One of my favorite assignments is simply called "Squiggle Story." The students get to choose a simple, computer-generated squiggle line, and create an artistic picture from it. From there, they story map the five W's and one H:
~Who is in their picture
~ What is happening in their picture
~ Where their story is taking place
~ When their story is taking place
~ Why (this is the story line)
~ How the story ends
Doing this gets the students' thoughts organized, so that they may not only create a wonderful work of art, but also start thinking about the story line behind it. Doing a Story Map first always leads to more organized work. Enjoy these fantastic stories and their matching artwork!
Squiggle Story
Plaid the Platypus
by Carissa (2nd grade)
by Carissa (2nd grade)
I stared at the wall. I was very lonely. There were other animals, but they teased me about my pointy long nose. Suddenly, I heard a noise. It was Mrs. Gallagher, and she said that Kalea was taking me home! Finally, I got to meet a person who could be my friend.
Kalea took me home and fed me, and told stories to me. I enjoyed this; she even let me sleep in her bed!
The next day, I woke up super early. In fact, I couldn't sleep at all, probably because I'm nocturnal and didn't sleep a wink the night before. Anyway, Kalea went to school at 8:00, and I got to stay home. I like being sneaky, so I went into the very messy kitchen and found all of the junk food that I could fit in my tiny slippery flippers. Good thing that Mrs. Emily was fast asleep on the couch, watching that ridiculous show called Fashion Runway! Super annoying!
When I got all of the junk food on Kalea's bed, I started gobbling down everything, but when Kalea came home, she wasn't happy. Then she stared at me with a wrinkly, angry face, but it faded into a smile. She said I was too cute to stay made at.
So we had the whole two more days together. It was a blast! But one day, she took me back to school. I thought in my head, was this the end?
All I had to do was relax while the teacher talked about boring stuff. Turns out, I had to go home with someone else. Looks like a new adventure. Got to pack. Bye!
The Three Humped Camel
by Nathan (3rd grade)
One day, an unusual camel was walking in the desert. What was unusual about the big camel was that he had three big humps. He said in a loud voice, "I'm so very thirsty!" He was going to find an oasis with fresh, cold water.
He began his journey. He walked and walked and walked, and found a lizard. The camel caught him. The camel was about to eat him, but the lizard said, "I beg you, please don't eat me!"
Then the camel said, "Okay." He let him go.
The lizard said, "Thank you.... are you thirsty?"
The camel replied, "Yes!"
Then the lizard said, "I'll help you find an oasis. Oh, and by the way, my name is Liz."
Then the camel said, "My name is Camelot."
"Oh!" said Liz.
So Liz hopped on one of Camelot's humps. "Let's go!" said Liz.
Along the way, a big sand storm hit them. It was hard to walk. "Ow!" said Camelot.
"Are you okay?" asked Liz. The sand storm was getting stronger! "Ugg!" said Liz. The storm got stronger and stronger. Liz almost fell off, but managed to stay on. The storm was long and painful.
Finally, the storm was over. Then they found a bunch of spiky cactus. Liz said, "Just keep on going. Now I'm getting thirsty."
"I'm going as fast as I can," replied Camelot. Camelot and Liz got poked by a cactus. Liz pulled out the thorns that were on them. Each time he pulled one out, they said, "Ouch!" The last thorn was on the rear end. Liz pulled it out fast. "OUCHHHH!!!!" Camelot shrieked in pain.
"Sorry," said Liz.
Once they passed all the cacti, they saw a big camel. It was bigger than Camelot! The camel rammed into Camelot. Camelot rammed him back. The camel knocked Camelot out!
Liz jumped out of nowhere and surprised the big camel and scared him away. "That was easy," said Liz proudly. "Wake up!"
Camelot woke up. "The oasis is right in front of us," said Liz.
"Really?" asked Camelot.
"Yes!" shouted Liz in excitement. Liz hopped on Camelot, and began walking to the oasis. They drank the very fresh, cold water in the oasis. They have lived there ever since.
Clack! Snap! Crack! The delicate white shell burst open and what appears to be a little golden yellow ball of fluff lay sound asleep. "Isn't she beautiful?" Mother Chicken whispered to Father Chicken.
