It's that time of year again. Once again I have asked my class to finish fables and share morals. I do this each year as we study Ancient Greece. Some years are more creative and interesting then others. This year the "Car" morals were overall the same, darn it. This is the third year I've published my results. I think the "Bee" fables are the best. Enjoy!
UNFINISHED FABLES
Read our conclusions and morals to these three unfinished fables.
One day, a computer said to a mouse pad, “You are nothing without me! I have all the circuits, all the software. I am the reason that you exist.”
“Ah,” said the mouse pad, “but….
...If you didn’t have me you would be broken.
Moral- Everybody is just as important.
...I’m not attached to you. I can be beautifully without your circuits and software.
Moral- Circuits and software don’t matter.
“...without me the user will not be able to access the software,” said the mousepad.
Moral- They can’t survive without each other.
...without me who could get to the sights? How could they turn you on? How could you read your GMail? See you need me to be great.
Moral- You need help to be great.
...without me you couldn’t move.
Moral- Don’t brag.
...if you did not have me you would not even be much, so we both need each other.
Moral- Nobody is better than any other person.
...without me there would be no point in using you. People wouldn’t be able to move the arrow. Without me you wouldn’t exist.
Moral- Don’t brag to others
Three bees were hovering around a flower one spring day when a woman walked by. The first bee flew away in fear. The second bee, believing that the woman did not notice him, decided to sit still and see what happened. The third bee…
…flew and sat on the top of a bench. The woman sat on the same bench and noticed the third bee. She swatted him and ran away in fright.
Moral- Always stay with people you know.
...was the youngest. He stayed there too. The second bee pushed him out of the way. “Stay back,” she said,”I’ll attack the human barbarian.” She tried, but died.
Moral-Never fight something dangerous.
...decided to hide and watch while the second bee got squished.
Moral-If something is dangerous hide or make a good choice and go on with your business.
…started buzzing around her head, annoying her and having a fun time. Then she pulled out a fly swatter and hit him.
Moral- Don’t annoy someone constantly just for fun.
…started dancing. Then the woman killed the dancing bee.
Moral- Never dance if you are a talking bee.
…was mad with the first and the second bee and stung the woman. He died right after.
Moral- Don’t take your anger out on someone else.
…started to break dance for the girl, but the girl saw him and killed him.
Moral-If you’re a bee, don’t break dance in front of a girl.
...went up to say, “Hi,” and the lady screamed and swatted at him. Luckily, she missed. The bee flew away.
Moral- Never talk to strangers.
...Stung the lady. The lady crushed the bee.
Moral- Do not sting people.
...stung the woman as hard as he could.
Moral-Never hurt
3. One day an auto mechanic was working on a car that had broken down. The mechanic was puzzled because he could not figure out what the problem was. He tried everything he knew, and still the car would not run. Finally, he threw up his arms in frustration, saying to the car, “How do I make you work again?” The car replied…
...give me back to my owner and I will work again.
Moral-Never talk to a car.
...come in and honk the horn five times. So he did and it worked. The car said to to back up. So he did and he ran into a tree.
Moral-Don’t listen to a car.
...If you give me oil then i’ll help you. So he gave it some oil...and the same thing happened again. The whole time the car was trying to trick him. so after the car drank that oil he drove away.
Moral-Don’t talk to a car.
...put the blue wire to the red in my roof. So he did and made it break even more.
Moral-Never listen to a talking car.
...give me some chocolate and then I will run. Well... ok, but you have to promise to run. “I will, I will, don’t worry.” So he gave the car chocolate, but the car was tricky, so he didn’t run and the mechanic was so mad!
Moral- Never give a talking car chocolate
...give me your wallet and your bank account and everything will be ok.
Moral-Never listen to a talking car.
...I am a stubborn car and I will only work if you feed me apples. The man didn’t have any apples. So, he got the very expensive ones. Then the car said, “Heh, no.”
Moral-Never give apples to a talking car.
...”I-I-I s-s-swallowed a-a-a h-h-hobo.” “That doesn’t make you work!!!” cried the man. The hobo jumped out, he was chewing on the engine.
Moral-Never trust a hobo
...you make me work by giving me love. The mechanic said, “What is love?” The car answered, “Love is appreciation.” Then the mechanic gave him love.
Moral-Love is important
And those are just a few example of how the mind of a third grader works.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Just Like Marie Curie
Every winter I teach a unit on researching and writing about Pioneers. Not the covered wagon, American west type of pioneers, but people who went before and prepared the way for others to follow. People who came up with something new or took part in the early development of something. Those type of pioneers.
