Mary Quattlebaum's Blog, page 31
October 29, 2012
THE COLOR OF WORDS
by Joan Waites
Having just taught a class that focused on simple color theory with my young students A wonderful example of deliberate color choice is the book Sharing the Seasons a Book of Poems, (Margaret K. McElderry Books /Simon and Schuster, 2010) selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by David Diaz. Warm, vibrant oranges, purples and greens illustrate the poems for autumn. Crisp whites and pale blues illustrate the winter poems, while deep blue-greens are used for summer. These seasonal color choices make sense and complement the text perfectly.
What about mood or emotion? A sad poem illustrated in bright neon hues would seem too stark a contrast. A poem about love illustrated in muted browns would not capture the right emotion. The choice of color can also be very important to a story taking place in a different time, place or country.
To use these ideas in the classroom, first have a discussion about warm and cool colors and how certain colors are typically used to illustrate different seasons. Next, talk about which colors evoke certain emotions ex: (red for anger, yellow for happiness, grey for sadness or despair, etc.). Using the book mentioned above or another illustrated book of children’s poems, ask students to talk about the color choices the artist used and if they are (or are not) a good match for the poem.
For a hands-on exercise, read several poems aloud to students and ask them to create an accompanying illustration using deliberate color choices. Plain white paper, crayons or colored pencils would work well. Use as examples some seasonal poems, but also challenge students with poems that have an emotional content. Have students share drawings with the class and explain their color choices. Older students can be given an assignment to write their own original poems to illustrate.
I’m anxious to try this with my students and find out what colors they will chose to color their words!
www.joanwaites.com
Having just taught a class that focused on simple color theory with my young students A wonderful example of deliberate color choice is the book Sharing the Seasons a Book of Poems, (Margaret K. McElderry Books /Simon and Schuster, 2010) selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by David Diaz. Warm, vibrant oranges, purples and greens illustrate the poems for autumn. Crisp whites and pale blues illustrate the winter poems, while deep blue-greens are used for summer. These seasonal color choices make sense and complement the text perfectly.
What about mood or emotion? A sad poem illustrated in bright neon hues would seem too stark a contrast. A poem about love illustrated in muted browns would not capture the right emotion. The choice of color can also be very important to a story taking place in a different time, place or country.
To use these ideas in the classroom, first have a discussion about warm and cool colors and how certain colors are typically used to illustrate different seasons. Next, talk about which colors evoke certain emotions ex: (red for anger, yellow for happiness, grey for sadness or despair, etc.). Using the book mentioned above or another illustrated book of children’s poems, ask students to talk about the color choices the artist used and if they are (or are not) a good match for the poem.
For a hands-on exercise, read several poems aloud to students and ask them to create an accompanying illustration using deliberate color choices. Plain white paper, crayons or colored pencils would work well. Use as examples some seasonal poems, but also challenge students with poems that have an emotional content. Have students share drawings with the class and explain their color choices. Older students can be given an assignment to write their own original poems to illustrate.
I’m anxious to try this with my students and find out what colors they will chose to color their words!
www.joanwaites.com
October 22, 2012
AND DON’T COPY THIS, EITHER!
by Jane Harrington
In my last post I gaily embraced the creativity of cutting and pasting summer scraps into journals to spur original writing at the start of a school year, and now, two months into the fall semester, I’m on a tirade against cut-and-paste. Must be the influence of another political season: I’ve become a flip-flopper.
I now teach in a college, so tend to feel that the issues facing the students in my current classrooms are far different than those that faced the young writers of classrooms past. Jacqueline Jules’ October post, though, contained several bits of advice that I have to admit I took right to my 18-plus-year-old students. I have a problem with plagiarism in my freshman composition classrooms. And the more I talk to colleagues, the more I see that it is of epidemic proportions. Jacqueline is right to be embracing it in the way she is, and it gives me hope that the conversation will continue to be had in these places where it so needs to be—in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and around the kitchen table at home. So, in hopes of inspiring just that, I’d like to add a few things to Jacqueline’s list of ideas to encourage the avoidance of copying the words of others:
· Celebrate Voice! If young writers learn that personal expression is all about the uniqueness of the words they use—not only when writing poetry or other “creative” pieces, but when putting together reports or even text messages—perhaps they will take more ownership over their writing, and offer more respect to the people behind the words they read on the screen of a computer or in a book. Spending some time reading aloud and positively responding to the various ways students express similar ideas might be a step to instilling pride in personal voices.
