The Fire Within

In “Everything Will Be Okay,” by James Howe, a young boy named James finds a scruffy kitten and takes it home to keep it as a pet.  Unfortunately, his family is less enthusiastic, and his older brother eventually takes him to the vet’s office to put the kitten to sleep.  Wanting to keep the kitten isn’t the only difference James has felt between his family and him.  He constantly feels pressure to “be a man” by playing golf and hunting with his brothers and father.  In the end though, James decides a different path.

In this section, the final scene of the story, James finally decides that enough is enough.  He is sitting at the kitchen table after his kitten has died, and he is silent.  He gets up and goes to the livingroom where he finally realizes what he needs to do.   He thinks, “I will decide for myself what kind of boy I am, what kind of man I will become” (p. 5).  This shows that for the first time, he knows that he should take control of his life and make choices based on who he is, not who others want him to be.  In essence, he needs to let the fire within him flourish.

I represented this idea with my collage of a hand holding a torch. The hand is James’ of course, and the torch represents James’ burning desire to lead his life the way he sees fit.  It will light up the darkness around him.  The black background represents that darkness, not only the dark living room where he is when he realizes this, but also his dark past when he was letting others tell him what a man should be.

The flame comes from a bundle of sticks that represent the branch where the dead deer hung.  That deer is at the heart of the flame.  I chose to put it there because when James stared at it from the kitchen table, he still saw life in it.  It is that life that inspired his desire to stand up for himself.  Finally,  I chose to include bits of yellow around the flame to represent sparks of life that have been ignited by James’ realization.  Like sparks landing on dry ground, these sparks will flame into future events in James’s life guided by his own hopes and dreams.

This is important because in life, we often don’t ignite our fires within.  We feel pressure from family and friends to do what they expect and what they want when we know that it may go against our true selves.  So next time you’re in a situation where you feel pressure, be sure to remember James and listen to your fire within.

Running the Bases

I took this photo of my daughter at softball this past Saturday.  Even though we were scorching in the heat of the morning sun, and she had been playing for nearly two hours, she turned around and gave me two thumbs up.

To me, this photo is all about not giving up.  A few years ago, Eloise tried tee ball and didn't enjoy it.  In fact she said she didn't want to play it again.  This year, with a little encouragement, she signed up for softball and loved it right from the start.  If she gave up, she never would've discovered that she actually enjoys softball. It makes me think what are the things in my life that I gave up but shouldn't have.  What are the things in my students' lives that could have been with just a little more encouragement.

As in the game of softball, you keep running the bases, and you hope not to get out.  If you do, at least you had the courage to swing the ball.

The Power of Poetry

When I was a kid, I just didn’t get poetry.  Sure poems were easy enough to read, but I thought there were full of hidden meanings that I would never be able to understand.  It was the genre meant for really smart people, not me.  Through our recent work though, I realize just how wrong I was.  Poetry is a lot more important to me than I thought.

For one thing, poetry has helped me capture moments that matter (and even moments that don’t).  When I read “Hummingbird” by Felice Holman, I was reminded at how seemingly insignificant moments matter.  By rereading this poem over and over, I relived the moment and found great appreciation in it.  It made me think of how much I need to slow down my own life to appreciate the small moments.  That’s where the magic happens.

I also became more appreciative of the writing process through this unit. Before I used to become frustrated when ideas wouldn't come to me, but when we wrote alongside Sara Holbrook and Michael Salinger, I saw how important it is to trust in the writing process. I became more patient and flexible when crafting my own poems, and sure enough, some ideas grew organically.

Finally, I saw that poetry is in the music we listen to. When I read "Let it Go" with a poet's eye, I saw how many poetic techniques the authors use. With metaphors, repetition and alliteration, they made their images and ideas shine through.

Like I said, poetry means a lot more to me now that it once did. In fact, it is such a unique genre that I just couldn't imagine my reading and writing life without it.