"Yes," replied Father Chicken, "but doesn't she look a little petite?"
"Yes, we should call her Petite," Mother Chicken exclaimed.
----------------------Five Years Later--------------------------
"Happy Birthday to you!" Mother and Father Chicken hollered excitedly. As Petite blew out the small hay candles, the sun rose in the saturated sky, and it was time for Easter. When Petite walked out in the sunshine, everything seemed peaceful.
Until the Chick Gang arrived.
The Chick Gang included five different disobedient chicks who had bullied Petite since the day she was born. The two ambassador chicks, Target and Arrow, accompanied the three others. The two dukes, Derek and Dole, also were there. Finally the king, Sparrow the Barbaric Wacky Chick with the crazy ideas, showed up. He was the one who bullied Petite the most.
The Chick Gang approached her like a lion stalking its pretty. Praying she wasn't the target, she clamped her wings together and closed her eyes, hoping they would disappear into thin air, even though she knew they wouldn't. Her quaking legs would never run from the group, because they were paralyzed by the scary look on their faces. Finally, they clamored up to her.
"What are you looking at, you little peep?!" Sparrow snickered nastily as if he were staring at a new leaf on a bare tree. "I was wondering how old you are, baby."
"I'm--"
"Oh, I forgot. You're celebrating your 2nd birthday Tiny!" exclaimed Sparrow, as the chick gang laughed hysterically.
As tears formed in her eyes, she decided to end this once and for all. She sprinted around the group and felt more free than ever! Then it happened: Sparrow fell to the ground, dazed from spinning in circles, watching Petite.
Suddenly, Petite felt ashamed and sinful. She dropped down at lightning speed to help them cure Sparrow. She didn't know what happened to him after that. But in that moment, she saw her true talent: Racing.
Ever since then, Petite has become older and older, but at least she believed in herself to make her dream come true.
Petite
by Kalea (4th grade)
Clack! Snap! Crack! The delicate white shell burst open and what appears to be a little golden yellow ball of fluff lay sound asleep. "Isn't she beautiful?" Mother Chicken whispered to Father Chicken.
"Yes," replied Father Chicken, "but doesn't she look a little petite?"
"Yes, we should call her Petite," Mother Chicken exclaimed.
----------------------Five Years Later--------------------------
"Happy Birthday to you!" Mother and Father Chicken hollered excitedly. As Petite blew out the small hay candles, the sun rose in the saturated sky, and it was time for Easter. When Petite walked out in the sunshine, everything seemed peaceful.
Until the Chick Gang arrived.
The Chick Gang included five different disobedient chicks who had bullied Petite since the day she was born. The two ambassador chicks, Target and Arrow, accompanied the three others. The two dukes, Derek and Dole, also were there. Finally the king, Sparrow the Barbaric Wacky Chick with the crazy ideas, showed up. He was the one who bullied Petite the most.
The Chick Gang approached her like a lion stalking its pretty. Praying she wasn't the target, she clamped her wings together and closed her eyes, hoping they would disappear into thin air, even though she knew they wouldn't. Her quaking legs would never run from the group, because they were paralyzed by the scary look on their faces. Finally, they clamored up to her.
"What are you looking at, you little peep?!" Sparrow snickered nastily as if he were staring at a new leaf on a bare tree. "I was wondering how old you are, baby."
"I'm--"
"Oh, I forgot. You're celebrating your 2nd birthday Tiny!" exclaimed Sparrow, as the chick gang laughed hysterically.
As tears formed in her eyes, she decided to end this once and for all. She sprinted around the group and felt more free than ever! Then it happened: Sparrow fell to the ground, dazed from spinning in circles, watching Petite.
Suddenly, Petite felt ashamed and sinful. She dropped down at lightning speed to help them cure Sparrow. She didn't know what happened to him after that. But in that moment, she saw her true talent: Racing.
Ever since then, Petite has become older and older, but at least she believed in herself to make her dream come true.
By Amelia (5th grade)
Prologue
Crack. Crack. “Oh, they’re hatching!” exclaimed a beautiful young swan delightedly. Immediately, another swan was by her side. He puffed out his chest and boasted, “They will be the finest cygnets of all cygnets ever born!”
