Onomatopoeia Poetry

Onomatopoeia is one of my favorite poetic tools to teach.  What does this big, long word mean?
Onomatopoeia is when words SOUND like their meaning.  BOOM!  SPLASH!  KNOCK KNOCK!  All onomatopoetic words make poetry sound more interesting, and invite the reader to truly HEAR what is going on.

The "Budding Authors and Artists" (grades 1-2) wrote simple Fill-in-the-Blank poems, focusing on the topic of Spring and the sounds we hear this time of year.  They could also just choose wonderful, vivid verbs that did not focus on sound.  Enjoy these samples!

by Justin (1st grade)

by Rayne (2nd grade)

     My older students were also introduced to the concept of onomatopoeia, but were not given a fill-in-the-blank project.  Instead, they brainstormed noisy poetry topics on the board, and helped each other map out onomatopoetic words that went with their topics.  The students came up with amazing poems and it was hard to pick just a few.  Enjoy these samples!

     Welcome to the Park, by Charlotte (4th grade)

Though New York is a beautiful city,

I do not want to live there

because of the hustle-bustle and

pollution in the air.

Honks and bonks of busy people

do not attract my attention,

and when you cross the streets there,

do so with caution.

But, inside the peaceful parks,

with chirp-chirps and crunchy leaves,

I can finally settle down

and have a smile on my face if I don't leave.

I will hear the laughter of children 

and skitter of squirrels in the parks

of New York City.

Maybe I do wish I lived there.

Winter, by Morgan (4th grade)

The winter winds howl,

whoosh and whirl throughout the air

while snow is falling everywhere

Skiiers come out as they whoosh down the hill

leaving a slight chill.

Sledders squeal "Wheeee!"

as they feel so free.

Slurping hot cocoa is a delight

While sitting by the crackling fire at night. 

April Showers Bring May Flowers, by Medha (5th grade)

Spring is here, so very dear

April showers, so very near

Pitter-patter, down on the ground

Drip-drop, heavy in sound.

May blossoms, Pop!  Sprout!  Bloom!

Wonderful colors, happy hues.

Flowers are cute, rain drops have power,

But April showers always bring May flowers.

Mr. Soccer Field, by Mathis (5th grade)

Mr. Soccer Field is a small piece of grass,

But when the ball goes whoosh

And the whistle goes Tweet,

He is extremely LOUD.

BOOM goes the post 

in its little coast.

BAM goes the last foot on the ball.

The Goal, by Francesca (5th grade)

Stomp!  I'm running down the field.

Tap!  I dribble, I do not yield.

Phew!  I'm at the goal about to shoot.

Wack!  I'm trying not to stoop.

Whoosh!  My shot goes through the air.

Swoop!  It brushes past her dark brown hair.

Scrape!  The ball skims her caramel skin.

Roar!  The crowd cheers because it's going in!

AND WE WIN!

A Day In the Life of Personified Objects

I love this assignment!  In the fall we became pumpkins and detailed our entire life, from our seed birth to our Autumn Death.  This term, we took the same Personification Theme and explored one day in the life of an object chosen by the students.  We had everything from school supplies to clothing, from sporting equipment to household supplies… and more!  The older students were encouraged to explore "voice" and give their objects some fun personalities.  Enjoy these samples!

My Life as an Ice Cream Cone, by Alyssa (1st grade)

     This is how my day began.
     For one day, I am going to imagine that I am a rainbow ice cream that tastes like a yummy dessert.  I get scooped up, and I feel good and cold.  I'm very nice and everybody likes me, and they always get more of me.

     Then, what happened?
     I like the kids that come to get me.  They like me.  Most of me gets eaten in a cup, and only a little bit of me is left over.

     The End
     The sun is going down, and I'm getting sleepy.  I watch the sun set, and it is so beautiful.  I am a melted blob, but I feel happy. 

My Life as a Pencil Sharpener, by Ridley (2nd grade)

     This is how my day began.
     I am a pencil sharpener in a classroom.  I'm not broken right now, so I feel happy.  I hear the kids come in.  I am nervous because they always want to use me.  They don't know how to use me properly!

     Then, what happened?
     A kid puts a colored pencil in me.  I get broken!  Someone tries to fix me.  The teacher sticks scissors inside the hole for the pencil.  It hurts a lot!

     The End
     I get fixed when the broken piece of pencil lead finally falls out.  The teacher puts me on the shelf for a rest and won't let the kids use me anymore today.  I'm happy! 

My Life as a Book, by Sienna (3rd grade)

     Today I'm in the same old bookstore.  My title is Smile.  I'm next to Sisters and Drama, both written by Raina Telegmier.  Well!  A girl comes by, and she's going to look at me!  She picks me up, and turns me around.  I feel sick and dizzy!  Why does the information have to be on the back?!  Well, after she goes to the checkout, I feel nice and clean.  I see a little boy buy Where the Wild Things Are.  Another person purchases Charlotte's Web.  After my girl buys me, we go home.

