Mary Quattlebaum's Blog, page 18
April 20, 2015
BACKYARD JOURNAL
by Joan Waites
Spring has finally arrived after a very long winter, and it’s time to enjoy what nature has to offer. We know from experience that in spring, trees are budding, flowers are bursting from the ground with color, birds are chirping, and insects are buzzing around. But do we really stop and fully experience this most beautiful season?
A fun art and writing activity to help encourage students to slow down and really observe their outdoor surroundings, is to have them keep a field or nature journal. Using a simple handmade book of folded paper, a composition book, or a blank sketch journal, ask your students to record in pictures and words, what they see, smell and hear outside. Children can sketch individual leaves, flowers, grass, bugs, birds, rocks, bark, or anything else that interests them using simple art supplies such as colored pencils, crayons, markers and/or a set of children's watercolors. Observations can be recorded in their own backyard, the school playground, a local park, or even on a city street. Next to each sketch, ask students to write some important sensory information about the object(s) or place they have chosen to draw. A field journal could also work well as a year long project, asking students record what they see in each of the four seasons on a weekly or monthly basis.
Two books that can help introduce teachers and students to field or nature journals and corresponding activities are:
Happy spring!
www.joanwaites.com
Spring has finally arrived after a very long winter, and it’s time to enjoy what nature has to offer. We know from experience that in spring, trees are budding, flowers are bursting from the ground with color, birds are chirping, and insects are buzzing around. But do we really stop and fully experience this most beautiful season?
A fun art and writing activity to help encourage students to slow down and really observe their outdoor surroundings, is to have them keep a field or nature journal. Using a simple handmade book of folded paper, a composition book, or a blank sketch journal, ask your students to record in pictures and words, what they see, smell and hear outside. Children can sketch individual leaves, flowers, grass, bugs, birds, rocks, bark, or anything else that interests them using simple art supplies such as colored pencils, crayons, markers and/or a set of children's watercolors. Observations can be recorded in their own backyard, the school playground, a local park, or even on a city street. Next to each sketch, ask students to write some important sensory information about the object(s) or place they have chosen to draw. A field journal could also work well as a year long project, asking students record what they see in each of the four seasons on a weekly or monthly basis.
Two books that can help introduce teachers and students to field or nature journals and corresponding activities are:
Happy spring!
www.joanwaites.com
April 13, 2015
Using Fables and Fairytales to Help Students Generate Ideas
by Laura Gehl
When I visit classrooms to read my new picture book Hare and Tortoise Race Across Israel, I remind kids that one way authors get ideas is by starting with stories they already know. I show various examples of picture books that are adapted fables and fairytales, including Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson and The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz.
In your own classroom, you might want to read out loud a few examples of adapted fables and fairy tales. Then you can transition to helping your students think about different ways of changing a known story.
1) Change the charactersAsk students to fill in the blank. Goldilocks and the Three ______________.Monsters? Princesses? Basketballs? Other ideas?How would changing the characters change the plot of the story?2) Change the settingAsk students to fill in the blank. Hare and Tortoise Race Across ____________.Washington D.C.? The United States? Mars? Other ideas? Which landmarks would students choose to include in each location?3) Change the numbersAsk students to fill in the blank. The _____ Little Pigs5? 10? 100? Other ideas?If there were 5 little pigs, what materials might the two additional houses be made out of? How would one hundred little pigs work together to defeat the wolf?
Ask your students—by themselves, in pairs, or in small groups—to choose one fable or fairytale and change the characters, the setting, or the numbers. Then students can try writing up (and maybe illustrating!) their own stories.
Another fun activity for classroom writing is to create a mash-up. What if Goldilocks wants to race against Hare and Tortoise? Or what if the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood turns out to be the twin brother of the wolf from The Three Little Pigs…and they decide to team up? Encourage your students to brainstorm different combinations of fables and fairytales, then to write up their favorite.
Starting with a known story takes the pressure off of kids to “think of an idea,” which frees them to be creative and, most importantly, to have fun!
Laura Gehl is the author of One Big Pair of Underwear, a Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title; Hare and Tortoise Race Across Israel; And Then Another Sheep Turned Up; and the Peep and Egg series (hatching spring 2016). Laura also writes about science for kids and adults. She lives in Maryland with her husband and four children. Visit Laura online at www.lauragehl.com and www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraGehl.
When I visit classrooms to read my new picture book Hare and Tortoise Race Across Israel, I remind kids that one way authors get ideas is by starting with stories they already know. I show various examples of picture books that are adapted fables and fairytales, including Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson and The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz.In your own classroom, you might want to read out loud a few examples of adapted fables and fairy tales. Then you can transition to helping your students think about different ways of changing a known story.
1) Change the charactersAsk students to fill in the blank. Goldilocks and the Three ______________.Monsters? Princesses? Basketballs? Other ideas?How would changing the characters change the plot of the story?2) Change the settingAsk students to fill in the blank. Hare and Tortoise Race Across ____________.Washington D.C.? The United States? Mars? Other ideas? Which landmarks would students choose to include in each location?3) Change the numbersAsk students to fill in the blank. The _____ Little Pigs5? 10? 100? Other ideas?If there were 5 little pigs, what materials might the two additional houses be made out of? How would one hundred little pigs work together to defeat the wolf?