His wife merely smiled and said, “I’m sure they will.” She turned her head affectionately toward her eggs and yawned. She had been awake all night trying to keep all seven of her eggs warm and comfortable, and was looking forward to a good nap.
Suddenly, a tiny cygnet poked its head out of its shell. It was followed by two others on the opposite side of the nest.
“Oh…” their mother breathed. It was the only thing she could manage. However, her husband was bursting with proud words. “They are the most handsome swans in all of Canada!”
The female swan sighed and said softly, “Whatever you say.” She had long gotten used to the conceited remarks of her husband.
By this time, all of the eggs had hatched except for one, and the sky began to lighten. A single birdsong could be heard, echoing across the lake. Then, as the first drop of sunlight hit the surface of the lake, one last head pushed its way out of smooth, white, shell. A second later, the youngest cygnet leaped out, over its siblings, and promptly landed in the water with a splash. When it resurfaced, its previously proud father rose up into the air with a gasp.
“No,” he whispered, looking down at his wife in horror. “Vi-Viola, its neck is deformed. What happened?” The new mother, Viola, slipped into the water and calmly scooped up the last cygnet with her soft, silky wings.
“I think you’re just being silly,” she replied. “It’s just a short neck, and I’m sure it’ll grow later. Sometimes the neck last to grow can be the tallest.” But she sounded worried, too. Swans were always extremely proud of their long necks, and she wasn’t at all sure that her cygnet’s neck would grow long. How could her last child ever fit in with the other swans with a short neck?
Bilbo woke up to a ray of sun dancing across his feathers. He got up with a groan and waddled to the lake where his mother was already feeding his siblings.
“Oh,” his sister Serena mocked. “The poor and deformed has come to join us.” At this, all of the cygnets giggled. Ever since they had overheard their father calling Bilbo’s neck deformed, the cygnets had started using the word to describe Bilbo himself.
“Don’t tease your brother, Serena,” scolded their mother.
“Yeah Serena, don’t tease our precious little brother,” said another cygnet sarcastically.
“And you too, Percy.” The cygnets’ mother frowned down at them.
“Both of you can be last in line for lunch today.” She raised her voice as Serena and Percy instantly started whining. “And Bilbo dear, come get your breakfast.”
Bilbo sighed. Another long day of being the butt of everyone’s jokes, he thought as his mother dropped a wriggling worm down his throat. He wondered if he would ever be treated as a normal swan. Sometimes Bilbo wished that he could join the ducks, who naturally had short necks. He knew that his siblings would certainly approve of that idea. At that moment, his father arrived in a flurry of white feathers.
“There are swans heading towards our home!” he cried, turning to his cygnets. “This is your chance to begin the mating process!” he told them excitedly.
Most of his brothers wrinkled their bills in disgust, and a few of his sisters giggled, but Bilbo’s heart sank. This would be the biggest failure of his life. No swan would ever like him with his neck being so short. But his family was already flying out to meet the newcomers, so, his heart weighted down with dread, he followed suit.
Bilbo was trying to hide behind his father when he saw her. The most gorgeous, beautiful young swan he had ever seen. She had perfectly shaped silver-white feathers, the longest neck Bilbo had ever seen, a slender bill that was the color of the rising sun, and dark turquoise eyes the shade of an ocean at dusk. Bilbo stared at her for a long while, transfixed. Then, completely forgetting his previous fears and worries, he swam forward.
“Hi, I’m Bilbo,” he said to the swan. “What’s your name?” There was a long pause. Instantly, all of Bilbo’s temporarily lifted fears came crashing down on him, even worse than before. He was glad that everybody had left to show the new swans their home on Crystal Lake. After what seemed like an eternity, the swan answered,
“I’m Anastasia. Nice to meet you.” She squinted at Bilbo.
“Are you a swan or a duck?” Her tone was friendly, but that one question tore Bilbo’s whole world apart. He turned and fled back to the lake, past his siblings, and onto his bed in the rushes. He lay there with all those terrible moments replaying in his head. Slowly, he fell into a troubled sleep full of taunts and jeers.