     Now we are at a place called Home.  The girl, Hailey, brings me into her room.  It has a very nice bookshelf, a light blue carpet, and a small stuffed animal by her lavender bed.  While she sits down on her magenta beanbag, she reads me.  I feel so peaceful!

     Right now it's dinner time.  I'm on her desk, and the book mark is on page 60.  I'm hungry and tired.  

     Hailey brings in a jelly donut.  She eats it right in front of me!  Please, don't spill, Hailey!  Let there be a happy ending!  Then she does it!  She spills jelly on me.  Yuck!  Well, at least she cleans me off.

     As Hailey starts reading my pages, she drifts off to sleep.  Well, I guess it was a happy ending after all.


A Teapot, by Adeline (4th grade)

     Ugh, I'm so bored.  But I'm also afraid.  I'm nervous about that horrible event: Boiling!  What if it will be the day, TODAY, that my feet will be burned again!!??!  Uh-oh!  I see a person approaching!

     Why am I kept on the stove?  Everybody can see me, so then everybody will use me!  And that means BURNING!!!  I am always ready to have hot water inside me!  I hate, hate HATE to be boiling.  It is always too hot!

     Now I'm getting filled with water.  My head feels sloshy.  NOOOO!!!  Now the person is turning on the stove to boil the water!

     Hot, hot hot!!!  Ow, ow, ow!  Oh!  I'm so hot and tired.  Ugh.  Why do I feel so squeaky?  I am hissing like a snake, and I sound awful!

     Ugh, why do I have to be picked up NOW?  Wait.  I have never noticed THIS before.  You know, the stuff when I get poured.  Is it like my insides or something?  What is it?

     Oh.  I just heard someone says, "That is some HOT water!"  So I guess it was just hot water in me.  After all, I do always feel something hot and watery inside my head on boiling days.

     Whew.  Now I'm cooling down.  I'm getting put back on the stove.  What a day.  I just hope that a day like this doesn't happen again any time soon!


                                              The Day I Lost my Ink, by Aditi (4th grade)

     It is early morning at home.  I am a red pen in a pencil pouch which is owned by a student.  I am feeling tired and happy.  I am feeling tired because yesterday I was at the bottom of the pencil box and I had to hold a heavy highlighter, scissors, and crayon box.

     My owner has finally put me into her backpack, which is pink and has flowers all over it.  Finally, after thirty minutes of waiting for my owner to finish her breakfast, I get into the car.  It is a long, bumpy ride to school.  

     Now I am at school, and I am getting used for many activities such as correcting a math test, drawing a picture, tracing, and long paragraphs.  I also get used by my student to make a Valentine's Card.  In the middle of writing my "L," I lose ink and start feeling dizzy.  I faint right in the middle of an important project!

     Aaaaahh!  The teacher is holding up an ink bottle.  I am so scared!  What will she do?  Will she smash me into pieces?

     Now the teacher has picked me up and is opening my bottom.  She puts a long string of ink in me.  Now I am better!

     At the end of the day, I am so tired from all the work I have done.  I sleep in the car on the ride back home.

     

A Day As A Volleyball, by Ella (5th grade)

Yawn!  I blink quickly, adjusting my eyes to the bright gym.  I say a quick good-bye to my friends in different carts as I am dragged away.  

“Are you excited to be used?  I have never been on this court.” I say to one of my friends, Mia.  It is bright blue and the out of bounds is gray.

“I once played here on a--

All at once the pounding of shoes drowned out the rest of her words and the power volleyball team thundered in.  All eleven girls were there. Ria, Kanani, Charli, Allison, Carrington, Ava, Kaitlyn, Kailie, Ashly, Arielle, and Ella.  Ava picks me up and toses me over the net to Ella.  They go back and forth, setting and bumping until the coach calls them in.  Now Charli takes me and starts serving across the court. I am tossed high up and hit with such force that I bounce back to her from the other side of the wall.  

“Weeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I hear Mia screaming. She is hit by Ria and collides with the net.  “Sooooooooo close” I hear her mourn.  Everyone else is doing the same thing Mia is. The team seems oblivious to the noise, and to the coach telling them to practice hitting.  Eventually I just zone out and wait for the drill to end when a ball collides with me and I bounce onto another court.  The day goes on and on, it feels like forever. It was actually only a few minutes until Ella picked me up and brought me back.  All around me I hear different small talk from the ball to the server

“OMG!! OMG!! You were like almost there. A little harder next time please.”

“WOW!! That was so far it was out of bounds.”

“Almost there. Try to hit it with your palm.”

“That was worse than a two year old!!!”  I immediately know who it is.  The meanest volleyball around, Via Volleyball.  She makes fun of even the best servers.  I hit the line of the court, and know I am in.

“WE ARE PLAYING A GAME” the coach shrieks loudly, and they immediately split in to teams, one team with five players. Ella picks me up and serves a perfect on-the-line serve. 

“OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT!” they all scream.  

“I am in, so it is their point” I argue, but no one hears me.