Ask your students—by themselves, in pairs, or in small groups—to choose one fable or fairytale and change the characters, the setting, or the numbers. Then students can try writing up (and maybe illustrating!) their own stories.
Another fun activity for classroom writing is to create a mash-up. What if Goldilocks wants to race against Hare and Tortoise? Or what if the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood turns out to be the twin brother of the wolf from The Three Little Pigs…and they decide to team up? Encourage your students to brainstorm different combinations of fables and fairytales, then to write up their favorite.
Starting with a known story takes the pressure off of kids to “think of an idea,” which frees them to be creative and, most importantly, to have fun!
Laura Gehl is the author of One Big Pair of Underwear, a Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title; Hare and Tortoise Race Across Israel; And Then Another Sheep Turned Up; and the Peep and Egg series (hatching spring 2016). Laura also writes about science for kids and adults. She lives in Maryland with her husband and four children. Visit Laura online at www.lauragehl.com and www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraGehl.
April 6, 2015
Writing Connections with Pam Munoz Ryan
by Mary Quattlebaum
Pam Munoz Ryanbrings magic and music to a novel about social justice in Echo (Scholastic, 2015, ages 10-14). I talked recently with Pam about this new novel, set during World War II, and its magical harmonica. Click here for the KidsPost/WashingtonPost article.
Below are a few writing prompts for the classroom or for individual writers ages 8 and up.
FAIRY TALES AND MAGICAL OBJECTS: The book opens with a fairy tale and an unlikely magical object: the ordinary harmonica.Classroom Discussion: Ask students how the harmonica helped the three children in the separate stories. What did students learn about harmonicas?Classroom Writing: Ask students to bring in an ordinary object from home (baseball bat, stuffed toy, box, charm, etc.). Have them write their own tale in which this object is magical. What does it do? If they do some research into the object (as Pam did with the harmonica), how might it enter into or make the tale even more interesting?
SOCIAL JUSTICE: All the young characters wrestle with issues of social justice. In Nazi Germany, Friedrich is marked as “undesirable” because of his birthmark. In Pennsylvania, Mike and his younger brother can be farmed out to do unpaid labor by their orphanage. In California, Ivy, who is Mexican American, must go to a school that’s different (and has fewer resources) than the one for white children.Classroom Discussion: How do these three children deal with the injustice in their lives? Brainstorm other times in history when there was injustice (slavery, Civil Rights era, women denied the vote, etc.). How did things change? Have students think about some rules they may consider unfair at school or ways they feel they may have been treated unjustly at home or in the wider world. How did this make them feel? What did they do? Have them list, first alone and then as a group, some injustices they see in this country and in the wider world. What are some ways they might create change?Classroom Writing: Make up a character (or write about yourself) in a moment of injustice. First describe the injustice and how it affects others. Then write about what happens to you or your character. Read aloud and discuss.
MORE DETAILS ABOUT PAM: Pam’s author website is www.pammunozryan.com.
Pam Munoz Ryanbrings magic and music to a novel about social justice in Echo (Scholastic, 2015, ages 10-14). I talked recently with Pam about this new novel, set during World War II, and its magical harmonica. Click here for the KidsPost/WashingtonPost article.
Below are a few writing prompts for the classroom or for individual writers ages 8 and up.
FAIRY TALES AND MAGICAL OBJECTS: The book opens with a fairy tale and an unlikely magical object: the ordinary harmonica.Classroom Discussion: Ask students how the harmonica helped the three children in the separate stories. What did students learn about harmonicas?Classroom Writing: Ask students to bring in an ordinary object from home (baseball bat, stuffed toy, box, charm, etc.). Have them write their own tale in which this object is magical. What does it do? If they do some research into the object (as Pam did with the harmonica), how might it enter into or make the tale even more interesting?SOCIAL JUSTICE: All the young characters wrestle with issues of social justice. In Nazi Germany, Friedrich is marked as “undesirable” because of his birthmark. In Pennsylvania, Mike and his younger brother can be farmed out to do unpaid labor by their orphanage. In California, Ivy, who is Mexican American, must go to a school that’s different (and has fewer resources) than the one for white children.Classroom Discussion: How do these three children deal with the injustice in their lives? Brainstorm other times in history when there was injustice (slavery, Civil Rights era, women denied the vote, etc.). How did things change? Have students think about some rules they may consider unfair at school or ways they feel they may have been treated unjustly at home or in the wider world. How did this make them feel? What did they do? Have them list, first alone and then as a group, some injustices they see in this country and in the wider world. What are some ways they might create change?Classroom Writing: Make up a character (or write about yourself) in a moment of injustice. First describe the injustice and how it affects others. Then write about what happens to you or your character. Read aloud and discuss.