· Minimize Distractions! Not only does the zap-zap-zapping of computer games have a deleterious effect on brain development, as studies are now showing, the constant barrage of electronic media presents some very basic problems: it steals time from our children, and breaks their concentration. My students have to write the first essays of their college careers on the topic of plagiarism, and the ones who take the “true confessions” approach will invariably say they got into a habit of plagiarizing because of a lack of time. Some students even go so far as to villanize their cellphones for interrupting them all the time. Who owns whom? I want to ask these students. Clearly, our children need some help with this.
· Catch Them! Sounds harsh, but I have to say that the freshmen who hit the wall on this—who sit in my office crying because they’re afraid of the possible repercussions—are the ones who embrace a new way of learning, change the way they study, and become exemplars of our honor code. They tell me, invariably, that no one taught them that it was wrong to turn in writing assignments made up of disparate sentences and paragraphs cut from Internet sources and patched into strange narrative quilts. In fact, most say they were rewarded with good grades in high school. When we see odd shifts in voice in our students’ writing, we should actively try to find the explanation. Drop phrases into Google, and you’ll see that Wikipedia and About.com will pop up quite a bit. Put an “F” on that paper, and meet with the student. Because once he or she arrives on a college campus, that’s an offense that can result in expulsion. Catching this habit early on, and dealing with it bluntly enough to instill a bit of fear, is a good tact. Why do I think so? Because that’s exactly what my students say would have helped them.
www.janeharrington.com
In my last post I gaily embraced the creativity of cutting and pasting summer scraps into journals to spur original writing at the start of a school year, and now, two months into the fall semester, I’m on a tirade against cut-and-paste. Must be the influence of another political season: I’ve become a flip-flopper.
I now teach in a college, so tend to feel that the issues facing the students in my current classrooms are far different than those that faced the young writers of classrooms past. Jacqueline Jules’ October post, though, contained several bits of advice that I have to admit I took right to my 18-plus-year-old students. I have a problem with plagiarism in my freshman composition classrooms. And the more I talk to colleagues, the more I see that it is of epidemic proportions. Jacqueline is right to be embracing it in the way she is, and it gives me hope that the conversation will continue to be had in these places where it so needs to be—in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and around the kitchen table at home. So, in hopes of inspiring just that, I’d like to add a few things to Jacqueline’s list of ideas to encourage the avoidance of copying the words of others:
· Celebrate Voice! If young writers learn that personal expression is all about the uniqueness of the words they use—not only when writing poetry or other “creative” pieces, but when putting together reports or even text messages—perhaps they will take more ownership over their writing, and offer more respect to the people behind the words they read on the screen of a computer or in a book. Spending some time reading aloud and positively responding to the various ways students express similar ideas might be a step to instilling pride in personal voices.
· Minimize Distractions! Not only does the zap-zap-zapping of computer games have a deleterious effect on brain development, as studies are now showing, the constant barrage of electronic media presents some very basic problems: it steals time from our children, and breaks their concentration. My students have to write the first essays of their college careers on the topic of plagiarism, and the ones who take the “true confessions” approach will invariably say they got into a habit of plagiarizing because of a lack of time. Some students even go so far as to villanize their cellphones for interrupting them all the time. Who owns whom? I want to ask these students. Clearly, our children need some help with this.
· Catch Them! Sounds harsh, but I have to say that the freshmen who hit the wall on this—who sit in my office crying because they’re afraid of the possible repercussions—are the ones who embrace a new way of learning, change the way they study, and become exemplars of our honor code. They tell me, invariably, that no one taught them that it was wrong to turn in writing assignments made up of disparate sentences and paragraphs cut from Internet sources and patched into strange narrative quilts. In fact, most say they were rewarded with good grades in high school. When we see odd shifts in voice in our students’ writing, we should actively try to find the explanation. Drop phrases into Google, and you’ll see that Wikipedia and About.com will pop up quite a bit. Put an “F” on that paper, and meet with the student. Because once he or she arrives on a college campus, that’s an offense that can result in expulsion. Catching this habit early on, and dealing with it bluntly enough to instill a bit of fear, is a good tact. Why do I think so? Because that’s exactly what my students say would have helped them.
www.janeharrington.com
October 15, 2012
COOKING UP SOME WRITING FUN
by Mary Quattlebaum
We’re now in that “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,” so beautifully described by John Keats; and with pumpkins and Halloween candy highly visible, many a person’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of food (to adapt Tennyson’s spring-time line to autumn).