Practice is over and everyone heads out. My day continues in one long serving clinique, and, of course, everyone wants to serve with Via.  Her best friend, Aspen, also gets attention, but not as much.  

That night, we enjoy a hearty dinner of air to pump us up, and then we go back into the storage room.  We all gather around each other and tell about our spectacular adventures.

Our Great Inventions!

To celebrate great inventor Thomas Edison's birthday on February 11th, we came up with our own inventions that could change the world (or at least our own lives!) for the better.   Before we could write about them, we organized our thoughts:

1. Name of our invention and brief description
2. Greater detail of how our invention would work
3. Whom it would help
4. Any interesting facts about our invention, including cost, color selection, sizes, etc.
5. A great conclusion!

The younger students wrote a sentence or two on the above outline ideas.  The older students wrote a five paragraph persuasive essay.  Enjoy these samples from across the grades!

The Magic Bear, by Alex (1st grade)

     My invention is a Magic Bear.  My stuffed magic bear would help me with my homework.  To work the Magic Bear, twist the left arm.  It would walk to your homework, then would do your homework.  This invention would help children who don't want to do homework.  It costs $2.00, and is brown.  My Magic Bear would be cuddly and amazing!


The Hungry Me! by Danika (2nd grade)

     My invention would be the Magic Food Folder.  It would help hungry students doing homework.  Here is how it would work.  When you are hungry, turn it on by flipping the switch up.  Next, press a code for the food you want.  Then, your food will appear in ten seconds.  This invention will keep students happy and full!  The food dispenser comes in three sizes.  It blends into the color of your wall. It costs $20, and it is an amazing invention!


Magic Claw Dust, by Nicole (3rd grade)

     I've invented the "Magic Claw Dust."  Kids get the toy they want out of any claw machines!

     To make it work, put in your quarter and pour the claw dust on the control stick.  Next, say what toy you want.  Now watch as the claw instantly grabs what you want, and never drops it.

     The Magic Claw Dust can help anyone who can't win something on a claw game.  

     You must do the steps in order, or it won't work.

     It never drops your toy, even if it's super heavy.  Sometimes it will even grab the toy you want PLUS another toy, and it never drops either of them!

     My Magic Claw Dust is amazing!  It is sure to have your eyes bugging out of your head!  Never drop a prize again!


The Sibling Botherer!  By Sarah (4th grade)

     Do you have the desire to bother your sibling, but do not know how?  Then the Sibling Botherer is the machine for you!  It has a screen for you to type information about your sibling, and has a button to press to start annoying!

     This is how it works.  First, you find a sibling to bother.  Then, you type information about your sibling on the keyboard.  Next, press the blue button that says, "Annoy!"  Finally, you just sit, relax, and laugh your heart out!

     This machine promises to help you unless your sibling finds it.  If your sibling finds it, then the table has turned!

     The Sibling Botherer is shaped as a yellow smiley face about the size of your head.  It is found in a secret room in every house with a child in it.  The mouth of the face is the screen, and the keyboard for it is on the chin.  The ON/OFF button is on the right eye.  It only runs on laughs!  It is so secretive, it is invisible to adults!

      The Sibling Botherer will you have you laughing at your sibling's misery!

Lunchbox for Laborers, by Mira (5th grade)

  Imagine how many people go to a job every day. They’re always tired and grumpy after their work. But a solution has been found! An invention has been created--the Lunchbox for Laborers! This astounding device would provide free food for workers between job assignments.

  Designed as a large red lunchbox, it would have many buttons on the inside lid. When you press a dial, a small screen would appear. Typing in the snack you want, you would close the top and secure it firmly with latches. Wait for three seconds, open the box, and…. voila! Free food!

  This original creation would help firefighters, policemen, social workers, employees, army soldiers, owners of businesses, conservationists, construction workers, and scientists.

Picture this: a fireman walks into a Jamba Juice after putting a blazing fire out, wanting a fresh smoothie. Suddenly, an alarm sounds, a companion calls him back to work, and he exits the shop without a nurturing snack!   If only he had the Lunchbox for Laborers!  Without one, the lack of energy could cause the laborers to perform their jobs poorly, risk somebody’s life because of tired limbs, and appear fatigued at work the next day.

  This stout square lunchbox would cost $14. If you want your box to come in every color and shade, an extra $6 would have to be paid, raising the price to $20.  Brass latches hold down the red cover.

  The Lunchbox for Laborers would make many important differences, such as changing society, encouraging workers to do their job, and causing smiles to beam on everyone’s faces! 

LOVE poems!

The "Budding Authors and Artists" Class (grades 1-2) got to think about Valentine's Day very poetically.  In an introduction to descriptive and figurative language, we filled in the blanks in this sweet "Love Is…" poem, focusing on our five senses in particular.  Enjoy!

by Averi (1st grade)

by Mila (2nd grade)

by Alex (1st grade)

The Snowman Draw Game!

ADJECTIVES, ADJECTIVES, ADJECTIVES!!  Without them, our readers are left with an incomplete picture in their minds.  With that theme, the 3rd-5th graders participated in the Snowman Draw Game.  Here is how it is played:

Step 1: Draw a snowman with a background.

