Squiggle Stories

 Pick a Squiggle line, and what comes to mind?  First, my students created beautiful (or humorous!) works of art from their squiggle line.  Then, they story mapped the 5 W's and an H of writing: 

~Who is in the picture

~ What is happening

~ Where

~When

~Why (the story line)

~ How it ends

Once they had these notes, they were able to write awesome stories with clear beginnings, middles, and ends.  Enjoy these entertaining samples!

The Princess and the Harp

 by Ella (6th grade)

One early morning, Princess Leila walked gracefully over to her harp. She lifted her skirt and placed herself gently down onto the stool. It was a new day, meaning a new song. 

Princess Leila loved music, but she was a mute girl, so she couldn’t sing. She also had a unique disease called Muscular Dystrophy, meaning her body was rather weak, so she couldn’t dance. But she did have extremely elegant hands that could move very quickly or very slowly, depending on her mood. So to express her passion for music, she played the harp, every moment that she could.

Princess Leila had been trapped in a tower for almost 6 years of her life because of her delicate body and struggles to express. Though it was somewhat fair, it still hurt Princess Leila to think that people thought of her as weak and incapable. She was so lonely in her tower and wished so badly that she could make new friends in the outside world, but being held captive in her tower kept her from doing so.

So Princess Leila proceeded on with her day. She positioned her hands softly onto the harp strings and closed her eyes. As they were shut, she took a deep breath and thought deeply about her mood. It was just another day of the many years that she had been in this tower, so it should’ve just been like any other. But no. Today, Princess Leila was feeling a rather abnormal emotion. Something that felt like burning in her chest. Her eyes began to water and her neck began to sweat. It was like she was a trapped chick trying to break free from the egg to reach the real world. 

Then she realized. The emotion she was feeling was nothing but anger. She wanted justice, and she had to be able to express that. Her fingers began pulling and turning rapidly  as the harp strings produced a beautiful melody. But this melody wasn’t like any other one that she had created before. The melody was angry. Tired. It was full of passion. The words that she couldn’t speak were being expressed in the melody of the harp.

It had been several minutes, and Princess Leila was still playing. The people of the town below had begun piling up under her tower, as they were heavily attracted to the music. 

For the first time ever, she had an audience.

She began playing deep notes, resembling her hopelessness. High notes, resembling her stress and will to break free. Her hands were out of her own control as they played on. 

Then something absolutely peculiar happened. The audience recognized the words she was trying to speak.

“She’s trapped! She needs to be rescued!”

“We have to help her!”

“The Princess is in despair!”

“Somebody get a ladder!”

Princess Leila would’ve been feeling another emotion by all of this encouragement, but she kept her mind, heart, and hands in the passionate angry mood of the song. 

“Princess Leila! We have come to rescue you!”

Princess Leila cocked her head slightly to face her window and saw a prince with his hand stuck out to her.

“Come on!”

Princess Leila had never thought this moment would happen. She had a chance to be free, but she realized that would mean letting go of the harp she had played for her entire life. She was torn between the life she already had and the one she was being offered.

The melody of the harp began speeding up. She was stressed and panicked. The prince noticed.

“Princess Leila? Are you okay?”

The Princess stuck out her hand as the other one kept on playing. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

She had been waiting for this moment her entire life, and it was here.

Then Princess Leila realized.

Life is all about letting go and moving on. From growing up to losing a loved one, moving on.

This was one of those moments, Leila realized.

So she let go of her harp.

I’ll see you again soon, she thought as she planted a kiss lightly on the surface of the golden harp.

She walked steadily over to the window and grabbed the prince’s hand.

Letting go.

She’d find a new way to speak for herself someday. For now, goodbye to the harp that carried her through all the endless days of suffocation.

Autumn Riddle Poetry!

 I remember hating poetry as a student.  It took one really special teacher to make it fun, and show me that, in poetry, nothing can truly be "wrong."  I try to be that one teacher to my students, if they haven't already yet had that experience!

We had a fabulous lesson learning rhyme scheme and rhythm through syllable counts.  Riddle Poems are a great way to do this.  The object of a riddle poem is to create a four-line poem in AABB format, each line giving a little clue to what the answer is.  Our them was "anything autumn." The students did a fabulous job with these poems!  Here are some for your entertainment!

I walk on a dark scary night.

Big houses give me a fright.

I run on a sidewalk littered with sweets.

Our bags are filled with so many treats.

What night is this?

Answer: Halloween!

By Amar (4th grade)

Dark pointy hat, yell "Trick or Treat!"

Buckets of candy, it's so sweet.

Black as a witch's robe, it's midnight.

All the scary costumers are giving me a fright!

When is this?

Answer: Halloween Night!

By Liberty (5th grade)

This thing is orange and bright.