Food is a great connector, joining people within and across time, regions, countries, and ethnicities. Nothing can generate a spirited classroom or family discussion quicker than mention of a favorite (or detested) food. I’ve done the following prompt with kids and adults alike.
Favorite Food
1. Ask students to name their favorite food.
2. Have them close their eyes and call to mind a time when they prepared or ate it. With their eyes closed, have them focus on each of the five senses, one at a time: What do they notice about this particular food, on their plate or in their hand? Are there any particular sounds associated with this food or with the eating or preparing of it? What about smells? Taste? Touch, as in the temperature of the food and the texture in the mouth? Ask whether they are eating alone or with a group and what else they might notice about the setting or occasion.
3. Have them open their eyes and write, using at least three of their five senses, and trying to give a sense of where and when the food was eaten.
4. Share some descriptions with class. For students writing about the same food, have class point out differences and similarities in descriptions. Discuss how each person brings something different and unique to the description because each writer is unique and will notice different things/have different experiences to draw from.
Resources
Two helpful websites and their attendant blogs link food, children’s books and writing and education:
http://jamarattigan.com/ -- Jama’s Alphabet Soup, written by children’s author and foodie Jama Kim Rattigan, is self-described as “an eclectic feast of food, fiction and folderol.” It’s a delightful feast, indeed, with recipes, writing reflections and interviews with children’s authors and illustrators.
http://jeanraiford.com/ -- Preschool Parfait, developed by preschool teacher Jean Raiford, provides seasonal activities and recipes that playfully enhance the early learning environment in reading, science, math and social and physical skills.
www.maryquattlebaum.com
We’re now in that “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,” so beautifully described by John Keats; and with pumpkins and Halloween candy highly visible, many a person’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of food (to adapt Tennyson’s spring-time line to autumn).
Food is a great connector, joining people within and across time, regions, countries, and ethnicities. Nothing can generate a spirited classroom or family discussion quicker than mention of a favorite (or detested) food. I’ve done the following prompt with kids and adults alike.Favorite Food
1. Ask students to name their favorite food.
2. Have them close their eyes and call to mind a time when they prepared or ate it. With their eyes closed, have them focus on each of the five senses, one at a time: What do they notice about this particular food, on their plate or in their hand? Are there any particular sounds associated with this food or with the eating or preparing of it? What about smells? Taste? Touch, as in the temperature of the food and the texture in the mouth? Ask whether they are eating alone or with a group and what else they might notice about the setting or occasion.
3. Have them open their eyes and write, using at least three of their five senses, and trying to give a sense of where and when the food was eaten.
4. Share some descriptions with class. For students writing about the same food, have class point out differences and similarities in descriptions. Discuss how each person brings something different and unique to the description because each writer is unique and will notice different things/have different experiences to draw from.
Resources
Two helpful websites and their attendant blogs link food, children’s books and writing and education:
http://jamarattigan.com/ -- Jama’s Alphabet Soup, written by children’s author and foodie Jama Kim Rattigan, is self-described as “an eclectic feast of food, fiction and folderol.” It’s a delightful feast, indeed, with recipes, writing reflections and interviews with children’s authors and illustrators.
http://jeanraiford.com/ -- Preschool Parfait, developed by preschool teacher Jean Raiford, provides seasonal activities and recipes that playfully enhance the early learning environment in reading, science, math and social and physical skills.
www.maryquattlebaum.com
October 8, 2012
DON'T COPY IT!