Step 2: Describe your snowman in paragraph form, from head to bottom, with adjectives that tell SIZE, SHAPE, COLOR, and NUMBER.

Step 3: Trade descriptions with a partner, and try and draw theirs while your partner draws yours!

The winners were judged by the class, and the contests were close.  Congratulations to our winners!

      My paper is vertical.  My snowman sits on a low, snowy, white hill.  Everything is outlined in black.

     My snowman's body is large, its middle is a little bit smaller than the bottom, and the head is the smallest.

     My snowman wears a black, short top hate that has a brown strap with a buckle in the middle.  He has two big black coal eyes.  He has NO nose!  He has a smile made of five small, round, black pieces of coal.

     He has three big yellow buttons on his body.  He also wears a red vest.  It has two brown stick horizontal arms with three twigs for fingers.

     He doesn't have anything on his bottom.

     On the hill on YOUR left there is a big green bush.  On the side of each arm, there is a small white round snowball.  On YOUR left in the corner of the paper, there is a part of the yellow sun emerging out of the corner.  There is a white cloud right next to the sun.  On the left side of the cloud, there is another white, round, small snowball.  On top of the snowman there is a snowball, and in the right corner there is an M shaped black bird.

~Anjalia, 3rd grade

     Anjalia was so descriptive and clear that her partner Sammie (3rd grade) drew this!

My snowman has a medium head, big middle, and big bottom.

     His head has a black top hat with a green 12 in the middle.  He has two gray eyes and a black spectacle on the left one.  The nose is slanted to the right of the page and it is orange.  The mouth is a smiley face with a red tongue on the left.

     His middle has a black bow tie and a black vest.  The vest has no design.  The arms are wide V's and have small lines on the elbow.  He has three fingers and the arm and fingers are all black.

     His bottom is all orange with two small green shoes.  The body is outlined in black.

     He is standing on a white hill that has another hill to the side.  On the side hill stands three snowmen with top hats and nothing else.  It is all outlined in black.  There are also six snowflakes in a triangle above him.

- Tyler, 4th grade

Tyler described his scene so well that Lucy (4th grade) was able to draw this!

     My snowman is large and cute.  He has three colorful balls: the top one is pink, the middle ball is orange, and the bottom ball is yellow.  He sits on a hill.

     He wears a pair of earmuffs with white puff balls and a black connecting line.  He has two small black dot eyes and an orange pointy noise with three dark orange lines, and a small smile.  

     He has two brown twig arms with three fingers.  His left arm is holding a striped pink and green medium-sized balloon on a black string.  In the middle of this ball, are four small vertical black buttons.

     His bottom ball is just a big yellow circle.

     As I said earlier, he is standing on a white hill.  On either side of him is a green sprout with three leaves: one on top, one to the left, and one to the right.  There are fourteen small round circular snowflakes, seven on each side.  On the same side of the balloon, there is a crescent moon that is dark blue.  The sky is hazy silver-blue.

~ Julia, 5th grade

Julia is an old pro at this game, having taken quite a few workshops by now!  Here is how her partner Ella (5th grade) drew her beautifully-described snowman!

This exercise in art, descriptive writing, and thinking and writing quickly and neatly is always a favorite with my students.  Look for "Monster Draw" around Halloween time next fall!

Spectacular Snowflake Sentences

All of my writing classes, no matter what age or ability level, participate in a very detailed sentence writing assignment.  This introduces (or reviews) important grammar concepts and parts of speech, and how the knowledge and understanding of those elements makes our writing more vivid and interesting.  The students start off with a base sentence (simple noun-verb):

The snowflake falls.

From there, the beginning writers add adjectives, adverbs, and phrases as they are ready.  The older students learn the difference between phrases and clauses, and how to use them to tell "where" and "when."  They also learn the correct way to begin a sentence with "Because."   Before writing their final copy, they peer edit to discover where the clauses and phrases sound best.

Enjoy these samples across the grades!

The cold blue snowflake falls on the last day of winter.

~Tyler, Kindergarten

The huge blue snowflake falls on the big tree at 2:00 in the middle of the night.

~Jacob, 1st grade

The blue and sparkly snowflake falls into the chimney in the middle of the night.
~Chloe, 2nd grade


Because it's a winter day, a beautiful snowflake falls out of the sky.
~Nicole, 3rd grade

 When the sun rose to the center of the sky, the melting and shimmering snowflake carefully fell onto the white mountains.

~Lucy, 4th grade

From the blue, purple sky, a delicate glowing snowflake slowly falls onto a cold, abandoned farm.

~Jerry, 5th grade

Pumpkin Autobiographies

     Our biggest and longest assignment of the session was writing our autobiographies….. as a pumpkin!  My family and I endeavored to grow pumpkins from seeds we saved from last year's jack-o-lanterns.  We planted our seeds in late Spring and took pictures and notes on our pumpkin plants.  My kids and I had a fantastic time and learned so much about pumpkins!  Here are some pictures I showed my students when I had them think about what it might be like to be a pumpkin, from seed to vine to pumpkin stages!

