Summer Book Club: The Sisters Grimm (Week Three)

We've come to the final week of our Summer Book Club! I've so enjoyed reading all of your comments and getting to have a "conversation" of sorts with you on our blog all summer. Once school gets started again, we'll be able to meet and celebrate our accomplishments together. Maybe we can even watch "My Side of the Mountain" or "City of Ember." 

If you're not ready to give up the Sisters Grimm books yet, you're in luck! There are SEVERAL more books in the series, PLUS the back of the book has all kinds of activities to keep you thinking even further about fairy tales!

Questions to Ponder/Answer:
1. Ferryport Landing has changed a bit over the last section of the book. What kind of place would you say Ferryport Landing is now? Be sure to think back over your earlier ideas because I bet many of them are still true!

2. What are you thinking about Jack? What kind of character is he? Did he surprise you, or were you expecting him to turn on the girls? 

3. What did you think of our summer book club? What advice do you have for me if I do a summer book club next year? What should I do the same? What should I change?

4. If you were Sabrina or Daphne and you had to write the first entry in your new Fairy Tale Accounts journal, what would you say? What would see the most important to write down about this first adventure and the people you've met? 

I so, so, so enjoyed being able to share these books with you this summer! Enjoy your last week of summer vacation! I can't wait to see you when you come back!

Summer Book Club: The Sisters Grimm (Week Two)

This is our second week reading The Sisters Grimm: Fairy Tale Detectives. This week, we read from Chapter Four through Chapter Seven. Next week, our LAST week, we finish the book!

About The Magic Mirror: The children are surprised to find the Magic Mirror hidden behind the door. If you want to learn all about the Magic Mirror and where it's shown up in Disney history, you can read about it here. All questions to the Magic Mirror have to rhyme. Can you think of any? Share them with us below. Can you think of any other references to Disney movies that have showed up in the book so far?



Questions to Ponder/Answer/Explore:

1. Last week, Leela wrote long about Ferryport Landing and the kind of town it was. Listen to her theories about the town. She said: "Ferryport Landing seems to be a town that's in a mask. A town that if you saw pictures of it, you would think, "This is a boring place," but then you take the mask off, and you find an adventurous town that's literally out of a fairy tale." She also said, "Ferryport Landing also seems to be a town of sides. You either like it there or you don't. you either belong, or you don't. You either get along with the people (or creatures) there, or you don't." What do you think about Leela's theories about the kind of place Ferryport Landing is? Can you add on or say more about her ideas?

2. Sabrina comes to some major realizations during this section about her parents, her grandmother, and her family history. Which realizations stand out to you as the most important? What do Sabrina's reactions to these realizations help you understand about Sabrina? 

3. Puck is really a fascinating character. He describes himself as "royalty," "the spiritual leader to juvenile delinquents"and a star in Shakespeare's play. What is your impression of Puck? What kind of character is he? Why do you think Michael Buckley decided to include him in the story?

4. What theory are you growing about the book? Share it with us here so we can think about it too!

As always, remember to check back often to see your comments and the comments of your classmates. Ask each other questions, and really get a conversation going on here! This is a book where there is a TON to talk about!

Summer Book Club: The Sisters Grimm (Book 1): The Fairy Tale Detectives

Oops! Blogger was set to automatically post this entry, but I set it to post in August 2012! Glad I caught the mistake!

This week, we begin The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives, Book 1 in the exciting Sisters Grimm series! This week, we read Chapters 1 through 3. Enjoy! I can't wait to hear all your thoughts!

The Grimm Fairy Tales: All throughout The Fairy Tale Detectives, different fairy tales are alluded to. Although I was familiar with many of the fairy tales, there were some I had never heard of (and some I just wanted to read again because I had loved them so much the first time!). Here are some useful sites I visited that helped me learn more about the fairy tales. If you find any other sites that are helpful, please post them in the comments so we can all visit them!

• Here's a cool National Geographic website all about the Brothers Grimm. They've got all kinds of tales you can read. Just like the story of Hansel and Gretel that we discussed in class this year, all the fairy tales listed here do not end happily. 
• This site has a really extensive collection of tales, 219 to be exact!
• If you want to see some animated versions of the tales or play some fairy tale games, visit here!

Learn More about Sabrina and Daphne's Relatives: The Brothers Grimm are Sabrina and Daphne's relatives. They've got a unique history you can read up on. 

• Here's one article about the Brothers Grimm.
• Here's another biography of the two men. 
• Here's a painting of what the Brothers Grimm probably looked like and here's a statue of them!

Questions to Ponder/Respond to: 

1. Sabrina and Daphne have both been affected by their parents' disappearance. However, it seems to have affected the girls very differently. How has Sabrina responded? Daphne? What do their different responses help you understand about the girls? 

2. Sabrina seems to judge her grandmother and Mr. Canis right away, but by the end of this section, her opinion of them seems to be changing. How is the relationship between these characters changing? What's causing it to change? 

3. We know that Ferryport Landing is the kind of place that sells bagels (because every place, except the Moon, does!). But let's think more about Ferryport Landing. What kind of place is it? You might say, "It's the kind of place where...." and then try to write long about what it's like. Try to go beyond what it looks like. What kind of people live there? What is the mood of the place? How does the place affect the characters? 