by Jacqueline Jules Most elementary school students enjoy research. It is wonderful to see a classroom or library buzzing with students poring over nonfiction books and searching online resources. However, reading their reports can be disappointing. Too often, every other line sounds lifted directly from the informational texts they used. Most elementary school students understand that plagiarism is stealing someone else’s words. They don’t copy intentionally or maliciously. But they don’t understand how to take a concise, well-worded piece of information and put it into their own words. It’s a challenging task, even for an adult. You can model this process by displaying bits of text from an encyclopedia or other nonfiction source and discussing ways to share this information in one’s own words. Below are a few examples I shared with fourth graders in the midst of doing reports on countries. · Define words you do not know. For example, when I looked up Switzerland, I found references to its “alpine region.” Many of my fourth graders weren’t really sure what “alpine” meant. Looking up the word, we were able to define it as “a mountainous part of Switzerland.” · Make one sentence into two. “The Alpine region has approximately 10,000 avalanches a year,” can become “Switzerland has a mountainous region called the Alps. This area has around 10,000 avalanches a year.”· Use simpler words or synonyms. Can you use the word, “poor” in place of poverty? Can you say “people” for “population?” Using easier words in place of longer ones shows a comprehension of information. · Shorten the sentence. Instead of “Almost fifty percent of the population of Switzerland enjoys skiing regularly” say “Many people in Switzerland like to ski.”· Compare information to prior knowledge. If you look up Swiss history, you are likely to see that women did not get the vote until 1971. Comparing the year women in the United States got suffrage shows a 50-year difference. Thus, a simple fact from a text such as “Swiss women did not obtain suffrage until 1971” can become a thoughtful response on the order of …“Women in Switzerland got the right to vote fifty years later than American women. They only got the vote in 1971. If my grandmother lived in Switzerland, she would not have been allowed to vote.” · Avoid key phrases from the text. “Switzerland is world famous for its luxury watches” could become “Swiss watches are famous all over the world.” Avoiding “world famous” and “luxury watches” forces the writer to present the information in his or her own words.· Begin with the ending. Instead of copying "Geneva is home to many major world organization headquarters, including the World Health Organization” say “The World Health Organization has its headquarters in the Swiss city of Geneva.”
www.jacquelinejules.com
www.jacquelinejules.com
October 1, 2012
THE WORD ON WORDLESS BOOKS
by Laura Krauss Melmed
Picking up on the picture book literacy theme running recently through Pencil Tips, I have been thinking about wordless picture books. I’m a fan of these and like to collect them. This fascination might seem a little odd on the part of a picture book author who is not herself an illustrator, but in the hands of an amazing artist, pictures can sometimes tell it all. (I also love graphic novels, and I’m sure these two interests are related.)
One category of wordless book takes a “what if” concept and catapults it into a world of fantasy. My favorite book of this type is Flotsam, by David Wiesner, a mind-bending tale in which a boy finds an old camera on the beach. The camera leads him and the reader on a fantastical visual journey beneath the sea and back in time. Two other books in this vein are The Red Book, by Barbara Lehman, and Zoom by Istvan Banyai. For some reason, all of these books have vivid red covers. They are just plain fun to share with children, and in the case of Flotsam and The Red Book, could lead to an exercise in writing a fantasy story (wordless or not) about a found object.
Other wordless books that are more plot driven. These include A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog by Mercer Mayer, Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola, Wave by Suzie Lee, and Train Stop, also by Barbara Lehman. These books can be used for exploring the five essential elements of a story. Here are some questions to move this process along:
Characters: Who is the main character? Are there other characters in the story? What part do they play? What are some of the challenges an artist or writer faces in carrying the same characters through a story from beginning to end?
Setting: Where does the story take place? How important is the setting to that particular story? What are some devices the artist used to bring the setting to life?
Plot: A story has a beginning, middle and end. In the wordless story, which illustrations make up the beginning of the story? The middle? The end?
Conflict: A story without conflict would be a big yawn. Usually, the conflict comes about because the main character has a problem to solve. What is the main character’s problem? How does he or she try to solve it? If the problem were solved immediately, there wouldn’t be much of a story. How do the illustrations build up the suspense leading to the climax of the story? Identify the climax, the place where the action becomes most exciting.
Resolution: After the climax comes the part of the story where the problem is solved. How does this happen in the story at hand? Do you think the ending was a good one? What is another way you could think of to end the story?
Creating a wordless picture book from scratch could be a great follow-on project.
www.laurakraussmelmed.com
Picking up on the picture book literacy theme running recently through Pencil Tips, I have been thinking about wordless picture books. I’m a fan of these and like to collect them. This fascination might seem a little odd on the part of a picture book author who is not herself an illustrator, but in the hands of an amazing artist, pictures can sometimes tell it all. (I also love graphic novels, and I’m sure these two interests are related.)
One category of wordless book takes a “what if” concept and catapults it into a world of fantasy. My favorite book of this type is Flotsam, by David Wiesner, a mind-bending tale in which a boy finds an old camera on the beach. The camera leads him and the reader on a fantastical visual journey beneath the sea and back in time. Two other books in this vein are The Red Book, by Barbara Lehman, and Zoom by Istvan Banyai. For some reason, all of these books have vivid red covers. They are just plain fun to share with children, and in the case of Flotsam and The Red Book, could lead to an exercise in writing a fantasy story (wordless or not) about a found object.