     With that inspiration, the students were asked to brainstorm four separate chapters: Seed, Growing, Pumpkin, and The End.  Of course, I didn't have any pictures of The End, but the students got to pick their own ending.  Some became jack-o-lanterns, others became pie, and some ended their lives as uncut decorations!  (Those last the longest of course!)

     Enjoy these fun stories, from youngest to oldest:

by Saviana (1st grade)

Chapter 1: I Started as a Seed.
     I started my life as a seed.  Farmer Sammie planted me in her backyard.  It was very smelly in the ground, but it was fine.  I was a little scared.  I was a little jealous of my brother's seed coat.

Chapter 2: I Began to Grow.
     I started to grow into a green vine!  Soon I noticed I was getting watered by Farmer Sammie!  My life got a whole lot more interesting!  Except my brother was making fun of me.  He was a pumpkin already.

Chapter 3: Then I Became a Pumpkin.
     I was so happy that I was a pumpkin!  I was green, then I was yellow, then I was finally a big orange pumpkin!  I was having a good time until I noticed that my hair was getting cut.  I was freaking out!

Chapter 4: The End
     Farmer Sammie was putting me somewhere very hot.  When she took me out, she cut off my forehead!  Then my other eye!  I was a pumpkin pie!  She then brought me to the table.  I was scared.  Ow!  I was getting gobbled up.  What a happy ending!

by Daniella (2nd grade)

    Chapter 1: I Started as a Seed.

     I'm so light and tiny.  I'm scared the neighbor might step on me.  I'm jealous the pumpkin next door is so big.  The soil is dirty!  At least I'm wearing my seed coat!

Chapter 2: I Began to Grow.

     I'm so tired and still scared!  The neighbor next door is getting bigger!  I see the sky and light!  I'm growing vines.  My life is happy.

Chapter 3: Then, I Became a Pumpkin.

     I'm big like my dad.  The neighbor next door can't step on me.  My mom is proud and happy.  My owner waters me.  It tickles.

Chapter 4: The End

     My life is over.  I'm now a pumpkin pie.  My owner cuts me.  It tickles!

by Sammie (3rd grade)

     Chapter 1: I Started as a Seed.

     When I was a seed, I was very very little.  I got held by Farmer Laura.  Then I got planted.

     A week later, the soil was warm and moist.  Then I began to grow roots.  The soil was wet and cold in the night.  My roots were getting bigger.  I thought I'd sprout soon.

     Chapter 2: I Began to Grow.

     Then my head poked through the dirt a little, and my legs were getting wider and deeper.  Three days later, I got more hands and hair.  Then I got big golden flowers.  I was confused.  I thought I was going to be a pumpkin, not a flower!  At least I am getting bigger.

     Oh, look!  A big black and yellow thing was going inside me, buzzing.  I hoped it wouldn't hurt me.  Oh good, it went away.

     One day later, my flower closed, and there was a green ball on the bottom of my flower.  Could it be I have a pumpkin on my bottom??

     Chapter 3: I Became a Pumpkin!

     My ball was getting bigger, and was turning yellow.  One day, my flower fell off.  I was happy because I never wanted to be a flower anyway!  I was starting to look more like a pumpkin.  I loved it!

     Two weeks later, I was an orange pumpkin.  I couldn't believe it.  I felt so plump and happy!

  

     Chapter 4: The End

     I was so sad my life was about to be over.  After Halloween, I was baked into a yummy pie.  

     First they scraped out all my goo.  My insides felt squishy!  Then they combined my insides with sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  In the oven I got really really hot.  I got put on a Halloween plate.  Ouch, those teeth hurt!

     I am glad I was a pumpkin!

by Sarah (4th grade)

      When I first opened my eyes, I saw a farmer holding me in her hand.  She said I was the littlest pumpkin seed she had ever seen.  She said she couldn't wait until she planted me in the pots which were near the pumpkin patch.
     Sadly, she accidentally dropped me near the creek when she tripped over a rock.  I was afraid, and really wet since I was close to a creek.  I was so lonely and lost.  I didn't know if I was too close to the creek or not.

     I didn't realize this was happening, but then I noticed…. I started to sprout!  Then my vines started growing longer and my roots were digging deeper into the ground.
     Within the next week, I grew beautiful, golden flowers.  I felt warmer, above the ground.  I was so excited that I was growing at last!

     A few weeks later, I finally turned into a pumpkin!  Even though I lost my flower, I was more excited about my pumpkin.  That week, I was only the color green, but then I started turning a yellowish orange color.  By the end of the week, I was pure golden.  I was still warm by the sun.  I was about a medium-sized pumpkin, and I only grew one inch in the next week.  
     I was really bored and waiting to grow more, but still happy that I was a pumpkin.