4. As a reader, you're doing a ton of thinking work as you read. What has been most helpful for you as a reader as you're reading The Fairy Tale Detectives? Share what's worked for you so that you can help the other readers in our club!

5. If you've got a theory you're growing, please share it so we can all begin thinking about it as we read on!

As always, remember to check back often to see your comments and the comments of your classmates. Ask each other questions, and really get a conversation going on here! This is a book where there is a TON to talk about!

City of Ember: Week Three

This week, we come to the end of The City of Ember. We read from Chapter 15: A Desperate Run to the end of the book! 

Questions to Ponder/Answer:
1. The City of Ember is filled with symbols! Consider one symbol that seems incredibly important to the story. Maybe you'll choose to look at the Moth? The bean sprouts? The letter? The pineapple? Choose one and try to write long about it. What does it mean? Does it mean the same thing each time it appears? Why do you think Jeanne DuPrau chose to include this symbol in the book?

2. The three songs the citizens of Ember sing in Chapter 16: The Singing are all quite different from each other. Think about The Song of the City, The Song of the River and the Song of Darkness. Why do you think the citizens sing the three different song? What might each song symbolize? Do you think the order of the songs is important? 

3. The ending of The City of Ember just filled me with wonder. What are you wondering about at the end of the book? Why? Do you think the ending is hopeful? Why do you think Jeanne DuPrau would have chosen to end her book at this point!

4. Think deeply about the theory you've been following over the book. How has your theory changed? How has your theory helped you understand the book more deeply? 


If you enjoyed The City of Ember, be sure to check out the other books in the Ember series. You can find information about all the books here. 


If you have a question for Jeanne DuPrau after reading the book, you can EMAIL HER! This page has her contact information. She said she will try to get back to everyone, but it might take her a while. If you email her and get a response, post it here so that we can all read it!


DID YOU KNOW The City of Ember was made into a MOVIE? Watch the trailer! Perhaps we can watch the movie together in the fall? 

REMEMBER to check back often! Read other responses. Ask other readers questions! Answer questions that are asked. The more you visit and comment, the more interesting our conversation will be!

Next week, we begin The Sisters' Grimm! Be prepared for more fairy tale allusions than you've ever encountered before! 

City of Ember: Week Two

This is our second week reading The City of Ember, the first Book of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau. This week, read from A Message Full of Holes (Page 93) through The Way Out (Page 192).

READING TIP: On page 94 of The City of Ember, Lina discovers something terribly important. Once I noticed this message, I got a post-it note (a second bookmark), and I left it on the page. That way, I could return to the message Lina found again and again. This helped me because then I didn't have to waste time searching for the message. 

Secret Message: Lina tries to decode the secret message that she finds, and she really struggles to make sense of it. Here's another secret message. Try it out! Can you decode the message? Click HERE to give it a go!

The Greenhouse: Clary has an incredibly important role in Ember as head of the greenhouse. I know you learned a lot about how plants grow when you worked with Patty this year. If you want to learn more, here are some sites you can visit. This site has a game you can play to determine the exact balance of resources a plant needs. Here's a visual from the Weather Channel that shows how greenhouses work on Earth (although perhaps not in Ember). If you want to try growing some of your own plants from materials you might have around your house, visit this site. 

Questions to Ponder/Respond to: 

1. Lina shares "The Instructions" with many different citizens of Ember. Study their reactions to "The Instructions" closely. What can you learn about the characters from studying their reactions? For example, how does Doon respond? The Mayor? Captain Fleery? Lizzie? 

2. Lina makes a major decision on page 153. What does that decision reveal about her character? What does it help you understand about the kind of place Ember is? 

3. What major symbols are you noticing that repeat again and again throughout the book? 

4. What questions do YOU have for the group? Post a question in the comments, and we can respond to your question with our own ideas. Think about the smart questions you would ask your book club! For example, last week Max wondered about why the residents of Ember don't recognize where they are. When he asked that question, I thought more deeply about that idea. 

Keep reading and responding to the comments other people post! Your fellow readers have some FASCINATING ideas that will really make you think. Ask them questions. Ask for their evidence. Add your own thoughts and opinions. 

City of Ember: Week One

This is our first week reading The City of Ember, the first Book of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau. This week, read from The Instructions (before page 1) through The Box in the Closet (Page 92).

Generators: Doon takes Lina's job down in Pipeworks because he wants to figure out how the generator works and try to solve Ember's problems. Read up to see if you can find any information that could help Doon. Here's a little bit about how generators work. Here's some information about how electricity works. The Power Kids is another fun site that will teach you more about electricity and energy.

City of Ember: Ember is a large city, and it's certainly an unfamiliar city to all of us. Here's a map to the City of Ember. You can access the map by putting the puzzle pieces together, and then you can get an up-close view of all the places Lina and Doon talk about. Here's the map.

Book Trailer: Often now on Youtube, there are "book trailers" for books that you read. These are kind of like movie trailers, and they give you a preview of what the book will be about. Here's one trailer:

Here's another trailer for the book. This one was made by two students. It really helps you get inside the main characters' minds.