"Humming Bird" By Felice Holman

This poem speaks to me on so many levels.  First and foremost, hummingbirds remind me of home.  My mom and dad have a hummingbird feeder outside their kitchen window in Maine, and during the summer we are often entertained by their constant whirring about while eating dinner.  It's there that I've seen the "glistened green" and "brightened blur" upclose.  It's as if their feathers are covered with a glossy sheen. 

I also like this poem because of the way Felice Holman wrote it.  She includes alliteration in the first line, and all of those "W" sounds actually sound like the motor-like flapping of a hummingbird's wings.  She also includes a simile in that line with "wound wires."  It gives me an image of tightly wound wires that are let go and unravel.

Finally, I think the poet is using the hummingbird as a metaphor of a thought.  In the last line there is "a moment fanning, and then gone," just like a thought.  It's there in one instant and then gone in the next.  And like a hummingbird, you better appreciate it before it's too late.

Image from:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/rmb3588photo/8034514714/in/photolist-8aoGsv-dVXNAX-d29Xfj-cdYZ1G-6r4mXM-6WpTni-98uWbe-jBzP8k-s7K4-4Ym8tU-jBzQ8X-2pW35i-deYZiL-7W5GYA-jsjST-wB7a-6bDAqU-eUhsBm-kZeVG2-8pCWWs-J1aS-8sCgwg-8pCZ2s-8pzN7n-wUCAJ-bqD5sw-bqD5vL-bqD5To-bDxZP2-85ibe-5aaj3R-8imKaJ-5aexLQ-4VvzjA-8onnrY-8onow3-8onn9y-8ojc9k-8ojcpc-br48EC-6LFEh3-4Ym9A9-jsHLSs-jsFyqt-jsHd1e-jsHr4D-jsHZ9w-jsK8V9-jsGZGr-jsHoPu 

Definition Poems

Following Michael Salinger's lead with "Swagger," you did a great job making your Membean words come to life.  Take a look at some of the standouts.  Which is your favorite?

The STARS Who Reached Their Reading Goal

When we first talked about "reaching for the STARS" when setting goals we said:

• Set a goal
• Time to make evidence
• Assess your progress
• Revise your goal until you reach...
• Success!

Well congratulations to many of you who reached your recent Reading Goal.  Many of you worked hard to document your thinking, kept track of your reading, and added quotes in your responses.  The thing is when you reach for the stars and you achieve, you actually become one.

Take a look at some of the great evidence you provided to reach your goal.  

For those of you who didn't, why not?  Here are some of the things that can get in the way. You...

• Forget
• Abstain
• Indifferent
• Lose track

If you do any one of these things, you will FAIL, as the words suggest.  So don't let those things get in the way next time.  Be sure to keep your goals alive by working on them every day.

Powerful PSAs

Bullying, obesity, poverty, disability.  These are some of the social issues we've been studying in class.  Well, it's time to make our learning come to life with powerful PSAs.  A PSA is like a commercial for an idea.  Concerned individuals and groups create them to spread awareness.  Through their strong images and powerful words, they often make such an impact on the viewers, that they change their behaviors and actions as a result.

Check out some of these powerful PSAs:

Obesity:  The Silent Killer 
by Mr. Riley

There is a silent killer lurking in our cities and neighborhoods.  It attacks the young, the old, the rich and the poor.  It has no limits, and it can strike at any time.  It is obesity, the condition of having too much body fat.

Obesity is a major social issue.  1 in 3 children in California are obese, and their future doesn’t look good.  77% of them will grow up to become obese adults, and they’ll be more likely to suffer from diabetes, hypertension, strokes, and cancer take over.  Obesity doesn’t only affect those who are overweight, it affects us all since treating it raises all of our health care costs.

For my PSA, I wanted my viewer to be scared.  I chose to use a scary theme with music and words to match.  I made obesity a silent killer that enters a neighborhood and attacks inactive children. I chose text (ex. “but now it’s too late”) and images (ex. children running) that are suspenseful, and my last image of a hand reaching out and the children dying will leave an impact on my viewer.