MORE DETAILS ABOUT PAM: Pam’s author website is www.pammunozryan.com. March 30, 2015
Differently Abled Writers
by Karen Leggett Abouraya
Each year, on the same day we learn about the life-changing Newbery and Caldecott Awards in children’s literature, the Schneider Family Awards are announced, honoring authors for their portrayal of the disability experience. This year’s winners are:
· Alan Rabinowitz and illustrator Catia Chien for A Boy and a Jaguar (for children up to age 8) – about his own life as a boy who stuttered except when he talked to animals, · Rain Reignby Ann M. Martin (ages 9 to 13) – about a girl with autism who must leave the security of her routines to find her beloved dog after a storm, · Girls Like Us by Gail Giles (teens), about two girls with learning and developmental disabilities who are making the difficult transition to independent living after high school.
All three books enable young readers to see life from the perspective of someone who thinks and works differently, but is not really that different in the ways that matter most. And as it turns out, one of the Newbery Honor books this year is by Cece Bell (El Deafo), an author who is deaf and made a marvelous video about her experiences. There are most likely some differently abled youngsters in your classes.
Nic Stearns, a founder of the ArtStream inclusive theatre in Maryland/Virginia, is about to publish a children’s story written jointly with Megan, a young woman who has Down’s Syndrome.
As we come to the very end of National Developmental Disability Awareness Month, I’d like to share the type of conversation Nic has with Megan that helps build the story and can serve as a model you can use in class to help every student feel like a writer. The role of Nic in the conversation can be played by a teacher, an aide or even another student (perhaps an older student mentor). Nic and Megan are writing a story about two friends, Pauline and Tiff.
Nic: "What is Pauline's favorite color?"
Megan pointed at her own purple shirt.
"Purple? Does she wear a lot of purple?" Nicolette asked.
Megan answered, "Yes. Only purple."
Nicolette asked, "What does Pauline like to do? Does she like to sing or does she like to dance?"
"Tap dance!" Megan answered excitedly.
"Does Pauline wear her tap shoes at home?" Nicolette asked.
"Yes," answered Megan.
Nicolette asked, "Well, how about at school?"
"Yes," Megan said.
"Where else does she wear them?" Nicolette wondered, "To the grocery store?"
"Yes," Megan affirmed. "And when she gets ice cream."
Often, Nic moved the story along by giving Megan fill-in-the-blank sentences: “The most important thing about friendship is………..”
As Nic Stearns says, writing became an “opportunity to look beyond Megan’s disabilities to see the beautiful, creative person she is.” (More about ArtStream and the writing project here.)
http://childrensbookguild.org/karen-l...
Each year, on the same day we learn about the life-changing Newbery and Caldecott Awards in children’s literature, the Schneider Family Awards are announced, honoring authors for their portrayal of the disability experience. This year’s winners are:
· Alan Rabinowitz and illustrator Catia Chien for A Boy and a Jaguar (for children up to age 8) – about his own life as a boy who stuttered except when he talked to animals, · Rain Reignby Ann M. Martin (ages 9 to 13) – about a girl with autism who must leave the security of her routines to find her beloved dog after a storm, · Girls Like Us by Gail Giles (teens), about two girls with learning and developmental disabilities who are making the difficult transition to independent living after high school.
All three books enable young readers to see life from the perspective of someone who thinks and works differently, but is not really that different in the ways that matter most. And as it turns out, one of the Newbery Honor books this year is by Cece Bell (El Deafo), an author who is deaf and made a marvelous video about her experiences. There are most likely some differently abled youngsters in your classes.
Nic Stearns, a founder of the ArtStream inclusive theatre in Maryland/Virginia, is about to publish a children’s story written jointly with Megan, a young woman who has Down’s Syndrome.
As we come to the very end of National Developmental Disability Awareness Month, I’d like to share the type of conversation Nic has with Megan that helps build the story and can serve as a model you can use in class to help every student feel like a writer. The role of Nic in the conversation can be played by a teacher, an aide or even another student (perhaps an older student mentor). Nic and Megan are writing a story about two friends, Pauline and Tiff.
Nic: "What is Pauline's favorite color?"
Megan pointed at her own purple shirt.
"Purple? Does she wear a lot of purple?" Nicolette asked.
Megan answered, "Yes. Only purple."
Nicolette asked, "What does Pauline like to do? Does she like to sing or does she like to dance?"
"Tap dance!" Megan answered excitedly.
"Does Pauline wear her tap shoes at home?" Nicolette asked.
"Yes," answered Megan.
Nicolette asked, "Well, how about at school?"
"Yes," Megan said.
"Where else does she wear them?" Nicolette wondered, "To the grocery store?"
"Yes," Megan affirmed. "And when she gets ice cream."
Often, Nic moved the story along by giving Megan fill-in-the-blank sentences: “The most important thing about friendship is………..”
As Nic Stearns says, writing became an “opportunity to look beyond Megan’s disabilities to see the beautiful, creative person she is.” (More about ArtStream and the writing project here.)
http://childrensbookguild.org/karen-l...