Other wordless books that are more plot driven. These include A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog by Mercer Mayer, Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola, Wave by Suzie Lee, and Train Stop, also by Barbara Lehman. These books can be used for exploring the five essential elements of a story. Here are some questions to move this process along:
Characters: Who is the main character? Are there other characters in the story? What part do they play? What are some of the challenges an artist or writer faces in carrying the same characters through a story from beginning to end?
Setting: Where does the story take place? How important is the setting to that particular story? What are some devices the artist used to bring the setting to life?
Plot: A story has a beginning, middle and end. In the wordless story, which illustrations make up the beginning of the story? The middle? The end?
Conflict: A story without conflict would be a big yawn. Usually, the conflict comes about because the main character has a problem to solve. What is the main character’s problem? How does he or she try to solve it? If the problem were solved immediately, there wouldn’t be much of a story. How do the illustrations build up the suspense leading to the climax of the story? Identify the climax, the place where the action becomes most exciting.
Resolution: After the climax comes the part of the story where the problem is solved. How does this happen in the story at hand? Do you think the ending was a good one? What is another way you could think of to end the story?
Creating a wordless picture book from scratch could be a great follow-on project.
www.laurakraussmelmed.com
September 24, 2012
WHAT MAKES YOU THRUM?
by Mary Amato
What makes you thrum? After my sister read my latest book, Guitar Notes , she told me how crucial it is to ask yourself: What makes my soul thrum? She was using the word I use in the book to describe the profound feeling of joy and connection that my characters get when they are playing music. They feel the thrum, the soul's vibration.
This is my assignment for all teachers. Ask yourself: What is my biggest passion? What makes my soul thrum? Is it reading a great novel? Is it paddling your canoe on a quiet pond? Is it singing in your church or temple choir? Is it putting on a puppet play with four-year-olds? Get out an index card and your #2 pencil and write down what makes your soul thrum. Do it. There is something about writing down a passion that facilitates a commitment to that passion. Tape it to the wall by your desk in your classroom. Ponder ways you can find and share your thrum as often as possible. The richest teaching comes when a student sees an adult who is passionate and unceasing in the quest for deep joy.
Guitar Notes, my new novel about the power of music:http://thrumsociety.com/
What makes you thrum? After my sister read my latest book, Guitar Notes , she told me how crucial it is to ask yourself: What makes my soul thrum? She was using the word I use in the book to describe the profound feeling of joy and connection that my characters get when they are playing music. They feel the thrum, the soul's vibration.
This is my assignment for all teachers. Ask yourself: What is my biggest passion? What makes my soul thrum? Is it reading a great novel? Is it paddling your canoe on a quiet pond? Is it singing in your church or temple choir? Is it putting on a puppet play with four-year-olds? Get out an index card and your #2 pencil and write down what makes your soul thrum. Do it. There is something about writing down a passion that facilitates a commitment to that passion. Tape it to the wall by your desk in your classroom. Ponder ways you can find and share your thrum as often as possible. The richest teaching comes when a student sees an adult who is passionate and unceasing in the quest for deep joy. Guitar Notes, my new novel about the power of music:http://thrumsociety.com/
September 17, 2012
ANALYZING PICTURE BOOKS 101
by Joan Waites
When I visit schools or teach an illustration class, I’ll often start by asking the question, “What is a picture book?” The most common answer given is “it’s a story with pictures.” While this is a correct answer, we can also take a closer look at the story and art that make up the book as a whole, and the choices the author and illustrator made to make the book unique.
Using one picture book as a guide, talk about each of the following and ask students to comment:
The Idea How do you think the author came up with the idea for this story?Is it from personal experience?Is it something they imagined?Is it based on scientific facts or a historical event?
Genre How is the book classified?Fiction/ Non-fictionFairy tale or myth MysteryPoetry HumorousOther
Character and setting Are the characters and setting real or imagined? Did the author have to do research to make the story authentic?
Size and Shape How is the book formatted?Horizontal/Vertical Pop-up Special shape
Length 8, 16, 24, 32, or 48 pages
The layout Are the illustrations on a full page, half page, double page spread or spot art? How did the illustrator choose to place the text on each page?
Style Is the art realistic, cartoon, stylized or a combination of these?What medium did the artist use to create the work?What viewpoint did the artist choose to create each page? (Close-up, overhead, looking up, eye level, or far away from the viewer?)
Type choice Is the type small, medium, large or hand lettered?
