Literacy Lover

While getting started with writing in the 4th grade, I shared the book, Tomorrow’s Alphabet, by George Shannon.  I’ve always loved this creative spin on traditional alphabet books.  It gives creative license for writers to think outside the box.  Sometimes it’s hard for us to get started with our own writing, so writing in the style of, or using the format another author uses can spark an idea for us.  This book was easy to use and I wanted everyone to feel a sense of accomplishment by making a contribution to this class book.  Each student chose a letter and came up with an idea to contribute.  Mrs. Birdsall and I also contributed an idea as well.  Our friend, Alex, had the honor of illustrating the cover for the class book.  The following are excerpts from the book:

Taylor wrote, “Y is for today- tomorrow’s yesterday” 

Hannah wrote “H is for colt- tomorrow’s horse”

Tiana wrote,”B is for baby- tomorrow’s boy”

wrote,”V is for hill and grass- tomorrow’s valley”

Andrew wrote,”N is for helping- tomorrow’s nursing”

Elijah wrote, “E is for boy- tomorrow’s Elijah”

Taylor I wrote, “I is for July- tomorrow’s Independence Day”

Angel wrote, “S is for lips- tomorrow’s smile”

Travis wrote, “P is for tree- tomorrow’s paper”

Selena wrote, “F is for tadpole- tomorrow’s frog”

Carly wrote, “C is for pine tree- tomorrow’s Christmas”

Edgar wrote, “A is for boys- tomorrow’s adults”

Olivea wrote, “O is for number-tomorrow’s one hundred”

Roxana wrote, “G is for yellow and blue-tomorrow’s green”

Taylor G wrote, “K is for joey-tomorrow’s kangaroo”

Mrs. Lutz wrote, “W is for glass- tomorrow’s window”

Writers get ideas from everyday happenings.  Both usual and peculiar events that happen on a daily basis.  Sometimes the message is positive and other times it’s not.  Either way, the idea is sparked by something that makes you feel passionate, even if it’s only for a short time.

The following poem came from a negative email received by a person I’ve never seen, heard from, or met.  It will be a constant reminder to think before I speak and a lesson in the power of words.

She will not defeat me.

I can’t believe she’s looking a gift horse in the mouth.  I was told never to do that.

She will not defeat me.

I’ve never met anyone so ungrateful.

She will not defeat me. 

You don’t ask for or expect a gift. Gifts are given out of munificence and benevolence.  

She will not defeat me.

She was disappointed in me, when my decisions didn’t reflect her wants.   

She will not defeat me. 

Her misunderstanding became my burden.

She will not defeat me.

I let her strip me of my pride.

She will not defeat me.

I was enraged and feeling depressed.

She will not defeat me.

My initial reaction was pessimistic.

She will not defeat me.

I  wanted to seek reprisal.

She will not defeat me.

I choose to rouse my strength and passion to overcome this monster.

She will not defeat me.

I will let her message roll off.

She will not defeat me.

I’ll retaliate by living better and learning from the experience.

She will not defeat me.

I will let karma do its work. 

She will not defeat me.

Another idea from Margaret Wise Brown. 

     The important thing about Weiner P. Pupper is that her death crushed my desire to ever have another animal again.  Weiner was an old, short-haired Dachsund.  Her silky, short, black-as-mighnight fur used to poke me as she cuddled in bed with me every night.  She was so rotund that her chocolate underside would drag across the ground as she waddled.  Barking at strangers, including the mailman, was her way of showing her loyalty  and protecting our family.  Her murder by Siamese cat left me feeling angry, confused, and lonely.  Her loss affected me deeply and forced me to decide that I didn’t ever want to be hurt that way again.  But the important thing about Weiner P. Pupper is that her dath crushed my desire to ever have another animal again.

Recenly, I read the book, Thank You, Mr. Falker to Miss Stankus’ 5th Grade Class.  They were so warm and kind, just like Mr. Falker was to his student, that it inspired me to write a letter to them to share my appreciation.  Thank you to Patricia Palacco for writing such a moving, true account of a scenario that too many children have to battle.  

 

Dear Miss Stankus’ Class,

            Becoming a teacher was the best decision I ever made.   I have met so many wonderful teachers and students over the last 8 years.  It has many more rewards than it does consequences. There are times, however, when it is hard to be a teacher.  Kids who don’t like school and don’t want to be there sometimes mock you or even ignore you.  Just like it hurts when you’re a kid, it hurts when you are an adult.  I have been learning so much recently about teaching and encouraging kids to write by using the 6-Traits.  It’s been so much fun for me.  I get to share wonderful books with a wide range of emotions.  Recently, while sharing a book in a classroom, students elbowed one another and snickered as they pointed at me when I became so touched by the story that my eyes filled with tears.  That moment made me never want to do that again.  When I read a similar book to you, you all smiled and told me, “It’s okay”.  I can’t tell you how safe I feel when I’m in your classroom reading, writing, and sharing with you.  You are the model by which every classroom should be measured.  Your classroom is filled with compassion and caring for everyone as well as the desire to learn and grow.  You are the reward!  Thank you for being who you are and encouraging others to be the best they can be.  Thank you for accepting me as me.  It’s classes like you that make me look forward to the next year of teaching.  Thank you, Miss Stankus’ class.

                                                                                 With respect and love,

                                                                                                Mrs. Lutz

After sharing, The Important Book, by Margaret Wise Brown, I brainstormed some things that were important to me.  I ended up choosing history because it was not an idea I thought anyone else would have.  Once the topic was chosen, I brainstormed things I wanted to say about history.  I chose the one idea that seemed most important and started with that.  The organizational pattern of the book wrote the first and last sentences for me, which made it easy to start and finish. 