March 23, 2015
A DIVERSE POEM IN YOUR POCKET
by Jacqueline Jules
A poem is a great addition to any celebration in the classroom or out of it. Short poems, in particular, are fun since students can easily read or chant along. But where can you find great poems on St. Patrick’s Day, Random Acts of Kindness Week, National Library Week, President’s Day, Veteran’s Day, Earth Day, Constitution Day, Grandparents Day, Global Handwashing Day, and dozens of other holidays?
THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONS edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong features 156 poems by 115 different poets, including Jack Prelutsky, J. Patrick Lewis, Joyce Sidman, Margarita Engle, Marilyn Singer, Nikki Grimes, Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy, Linda Sue Park, Jane Yolen, Kenn Nesbitt, Grace Lin, Joseph Bruchac, Douglas Florian, Laura Purdie Salas, and Pencil Tip bloggers, Mary Quattlebaum and Jacqueline Jules.
This anthology of high quality verse is unique for its diversity and its breadth. Every poem is published in English and Spanish. Poems for Ramadan, Passover, Divali, and Native American traditions appear alongside light-hearted celebrations like National Popcorn Day, National Cereal Day, and National Yo-Yo Day.
The book is divided into months, January through December, and each section ends with a bonus poem celebrating “Birthdays and Baby Days.” Some of these extra selections offer cultural insights such as Joseph Bruchac’s poem “Winter Counting” explaining why Native Americans count winters rather than years. Andrea Cheng’s “Wishes Around the World” describes the long noodles made by her Grandma Nai Nai and a blending of birthday traditions. Other holiday poems on generic topics such as Grandparents Day embrace diversity, too. In “Far Away on Grandparents Day,” Julie Larios writes about receiving “besitos across the long miles” from abuelo and abuela. THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONS will make every child in your classroom feel represented and included. And many of the poems can be treasured at home for family celebrations.
THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONS is available in two editions. A student edition of 175 pages in a large format, features a single poem per page in Spanish and English with a lively digital art illustration. The teacher’s edition with 371 pages has ideas for pairing picture books with each poem and other activities for each poem, plus helpful notes for sharing poetry in the classroom.
In addition, there is a terrific dedicated website for THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONSwith poem graphics, videos, lesson ideas, and more.
Check out a video for my own poem, “Bubbles” for Global Handwashing Day.
And this poem by Kristy Dempsey for the upcoming D.E.A.R. Day on April 12th.
The poems in THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONS can be read aloud in about a minute, making them perfect prompts for students to write their own holiday poems. Challenge your students to write about their favorite holiday or invent a holiday to celebrate. Enjoy!
www.jacquelinejules.com
A poem is a great addition to any celebration in the classroom or out of it. Short poems, in particular, are fun since students can easily read or chant along. But where can you find great poems on St. Patrick’s Day, Random Acts of Kindness Week, National Library Week, President’s Day, Veteran’s Day, Earth Day, Constitution Day, Grandparents Day, Global Handwashing Day, and dozens of other holidays? THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONS edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong features 156 poems by 115 different poets, including Jack Prelutsky, J. Patrick Lewis, Joyce Sidman, Margarita Engle, Marilyn Singer, Nikki Grimes, Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy, Linda Sue Park, Jane Yolen, Kenn Nesbitt, Grace Lin, Joseph Bruchac, Douglas Florian, Laura Purdie Salas, and Pencil Tip bloggers, Mary Quattlebaum and Jacqueline Jules.
This anthology of high quality verse is unique for its diversity and its breadth. Every poem is published in English and Spanish. Poems for Ramadan, Passover, Divali, and Native American traditions appear alongside light-hearted celebrations like National Popcorn Day, National Cereal Day, and National Yo-Yo Day.
The book is divided into months, January through December, and each section ends with a bonus poem celebrating “Birthdays and Baby Days.” Some of these extra selections offer cultural insights such as Joseph Bruchac’s poem “Winter Counting” explaining why Native Americans count winters rather than years. Andrea Cheng’s “Wishes Around the World” describes the long noodles made by her Grandma Nai Nai and a blending of birthday traditions. Other holiday poems on generic topics such as Grandparents Day embrace diversity, too. In “Far Away on Grandparents Day,” Julie Larios writes about receiving “besitos across the long miles” from abuelo and abuela. THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONS will make every child in your classroom feel represented and included. And many of the poems can be treasured at home for family celebrations.
THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONS is available in two editions. A student edition of 175 pages in a large format, features a single poem per page in Spanish and English with a lively digital art illustration. The teacher’s edition with 371 pages has ideas for pairing picture books with each poem and other activities for each poem, plus helpful notes for sharing poetry in the classroom.
In addition, there is a terrific dedicated website for THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONSwith poem graphics, videos, lesson ideas, and more.
Check out a video for my own poem, “Bubbles” for Global Handwashing Day.
And this poem by Kristy Dempsey for the upcoming D.E.A.R. Day on April 12th.