Questions to Ponder/Respond to: 
1. Several events early on help us to understand Lina and Doon and the kinds of characters they are. Some key events that stand out to me are: the choosing of jobs, Lina and Doon switching jobs, Lina dancing on the roof, and Lina caring for her grandma and little sister. What do these events already reveal about our main characters? What kinds of people are they?

2. We're about one-third of the way through the book. What big theory are you already growing about the book? Make your theory go beyond the book so that it tells a big idea you are growing.

3. The setting in the "City of Ember" is a lot different than the setting in an Amber Brown book. An Amber Brown book could take place in almost any school, and the setting doesn't matter so much. But in "City of Ember," the setting is terribly important. Ember isn't just any old place. What kind of place is Ember? You might say "Ember is the kind of place where...." and push yourself to write a few sentences about it.

Keep reading and responding to the comments other people post! Your fellow readers have some FASCINATING ideas that will really make you think. Ask them questions. Ask for their evidence. Add your own thoughts and opinions. 

Remember that whatever you post in the "Comment" section goes on the internet and other readers can read it. That means, you should try to use the best spelling, punctuation and capitalization that you can. 

My Side of the Mountain: Week Three

This week marks our final week reading My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. This week, we read from In Which I Learn About Birds and People through the end! Next week, we start The City of Ember!

The Great Horned Owl: Sam sees a Great Horned Owl nesting on his side of the mountain, and he's just delighted. Here's a National Geographic page that will give you more information about Great Horned Owls (with a really cool first picture). Here's a video from youtube about the Great Horned Owl that takes you up close and shows you what the owl looks like. It also gives you a good sense of the sounds the owl makes that Sam would have heard. 

What does the Great Horned Owl symbolize for Sam? What makes you think that? 

Winter and Spring in the Catskills: Can you imagine being outside in the woods all winter? This silent video gives you a little sense of what Sam might have seen when he peeked his head outside of his hemlock tree the first day of that major snow. 

Remember how delighted Sam was when the first greens of spring started to return? Here's a video that shows someone foraging for wild greens. Here, they've found wild onion!

Questions to Ponder/Answer:

1. Frightful finally joins in Sam's forum and contributes her own thoughts. She says, "You really want to be found, or you would not have told Matt all you did." Why does Frightful join in and say this? Why does Sam wish she would stay quiet? 

2. There are  many characters in books who run away, both literally (actually running away) and figuratively (avoiding problems, etc.). Think about Sam. What did he run away from? What other characters have you encountered who run away from their problems? Think about Hope from The Memory Bank. Think about Groovy from The Year The Swallows Came Early. Consider Harvey Swick from The Thief of Always. How are these characters similar to or different from Sam? 

3. Near the end of the book, Sam, Bando and Matt start building guest houses near Sam's hollowed out hemlock tree. Think about his quote: "I seem to have an address now." What do these guesthouses symbolize for Sam? 

4. What did you think about the ending of My Side of the Mountain? Did it seem realistic? Surprising? 

If you loved My Side of the Mountain, keep it alive! Here are some fun activities you could do and some other books in the series you could read!

Visit Jean Craighead George's website to learn about the other books in the My Side of the Mountain series and the hundreds of other books she's written. Here's a link to the other books in the trilogy. Let us know if you decided to read any of them! Maybe someone will want to form a book club with you and read the other books!

Go outside to somewhere natural. Really experience it. Take it in silently. What do you see? What do you hear? If you listen really closely, like Sam did, you might even hear the plip-plop of worms pushing up through the soil. 

Bando brings so many newspaper articles to share with Sam that were written about him. Try writing one of those articles out, imagining how the reporter might have captured the story. If you write one out, post it here or email it to me so I can post it!

Take a song Sam sung, like his Cold Water Song. How did the song go? Write the lyrics for it! Perform if for your family, friends or other members of our book club. Post the lyrics here so we can enjoy them!

My Side of the Mountain: Week Two

For Week Two of our Summer Online Book Club, we're continuing with My Side of the Mountain. This week, we're reading from Frightful Learns Her ABCs to I Pile Up Wood and Go On With Winter. Enjoy!

Peregrine Falcons and Frightful: Frightful quickly becomes a constant companion for Sam. She is a peregrine falcon. This National Geographic page gives you more information about the peregrine falcon. For example, did you know that peregrine falcons can live for around 17 years? On that page, there is an audio file you can click on to hear what the peregrine falcon sounds like!

There are so many videos on youtube.com about peregrine falcons. Here's one video of a falcon being trained to hunt, just like Sam had to train Frightful to hunt. What other interesting falcon videos can you find? If you find a video we should all watch, post a link to it in the comments!

Thoreau: Bando calls Sam Thoreau. Here are some resources for you to investigate about Henry David Thoreau. Philosophy Slam has a biography of Thoreau. Here are some quotes by Thoreau.  Why is Thoreau a fitting name for Sam?

Questions to Ponder/Answer:
1. Sam faces many challenges living in the wilderness alone, far from civilization. If you were on Sam's journey, what do you think would be most challenging to you? Why? What would you most look forward to?

