is ashamed of herself because of her cowardice. The girl finds in herself the desire to continue to live. The doctor who comes to examine the patient informs her of positive changes. He says that Jonesy's chances of life and death are about the same. He adds that her downstairs neighbor is also sick with inflammation, but he has no chance of surviving.

A few days pass, and the doctor says that Jonesy's life is safe. In the evening of the same day, Sue comes to Jonesy and informs that old Berman has died. He caught a cold that unfortunate night when the last leaf fell from the ivy. The artist painted a new leaf, which he attached to a tree in the pouring rain and wind. Berman still created the masterpiece he dreamed of.