The poems in THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONS can be read aloud in about a minute, making them perfect prompts for students to write their own holiday poems. Challenge your students to write about their favorite holiday or invent a holiday to celebrate. Enjoy!
www.jacquelinejules.com
March 16, 2015
INSPIRATION FROM NATURE
by Alison Ashley Formento
It’s been five years since my first picture book, This Tree Counts!, was published and I still hike past the old tree that inspired my story several times a week at my local nature center. I first wrote a short poem imagining what that tree would say if it could speak. As I share in my school visits, we know that bees communicate in their hives, and it’s possible that trees communicate, too, in ways that we, as humans, don’t yet understand.
Hiking through a forest, under a leafy canopy hearing birds overhead, is my quiet place, where I can breathe in fresh air and enjoy the incredible beauty of being alive in this world.
Write about your special place…
What place in nature makes you feel special? Is it next to a tree or on a beach at the ocean?
Take a class hike around your schoolyard. Take notes about what you see.Write what seems special about the playground, the parking area, and the school building. Now focus on all that is natural surrounding your school.Is there a tree that is shorter or taller than the others?Is there a quiet spot to sit outside your school?Are there any rocks, streams, or ponds on your school property?Do you see any animals or birds around your school? What do you like the least and the most about the grounds surrounding your school?
Choose what means the most to you from your notes and write a short poem. I imagined a tree speaking to me for This Tree Counts! What do you hear in your imagination about your school grounds? What counts most to you about what you see each day at school? Photographs and drawings are a nice addition to your words.
www.alisonashleyformento.com
It’s been five years since my first picture book, This Tree Counts!, was published and I still hike past the old tree that inspired my story several times a week at my local nature center. I first wrote a short poem imagining what that tree would say if it could speak. As I share in my school visits, we know that bees communicate in their hives, and it’s possible that trees communicate, too, in ways that we, as humans, don’t yet understand. Hiking through a forest, under a leafy canopy hearing birds overhead, is my quiet place, where I can breathe in fresh air and enjoy the incredible beauty of being alive in this world.
Write about your special place…
What place in nature makes you feel special? Is it next to a tree or on a beach at the ocean?
Take a class hike around your schoolyard. Take notes about what you see.Write what seems special about the playground, the parking area, and the school building. Now focus on all that is natural surrounding your school.Is there a tree that is shorter or taller than the others?Is there a quiet spot to sit outside your school?Are there any rocks, streams, or ponds on your school property?Do you see any animals or birds around your school? What do you like the least and the most about the grounds surrounding your school?
Choose what means the most to you from your notes and write a short poem. I imagined a tree speaking to me for This Tree Counts! What do you hear in your imagination about your school grounds? What counts most to you about what you see each day at school? Photographs and drawings are a nice addition to your words.
www.alisonashleyformento.com
March 9, 2015
SELF-DESCRIPTION WITH SIMILE
by Jacqueline Jules
Simile may not be a hard concept for students to grasp. However, coming up with inventive rather than tired or trite comparisons can be challenging for many young writers. Luckily, Hanoch Piven has created two amazing picture books to help jump start creative thinking.
In My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks, Piven creates funny family portraits with everyday objects. On one page, Dad is described “as playful as a spinning top” and “as fun as a party favor.” The next spread shows a picture of Dad with a spinning top for a nose and a party favor for his right eye. Likewise, the family dog who is “as stinky as an onion” is humorously portrayed in a collage with onion eyes and a pepperoni nose.
At the back of the book, Piven challenges young readers to describe their own families, suggesting they make a list of ordinary objects that indicate “smart,” “soft,” “scratchy,” “strong,” etc. The use of objects provides a visual that should energize young writers wishing to provoke the same laughter Piven’s picture book does.
Piven tackles classroom portraits in My Best Friend is as Sharp as a Pencil with the same hilarious results. Different members of the class are described as “quiet as a fish” or “happy as gummy worms.” An afterward explains how Piven has conducted workshops in object art around the world.
If these picture books don’t stimulate inventive similes and lots of laughter in your writing workshop, nothing will.
Ask your students to collect simple objects to describe themselves, family members, or classroom friends. Give them the opportunity to make a collage and write a story about it. Have fun!
www.jacquelinejules.com
Simile may not be a hard concept for students to grasp. However, coming up with inventive rather than tired or trite comparisons can be challenging for many young writers. Luckily, Hanoch Piven has created two amazing picture books to help jump start creative thinking.
In My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks, Piven creates funny family portraits with everyday objects. On one page, Dad is described “as playful as a spinning top” and “as fun as a party favor.” The next spread shows a picture of Dad with a spinning top for a nose and a party favor for his right eye. Likewise, the family dog who is “as stinky as an onion” is humorously portrayed in a collage with onion eyes and a pepperoni nose. At the back of the book, Piven challenges young readers to describe their own families, suggesting they make a list of ordinary objects that indicate “smart,” “soft,” “scratchy,” “strong,” etc. The use of objects provides a visual that should energize young writers wishing to provoke the same laughter Piven’s picture book does.
Piven tackles classroom portraits in My Best Friend is as Sharp as a Pencil with the same hilarious results. Different members of the class are described as “quiet as a fish” or “happy as gummy worms.” An afterward explains how Piven has conducted workshops in object art around the world. If these picture books don’t stimulate inventive similes and lots of laughter in your writing workshop, nothing will.