2. Why do you think Sam wants to tell Bando about the Baron and Jessie C. James so badly? Does this relate to Sam heading out on the road to town without even thinking about it (In Trouble Begins)?

3. When Frightful flies off and doesn't immediately return, Sam says to himself, "She was more than a bird." What do you think he means by that?

4. Look back on your earlier theory. How have you had to revise your theory or strengthen it, based on the new information you've learned? What big idea are you growing now about Sam and the book?

5. Bando says "Desdemona" when Sam reveals his feast. Desdemonda is a heroine from Shakespeare's "Othello." Desdemona takes things at their face value and trusts people. Why do you think Bando says this?

Remember to keep looking back on your classmates' thinking, reading and responding to ideas that other people share! Make this into a conversation, and come back often to read, add on to, and question what we have to say!

My Side of the Mountain: Week One

For Week One of our Summer Online Book Club, we're reading My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. We read from I Hole Up in a Snowstorm to How a Door Came to Me.

Every Monday, I'll post about the pages we are reading for the week. The post will always include some advice about reading the book, some videos you might want to watch or articles you might want to read related to the book, ideas about how you can bring the book to life, and questions to think about and respond to. Post your ideas about the book using the "comment" form. 

LOOK IT UP: My Side of the Mountain mentions a lot of terms and concepts that are unfamiliar to many readers who aren't living off the land in the Catskill Mountains. As smart readers, you can use books and the internet to help you make sense of those ideas. Google a word you aren't sure of. Search wikipedia to find out all you can about a plant Sam eats. Look at pictures of the plants and animals Sam mentions so you can really visualize them!

I googled "Catskill Mountains in May," and I found this beautiful picture that helped me imagine what the land might have looked like when Sam first arrived to the Gribley Farm. I can imagine him bent over this creek trying to catch a crayfish!

WELCOME TO THE CATSKILLS: Sam Gribley travels from our hometown to the Catskill Mountains. The Catskill Mountains are close by, and there is so much to learn about them! Visit this link to learn about what animals probably shared the mountain with Sam. Visit this site to learn about some of the edible plants found on the Catskills. The Catskill Mountains have a rich and diverse history. They were even involved in the Revolutionary War. Visit this site to learn all about the history of the Catskills. If you visit the Catskills Archives, they have an awesome slide show of pictures and paintings of life in the Catskills. It really shows you how life has changed in the Catskills over time!

This video transports you to the Catskill Mountains and shows you some of the most beautiful areas in the mountains today.

WALKING TOUR: Take a walking tour around your block, backyard, front stoop or neighborhood. Bring someone knowledgeable or a guidebook to plants with you. What do you find that's edible? Could you survive on what you find? If Sam stumbled upon this area, what meal would he make?

Questions to Ponder/Answer: 
1. Sam's way of thinking and acting changed dramatically from his first nights on the mountain to how he is thinking and acting at the end of this section. How did Sam's way of thinking and acting change? What does that tell you about Sam?

2. What do you think about the fact that all the adults in Sam's life seem alright with him running far away from New York City to live in the woods by himself?

3. How would you describe Sam? What kind of person is he? What big theories are you already growing about Sam and this story?

In order for our book club to be the most successful and exciting, our blog needs to be a place where we can have a conversation. Read other people's comments. Write back to people. Use their name so they know you are talking about them. Ask people questions you have about the book. Suggest answers to questions people post. Check back often and add your ideas!

Independent Writing Projects We're Working on This Summer

Wow! We've got MAJOR writing plans for this summer. These are just a few of the projects we're planning on completing over the summer. In the fall, we'll all have lunch and treats with Katie during lunch to share the projects we've created!

• Charlotte: A chart/journal about my experiences at ice skating camp 
• Jason: A diary about what happens over the summer
• Ellis: Writing a journal with all the memories of what's happening over the summer and from the trips I go on
• Bria: Creating a new character who goes into my two favorite TV shows and writing a diary from her perspective
• Mayu: Create a teacher's notebook with student names, report cards, etc. 
• Michael: Working with my mom and sister to make a book (ideas, etc.) 
• Elliot: A guidebook to the first six Star Wars movies 
• Andrew: A book about a sci-fi game that people play in the future where people enter a challenge, get a weapon, and have to fight their way through legions of monsters and zombies to get millions of dollars
• Alec: A book of chemistry and physics
• Jack: A survival guide to Stoney Lake 
• Sam: A journal/entries of what I'm doing over vacation AND a journal from my trip to the Bahamas AND a journal from sleep-away cam
• Ida; Finishing an earlier independent writing project AND writing some random fantasy stories 
• Jonathan: Writing a science fiction story (continuation of my previous independent writing projects!) 
• Jane: Making a Do-Anything Book from Camp (a book of all kinds of stuff me and my friends think of at camp) 
• Sabina: A diary book, but from a different character's perspective (still kind of based off of what I do this summer) 
• Katya: A sketch book of sketches from my travels and my writing about them
• Dylan: A graphic novel about places I've been (a story of my summer) 
• Sydney: (Maybe) A sketchbook of memories from my life with my writing about them 
• Max: A sketch book of weird machines and information about how they work 
• Leela: A fantasy/mystery involving India (where I'm traveling this summer)
• Allie: A scrapbook with pictures and notes from my travels this summer
• Adina; Writing a diary about a little girl named Sara
• Emma: An album of memories (post pictures in it and write about them) from my whole life 
• Chloe: Creating a photo album of what I see and do 
• Ava: A journal of my summer adventures because I'm going on a lot of adventures 

How are your independent writing projects going? Have you started any new ones? 