Inside there is a small light.

Some people stabbed me with knives.

Which made me lose my older life.

What am I?

Answer: A Jack-o-Lantern

By Andy (5th grade)

Red and orange and yellow and green,

Apples that drop, the best you've ever seen.

Rain drops falling during your run,

The beautiful scenery sparkling in the sun.

What am I?

Answer: Autumn views

By Aadya (6th grade)

Walking outside at the dead of night

People scream 'cause they're full of fright.

Made up of bones, arms, legs, and head.

It's not a zombie, as I just said.

What is it?

Answer: A skeleton

By Anay (5th grade)

Interview With a Leaf

All of my classes, from grades 1-6, enjoy pondering the life cycle of a leaf, from bud to death, and then personifying a leaf in their imaginations!  What would that leaf think about being a tiny bud?  How about the prime of its life, in summer, when the weather is great and the leaf would be big and green?  And then, there's autumn to think about, when the leaf would change clothes and eventually, fall to the ground.  What would a grumpy leaf think about that?  How about a happy or optimistic leaf?   What if a leaf lived its life in constant fear?  We had a great time learning the format of interviews in the "Awesome" class, while the "Budding" class wrote their longest pieces yet: Three whole chapters!  Enjoy these samples.

My Life as a Leaf, by Vivian (1st grade)

My Life as a Leaf, by Sara (2nd grade)

SPRING

        When I was born, I was a bud.  I lived in a flower field.  I was small and green.  I saw flowers, leaves, other new buds, and acorns.  I felt scared around the other buds.  That day it was rainy, and I was happy.  I was as happy as a little bud could be.  I felt warm inside.

SUMMER

        In Summer, I felt different.  I felt stronger and braver.  I saw flowers that were every color of the rainbow!  I also saw my family.  After that, I decided to talk to my friends.  We talked about a lot of stuff.

FALL

        Now I am read, orange, yellow, and crunchy.  Now everything looks different.  Even me, I am a little brown.  I was holding on to my branch as tight as I could, but I couldn't hold on anymore, so I fell.  I felt scared and happy at the same time.  My life ended when somebody came and picked me up.

           An Interview with a Leaf

by Adeline (5th grade)

Gracelyn: Hello, Miss Leaf!

Miss Leaf: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! 

Gracelyn:Um…

Miss Leaf: Uh… sorry…. I’m just not used to, like, real things like you talking to me.

Gracelyn: It’s okay. My name is Gracelyn, and I’m going to interview you! My first question is: what was it like being a bud?

Miss Leaf: It was great! A little crowded at times, but always fun. Also, what I saw was so cool! There were beings like you walking around and inspecting all sort of things.

Gracelyn: Cool! 

Miss Leaf: Also, I saw a BEAR!!! The wise leaf said bears don’t eat leaves, but I decided to be careful anyway. I had tried to escape, but it didn’t work. Then the bear climbed up to my neighborhood and he ACTUALLY sniffed me!!! Thankfully, he climbed back down.

Gracelyn: Oh no! I’m glad you’re okay! What happened as summer came by?

Miss Leaf: Well, I saw more things like you, and another BEAR!! He knocked off a few leaves and I was afraid the same thing would happen to me. By that time, I was a nice bright green, medium sized leaf. 

Gracelyn: Got it. What else happened when you were still young?

Miss Leaf: There was this bird that this wise leaf calls a woodpecker. Well, it actually pecks wood. It was so annoying! None of the leaves in my neighborhood could ever take a nap! Thankfully, he left. Then, it was the change of clothes! 

Gracelyn: Please tell me about that!

Miss Leaf: So, first of all, there were less beings like you, and all around me my brothers, sisters, and friends all turned brown, red, orange, yellow. I was very excited to change clothes myself. 

Gracelyn: I bet you were!

Miss Leaf: Also, the wise leaf said it’s called “fall,” but I didn’t know I would actually fall! When the other leaves around me fell, I heard them screaming in terror. And when they reached the ground, I heard them moaning in agony!!

Gracelyn: *Gasp* How was your fall?

Miss Leaf: Well, I’ve always been kind of scared of heights, and so I was kind of afraidto fall, but at the same time I was happy to get my feet on solid ground.

Gracelyn: Please tell me what happened!

Miss Leaf: So one windy day, I felt I couldn’t hold on to my branch anymore, so I let go. Oh my! I was horrified! I closed my eyes tight and I felt myself twirling all around! Soon, I felt that I was on solid ground and opened my eyes to find myself here. Giant trees towered above me, and it was a strange experience.

Gracelyn: I think it was!

Miss Leaf: Yes! I am glad I am here. The wise leaf said leaves on the ground will die soon. I’m not really worried after the flying experience.

Gracelyn: Don’t worry, I can help you! I can press you in a book to preserve you!