Now ask students to choose 5 favorite picture books from home or the library. Ask them to answer the above questions about each book. How are the books they chose similar? How are they different in the choices the author and artist made? When we take a closerWishing all the teachers, parents and students that read our blog a wonderful new school year full of exciting learning and creating!
www.joanwaites.com
When I visit schools or teach an illustration class, I’ll often start by asking the question, “What is a picture book?” The most common answer given is “it’s a story with pictures.” While this is a correct answer, we can also take a closer look at the story and art that make up the book as a whole, and the choices the author and illustrator made to make the book unique.
Using one picture book as a guide, talk about each of the following and ask students to comment:
The Idea How do you think the author came up with the idea for this story?Is it from personal experience?Is it something they imagined?Is it based on scientific facts or a historical event?
Genre How is the book classified?Fiction/ Non-fictionFairy tale or myth MysteryPoetry HumorousOther
Character and setting Are the characters and setting real or imagined? Did the author have to do research to make the story authentic?
Size and Shape How is the book formatted?Horizontal/Vertical Pop-up Special shape
Length 8, 16, 24, 32, or 48 pages
The layout Are the illustrations on a full page, half page, double page spread or spot art? How did the illustrator choose to place the text on each page?
Style Is the art realistic, cartoon, stylized or a combination of these?What medium did the artist use to create the work?What viewpoint did the artist choose to create each page? (Close-up, overhead, looking up, eye level, or far away from the viewer?)
Type choice Is the type small, medium, large or hand lettered?
Now ask students to choose 5 favorite picture books from home or the library. Ask them to answer the above questions about each book. How are the books they chose similar? How are they different in the choices the author and artist made? When we take a closerWishing all the teachers, parents and students that read our blog a wonderful new school year full of exciting learning and creating!
www.joanwaites.com
September 10, 2012
SCRIBING FROM SUMMER'S SCRAPS
by Jane Harrington
It’s that time of year again: kids are sitting at desks, doing jumping jacks in the gym, and standing in lunch lines. The student body has returned! But what about the student mind? Is it still lingering on summer memories? Is it still off at soccer camp or traipsing the trails of Yellowstone National Park? Most likely. But don’t let the daydreaming drive you crazy. On that path creativity lies.
Scrapbooking about summer can be a great weekend assignment, or something students do together in class after bringing in personal collections of memorabilia. Ticket stubs from plays or museum visits, photographs from camp or a sleepover, feathers or cicada shells from a nature hike—these sorts of tidbits, glued onto pages of a journal, can inspire students to do some meaningful writing about those summer days that they’re not quite ready to leave behind. The length/genre of writing can be easily tailored to any grade level or standards.
Of course, this idea needn’t be limited to the classroom. It’s perfect for homeschooled writers, or for any families who want to savor the adventures and closeness that seem to too quickly get left at fall’s doorstep every year. The artistic side can be expanded, as well, by creating collages for the covers and decorating pages.
Tips: To make this a low-budget activity, find those super-cheap spiral notebooks that are always available in the fall. But don’t scrimp on the gwww.janeharrington.com
It’s that time of year again: kids are sitting at desks, doing jumping jacks in the gym, and standing in lunch lines. The student body has returned! But what about the student mind? Is it still lingering on summer memories? Is it still off at soccer camp or traipsing the trails of Yellowstone National Park? Most likely. But don’t let the daydreaming drive you crazy. On that path creativity lies.
Scrapbooking about summer can be a great weekend assignment, or something students do together in class after bringing in personal collections of memorabilia. Ticket stubs from plays or museum visits, photographs from camp or a sleepover, feathers or cicada shells from a nature hike—these sorts of tidbits, glued onto pages of a journal, can inspire students to do some meaningful writing about those summer days that they’re not quite ready to leave behind. The length/genre of writing can be easily tailored to any grade level or standards.
Of course, this idea needn’t be limited to the classroom. It’s perfect for homeschooled writers, or for any families who want to savor the adventures and closeness that seem to too quickly get left at fall’s doorstep every year. The artistic side can be expanded, as well, by creating collages for the covers and decorating pages.
Tips: To make this a low-budget activity, find those super-cheap spiral notebooks that are always available in the fall. But don’t scrimp on the gwww.janeharrington.com
September 3, 2012
VISUAL LITERACY REDUX
by Mary Quattlebaum
Joan Waites’s 8/12/12 blog post on Visual Literacy got me thinking about enhancing visual literacy for older kids. Joan spoke of the playful (and important) learning opportunities surrounding picture books and offered two intriguing classroom prompts. (These can be helpful for adults interested in writing for kids as well as youngsters in school.)