Each year I have mixed emotions about the whole teaching process of this unit. In the beginning when I assign their pioneers, I’m excited. I’m fascinated by each of the people I’ve chosen and feel like I’m giving each student a gift. They don’t always agree with the “gift” part, but usually my excitement is contagious. Next, their assignment is just to read the various articles and books about their pioneer. I still like this part. Each morning someone approaches me with some tidbit they learned the night before. I encourage them to become experts on their pioneer. They’re the only one researching that person and it will be their job to teach the class at the end of the project. The next step isn’t my favorite, but it’s not the worst part either. This is the part where I lead them as a class through how to research. I demonstrate and we practice together using my hero, Jackie Robinson as an example. This always seems to go smoothly.
Then comes the part I dread, the part where they do their own research and write rough drafts. Twenty-four people need me at once. Research requires some independence. Independence and decision making are skills being taught and learned through out this unit. I recognize that. They’re third graders. It is just a very constant, tiring balancing act I perform. Keeping everyone on task, while helping and conferencing with each student, while answering questions. A huge variety of needs have to be met. It takes much patience and endurance.
There are the rushers, the ones who think they’re done in a day. They don’t use dates, they only use the information from time lines or the index. They’re facts are often random or insignificant. They only use the simplest resource they have to find information. When I ask them specifics or encourage them to find more information, they tell me that isn’t in the books or they can’t find it.
There are the distracted. Unfortunately research requires wise time management and some organization. These skills are part of our group practice with Jackie Robinson. I give them a variety of tools to help with organization: outlines, folders, pockets. I give reminders and dates for time management. I conference, edit and question throughout the process. However, talking to your neighbor, wandering around the room, staring into space, asking to go to the bathroom or get a drink and sharping your pencil for the tenth time in half an hour, doesn’t get much done.
There are the perfectionists. These students come in two groups. Those who write down every little detail, afraid to leave out any information. Or those who can’t decide what to write down. They don’t want to be wrong, so they don’t write down anything at all.
Finally, after much blood, sweat, tears and editing, their written report is done. We are all exhausted and relieved. I am also always amazed. My expectations are high on this assignment. They are required to practice and combine various skills for this project. It is truly a process and the end result is usually all that I expected and more. They do develop as writers and produce informative, interesting final products.
Yesterday, however, I had one of those positive moments midst the chaos. I remembered why this assignment is so important. I regained some of that joy I get from teaching and learning about the pioneers I’ve chosen to assign.
While helping a student decide what to include in her Marie Curie report I learned something new. I know many things about each of these people I assign to be researched. I need to know if my students are getting their facts straight. However, there’s always something new to discover.
Marie Curie was a strong woman. She is an example that I think every woman should read about, especially working women and girls discovering what they can become. Marie Curie did things that women of her time were told they couldn’t do. In Marie’s time women were supposed to be the weaker sex. Luckily, she didn’t believe that and she found other’s who didn’t believe that myth either.
In 1897 Marie Curie gave birth to her oldest daughter Irene. While excited, Marie was also overwhelmed. Besides being a new mother, she was expected to take care of her home. On top of those two things she still had school to complete. How could she do all these things at once?
I know many women who have asked themselves this question. The difference is that because of women like Marie Curie we have choices. Thinking about continuing her education was unheard of in her day. Getting an education, many didn’t even choose this path, was often just something to do until a woman got married. If she continued her education after marriage, she most certainly stopped after having a baby. However, Marie was smart and surrounded herself with people who thought her education was important. A creative solution was found to her problem. This solution, which is the new fact I learned today, was quite unique for the time.
Marie Curie’s father-in-law lost his wife a month after his granddaughter was born. Lonely and sad, Dr. Curie offered to move in with the couple and care for his granddaughter. This solution allowed Marie to continue her studies a little less stressfully.
Why do I find this fact so fascinating? Marie Curie did after all win two Nobel Prizes, one with her husband and one on her own. These facts seem much more important than a childcare issue. For me, it’s the facts about childcare issues, lessons learned from parents and role models, or the struggles that people survive that makes a pioneer. These are the things that often create a person who can lead the way and try new things. I loved discovering that Marie Curie was a pioneer in women’s rights, not just in science. Marie was a woman whose accomplishments were not only great discoveries in science, but also included not allowing poverty to prevent her from getting an education, being a working mother and raising strong daughters. Irene, along with her husband, earned a Nobel Prize of her own in 1935. Discovering that Marie Curie worried about work and motherhood is the most important thing I’ve learned about her. It makes me a little bit like her. It also reminds me of why I teach this long, difficult pioneer research unit. I teach it so that hopefully the student assigned Marie Curie each year learns from her example and dreams of being just like Marie Curie.