Last Day of Fourth Grade

Today was the last day of fourth grade! It's hard to believe the year is already over. I so enjoyed having each of you in fourth grade this year. Over the summer, I'll be sharing different links and articles with you on the blog that I think you will enjoy. Check back often! If you have anything you want me to post on the blog, email it to me.

What is your favorite memory from fourth grade? 

The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is an important document in our nation's history. But, it's also a document that's filled with complex language and concepts that can be difficult to understand at first. One smart thing that historians do when they encounter difficult information is to try to find easier resources that help them understand the tricky document. Today, we'll explore the Declaration of Independence, using many resources that are available to anyone with access to a computer and the internet. As you explore each resource, consider what you are learning about the Declaration of Independence that you didn't know before.

1. Talk with your partner: What do you already know about the Declaration of Independence? Consider everything you learned at Independence Hall and at Constitution Center.

2. Read this article from Scholastic News about the Declaration of Independence. Stop along the way to talk with your partner about what you are learning. If you find something confusing and your partner can't help you, jot it down in your notebook.

3. Watch this BrainPop video about the Declaration of Independence. Log in using the password Katie puts on the board.

4. Read this version of the Declaration of Independence that is written in more friendly language. If you come to a tricky word, work through it with your partner, reading the sentences around it to try to make sense of the word.

Talk with your partner: What ideas do you have about the Declaration of Independence now? How did studying all these different texts help you learn more about the Declaration of Independence?

5. Type a long comment in the blog: What ideas do you have about the Declaration of Independence now? What did it say (in your own words)?

6. If you have time, look at a response that the colonists had to the Declaration of Independence. This image is titled "The Destruction of the Statue of King George III in Bowling Green" in New York City. With your partner, become one of the characters in the scene. Say first what the characters are thinking internally and a bit of their dialogue. Type a conversation with your partner that the characters in the painting are having. Include what you know about the Declaration of Independence in the conversation. Post your conversation in the comment section of the blog!

Poetry Anthology Publishing Requirements

Your finished poetry anthology is due in class on Tuesday, June 21. It is important that you have it finished by this date because we will be using it to rehearse for our Poetry Slam. Below are the requirements for your poetry anthology.

Poetry Anthology Requirements

1.     I worked neatly while publishing.

2.     I wrote each poem neatly or typed it.

3.     Each poem is on its own page.

4.     I included at least 6 poems in my anthology.

5.     I made a cover for my poetry anthology.

6.     I revised and edited each poem in my anthology.

7.     I used my mentor text to help me write and revise my poems.

8.     All the poems in my anthology are on one writing territory.

Here are several revision strategies we used that I should see in your poems.

1.    Work in setting details, dialogue and internal thoughts to strengthen your narrative poems.

2.   Revise to add to the meaning and imagery of your poems:

a.   Metaphors, Similes and Personification

b.   Alliteration

c.   Repetition, Patterns and Rhythm

3.   Choose your words carefully. Identify words or phrases that you could make stronger and try them out several ways to help your reader visualize your poem.

4.   Mine your mentor text for chunks of gold and include those ideas in your own poems.

5.   Experiment with different leads and endings for your poem.

6.   Craft titles that contribute to the meaning of your poem.

7.   Play around with line breaks, white space and punctuation to add to the meaning of your poem.

8.   Make careful decisions with capitalization and punctuation that add meaning to your poem.

Online Summer Book Club!

This summer, Class 4-324 will host a Online Book Club on our blog!!!

We'll choose books together that we want to read, and we'll read certain chapters in those books each week. Katie will post questions we can think about/blog about and some fun activities for us each week that relate to the book! We'll get to continue the fabulous conversations we've been having about books all year.

In order to make this happen, we need to choose books that kids are interested in reading for the book club.  Post all your suggestions for books we could read below! After we choose books, we'll order copies for all the kids who are interested in participating. If you have ideas about how to make the book club even more exciting, post those here too!

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Thirty (Jane)

I chose "Where the Sidewalk Ends" because it really reminds me of New York, where I live. It is whimsical and very free in it's own sense, but it has some realistic parts to it, so Shel Silverstein did a good job of making a combination of these both. It makes me smile every time I read it, and it reminds me so much of just walking on a hot, NYC day, enjoying myself despite the weather. I can even imagine some of the spontaneously created characters, like the moonbird or the peppermint wind. This is why I love Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends" so dearly.

Where The Sidewalk Ends
There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson white,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.
Poem ©Shel Silverstein. All rights reserved.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Twenty-Nine (Sydney)

I chose "For Sale" because pretty much I've always liked Shel Silverstein, especially "For Sale." Also, it is what I wish I could do to my little sister sometimes. Shel Silverstein always tries to do something different each time. He really tries to be original and unique, like with "The Giving Tree" and "Sick" and all his other poems.