Miss Leaf: Really??

Gracelyn: Yes! And that concludes our interview! Thank you for the discussion!

An Interview With a Leaf

by Vivian (5th grade)

SPRING

Interviewer: Good evening, Leaf Girl! How are you today?

Leaf Girl: Good evening. Why are you here, among the grasses?

Interviewer:  I am curious about your life, as a leaf.

Leaf Girl: What would you like to know? I am just the average leaf.

Interviewer: Well, to begin with, I’d like to understand your first memory.

Leaf Girl: Ah, that. So long ago. The very first thing I budded to was raindrops. They pitter-pattered on the thin branch supporting me. The twitter of quarreling birds drew my attention. One screamed, “I want the nut!” The other screeched, “Too bad!” It went on for quite a while. Most amusing. As everyone should know, leaves do not mature. We are born with varying levels of wisdom, and cannot increase our knowledge. Quite luckily, I was brighter than several others.

Interviewer: Lucky indeed! But I must question, did much excitement happen in the early stages of your life?

Leaf Girl: Very little happened when the cherry blossoms bloomed in full splendor. I suppose I can recall once when a group of children played with a strange circular object. They yammered about uselessly, ramming into each other and screaming their heads off. This happened several times. It was all extremely annoying. 

Interviewer: Did you have any main interactions with nearby leaves?

Leaf Girl: Things like these are always complicated. I specifically detested my younger sister, younger by 0.0007600323432 seconds. Yes, leaves require precise measurements. However, I could go farther; 0.00076003234320000682376843598565 seconds. She was spoiled; she was sheltered and surrounded by her admirers. Most were younger by approximately 0.0003547345265424387 seconds. Much younger. I could go in the binary system, too; written in binary, it would be approximately 0.000–

SUMMER

Interviewer: Er… Let’s continue! We are, um, running out of time! Let’s hurry on. What about summer? How did you feel?

Leaf Girl: I noticed that all the nearby flowers had bloomed at last. The rain had ended, and the blistering sun dried up the topmost and exposed leaves. But I found myself still a fresh, young springy green. I realized that my reach was expanding. I swayed in the breeze along with my friends. The birds were more common in the summer. Of course, they were quite annoying with their squawks. Some of the songbirds were annoying, but the nightingale was kind to us leaves. 

Interviewer: I see. Did any events happen? 

Leaf Girl: Well, there was this young girl that was, to say the least, evil. She tore off the bottom parts of the lowest leaves and scattered them on the ground. It’s comparable to decapitating some of his own kind. How merciless!

Leaf Girl continues and describes the girl with quite a lengthy explanation.

Interviewer:  Hmm… (I thought I knew her… She’s super-nice…)

Leaf Girl: WHAT. DID. YOU. JUST. SAY?!

Interviewer: Uh… Nothing at all. NOTHING. I SAID NOTHING.

Leaf Girl: Doubtful. You said something. 

Interviewer: You are getting very sleepy. Now forget I said anything!

Leaf Girl: I am getting very annoyed. Now continue with the interview if you want to keep your job!

Interviewer: Yes, yes, immediately, yes. Let’s continue…

AUTUMN

Interviewer: So, let’s go on with autumn. Did you notice your change of colors early in the season?

Leaf Girl: Yes. With so many others surrounding me, I obviously found the change. Alas, I was in despair when I saw the eldest leaves shrivel up and drop. But I realized that my colors were truly magnificent, and I enjoyed the feeling. 

Interviewer: As usual, did anything extraordinary happen?

Leaf Girl: Obviously. My siblings all dropped until I was one of the last lucky few. I saw them littered on the ground there. Remember my annoying younger sister? She was, ironically, terrified of heights. So she screamed as she went down, then yelled at the top of her lungs, “IT’S AWESOME DOWN HERE!!!” 

Interviewer: So how did you fall?

Leaf Girl: We leaves prefer to call it the voyage.  I already knew what would become of me, so I didn’t panic. Then the graceful fall was peaceful. And now I am here.

Interviewer:  Thank you for taking the time to participate in this interview. 

Leaf Girl: Farewell.

Pumpkin Draw!

 The "Budding Authors and Artists"had a different game to play.  This game will prepare them well for "Monster Draw" in the future!  In "Pumpkin Draw," the students started out with drawing pictures, of course.  Then, they used fill-in-the-blank prompts to make sentences to describe their pictures with lots and lots of adjectives!  (All my students learn very early how important adjectives are in excellent, vivid writing!). We taped pictures up on the wall, and as I read the descriptions, students had to guess which picture I was reading about.  Of course, being such excellent young authors, the pictures were easy to spot, because the writing was so clear!

Enjoy these samples, and we hope you had a Happy Halloween!