Ask your students to collect simple objects to describe themselves, family members, or classroom friends. Give them the opportunity to make a collage and write a story about it. Have fun!
www.jacquelinejules.com
WRITING POURQUOI STORIES
by Alexis York Lumbard
When I stumbled upon the fable Why Trees Lose Their Leaves in an old collection of Native American stories, I hadn’t yet developed an appreciation for the pourquoi form. As many of you know, a pourquoi tale is a specific kind of fable, one that explains “why” or “how” something in the natural world came to be.
According to the old storytellers, the reason deciduous trees lose their leaves each winter is that long ago a poor sparrow injured his wing and couldn’t migrate with his family as winter approached. Seeking shelter from the cold, sparrow hobbled from tree to tree begging for help. Only Pine, who has the least to offer, shows compassion. For this reason Pine alone remains green against the snow, evergreen evermore. The bareness of trees, according to this pourquoi fable, reminds us how terribly empty selfishness can be. Thanks to this pourquoi story, I now view the winter landscape in a fresh and thoughtful light.
Seeing with an eye of wonder is what children do best. Why does a chameleon change color? Why is the sky blue? Why do zebras have strips? Ask a child such questions and you will see their bright eyes widen with possibility. Many will whip up hilarious answers. The more fun something is, the more inclined children are to do it. This exercise will show them how fun creative writing can be.
Creative Writing with Pourquoi Stories—Five Easy Steps
1) Define the Genre- Pourquoi stories are traditional stories that explain “how” or “why” something in nature came to be.2) Read Several Examples— There are many traditional African and Native American pourquoi stories. Ashley Bryan has several, so too does Joseph Bruchac. 3) Review the Three-Act Structure— Pourquoi tales generally share a few common characteristics. Firstly, they begin “a long time ago.” Secondly, someone misbehaves. This someone is often an animal and their bad behavior causes problems for everyone. Thirdly, a higher being or magic force steps in to solve the problem, punishing the naughty animal by changing forever their outer appearance. 4) Animal Selection- Ask the children to chose an animal to write about. They may choose any animal that arouses their curiosity. 5) Pen Your Own Pourquoi-- Ask your kids to use all the creative powers they can muster to come up with an imaginative explanation for why their animal looks they way it does. Make sure they follow the 3 Act Structure. Perhaps the will enjoy acting out or illustrating their new fables. If there is time, they might enjoy comparing their explanation with a scientific one.
I hope this exercise gives everyone a good laugh!
Alexis York Lumbard grew up in Northern Virginia where she eventually received a B.A. in Religious Studies from George Washington University. She currently lives in Natick, Massachusetts with her husband, three daughters, two hairless cats and a book-eating bunny rabbit. She has five picture books with Wisdom Tales Press including, The Conference of the Birds, Angels, Everyone Prays: Celebrating Faith Around the World, Pine and the Winter Sparrow, and the upcoming, When the Animals Saved Earth. For more about her work please see www.alexisyorklumbard.com
When I stumbled upon the fable Why Trees Lose Their Leaves in an old collection of Native American stories, I hadn’t yet developed an appreciation for the pourquoi form. As many of you know, a pourquoi tale is a specific kind of fable, one that explains “why” or “how” something in the natural world came to be.
According to the old storytellers, the reason deciduous trees lose their leaves each winter is that long ago a poor sparrow injured his wing and couldn’t migrate with his family as winter approached. Seeking shelter from the cold, sparrow hobbled from tree to tree begging for help. Only Pine, who has the least to offer, shows compassion. For this reason Pine alone remains green against the snow, evergreen evermore. The bareness of trees, according to this pourquoi fable, reminds us how terribly empty selfishness can be. Thanks to this pourquoi story, I now view the winter landscape in a fresh and thoughtful light.
Seeing with an eye of wonder is what children do best. Why does a chameleon change color? Why is the sky blue? Why do zebras have strips? Ask a child such questions and you will see their bright eyes widen with possibility. Many will whip up hilarious answers. The more fun something is, the more inclined children are to do it. This exercise will show them how fun creative writing can be.
Creative Writing with Pourquoi Stories—Five Easy Steps
1) Define the Genre- Pourquoi stories are traditional stories that explain “how” or “why” something in nature came to be.2) Read Several Examples— There are many traditional African and Native American pourquoi stories. Ashley Bryan has several, so too does Joseph Bruchac. 3) Review the Three-Act Structure— Pourquoi tales generally share a few common characteristics. Firstly, they begin “a long time ago.” Secondly, someone misbehaves. This someone is often an animal and their bad behavior causes problems for everyone. Thirdly, a higher being or magic force steps in to solve the problem, punishing the naughty animal by changing forever their outer appearance. 4) Animal Selection- Ask the children to chose an animal to write about. They may choose any animal that arouses their curiosity. 5) Pen Your Own Pourquoi-- Ask your kids to use all the creative powers they can muster to come up with an imaginative explanation for why their animal looks they way it does. Make sure they follow the 3 Act Structure. Perhaps the will enjoy acting out or illustrating their new fables. If there is time, they might enjoy comparing their explanation with a scientific one.