For Sale
One sister for sale!
One sister for sale!
One crying and spying young sister for sale!
I’m really not kidding,
So who’ll start the bidding?
Do I hear the dollar?
A nickel?
A penny?
Oh, isn’t there, isn’t there, isn’t there any
One kid that will buy this old sister for sale,
This crying and spying young sister for sale? 
Poem ©Shel Silverstein. All rights reserved.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Twenty-Eight (Jack)

I chose "Invictus" because it was my grandfather's favorite poem before he died, and it was also my grandmother's favorite poem. All the boys in my family had to learn it. It was part of the Armstrong logo!

Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the full clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate.
I am the captain of my soul.
Poem ©William Ernest Henley. All rights reserved.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Twenty-Seven (Alec)

I chose "This is Just to Say" because this poem has to do with eating food by mistake and that's happened to me many times before. Another reason why is because it's a nice sweet poem. This is the poem.

This is Just to Say
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
Poem ©William Carlos Williams. All rights reserved.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Twenty-Six (Bria)

I chose "Us" because today is my sister's birthday and she is turning 18. I also pick this poem because me and my sister always disagree. I would love my sister to see this because this does show how much I love my her. Happy birthday Chelsea!

Us 
Me and him
Him and me,
We're always together
As you can see.
I wish he'd leave
So I'd be free
I'm getting a little bit
Tired of he,
And he may be a bit
Bored with me.
On movies and ladies
We cannot agree.
I love to dance
He loves to ski.
He loves the mountains
I love the sea.
I like hot chocolate
He wants his tea.
I want to sleep
He has to pee.
He's meaner and duller
And fatter than me.
But I guess there's worse things
We could be--
Instead of two we could be three,
Me and him
Him and me.
Poem ©Shel Silverstein. All rights reserved.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Twenty-Three (Class 4-324)

During dance class last Thursday, we wrote this poem with Karen. Today, we created our own dances to go with it. Two groups presented their dances to the class. 

Dance

Spontaneous, Energetic

Twirling, Exploding, Bouncing

Art recreated in motion

Movement

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Twenty-Four (Sabina)

I chose "Storms Toward Noon" because it was about a time that if you experienced it wouldn't seem so special but I really added detail. This poem is written by me.

Storms Toward Noon
Suddenly the sky grew gray
the day
which had been soft and still
grew bitter and chill
and the rain with its pitter patter
started to fall
down.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Twenty-Two (Katya)

I chose "Eclipse" because I really liked how I took a rhyming poem and made it into a poem that has a topic that is beautiful. Another reason I picked it was because it was a poem I made for a poetry book, and it really touched me. It was a poem I really loved.

Eclipse
I look up high into the sky
cause a day is a a night when the moon's very bright
I watch it gleam glitter and glow
as it sparkles through the midnight show
I look up high into the sky
cause a day is a night when the moon's very bright.
Poem ©Katya Herkelrath. All rights reserved.

School-Wide Poetry Month: Day Twenty-One (Sam)

I chose "Dancing Pants" because it had a rhythm on every line. It rhymed, and I like poems that you can read really fast since they have rhyme and rhythm at the same time. It's funny, and it's about a funny topic--dancing pants!

Dancing Pants
And now for the Dancing Pants,
Doing their fabulous dance.
From the seat to the pleat
They will bounce to the beat,
With no legs inside them
And no feet beneath.
They'll whirl, and twirl, and jiggle and prance,
So just start the music
And give them a chance
Let's give a big hand for the wonderful, marvelous,
Super sensational, utterly fabulous,
Talented Dancing Pants!


Poem ©Shel Silverstein. All rights reserved.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Twenty (Michael)

I chose "Twaddletalk Tuck" because when I first saw it, I thought it looked really funny because on almost every single line it goes "and I talk and I talk." It's just really funny. I like the picture where the dog has his hands over his ears because the boy talks too much. I think people should read this poem really quickly because there are no periods until the end of the stanza.

Twaddletalk Tuck
I'm Twaddletalk Tuck and I talk and I talk
and I talk when I run and I talk when I walk
and I talk when I hop and I talk when I creep
and I talk when I wake and I talk when I sleep
and I talk when it's wet and I talk when it's dry
and I talk when I laugh and I talk when I cry
and I talk when I jump and I talk when I land
and I talk when I sit and I talk when I stand
and I talk and I talk into anyone's ear
and I talk and I talk when there's nobody near
and I talk when I'm hoarse and my voice is a squawk
for I'm Twaddletalk Tuck and I talk and I talk.
Poem ©Jack Prelutsky. All rights reserved.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Nineteen (Zack)

I chose "Sick" by Shel Silverstein because I feel that the character in poem is just like me, because I would   say that I can't go to school. I also feel that how Shel Silverstein lists all the things that the girl has. I feel that that is unique because it's more like a song then a poem. And that is why I like "Sick."