     When I was full grown, that farmer girl that dropped me, found me!  She said she was going to make me into a jack-o-lantern for a Halloween decoration.  I was tickled by the pen when she was drawing on me.  It hurt a lot when she was cutting my face with a knife!
     I became very warm when she put a candle inside of me.  I was so excited when she put me in front of her door.  I was scared of the people in costumes, but that didn't keep me from having fun on Halloween night!

     The Life of a Pumpkin

By: Mira (5th grade)

Chapter 1: Seed

I am, simply, a seed. And right now I am trying to contain my emotions, but inside, I am BURSTING WITH EXCITEMENT!!! I am about to be planted in the rich and plentiful soil of Illinois, in Bert’s Big Pumpkin Patch, with 400 other tiny white seeds (my brothers and sisters). I am about to embark on the greatest adventure of my life! The big and rough farmer named Bert, with a wide-brimmed hat, kneels down to pat me into the soil. Bert takes care of us responsibly though; he is a good handler with delicate pumpkin seeds.

After Bert finishes planting us all, he leaves. Now I can talk freely with my brothers and sisters in the soil!

I ask a brother next to me, “Aren’t you excited?”

He answers, “No.”

I shrug, than turn to a sister on my other side. “Are you excited?”

She nods happily and screeches, “So excited. OMG, OMG.” She rolls her eyes giddily.

I converse with other brothers and sisters and get their feedback on being a seed. Wow! I can’t wait to start growing!

As I sprout from the ground, I flourish into a light green sprout with two leaves. I am a delicate root, with a white stem.

As I grow, I feel the warm sun beaming down on me, on some occasions light rain sprinkling and gusts of wind blowing, tiny black ants tickling, and the rustling of sprouts of my brothers and sisters. I am ecstatic.  I feel content and grreeeaaatt, and very happy to be living this life.

Chapter 2: Grow

Okay. I am so angry and frustrated right now, you can barely imagine my rage!!! When I wake up, I am pretty happy and glad that I am growing little green arms and legs. I am turning into a full-fledged sprout!

After a few weeks, I start to realize that I am growing more and more and more and more and I am changing colors (all this while my new owner, Mira (isn’t it a coincidence that our names are the same?), is watering me and taking very good care of me)! But I’m not becoming a pumpkin. I am becoming a pretty orangish-yellowish flower growing on a vine with big, green leaves around me. And than I grasp the concept and bug out (pun intended). I rant and rave until the day is old. Then I cry a river, and after this I see that my brothers and sisters are pumpkins! After this, I go totally ballistic, and repeat the whole process over again. After this, I sob myself to sleep.

In the morning, I look down at my sorry self. And then I see that I am attached to this ball! I saw this before, all around me, when my brothers and sisters were growing faster. They were flowers, but then they shriveled up and that little ball became a large pumpkin. I didn’t think much of it then, but now I understand that this is a crucial point in my life.

YAY! YAY! YAY! I’m going to become a pumpkin! I’m just a late bloomer (pun intended)! My hat is off, and my tuxedo is on! I’m going to be the biggest, most beautiful pumpkin in the world!

As I sway in happiness, I feel the shade that the other leaves are covering me with, bugs crawling, caterpillars chewing, and the weather doing its weekly checkups.

Right then I know that this is the finest life of any living thing.

Chapter 3: Pumpkin

It is a windy September afternoon, and I am a H-U-G-E pumpkin! Mira talks to me and says I am of the Storybook Pumpkin variety, and that I am the biggest of my kind that she has ever seen! I am very wide and have rounded ridges and lines. My color is a tangy and tarnished orange, and my flower has shriveled up. My brothers and sisters are gone, because their pumpkins got picked not too long ago, and I am sad and lonely sometimes. But I have my friends, Queen Elizabeth and Hernán Cortes, the royal beetle and the adventurous butterfly.

I am very excited to be a wonderful pumpkin, and ecstatic for ME!!! But sometimes, I am sad because I know I am nearing the end of my life (sniffle, cry quietly). On these occasions I talk to Queen Elizabeth and Hernán Cortes.

“Were you sad when you turned from a boring caterpillar to a magnificent butterfly? Or were you happy to be free?”

“Did you like it when you started changing colors as a beetle? Or were you scared?”

“How do you feel now when you know you are nearing the end of your… uh… er… well… cycle???”

These questions I ask constantly, and many others. Finally, they answer.

“You know, Mira, I think dying is very peaceful,” says Queen Elizabeth, the beetle gently.

“Yes, yes,” chimes in Hernán Cortes, the butterfly. “I think you have ab-so-lute-ly nothing to worry about.”

I sigh in relief. “You’ve taken a huge burden off me,” I say. I thank them warmly, and they skedaddle off.

Over this month, I discover strange, curly, green things growing out of my head, which Mira identifies as tan-druls. No, tendrils! I experience more rain and wind in fall than in any other season, and the gusts and gales feel refreshing and cool.

What an extraordinary thing it is to be a pumpkin.

Chapter 4: End

Ahh. Just smell that brisk, crisp air and leaves. A typical windy day, and I am very excited for this day because today… I am getting picked!