I hope this exercise gives everyone a good laugh!
Alexis York Lumbard grew up in Northern Virginia where she eventually received a B.A. in Religious Studies from George Washington University. She currently lives in Natick, Massachusetts with her husband, three daughters, two hairless cats and a book-eating bunny rabbit. She has five picture books with Wisdom Tales Press including, The Conference of the Birds, Angels, Everyone Prays: Celebrating Faith Around the World, Pine and the Winter Sparrow, and the upcoming, When the Animals Saved Earth. For more about her work please see www.alexisyorklumbard.com March 2, 2015
Printmaking with Picture Books
by Joan Waites
With snow, sleet and rain still in the forecast, it’s sometimes hard to imagine that spring will ever arrive. One way to brighten up the classroom is to work on some springtime art and writing activities with your students, even though it may be a month or more till we see some green.
A project that is always big hit with my students (and one that produces successful results), is printmaking. When talking about and explaining how different types of prints are made, I will often use one or more picture books where the illustrations were created with prints (as opposed to painting, drawing, or digital art) to show as examples.
The artwork created by Caldecott winning artist Mary Azarian, is a great way to introduce students to the art of printmaking. In her one of many books, A Gardener’s Alphabet, Mary highlights her own garden filled with beautiful flowers. The illustrations are created with woodblock prints, which would be too hazardous a technique for little hands. For making prints in the classroom, I use the simpler and safer technique below. Using this technique, have children illustrate some flowers in a vase or a garden scene as depicted in the picture book. Simpler lines and shapes produce better results as opposed to a lot of detail. Students could also write a short paragraph about their own garden, one in their community, or one they have visited. Ask them to describe the garden using details like smells, colors, and textures.
Making a Styrofoam Print
*Using inexpensive Styrofoam printing plates (purchased from art supply stores), or carefully washed, recycled meatpacking trays, have students draw with a pencil directly on to the plate, using firm pressure.
*Go over lines on the plate one more time, making sure the lines indented are thick and deep (without going all the way through the plate).
*Roll out some water-soluble printing ink or some heavy body acrylic paint with a brayer. If a brayer is not available, brush on paint with an inexpensive foam brush. Be careful to not fill the lines up with paint. If this happens, simply swipe out the excess paint from the lines with a pencil.
*Place a sheet of printing or other smooth paper on top of the inked plate, and firmly rub your hands over the paper using some pressure.
* Pull off the paper to reveal the print! The plate can be rinsed with soap and water, dried, and used again with different or multiple colors.
www.joanwaites.com
With snow, sleet and rain still in the forecast, it’s sometimes hard to imagine that spring will ever arrive. One way to brighten up the classroom is to work on some springtime art and writing activities with your students, even though it may be a month or more till we see some green.
A project that is always big hit with my students (and one that produces successful results), is printmaking. When talking about and explaining how different types of prints are made, I will often use one or more picture books where the illustrations were created with prints (as opposed to painting, drawing, or digital art) to show as examples.
The artwork created by Caldecott winning artist Mary Azarian, is a great way to introduce students to the art of printmaking. In her one of many books, A Gardener’s Alphabet, Mary highlights her own garden filled with beautiful flowers. The illustrations are created with woodblock prints, which would be too hazardous a technique for little hands. For making prints in the classroom, I use the simpler and safer technique below. Using this technique, have children illustrate some flowers in a vase or a garden scene as depicted in the picture book. Simpler lines and shapes produce better results as opposed to a lot of detail. Students could also write a short paragraph about their own garden, one in their community, or one they have visited. Ask them to describe the garden using details like smells, colors, and textures.
Making a Styrofoam Print
*Using inexpensive Styrofoam printing plates (purchased from art supply stores), or carefully washed, recycled meatpacking trays, have students draw with a pencil directly on to the plate, using firm pressure. *Go over lines on the plate one more time, making sure the lines indented are thick and deep (without going all the way through the plate).
*Roll out some water-soluble printing ink or some heavy body acrylic paint with a brayer. If a brayer is not available, brush on paint with an inexpensive foam brush. Be careful to not fill the lines up with paint. If this happens, simply swipe out the excess paint from the lines with a pencil.
*Place a sheet of printing or other smooth paper on top of the inked plate, and firmly rub your hands over the paper using some pressure.* Pull off the paper to reveal the print! The plate can be rinsed with soap and water, dried, and used again with different or multiple colors.
www.joanwaites.com
February 23, 2015
Writing Connections with Kwame Alexander and The Crossover
by Mary Quattlebaum
The Crossover
, the 2015 Newbery Medal winner, offers powerful lessons for writers of all ages. At a recent meeting of the Children’s Book Guild in Washington, DC, Kwame Alexander shared craft insights related to his novel in verse, which I then shaped into the following three writing prompts:
1. UP YOUR LANGUAGE GAME: Read aloud some hip-hop basketball poems (“Dribbling,” “The Show,” “Man to Man,” “Show-off,” “The Last Shot”).