I participated in creating this PSA by filming, editing, and directing the children.  I also wrote and typed in the text for the PSA.  I feel that I achieved the goal of my PSA and that my viewers will become more active to avoid becoming obese.

Becoming a Seedfolk

In life, there are always difficult situations that come about outside of one’s control.  Whether it’s poverty, racism or dealing with death, people have a choice to either face them or run away from them.  This is exactly what happens to the characters in Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman.  In this book, many characters begin a community garden in their tough neighborhood.  The author wrote Seedfolks with many perspectives to show how different people can overcome social issues like dealing with death by changing and taking action.

One of the characters who deals with death is Kim.  As her family marks the ninth anniversary of her father’s death with candles, incense and offerings, she finds herself staring at a picture of the man she never knew.  She was born eight months after his death, and according to her family’s Vietnamese culture, honoring her father’s death is still a yearly event.  This year though, Kim does something new.  She went to a vacant lot and planted lima beans and thinks “he would see me….He would see my patience and my hard work.  I would show him that I could raise plants, as he had.  I would show him that I was his daughter” (p. 4).  In doing this, Kim deals with her fathers death by taking action.  She plants beans in hopes to gain his spirit’s attention.  

Another character who has lost loved ones is Wendel.  This old, school janitor lost his son in a street fight and his wife in a car crash.  As a result, he can’t bear to hear his phone ring, wondering who else might have died.  When watering Kim’s beans in the garden, he figures out that he can’t change his life.  He thinks, “Can’t bring the dead back to life on this earth.  Can’t make the world loving and kind...But a patch of ground in this trashy lot--I can change that.  Better to put my time into that than moaning about the other all day” (p.15).  It is because of the garden that he realizes that instead of wasting his time on the past, he should think about the future.

Finally, Paul Fleischman introduces the reader to Sae Young, a Korean woman, who lost her husband.  After her husband died of a heart attack at 37, she was alone.  And when an intruder came into her dry cleaning shop, no one was there to defend her.  These experiences made her so fearful, she didn’t want to see anyone anymore.  Then she saw the garden, and she decides to change.  She thinks, “I want to be with people again.  Next day I go back and dig small garden.  Nobody talk to me that day.  But just be near people, nice people, feel good, like next to fire in winter.”  (p. 47).  By stepping into the garden and taking her own space, she overcomes her fear to join a new community.  This action helps her deal with her husband’s death.
To sum up, through his characters, Paul Fleischman emphasizes how important it is to take action when confronting a social issue.  It’s important because if we don’t, our lives may just not be as great.  So let’s become seedfolks ourselves by taking root and pushing ourselves to grow beyond the social issues that may define us.


Image from:  www.npr.org

The Power of Perseverance

Let's face it.  If we want to do something well, we need to work at it.  Rarely to we get it "just right" on the first try.  Whether it's hitting a baseball, singing a song or writing a story, we need to work at it.  This is exactly what Austin, a first grader, learned when drawing a butterfly for class.  Check it out:

While we may not be drawing butterflies in our class, we can learn a lot from Austin's experience.  For Austin to succeed, he needed to persevere.  He didn't give up after his first, second or even third draft.  He kept going until he got it right.  Making multiple drafts of anything takes hard work, focus, and determination.  All of that can be summed up with one word, grit.

But Austin needed something else too.  To push him further, he needed feedback from others that was specific and timely.  When we get feedback from others, we see things that we may not have the first time around.  We notice what is possible, and if that feedback is delivered in an encouraging way, we become inspired to go back to the drawing board with renewed interest and focus.

As readers and writers, let's learn what Austin learned.  That we can outdo our previous selves with each and every draft that we create.  That we can be the ones to see the possibilities in others work.  That we encourage ourselves and others as we move through the process that we know will help us grow and flourish, just like a beautiful tiger butterfly.