Alas, as students move into middle school, opportunities to enhance visual literacy tend to diminish. Budget cuts often target in-school art programs and art teachers first, and classroom teachers may lack the training and time to expose children to art. And face it, self-conscious middle schoolers may scoff at picture books as being “for babies.”Enter Jennifer Holm’s two collage-novels, perfect for 5th-8th graders. Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf and Eighth Grade Is Making Me Sick, both brilliantly illustrated by Elicia Castaldi (Random House, 2007 and 2012, respectively) follow Ginny Davis’s 7th and 8th grade years in suburban Pennsylvania. Author and illustrator create the “stuff” of Ginny’s life—doodles, refrigerator notes, bank statements, text messages, doctor’s reports, invitations and school assignments—and arrange these pieces and images to tell the story of Ginny’s relationship with her practical mom, troublesome older brother and new stepdad. They also chronicle dramas with braces, cute boys and a BFF, with one plot thread--the family’s worsening financial situation, with the stepdad “downsized” out of a job—feeling especially believable in the current economic climate. Ginny’s fresh, funny “everygirl” voice makes her easy to relate to as do these written fragments of her life, so similar to those of today’s students.
To have students attend to and write with a focus on visual imagery:
1. Discuss the way that the images/fragments are put together to tell a story. Ask students to list at least 15 different types of fragments (bank statements, refrigerator notes, Ginny’s poems, etc.)
2. Have students bring in photos and written fragments from their own lives. What do each of these things say and reveal about them? Ask them to create a self-portrait.
3. Ask students to create a short visual story (at least 3 pages) in which they make up written fragments and use images cut from magazines. Have them give their character a name, age, and particular interest or passion and then “tell” the story of a bad (or good) day in this character’s life. (Students from middle school through college and adults can learn much about character development; showing, not telling; the importance of details; plot; structure; and visual imagery from this prompt. Plus, it’s fun and helps students to relate writing to their real world.)
www.maryquattlebaum.com
Joan Waites’s 8/12/12 blog post on Visual Literacy got me thinking about enhancing visual literacy for older kids. Joan spoke of the playful (and important) learning opportunities surrounding picture books and offered two intriguing classroom prompts. (These can be helpful for adults interested in writing for kids as well as youngsters in school.)
Alas, as students move into middle school, opportunities to enhance visual literacy tend to diminish. Budget cuts often target in-school art programs and art teachers first, and classroom teachers may lack the training and time to expose children to art. And face it, self-conscious middle schoolers may scoff at picture books as being “for babies.”Enter Jennifer Holm’s two collage-novels, perfect for 5th-8th graders. Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf and Eighth Grade Is Making Me Sick, both brilliantly illustrated by Elicia Castaldi (Random House, 2007 and 2012, respectively) follow Ginny Davis’s 7th and 8th grade years in suburban Pennsylvania. Author and illustrator create the “stuff” of Ginny’s life—doodles, refrigerator notes, bank statements, text messages, doctor’s reports, invitations and school assignments—and arrange these pieces and images to tell the story of Ginny’s relationship with her practical mom, troublesome older brother and new stepdad. They also chronicle dramas with braces, cute boys and a BFF, with one plot thread--the family’s worsening financial situation, with the stepdad “downsized” out of a job—feeling especially believable in the current economic climate. Ginny’s fresh, funny “everygirl” voice makes her easy to relate to as do these written fragments of her life, so similar to those of today’s students.To have students attend to and write with a focus on visual imagery:
1. Discuss the way that the images/fragments are put together to tell a story. Ask students to list at least 15 different types of fragments (bank statements, refrigerator notes, Ginny’s poems, etc.)
2. Have students bring in photos and written fragments from their own lives. What do each of these things say and reveal about them? Ask them to create a self-portrait.
3. Ask students to create a short visual story (at least 3 pages) in which they make up written fragments and use images cut from magazines. Have them give their character a name, age, and particular interest or passion and then “tell” the story of a bad (or good) day in this character’s life. (Students from middle school through college and adults can learn much about character development; showing, not telling; the importance of details; plot; structure; and visual imagery from this prompt. Plus, it’s fun and helps students to relate writing to their real world.)
www.maryquattlebaum.com
August 27, 2012
GOODBYE TO SUMMER/HELLO FALL POEM
by Laura Krauss Melmed
Summer has always been my favorite season. I’ve never quite overcome that feeling of slight melancholy that for me accompanies the final countdown to Labor Day. One way I’ve learned to console myself, though, is to conjure some pleasures of fall: striding briskly through crackling leaves, curling up with a cozy throw and a good book, watching steam curl from a bubbling pot of vegetable soup, savoring the cinnamon scent of a browning apple crisp. Fall brings Halloween and Thanksgiving, my two best-loved holidays, plus my wedding anniversary and this year, my daughter’s wedding. Lots of beloved rituals and new delights to savor!