Sick
"I cannot go to school today,'
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
'I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more-that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut-my eyes are blue-
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke-
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is-what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is...Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play! ' 
Poem ©Shel Silverstein. All rights reserved.

School-Wide Poetry Month: Day 18 (Ava)

I chose "Yubbazubbies" because when I read this poem it was very cute and I fell in love with it the first time I read it! I hope you like it too.

Yubbazubbies
Yubbazubbies, you are yummy,
you are succulent and sweet,
you are  splendidly delicious,
quite delectable to eat,
how I smack my lips with relish
when you bump against my knees,
then nuzzle up beside me,
chirping, "Eat us if you please!" 


You are juicy, Yubbazubbies,
you are tender, never tough,
you are appetizing morsels,
I can never get enough,
you have captivating flavors
and a tantalizing smell,
a bit like candied apple,
and a bit like caramel.

Yubbazubbies, you are luscious,
you are soft and smooth as silk,
like a dish of chicken dumplings,
or a glass of chocolate milk,
even when I'm hardly hungry,
I am sure to taste a few,
and I'm never disappointed,
Yubbazubbies, I love you.
Poem ©Jack Prelutsky. All rights reserved.

School-Wide Poetry Month: Day 17 (Ms. Garraway)

My daughter wrote this poem when she was in fourth grade. I chose this poem because I love the way she used personification to bring an everyday object to life.

Letter to an Eraser

Dear Eraser,

How do you feel when people bite your skin?
How do you feel when people use your skin to clean
up words and to clean up drawings?
How do you feel when you are born pink and die black?
How do you feel when you are shaped like a
house, a soccer ball or a watermelon?
How do you feel being bright yellow, dark green or
rainbow colored?
How do you feel when you are stuck on a pencil?
How do you feel when you are free?
How does it feel when people poke holes in your
heart? Does it mean the end of your life?
You are strong as stone and as soft as a pillow!

How do you feel… being an eraser?

Danielle Cano-Garraway

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Sixteen (Chloe)

I chose "Sick" by Shel Silverstein because I can really relate to the poem. I love all of Shel Silverstein's poems but this one is by far my favorite. I've always loved this poem because it's really funny and really easy for a kid to relate to.

Sick
"I cannot go to school today,'
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
'I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more-that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut-my eyes are blue-
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke-
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is-what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is...Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play! ' 
Poem ©Shel Silverstein. All rights reserved.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Twelve (Charlotte)

I chose "Crazy Dream" by Shel Silverstein because I think it's funny that he and the teachers switch. He gives them impossible questions like "Where are my mittens?" and directions like an over night assignment to grow a 20 foot plant!

Crazy Dream
Last night I had a crazy dream
That I was teachin' school.
My teachers had turned into kids,
And I laid down the rules.

I gave 'em a hundred hist'ry books
To memorize each night,
And made 'em read 'em on their heads
Without turnin' on the light.

I sent 'em on a field trip
To the outskirts of Mongolia,
And gave 'em an overnight assignment
To grow a twenty-foot magnolia.

I asked 'em how many awful grades
Can cause how many tears?
And if they got one answer wrong,
I just hung 'em up by their ears.

And when they talked or laughed in class,
I pinched 'em till they cried
Louder and louder- 'til I woke up
Feelin' very satisfied.
Poem ©Shel Silverstein. All rights reserved.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Fifteen (Jonathan)

I chose "A Song in Storm" by Rudyard Kipling because it has a lot of powerful words in it and it also speaks to me and feels meaningful to me. It has power in my mind.

A Song in Storm
Be well assured that on our side
     The abiding oceans fight ,
Though headlong wind and heaping tide
     Make us their sport to-night.
By force of weather , not of war,
     In jeopardy we steer:
Then welcome fate's discourtesy
     Whereby it shall appear
           How in all time of our distress,
           And our deliverance too,
           The game is more than the player of the game,
           And the ship is more than the crew!

Out of the mist into the mirk
     The glittering combers roll.
Almost all these waters work
     As though they had a soul-
Almost as though they leagued to whelm
           Our flag beneath the green:
           Then welcome fates discourtesy
           Whereby it shall be seen, etc.

Be well assured, though wave and wind
     Have mightier blows in store,
That we who keep the watch assigned
     Must stand it to the more;
And our streaming bows rebuke
     Each billow's baulked career'
Sing welcome fate's discourtesy
     Whereby it is made clear, etc.

No matter though our decks be swept
     And mast and timber crack-

We can make good all loss except
    The loss of turning back.
So twixt these devils and our deep
     Let courteous trumpets sound
To welcome Fate's discourtesy,
      Whereby it will be found, etc.

Be well assured though in our power
       Is nothing left to give
But chance and place to meet the hour,
       And leave to strive to live,
Till these dissolve our Order holds,
       Our service binds us here.
Then welcome Fate's discourtesy
       Whereby it is made clear
             How in all times of our distress,
             And in our triumph too,
             The game is more than the player of the game,
             And the ship is more than the crew!

Poem ©Rudyard Kipking. All rights reserved.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Fourteen (Max)

I chose "Tennis Anyone?" because it looks very funny and I also like the way it is setup. It's a concrete poem.