Don’t get me wrong. I love being a pumpkin and hanging out with Queen Elizabeth and Hernán Cortes, but recently, my life has been a little bit… well… BORING!!! I am pumped to get plucked, because I am ready for a new adventure!

As I see Bert slowly walking towards me, I say a (sniff) tearful farewell to my kind and good friends, the special beetle and butterfly. Bert leans down and takes a good look at me, with Mira right at his heels. Bert reaches over, and with a sharp THWACK, separates me from my vine. And with that, everything goes black.

✪

I wake up to the sweet and strong scent of bread. I am in a huge bakery, called the Lee Boolaungear. No, the Le Boaleangoer. I’ve got it now! The Le Boulanger! Oh no! A big and fat woman is taking me to a gigantic oven! Aaaaaah…

Aah. I am soooooo toasty and warm in here, it is like I am in a pool sauna. I look at my surroundings and watch steel walls glow like burning coals and feel heat that burns like fire from a flaming dragon. But it all goes by too fast. In less than ten minutes, I am pulled out of the oven, and I am transformed into a HUGE pumpkin muffin!!! I feel a burning sensation inside of me and know, right then, that this is an adventure.

✪

Five days later. Imagine my surprise when Mira bursts into the store and strides right up to the worker here today, and says:

“Where is the enormous pumpkin muffin that I’ve heard so much about? I am—or was—its owner before it was a muffin, you know.”

The employee stammers, “Uh—uh—uh—of course, miss, right this way, miss, watch your step, miss.”

Mira walks purposefully into the back room and says, “Hello, Mira. I’ve come to enroll you in the Annual Thanksgiving Pumpkin Muffin Contest 2014, for your own benefit.”

And just like that, I’m being carted away and off to the biggest event of my life.

✪

Gosh. Gosh. Gosh. I cannot believe it. I’ve just won the contest for best pumpkin muffin in weight and taste. I am just plain BIG, weighing approximately 467.7 pounds, and apparently, the judges can’t stop taking bites of me. A first place blue ribbon is pinned on me and many people are tasting my warm, soft skin. I close my eyes and am in quiet for a moment, even with all the hustle-bustle around me. With Mira standing beside me and fond memories inside my head, this really is the most perfect life.

Squiggle Stories!

   

One of my favorite creative writing assignments is the "Squiggle Story."  First, the students get to choose from eight different squiggle lines.  I ask them to envision what they could turn the lines into, and their imaginations go wild!  I took the above picture during the art portion of this assignment.  If you look closely, you will see the beginning of "Frodrick" and "Surf" from the featured stories below.  In the middle, you can admire Morgan's (4th grade) beginning of her story about aliens coming to Earth, led by their Earthling-fooler "Goofy."  I love how students can see the same squiggle line and turn them into completely different pictures!  This first one below has been turned upside down and made into a fairy dress and a vase tipping over, and turned sideways and made into a sea monster.  Now, it is a bunny ear!

Enjoy these stories!

"Bumbo," by Julia (5th grade)

     "Haha!" giggled some bunnies outside Bunny Burrow Boulevard.  "Bumbo has big ears, let's say Cheers!" they chant the official chant of the decade, dedicated to Bumbo Brebolla, the bunny whose ears are as big as they get!  But don't worry!  Bumbo did not take it personally, as he might have five years ago!  Let me tell you how this famous bunny's story goes!

     It was a sunny and beautiful day, and Bumbo bunny was on his way home from school, when a note in a paper carrot shape flew toward him, followed by laughter and the sound of feet hopping away.  He unfolded the note, although he did not need to know what it said and who wrote it.  Benjamin Bunny, the meanest bunny on the block, frequently wrote notes, and they all said the same scrawled words: "Teacher's pet!  You stink!  Nobody wants you here!"  Although he had seen it many times, his eyes filled with tears.  His mother met him at the door, and said her usual greeting, "Not another note, Sweet Cabbage.  Oh dear."

     The following day, Bumbo received a letter.  But not just any letter!  It was a letter from Brock O'Bunny, the Bunny President, inviting Bumbo to the Orange House for a delicious gourmet meal and Photo Shoot!  "Can I go, Mommy?" he asked sweetly but excitedly.

     "My Sweet Cabbage, of course!" she screamed hopping up and down with excitement.  We need to get you a new suit, dress shoes…" and she went on with a huge list of new things to get him.

     When the big day came, Mama Bunny was hopping all over, making remarks like, "Remember your manners."

     "Remember, your father would be proud," she said, embracing him and blinking back tears.  When she finally let go, he scurried off to the bus calling, "Bye, Mommy!" over his shoulder.

     When he arrived, he found the president standing outside the Orange House, in conversation with a handsome bunny with a news camera in hand.  When he caught sight of Bumbo, he waved in a friendly manner.  "Bumbo, I hope you aren't camera shy," he said, laughing at the excited look on Bumbo's face.  "My name is Brock O'Bunny, your president!" he said.  "We have a lot to discuss."

     He surprised Bumbo by asking interview questions like, "What would you say to all the big-eared bunnies out there to inspire them?"  