Personal Essay: All Work and No Play

The Human Voodoo Doll

I never had one as a kid, but I did see them on TV and in movies.  You know those voodoo dolls that represent real people.  Witches cast spells on them, stick pins in the and as a result cause all kinds of mayhem on the victims.  Well, recently I felt like a human voodoo doll, only this time, there was a different kind of spell cast on me.

That’s right, last week I had my first acupuncture treatment. To be honest, I had no idea it was coming.  I was just going to get physio-therapy for a sore shoulder that I’ve had since a bad fall last August.  When the physio said, “Would you mind trying some “needling?” I froze. I was nervous.  Skeptical even.  After all, a complete stranger was about to stick a bunch of needles in me.  How on earth could they really help anyway?  “Will it hurt?” I asked.  He said it would only be a twinge, and as he stood behind me, I braced myself for the worst when the first needle went in.  I did feel the twinge, and the twenty others that followed, but I also felt the relief the next day.  My shoulder was pain-free for the first time in weeks.

Needless to say, I went back this week for another round of “needling.”  This experience made me realize that I should always be open to new ways of doing things.  Whether it’s a needle in the back, food on a plate, or a ceremony at a temple, Instead of being critical or skeptical of them, I should look at them as opportunities to learn and grow.  Who knows, when I do I’ll create my own voodoo magic to make myself a better person.

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/megs_pics/1104171825/in/photolist-2FzaPg-2FD38q-2FD4z3-2FD5XE-2FD7KA-2FD97d-2FDb4N-2FDj7G-2FDmt7-2FDpY9-2FDyZ3-3teLwW-3NSJjt-3NSRrr-4qg6YY-4S7QcB-4TgtDp-5kVLyK-5m13Ea-5m13Ev-5m16TP-5m16Ve-5m5jYC-5m5jZ3-5m5k1b-5m5k2Q-5m5k47-5m5ohb-5m5oi5-5m5oiJ-5m5oiS-5yqedP-5yqeig-5yqenk-5yqewt-5ys21K-5ys2rX-5ys2Ev-5ys3kc-5ys3KT-5ys3Qc-5ys4ap-5ys4p8-5ys4uk-5ys4yH-5ys4MT-5ys5aH-5ys5za-5ys5DB-5ys5NZ-5ys5Yi/

Max the Mighty

Everyone knows that there are moments in life that stand out.  They matter to us because we learn things about ourselves, about others, and about life in general.  Some of the moments can be good while others can be devastating.  Whatever the case, they are the turning points of our lives and they make us who we are.  In Freak the Mighty, by Rodman Philbrick, Maxwell Kane experiences a number of turning points that cause him to change and grow.

In this book, Max, an overgrown 8th grader with learning difficulties, just wants to live a normal life.  The problem is his mom was murdered, his dad, Killer Kane, is in prison, and he spends his days in the “Down Under,” his grandparents’ dark and dreary basement.  There’s no way anyone wants to be his friend.  That is until Freak, a handicapped genius, moves back into town.  Soon after, the two misfits form an unbreakable bond as they venture out on quests that change their lives forever.

Along the way, there are significant turning points for Max.  The most important one is when he stands up to his father.  In this scene, Loretta Lee, a lady from the New Testaments, is trying to untie Max and set him free when Killer Kane returns.  When he starts to strangle Loretta, Max says,  “I saw you kill her! I saw you kill Mom! I never forgot, not ever!  I know you did it! I know!“ (p.106).  This is significant because it’s the first time Max is self-confident enough to stand up to the biggest bully in his life, his own father.

As a result of this turning point, Max changes for the better.  He takes control of the situation by being confident and speaking up.  In that way, Max serves as a mentor for all of us.  We need to stand up for what we believe in even when it seems impossible. So the next time you are faced with a difficult turning point in your life, remember Max’s newfound self-confidence and confront it head on.

