April 29. 2008 -- May 1, 2008

April 29. 2008 -- May 1, 2008
We worked on the books for the kindergarten children. These books are looking great! The books must be finished by the end of the period on May 5. We will be going to the kindergarten to deliver and read the books on May 7.

April 25, 2005

April 25, 2005

We worked on the books for the kindergarten children. These books are looking great! The books must be finished by the end of the period on May 5. We will be going to the kindergarten to deliver and read the books on May 7.

April 23, 2008

April 23, 2008
Students receive a tape-in. In their notebooks, students will respond to the poem as directed on the tape-in.

Self-Starter: 1) Tape this poem in your notebook. 2) Read through the poem.
3) Write about a third page or more on anything that this poem brings to mind.
This is a focused free write, so can just be any string of thoughts or something
more organized. Write as fast as you can, and get down as many thoughts as you can.
4) Borrow a line or two and use them to create your own short (or long) poem.

JABBERWOCKY
Lewis Carroll
(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.


"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.


`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.


dshaw@jabberwocky.com


Tall Tales:
1) Students were shown several tall tales books such as Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett and Paul Bunyan or Pecos Bill.
2) The class suggested ways that the tall tale is different from other stories, and listed those differences on the white board. For instance,
The tall tale is more exaggerated than most stories.
It uses common types of people and places, but exaggerates them.
It uses informal language.
3) Students received worksheets for writing their own tall tales. They had the rest of the class to work on those. If they didn't finish them that day, they should hand in a tall tale to the wire basket as soon as possible.

April 21, 2008

April 21, 2008
Self-Starter: Create a "Fumish." 1. Make up a "nonsense" word. Examples: girrac, waspoyj, murple, fumish. 2. Write a brief story, beginning each word with the next letter of your nonsense word. If you were to lay out a sentence vertically, it would look like this for the nonsense word "Boomple":
Blistering
Oozing
Ointment
Mangles
Peevish
Ladylike
Empresses

You will write yours as if you are writing a story, starting at the beginning of the word again everytime you've come to the end of it.
Example: FUMISH
Furry underwear makes interesting styles humorously funny. Uncanny men investigate startling homocides found under mysteriously interesting situations. Hats form under mountains infused slyly. Horses from under Madagascar include striking Herbert F. Uber. Many imbecilic sheep herd fast under monkeys in shining headdresses.

Other Class Activities Today:
Quotable Quotes: Write on your first Quotable Quote page this quote:
"The myth that we must have 'time' -- more time -- in order to create is a myth that keeps us from using the time we do have. if we are forever yearning for 'more,' we are forever discounting what is offered." -- Julia Cameron, The Right to Write, page 13

Editing: Students received a tape in to go on the back of the page before your Proofreading pages.

Work on Children's books: Students were able to work on the books for the kindergarten children, with the computer lab available.

April10, 2008

April10, 2008
Students responded in their notebooks to the poem "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll.
The substitute read to them a selection from Alice in Wonderland: "Down the Rabbit Hole."
The students received and went over the assignment for creating their own "underland," and worked on that the rest of the period.

Hopefully, you are working along on our book for the kindergarten child, and you exchanged phone numbers or e-mail info. with your partner if you have one. These are due by May 1.

Have a great Spring Break!

April 8, 2008

April 8, 2008
Self-Starter: In your notebooks, copy the list of "Dead Words." Add any others that are on the tombstones above the white board. Select 5 or more for which you will find better (more specific and lively) replacements. List several replacements for each of your five or more selected dead words.

Dead Words include get, got, very, nice, your, you, good, just, lots, a lot, well, fine, so, fun, great, every, the end, awesome, cool, fine, totally, rad, awesome, special, great, really.

We worked on the Children's books and put together our "green books."

April 4, 2008

April 4, 2008
We worked on creating description.
Students also worked on their books for the kindergarten children.