The next day, Bilbo woke with a jerk. Looking around, he found that it was already mid morning. As the events of yesterday came back to him, Bilbo thought to himself that he had never felt so lonely in his life. He heard the quiet splashing of water outside and instantly pretended to be asleep. Even if it was his mother and not one of his siblings coming to tease him, Bilbo still didn’t want to talk to anyone. A swan, probably his mother, slipped in, and after a while, left again. After he was sure he was alone, Bilbo climbed out of his bed and saw that his mother had left a note for him. It said:
Dear Bilbo, we are out exploring with the newcomers, so your siblings, your father, and I will not be here. If you would like to come, we are at the East Peaks. Love you, Mother.
“Ah,” thought Bilbo. So his family was away, and it would be a long time before he would have to suffer his siblings’ taunts. He stepped out of the rushes and into the lake. Swimming always helped take his mind off of things.
Feeling the pleasantly cool water swish around his webbed feet, Bilbo felt calm for the first time in the past two days. A flock of geese flew by overhead towards the distant peaks, and for once, Bilbo could not hear his siblings’ mocking voices in their loud honking. He lifted his head towards the sun, which was high in the sky. The wind ruffled his feathers and Bilbo felt as if it was blowing away all of his unpleasant memories, giving him a new start without any of his problems.
Feeling the pleasantly cool water swish around his webbed feet, Bilbo felt calm for the first time in the past two days. A flock of geese flew by overhead towards the distant peaks, and for once, Bilbo could not hear his siblings’ mocking voices in their loud honking. He lifted his head towards the sun, which was high in the sky. The wind ruffled his feathers and Bilbo felt as if it was blowing away all of his unpleasant memories, giving him a new start without any of his problems.
Bilbo was brought back to reality when he heard a rustling in the bushes. He raced to the bank and crouched down low in the tall grass, afraid that it was one of his siblings. But wasn’t everybody at the East Peaks? Suddenly, Bilbo’s heart stopped as Anastasia’s voice came, loud and clear, across the lake.
“So, why aren’t you going to the East Peaks with everybody else?”
Another familiar voice answered, “I wanted to stay with you, of course. Nothing is fun when you’re not with me. Why didn’t you go?”
Bilbo suppressed a gasp. That second voice belonged to his brother, Percy! His heart, which had been lightened after his pleasant swim, plummeted down to the bottom of the lake. Bilbo had been hoping that Anastasia might actually take a liking to him, but now, with Percy, all of his hopes were crushed. Percy was perfect in every way, from the tip of his bill to the ends of his tail feathers. There was no way Anastasia would chose Bilbo over Percy. At that moment, while he was immersed in his thoughts, Bilbo lost his footing and fell into the lake.
When Bilbo had shaken the water out of his eyes, he found that both Anastasia and Percy were staring at him. Despite his situation, Bilbo felt a twinge of satisfaction that Percy looked just a little bit embarrassed to be found with a female swan. Anastasia looked at him curiously.
“Why, aren’t you the swan who I talked to yesterday, the one with a short neck and a sensitive attitude?” Bilbo wanted to hide and never be seen again, but he stood his ground. He did not want Anastasia thinking he was sensitive. Anastasia narrowed her eyes.
“And what exactly were you doing, hiding in the rushes?” she asked.
Percy, who was now glaring at Bilbo, growled, “Obviously he was spying on us.”
“I-I wasn’t spying on you,” Bilbo spluttered. Then, angered by the unfairness of his brother’s remark, he added, “I was just swimming in the lake. It is my lake as well as yours, you know.”
Percy opened his mouth to give an angry retort, but Anastasia interjected, “Actually, that’s true. Don’t come to conclusions so quickly, Percy.”
Percy shot Bilbo a look full of hatred, then swam off with Anastasia trailing behind him. Once they were out of sight, Bilbo fluttered up into the sky in happiness. Anastasia had actually stood up for him against Percy!
The sound of footsteps brought him back down to the lake. Bilbo frowned. No humans had ever come as far into the wilderness as Crystal Lake. He silently followed the crunching of leaves to the stream where Anastasia and Percy were swimming. Then, Bilbo heard a gruff voice say, “C’mon, we don’t want to kill the dwarf-necked one, we want the pretty one up ahead.”