These thoughts lead easily to the development of a template for a poetry workshop. The goal is to have students write a seasonal Goodbye-Hello poem. It will follow the list poem format mentioned by Jacqueline Jules in her most recent post. The students will craft their poems as a send-off to summer and a welcome to fall. This exercise is equally applicable to other changes of season.
As a preparatory activity, you could share the seasonal poems in Douglas Florian’s charming little collections, Somersaults and Autumblings. Florian’s simple rhyme scheme presents puns and fun invented words such as "autumnatically" and “owlphabet." Many of his poems are list poems. Along with his simple watercolor and pencil illustrations, the poems present a delightful childs-eye view of the seasons.
Now each student should be ready to create a 12-line Goodbye, Hello poem. Encourage the students to use richly descriptive verbs and nouns and even to invent their own words following Florian’s examples. Lastly, although Florian’s poems do rhyme, I would advise having the students stay away from forcing these poems into a rhyming scheme.
Goodbye, Hello
Goodbye to (a place), (a place), and (a place) associated with summerHello to (a place), a (place) and (a place) associated with fall
Goodbye to (an activity), (an activity) and (an activity) associated with summerHello to (an activity), (an activity) and (an activity) associated with fall
Goodbye to (a summer food), (a summer food), and (a summer food) Hello to (a fall food), a (fall food), and a (fall food)
Goodbye to (a summer scent), (a summer scent), (a summer scent). Hello to (a fall aroma), (a fall aroma), a (fall aroma)
Goodbye to (a summer sound), (a summer sound), and (a summer sound).Hello to (a fall sound), (a fall sound), and (a fall sound)
The students can be given carte blanche to devise the last two lines on their own.
www.laurakraussmelmed.com
Summer has always been my favorite season. I’ve never quite overcome that feeling of slight melancholy that for me accompanies the final countdown to Labor Day. One way I’ve learned to console myself, though, is to conjure some pleasures of fall: striding briskly through crackling leaves, curling up with a cozy throw and a good book, watching steam curl from a bubbling pot of vegetable soup, savoring the cinnamon scent of a browning apple crisp. Fall brings Halloween and Thanksgiving, my two best-loved holidays, plus my wedding anniversary and this year, my daughter’s wedding. Lots of beloved rituals and new delights to savor!
These thoughts lead easily to the development of a template for a poetry workshop. The goal is to have students write a seasonal Goodbye-Hello poem. It will follow the list poem format mentioned by Jacqueline Jules in her most recent post. The students will craft their poems as a send-off to summer and a welcome to fall. This exercise is equally applicable to other changes of season.
As a preparatory activity, you could share the seasonal poems in Douglas Florian’s charming little collections, Somersaults and Autumblings. Florian’s simple rhyme scheme presents puns and fun invented words such as "autumnatically" and “owlphabet." Many of his poems are list poems. Along with his simple watercolor and pencil illustrations, the poems present a delightful childs-eye view of the seasons.
Now each student should be ready to create a 12-line Goodbye, Hello poem. Encourage the students to use richly descriptive verbs and nouns and even to invent their own words following Florian’s examples. Lastly, although Florian’s poems do rhyme, I would advise having the students stay away from forcing these poems into a rhyming scheme.
Goodbye, Hello
Goodbye to (a place), (a place), and (a place) associated with summerHello to (a place), a (place) and (a place) associated with fall
Goodbye to (an activity), (an activity) and (an activity) associated with summerHello to (an activity), (an activity) and (an activity) associated with fall
Goodbye to (a summer food), (a summer food), and (a summer food) Hello to (a fall food), a (fall food), and a (fall food)
Goodbye to (a summer scent), (a summer scent), (a summer scent). Hello to (a fall aroma), (a fall aroma), a (fall aroma)
Goodbye to (a summer sound), (a summer sound), and (a summer sound).Hello to (a fall sound), (a fall sound), and (a fall sound)
The students can be given carte blanche to devise the last two lines on their own.
www.laurakraussmelmed.com
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