(Hint: you have to read the words as if a tennis ball was flying in between them). 

Tennis Anyone?

Tennis                                             is a 

game I                                             could watch

for hours                                         but my

neck won't                                      let me

Poem ©Monica Kulling. All rights reserved.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Thirteen (Elliot)

I chose “Vegeta’s Epitaph” because all the poems that I’ve read are happy or something that does not include sadness or tragedy. So I choose this poem because it is possible that it is the only sad poem I’ve ever read and wanted to share it so, here it is!

Vegeta’s Epitaph

My life falls like dew.

Disappears like dew.

All of this world.

Is dream after dream. 

Poem ©Akira Toriyama. All rights reserved

Poetry Project Entry (by Jane)

          Poetry month is always an exciting time for the students because they get to explore a very creative type of writing: Poetry! In class 4-324, the students and teacher decided to enhance this special monthly writing celebration with an extra special poetry project.

       The way this project works is that for each day of May, a different student posts a favorite poem on the class blog, telling why they chose it, what makes it special, and any additional information they'd like to add.Family members, friends and classmates can then comment on the poem the student chose. Katie started off the project with a favorite poem of hers: "Things" by Eloise Greenfield. Ever since, the whole class and their families have reacted enthusiasticly, and has anticipated reading the next poem each day.

         Day two was Ida's day to post her poem. Her poem was "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, and she got comments on the beauty and serenity of the poem. Day three was Allie, and she did "Stupid Pencil Maker" By Shel Silverstein. her comments were all about the humorus tone of the poem and that her choice was a great one. Day four was Andrew and he did "Magical Eraser" by Shel Silverstein. He got comments on how even though the poem was fictional, it still related to things that happen each day! Day five was Eric, and he mixed things up with an original poem he wrote himself called "The Game Of Stuff You Love". He got comments on how well he wrote this poem, and how his repetitive lines really influence his feelings about baseball. Day six was Dylan, and he did "Ice Cream Stop" By Shel Silverstein. He hasn't received any comments yet, but this poem is fantastic, so I'm sure some are on the way! Day seven was Adina, and she did "Old Snake" by Pat Mora. She hasn't received any comments yet either, but her poem is incredibly creative and special. Day eight was Emma, and she did "The Owl And The Pussycat" by Edward Lear. Her readers commented on how they agreed with her that her poem brings back happy memories from their life. Day nine was Mayu, and she did "I Wonder Why Dad Is So Thoroughly Mad" by Jack Prelutsky. She got comments on how her readers thought this poem was laugh out loud funny, and can really connect to their own lives. Day ten was Leela, and she did "Owl" an original poem she wrote herself. She received comments on how beautifully written this poem is. And finally, today was Ellis. He did "Funky Snowman" by Calef Brown. It just came up today, but I heard it myself, and it will get an uproar of applause from the readers.

           So far, this creative poetry month idea has been a success. It has created an open window of fun learning for our class, one that we will never forget. Some more amazing poems are on the way, like one by assistant principal Ms. Garraway, and we'll keep you updated when they get here!

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Eleven (Ellis)

I chose "Funky Snowman" because I think that it really shows the author's imagination. I think that it shows that because he writes about a snowman that dances. I also chose "Funky Snowman" because the rhythm is like a song in the way that the author wrote it. I also chose the poem because it is like the author is talking to the snowman and telling it to dance.

Funky Snowman 
Funky Snowman loves to dance.
You'd think he wouldn't stand a chance.

Does that stop Funky Snowman?
No!!

Turn up the music with the disco beat,
when your in the groove you don't need feet.
Crowds come out and fill the street.
Kick it, Funky Snowman
Poem ©Calef Brown. All rights reserved.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Ten (Leela)

I chose "Owl" because it was one of the first poems that I wrote this year, and I think it is simple enough to be read in a few seconds, yet at the same time powerful enough to stick with you for a long time. I think that it really shows the simple beauty of an owl, sitting in the shadows of the dead of the night.



Owl 
Sitting
Waiting
Silence
Rustle
Dive
Yum.
Poem ©Leela Gebo. All rights reserved.

School-wide Poetry Month: Day Nine (Mayu)

I chose "I Wonder Why Dad Is So Thoroughly Mad" because it has been one of my favorite poems ever since I got the poem book "The New Kid On The Block." I like how this rhyming poem really makes you laugh out loud and makes you think, "How funny can this poem get?" To me it's cool how the poet was able to give so many examples of how mad dad is without realizing why himself. This poem is hilarious and I hope that it makes you laugh too!

I Wonder Why Dad Is So Thoroughly Mad

I Wonder why Dad is so thoroughly mad, 
I can't understand it at all, 
unless it's the bee still afloat in his tea,
or his underwear, pinned to the wall.


Perhaps it's the dye on his favorite tie,
or the mousetrap that snapped in his shoe,
or the pipeful of gum that he found with his thumb,
or the toilet, sealed tightly with glue.


It can't be the bread crumbled up in his bed,
or the slugs someone left in the hall,
I wonder why dad is so thoroughly mad,
I can't understand it at all.
Poem ©Jack Prelutsky. All rights reserved.