Character Extension Project

Fakebook Page (Max):




Resources:

• Fakebook Page (Remember to save your URL and Password!)
• Avatars
• DoppelMe
• Mini-mizer
• Wimp yourself - (relates to Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
• Mess Dudes
• Caracature

Glogster (Freak):



Resources:

• Glogster

Character Makeover (Max):





Resources:

• Character Traits

Making Movies that Matter

Lately we've been using iMovie to enhance our speaking and listening skills when discussing books with our partners.  In the first round of videos, we explained the top tips for a successful partner talk.  Check out what some of your classmates came up with.




In the second round of videos, we highlighted our top two minute clips.  Here are some inspirational ones.  Can you tell why?

iLove iMovie

One of Apple’s most popular applications is iMovie.  Sure, it allows people to create slideshows of their photos and make movies of family vacations.  But what people don’t realize is how it can also help a student become a better listener.

No, I’m not talking about watching movie after movie to get better, I’m talking about recording yourself when participating in a discussion to see how you listen.  Right now, this is the kind of work we’re doing in class, and it’s making a difference.  Students are recording their partner talks and watching them back to see what they’re doing well and where they need to improve.

This is just one way that technology is making an impact for learning.  What once could have taken an elaborate set up of cameras, cords, and collaboration can now happen with a single button.  I’m wondering what other applications or tools we have right at our fingertips that can make a huge impact.  If you know of any, please add a comment.

Image from:

• de.wikipedia.org 

The Time Has Come

Finally, the time has come.  We've been waiting for it since the beginning of the school year.  This is the week that 6th graders can take home their laptops.

Now before they take home their laptops, students need to have a discussion with their parents about being responsible.  They'll talk about how to use them as learning tools, how to keep balance in their lives by not playing too many games, and how to take care of their laptops (especially if they have younger siblings with sticky fingers running around at home).

Another important topic of conversion will be charging their laptops.  They'll set a plan for where and when to charge their computers. They'll hopefully develop a routine so that they don't show up at school with a low battery.

With these details figured out, I'm sure they'll be just as responsible and smart about using their laptops at home as they are at school.

Red Light Reading Responses

The other day, we talked about how good readers respond to their reading by:

• making a claim
• citing the text
• explaining their thinking

As we continue to develop our own responses, take a look at the following sample responses on "What's So Funny, Mr. Sciescka?"  There is a low, medium and high response.  Can you point out the differences in each?

LOW:

MEDIUM:

HIGH:

I Want to Be a SMARTER Reader

One thing's for sure.  I love reading.  I have for a long time now.  The thing is though I don't always have time to read.  Some days I have too many activities, and I just run out of time.  That's why I've set this new SMART goal for my reading. 

S	Specific	I want to increase my reading by reading at least five times a week.
M	Measurable	Five times a week I will sit down and read for at least 30 minutes.  In doing so, I will be able to finish a book a week or so.
A	Attainable	This is an attainable goal for me, and I plan to log my reading in a Reading Log.  This will be my evidence.
R	Realistic	This goal is realistic because I read about 230 WPM, and if I have the right book in my hands, I should keep up with it.
T	Timely	With this goal in mind, I plan to read 3-4 books by the end of September.

Image from:

• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Child_reading_at_Brookline_Booksmith.jpg

Think Before You Post

Everyone knows the old adage, “Think before you speak.” It’s what we tell kids when they blurt things out before thinking through how their words may affect others.  Well, these past few days, we learned a new saying in our Laptop Boot Camp, “Think before you post.”

In RLA, we are kick starting our blogs.  The main part of our blog, the post, is where we explain what we’re experiencing or what’s on our minds.  The thing is, we need to think carefully before we “post.”  After all, we are publishing to the entire world.  First off, whenever we post, we need to honor the core values: honesty, compassion, respect, responsibility and fairness.  At the same time, we shouldn’t reveal any personal information.  Finally, when we add images and videos, we need to respect copyright rules and cite where we found them.

Listen, I know it’s a lot to remember, but it is important.  We don’t want our ideas to insult our reader, we want them to inspire.  Don’t you agree?

Image from:

• http://openclipart.org/detail/630/thinkingboy-outline-by-ryanlerch