     When it was time for Bumbo to go back to Bunny Burrow Boulevard, he told the president, "Thank you, Mr. O'Bunny.  This was very fun.  I hope I will see you soon.  Good bye!"

     "Actually, I was planning on visiting Bunny Burrow Boulevard next week.  I will need a place to stay.  If it is all right with your mother…." he was stopped mid-sentnece by a rumble of a private jet.  The president smiled and continued.  "If it is all right with your mother, I was hoping I could stay with you at your house?  Also, you are taking a private jet back to your home."

     "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Bumbo shouted, smiling until his cheeks hurt.  "See you next week!  My mom will be fine with it!  Good bye!" and Bumbo climbed into the jet on his way home.

     As you can see, Bumbo then became a very famous bunny.  Everybody, including Benjamin Bunny, respected him.  In fact, Benjamin became his biggest admirer!  Now the carrot note said: "Carrots are orange, cabbage is green.  Let me know if you want a taco supreme! -Ben Bunny."  

     All in all, Bumbo became a very happy bunny.


"Surf," by Charlotte (4th grade)


      Once upon a time, in a land far, far away…. there was a 10 year old sea monster named Surf.  You see, Surf was not like other sea  monsters.  Surf, unlike his foul, man-eating dad, disliked the taste of humans.  Surf's father desperately wanted poor Surf to devour everyone he saw.

     It just so happened to be July 29th, the day before Surf's birthday.  Surf was very excited.  As a birthday gift, Surf hoped that his dad might not pressure him to eat people.

     The next day, on July 30th, Surf swam (more like torpedoed) over to his dad.  His father said, "Son, for your birthday, I would like to offer you a deal.  Eat just one person, and you will never have to eat another person as long as you live."

     Surf answered, "Deal!" and he devoured a very plump man swimming at a nearby beach.

     "Yum!" Surf said.  "I think I like people after all!"  So he and his dad swam over to a nearby beach together and swallowed everyone with glee.

"Frodrick," by Lucy (4th grade)

     One day on a farm, there was a chicken named Frodrick who only had one leg.  He was very hungry.

     "I'm getting hungry!" growled Frodrick.  Then he spotted it: THE WORM!  "Snack!" he croaked.

     He zipped over to the worm.  He thought the worm saw him because it looked like it was trying to get away.

     Frodrick paused for a second, watching it struggle.  The worm had a big, sad frown on his face.  Frodrick thought he heard a tiny little voice calling, "Mom!  Help me!"  While Frodrick watched  it wiggle, he heard the other chickens calling for him to get to church.  He thought, "I better make it fast!  Just one more hop!"

     "Darn it, I stepped on my snack!  Now it's not good for me to eat.  I guess I'll go to church  now," said the sad, sad chicken.

     "Blaaaaa," said the worm, saying good bye to its last heart.  (Worms have ten hearts).


"Butterfly Adventure," by Taryn (4th grade)

     Once upon a time, there were two butterflies.  One of the butterflies was called Butter.  The other butterfly was called Mom Butterfly.

     They were flying along, and then they came across a flower.

     "Mom!  Mom!  Come on!  I found a flower!" shouted Butter.

     "Honey, it's a Venus Fly Trap!" said Mom.  'When you land on it, it's going to eat you!  Now stay away!"

     After her warning, Mom Butterfly flew away.

     Suddenly, she stopped.  Butter wasn't there flying beside her!

     Butter had gone in the other direction.  She was heading for the Venus Fly Trap!

     "Now I know it's a flower!"  Butter said confidently.  "I know my mom is wrong!"

     When she landed, she bounced on the flower.  Then she bounced on it again!  It was a flower after all!  It smelled like cherry blossoms and had some nectar inside.  The petals were so colorful and soft!

     *The moral of the story is: Even if your mom says No, just do it.  Just kidding!!*


"Fishing," by Samantha (3rd grade)

     "Whistle, whistle!" went Bald Donald.  He thought it was a glorious day to go fishing.  He threw out his line.  But as soon as the little worm went under water, he felt a massive tug!  

     As he pulled out the line…. he saw something AMAZING!  Enough fish to make a shark happy for a year were hanging on each other by the tails.  

     All the little fish had angry scowls on their faces, except one small rainbow fish.  She told him she would be his pet if he let all these poor fish go.  He agreed, and brought home the little rainbow fish in a small fish bowl.

     And from that day on, Bald Donald had a pet, a friend, and a companion.

"The Statue of Liberty," by Nick (2nd grade)

         There once was a Statue of Liberty.  He held his favorite flames.  One day he let go of it.  Then he jumped.  He got it!  He felt so happy to have his flames back once again.

"The Bunny," by Alex (1st grade)

     Once upon a time a bunny was going to an ice cream man.  Then he was going to see his friends.  Then he dropped his ice cream on the ground and then he cried.

"The Man Who Climbed a Mountain" by Tyler (Kindergarten)

      

     The man is standing on a mountain.  He is looking down at a tree.  It was hot that summer.  He climbed to get a better view.