The important thing about history is that we learn from it.  History is full of violence, bigotry, and hate.  There is also a great deal of evidence of compassion, bravery, courage, and wisdom.  It gives us a model in which to make informed decisions about the present.  Sometimes it is not worth repeating.  Other times, it’s necessary to mimic what we know to be successful again and again and again.  But the important thing about history is that we learn from it.    

After introducing Sharon Wyeth’s, Something Beautiful, I modeled a piece of writing sparked by reading the story.  My own story came only after brainstorming descriptions of the tree that used to stand in my backyard. Choosing the something beautiful to write about was difficult as I have many beautiful things in my life.  I chose the tree because it posed a challenge and I thought modeling the brainstorming would be more authentic.   

 Trees in general are plentiful around my neighborhood.  There are tall ones, short ones, old ones, new ones, and even ones with fruit, but this tree, my tree, was something special.  The mighty redbud that used to stand at the top of the first terrace in my backyard is my something beautiful.  She stood there on watch, as if she were protecting us. She gazed out over us, like a bodyguard watching all the little children and keeping them safe.  She kept track of time for us as well.  When the bare branches became sprinkled with green buds, we knew it was spring.  She told us it was summer when she was ablaze with fuchsia blooms.  They were so breathtaking; it was almost as if you couldn’t see any of the other trees that fell around her.  She took center stage.  When the ground was blanketed in that same fuchsia, fall had arrived.  And when her branches were tipped with white and naked of any color, we knew it was winter.  Today there is no bodyguard or timekeeper, just a smooth patch of grass where she once stood.  Only the memory of her existence remains.  Now that she is gone, how will we know the season and who will keep the children safe when we aren’t looking?  When we move, who will tell her story? 

Poetry is not one of my strengths.  Attending to meter and rhyme scare me to death.  But because I want kids to be open minded and willing to try anything and make mistakes, I gave it a shot.  It took me quite awhile to write this and went through many revisions along the way.  I thought about rhyme, humor and the necessary vocabulary to inform about this peculiar animal.  You will notice that I gave myself permission to use a made-up word due to lack of imagination for something else that rhymed.  That’s OKAY!! Miss Collins’ 5th Graders and I did some brainstorming after learning about alpacas in response to, Beast Feast, by Douglas Florian, and this is what I shared.

 

Alpaca

From high in the Andes Mountains of South America,

This unique looking animal bears a shaggy two-tone fura.

There are 3 types of the animal: the suri, shorn, and huacaya.

Infants go by the name of cria,

And are not found to be snacking at a pizzeria.

The diet of plants and grass can be quite a galleria,

Be careful to avoid the deadly azalea.

The orgling cry of the male will not be confused with the Ave Maria.

Alpaca

It spits out stomach aciad mixed with grass

 but deosn’t seem to have any class.

Communal poop pile but nothing to scoop the poop.

by Kyla

The Alpaca

Although we do spit, some of us don’t spit. 

He’d say “butt” without his cinnamon fur.

You may want to be alaramed when we spit because it may get on you.

by Darin

He spits, he’d say but without his chesnut fur, he look’s like a llama and he dosn’t liver in the bahamas, he weighs 100-175 pounds he’d cost a fortion 100-500,00.

by Kailey

Alpaca

It has its teeth for biting and its neck is for fighting. 

Its baby is called cria and rhyms with curia

and suri rhyms with hurry. 

Some would say bur without their cinnamon fur. 

The alpaca will smack ya when he will attack ya.

by Jelisa 

His feet is softy so he can climb up the rockys. 

He looks like a llama but doesn’t live in the Bahamas. 

He looks wise with is big fat eyes. 

He cost so much because people tried to roost him. 

Knowhere some don’t spit, they make a big pile of poop.

by Alex

Alpaca

Although he is brown like chocolate, he doesn’t tast that good.  Even though he doesn’t look like llama he lives in the Bahamas.  Oh my, look at the size of those big eyes.  E

ven though those eyes are big he is wise.

by John

Alpaca

Although his long neck is used for fighting he still needs his teeth for biting.  I will give you a clue never go by an alpaca when its eating its food.

by Jason

Alpaca

It’s a good thing he has his fur because he’d say bur without his fur. 

by Katie

The Waca Alpaca

From the Andies to the Sandies the waca alpaca ate grass as a snaka.  The dung stung bums.  munk.  It’s long neck is for fighting, biting, writing, tiling, and lieing.  Some don’t spit instead they have a big fit.  The poop went in a soup that went ka-boomp.

by Harry

Alpaca

The Alpaca will say bur without his chestnut fur there babies are called cria the alpaca uses his long necka in fighting Alpaca fur is used for Doormates, clothing, and hats some of them don’t spit but they sure throw a fit there communal dung pile is not a sight to see it is NOT used for making Tea The alpaca mom tells her boy to stay away from fireweed if he dosen’t behave he will just lay in the hay the males orgle with there tongue when mating that is not worth rating the end.

by Adriana

Alpacas

Alpacas are kept in herds in Ecuador. 

Now I will tell you what their fiber is used for. 

It is used to make sweaters and hats. 

Also gloves and door mats.

Alpacas like to spit.

It maks the herder have a fit.

Alpacas make humming sounds.

Often use it where femals are found.

by Kasie

2-27-08 I read, Beast Feast, by Douglas Florian to model an example of sentence fluency.  This was a great text because it showed a variety of sentence length and beginnings. 

In an effort to encourage kids to write in response to reading this book, I’ve tried my hand at a creative description of the prairie dog.  Here goes….

Bolts of bronze fur flash before the eyes, like a tennis match.  Scurrying along from hole to hole, the prairie dog searches for the perfect spot to rest and eat his snack. 

You give it a try!