Classroom Writing: Have students write down the words and elements (line breaks, capitalization, font-size changes, rhymes, onomatopoeic words) that make this poem look and sound like a game of basketball. Why might the author have made these choices? Ask students to close their eyes and picture themselves playing a sport or doing an activity they love (soccer, ballet, hiking, painting, playing a musical instrument), then jot down words that remind them of this sport/activity and how it makes them feel to do it. Ask them to write a poem or paragraph that captures (through sound, capitalization, font-change, line breaks, etc.) the way this sport/activity moves. The final line or sentence might be how they feel doing it.
2. WHAT’S IN A NAME: Main character Josh Bell talks about his nickname in four poems (“Josh Bell,” “How I Got My Nickname,” “At First,” “Filthy McNasty”). What’s the nickname and who gave it to him? How does he feel about it at first? Why does he change his mind? How does he feel the nickname fits him in the last poem of those four?
Classroom Discussion: Ask students if they have a nickname. Is it a shortening of their real name? A characteristic? How do they feel about it? Has that feeling changed over time?
Classroom Writing: Ask students to write a name (could be an actual name or a nickname) that they would like to be called. Why does this name fit them better, perhaps, than their real name? (This could be a paragraph or a poem.)
Newbery winner Kwame Alexander and librarian Deborah Taylor, honored this year by ALA.
3. WHO’S IN YOUR LIFE?: Kwame thanked Deborah Taylor for suggesting, early in his career, that he write about a father, like his own, who is a strong influence on a young main character. (Deb was in the audience and is the recipient of the 2015 Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. She works at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Md., and has been a beloved literacy advocate and mentor for teens.)
Classroom Discussion: Have students discuss Josh’s father. Josh includes many details about Dad so that readers get a clear sense of his personality. What does he like to do? (Give advice about basketball to his sons, tell stories and puns, eat salty foods.) How does Josh feel about him? Can students find the italicized words that Dad actually speaks? What does he say?
Classroom Writing: Ask students to think of someone in their life that they would like to write about. Have them jot down what this person likes to do and eat, their favorite words or phrases, and something that the student and this person have done together and how student feels about that. (This might be a poem or piece of prose.)
MORE DETAILS ABOUT KWAME: Click here for Abby McGanney Nolan’s interview with Kwame in the KidsPost section of the Washington Post.
www.maryquattlebaum.com
The Crossover
, the 2015 Newbery Medal winner, offers powerful lessons for writers of all ages. At a recent meeting of the Children’s Book Guild in Washington, DC, Kwame Alexander shared craft insights related to his novel in verse, which I then shaped into the following three writing prompts:1. UP YOUR LANGUAGE GAME: Read aloud some hip-hop basketball poems (“Dribbling,” “The Show,” “Man to Man,” “Show-off,” “The Last Shot”).
Classroom Writing: Have students write down the words and elements (line breaks, capitalization, font-size changes, rhymes, onomatopoeic words) that make this poem look and sound like a game of basketball. Why might the author have made these choices? Ask students to close their eyes and picture themselves playing a sport or doing an activity they love (soccer, ballet, hiking, painting, playing a musical instrument), then jot down words that remind them of this sport/activity and how it makes them feel to do it. Ask them to write a poem or paragraph that captures (through sound, capitalization, font-change, line breaks, etc.) the way this sport/activity moves. The final line or sentence might be how they feel doing it.
2. WHAT’S IN A NAME: Main character Josh Bell talks about his nickname in four poems (“Josh Bell,” “How I Got My Nickname,” “At First,” “Filthy McNasty”). What’s the nickname and who gave it to him? How does he feel about it at first? Why does he change his mind? How does he feel the nickname fits him in the last poem of those four?
Classroom Discussion: Ask students if they have a nickname. Is it a shortening of their real name? A characteristic? How do they feel about it? Has that feeling changed over time?
Classroom Writing: Ask students to write a name (could be an actual name or a nickname) that they would like to be called. Why does this name fit them better, perhaps, than their real name? (This could be a paragraph or a poem.)
Newbery winner Kwame Alexander and librarian Deborah Taylor, honored this year by ALA.3. WHO’S IN YOUR LIFE?: Kwame thanked Deborah Taylor for suggesting, early in his career, that he write about a father, like his own, who is a strong influence on a young main character. (Deb was in the audience and is the recipient of the 2015 Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. She works at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Md., and has been a beloved literacy advocate and mentor for teens.)
Classroom Discussion: Have students discuss Josh’s father. Josh includes many details about Dad so that readers get a clear sense of his personality. What does he like to do? (Give advice about basketball to his sons, tell stories and puns, eat salty foods.) How does Josh feel about him? Can students find the italicized words that Dad actually speaks? What does he say?
Classroom Writing: Ask students to think of someone in their life that they would like to write about. Have them jot down what this person likes to do and eat, their favorite words or phrases, and something that the student and this person have done together and how student feels about that. (This might be a poem or piece of prose.)
MORE DETAILS ABOUT KWAME: Click here for Abby McGanney Nolan’s interview with Kwame in the KidsPost section of the Washington Post.
www.maryquattlebaum.com
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