Samit's Pumpkin (2nd grade)

        My pumpkin is heart-shaped, orange, and blue.  It has two yellow triangular eyes.  I don't have a nose for my pumpkin though.  It has two tiny triangular teeth.  It has a small, yellow, and fangy mouth.  On top of its head, it has a triangular orange stem.  There is a dark blue sky.  I think my pumpkin is amazing.

Vihaan's Pumpkin (2nd grade)

        My pumpkin is funny looking and enormous.  It has two tiny yellow oval eyes.  It has one oddly shaped tiny yellow mouth and twenty-three tiny triangular black teeth.  It sits on green grass with the blue sky.  I think my pumpkin is enormously silly.

Monster Draw Game!

Adjectives, adjectives, adjectives!  They tell size, shape, color, and number.  And if you don't include them, your reader will get an incomplete picture in their mind of what you are trying to describe!  That was the theme of our On Demand Writing Game, "Monster Draw."  Here is how you play:

Step 1: Draw a monster, complete with background if you have time.

Step 2: Describe every aspect of your monster and background.  Don't leave out a single detail!  Because....

Step 3: Trade descriptions with a partner.  Now you will draw each other's ONLY by reading what they have written.  No talking or asking questions allowed!

As you can see, this game gives students instant feedback about their ability to use detail in their writing.  We all had some good laughs as pictures were compared near Halloween Day.  The winners were voted on by the class, and this year, all happened to be 5th graders!  Enjoy!

Jessie's Monster (5th grade)

        My monster is not like a normal monster; it has an oval shaped body, with the face and legs and arms all connected to it.

        He has a furry, light mossy green oval for his entire body, with small triangles on the edge to represent the fur.

        In the upper area of his body, there is one eye, medium-sized, but compared to a human eye, very large.  It is shaped like an oval, with a dark-ash green pupil right below the center.  It also has bright curved yellow horns sticking out of the top of the head.

        In the lower area of its body, there is a wide mouth, not touching the end, but just a little lower than the center point.   There's a bright red tongue sticking out of the middle of the smile.

        The arms of the body are slanted downwards, but not completely, with a trick-or-treat bag, like a jack-o-lantern, with pencil colored triangular shaped eyes.  The point is facing upwards.  The nose is slightly smaller with the point facing downwards.  The mouth is a half circle, lying horizontally, with one uncolored tooth in it.  The bag is colored orange with a handle.  The monster is holding the bag to YOUR left.  The legs are on the bottom of the body with sticks connected to red colored half circles, with the flat part facing down.

        On YOUR left is a crescent moon, with three stars on the right.  The pine tree is on the right side of the paper, with bright green on the top, and a brown trunk.  The ground is outlined in brown and a little lower than the center.  

Wow!  So descriptive!  Check out this twin Vivian (5th grade) was able to draw!

Audrey's Monster (5th grade)

        My monster is circular and green with buff arms.  It has three eyes that are in the air.  One of the eyes is large, the second one is small, and the third one is medium.  The eyes have Ong green sticks to hold them up.  The eyes are white with black outlines.

        The chest of the monster is green, but is mostly covered with a black suit and blue tie.  The monster has two arms and he his flexing his muscles.  He also has a mouth above his suit.

        His legs are medium sized and also green.  On his legs he has some blue shoes that go up to his ankles.

        The monster also has a propeller hat that is on top of his eyes.  The propeller hat is red, yellow, blue, and green.  The background consists of five clouds scattered in the back of him.

        He is yelling, "I'm going to be late for work!  Where are my pants?"

Wow!  Such clear descriptive language!  Erin (5th grade) was able to draw this close match!

 

Colby's Monster (5th grade)

        My monster doesn't know it's creepy, or half of it doesn't know!  My monster has two pink circular heads with orange hair, which is in two pigtails.  Both heads are the same, but one head is smiling and one is frowning.  The left one is smiling, and the right one is frowning.  Both heads on my monster have two purple eyes and no nose.

        The middle part of my monster is a rectangle that is missing the top corners.  It is wearing a shirt that is half black with a moon that is a crescent.  It kind of looks like a banana.  On the other half it is blue with  a sun.  Each side has two handless arms reaching for tables.  On the smiley side, the table is a thin rectangle with a black lining and blue legs.  My monster's legs are like carrot noses with an orange outline and green polka dots.  There are four of them.

        A gray cloud lingers above the monster with gray mist everywhere.  Above the smiley heads head, there is a small green plant.  It has a small colorless stem, and above the frown one there is a brown plant with a black stem.  Both plants have four long clover-like leaves.

        The frowny head's table has small black dots on it and is identical to the smiley one's.  The smiley one has a present and a new shoe on i.

Sasha (5th grade) is such a careful reader!  She drew this picture for the win!

Congratulations to our winners!