Bilbo froze. That man had to be talking about Anastasia. She was about to be killed. Numbly, Bilbo swam after the voices. When he reached the entrance to a small clearing where Anastasia was, he saw a dark figure in the shadows crouch down and aim something towards Anastasia’s head. At that moment, Anastasia seemed to become aware of someone watching her. She turned her head, and Bilbo saw her eyes widen in fear and surprise as she saw the hunter crouching in the shadows.
In a split second decision, Bilbo leapt up, out of the water, shielding Anastasia from whatever danger the hunters were planning for her. There was a loud bang, and then a sharp piercing pain in Bilbo’s chest. He fell to the ground and saw two figures racing towards him.
In a split second decision, Bilbo leapt up, out of the water, shielding Anastasia from whatever danger the hunters were planning for her. There was a loud bang, and then a sharp piercing pain in Bilbo’s chest. He fell to the ground and saw two figures racing towards him.
Anastasia reached him first. In a whisper, she said, “I’m sorry for hurting your feelings. Thank you for saving me. I love you.”
That was all Bilbo needed to hear. He closed his eyes to the world and sank into an undisturbed, unending sleep.
Epilogue
A group of swans were clustered around a young swan who was lying on the ground. An elderly swan held his wife while she cried. Six smaller swans apologized for many years of teasing and mocking. Many other swans stood with their heads bowed. In the chaos, a beautiful young swan with dusky turquoise eyes slipped away and flew into the sunset. She was never seen again.
Squiggle Story by Kathleen (6th grade)
Today was another freezing winter day. It was especially cold in the mouse hole at the corner of Mr. Spencer’s house. Our whole family had starved the day before, which forced Feta and me to make another risky journey to the kitchen’s countertop.
We slowly crept out of our safe mouse hole and tiptoed to the kitchen. Making sure that Mr. Spencer, the mean old man living in this house, wasn’t near, we cautiously climbed up the kitchen counter. On top sat the biggest slice of cheese I had ever seen! I took the cheese off the plate and sniffed it lovingly, then handed it to Feta, who did the same.
Just then we heard footsteps in the hall. I looked frantically around the room for any possible hiding spot, then finding no other place, jumped into one of wooden cups resting on the rough table. Feta hid in the one next to me, and we both hoped that Mr. Spencer didn’t need to drink from the cups at the moment.
Unfortunately, he was thirsty. He sat down at the table and picked up the cup I was hiding in. Just before he was going to pour tea on me, he saw me and shrieked. I scrambled out of the cup and ran. I looked back, and saw Feta right behind me with the cheese, followed by an angry Mr. Spencer.
“You little rascals! Stealing my cheese again and hiding in my cups! You’re not going to get away with this again!” Mr. Spencer growled as he made an attempt to crush Feta with his foot. In one quick move, Feta tossed the cheese to me and dodged the foot. Now the responsibility of protecting the cheese was mine.
I ran and ran and ran, but Mr. Spencer kept coming closer and closer. After a few turns, the mouse hole came into view ahead of me. Suddenly, I went flying in the air and landed with a plop on the ground. Ouch! I realized then that I had tripped over an electric wire. I looked up and saw Mr. Spencer’s gigantic body towering over me, ready to smash me any second.
“Run, Cheddar!” shouted Feta. Mustering up all my strength, I got up and sprinted as fast as my little legs could carry me while heavy footsteps pounded after me.
“I’m coming!” I squealed. I threw the precious cheese into Feta’s paws and slid just in time through the small mouse hole in the corner of the house. Panting, I listened as the stomping neared the hole, stopped, then heard the sound of the footsteps moving in the the other direction. A loud “Arghhh” sound filled the room, and then Mr. Spencer trudged off.
“That was a close one!” Feta exclaimed.
“Yeah,” I agreed, flopping down on the ground. “But it was definitely worth it. That big chunk of cheese will take a long time to eat, and we probably won’t be hungry for a while!”
“Yup!” Feta responded happily.
Both of us looked admiringly at the delectable cheese now resting on our tiny dining table, waiting to fill our family’s hungry stomachs. Yum!