Each year I have mixed emotions about the whole teaching process of this unit. In the beginning when I assign their pioneers, I’m excited. I’m fascinated by each of the people I’ve chosen and feel like I’m giving each student a gift. They don’t always agree with the “gift” part, but usually my excitement is contagious. Next, their assignment is just to read the various articles and books about their pioneer. I still like this part. Each morning someone approaches me with some tidbit they learned the night before. I encourage them to become experts on their pioneer. They’re the only one researching that person and it will be their job to teach the class at the end of the project. The next step isn’t my favorite, but it’s not the worst part either. This is the part where I lead them as a class through how to research. I demonstrate and we practice together using my hero, Jackie Robinson as an example. This always seems to go smoothly.
Then comes the part I dread, the part where they do their own research and write rough drafts. Twenty-four people need me at once. Research requires some independence. Independence and decision making are skills being taught and learned through out this unit. I recognize that. They’re third graders. It is just a very constant, tiring balancing act I perform. Keeping everyone on task, while helping and conferencing with each student, while answering questions. A huge variety of needs have to be met. It takes much patience and endurance.
There are the rushers, the ones who think they’re done in a day. They don’t use dates, they only use the information from time lines or the index. They’re facts are often random or insignificant. They only use the simplest resource they have to find information. When I ask them specifics or encourage them to find more information, they tell me that isn’t in the books or they can’t find it.
There are the distracted. Unfortunately research requires wise time management and some organization. These skills are part of our group practice with Jackie Robinson. I give them a variety of tools to help with organization: outlines, folders, pockets. I give reminders and dates for time management. I conference, edit and question throughout the process. However, talking to your neighbor, wandering around the room, staring into space, asking to go to the bathroom or get a drink and sharping your pencil for the tenth time in half an hour, doesn’t get much done.
There are the perfectionists. These students come in two groups. Those who write down every little detail, afraid to leave out any information. Or those who can’t decide what to write down. They don’t want to be wrong, so they don’t write down anything at all.
Finally, after much blood, sweat, tears and editing, their written report is done. We are all exhausted and relieved. I am also always amazed. My expectations are high on this assignment. They are required to practice and combine various skills for this project. It is truly a process and the end result is usually all that I expected and more. They do develop as writers and produce informative, interesting final products.
Yesterday, however, I had one of those positive moments midst the chaos. I remembered why this assignment is so important. I regained some of that joy I get from teaching and learning about the pioneers I’ve chosen to assign.
While helping a student decide what to include in her Marie Curie report I learned something new. I know many things about each of these people I assign to be researched. I need to know if my students are getting their facts straight. However, there’s always something new to discover.
Marie Curie was a strong woman. She is an example that I think every woman should read about, especially working women and girls discovering what they can become. Marie Curie did things that women of her time were told they couldn’t do. In Marie’s time women were supposed to be the weaker sex. Luckily, she didn’t believe that and she found other’s who didn’t believe that myth either.
In 1897 Marie Curie gave birth to her oldest daughter Irene. While excited, Marie was also overwhelmed. Besides being a new mother, she was expected to take care of her home. On top of those two things she still had school to complete. How could she do all these things at once?
I know many women who have asked themselves this question. The difference is that because of women like Marie Curie we have choices. Thinking about continuing her education was unheard of in her day. Getting an education, many didn’t even choose this path, was often just something to do until a woman got married. If she continued her education after marriage, she most certainly stopped after having a baby. However, Marie was smart and surrounded herself with people who thought her education was important. A creative solution was found to her problem. This solution, which is the new fact I learned today, was quite unique for the time.
Marie Curie’s father-in-law lost his wife a month after his granddaughter was born. Lonely and sad, Dr. Curie offered to move in with the couple and care for his granddaughter. This solution allowed Marie to continue her studies a little less stressfully.
Why do I find this fact so fascinating? Marie Curie did after all win two Nobel Prizes, one with her husband and one on her own. These facts seem much more important than a childcare issue. For me, it’s the facts about childcare issues, lessons learned from parents and role models, or the struggles that people survive that makes a pioneer. These are the things that often create a person who can lead the way and try new things. I loved discovering that Marie Curie was a pioneer in women’s rights, not just in science. Marie was a woman whose accomplishments were not only great discoveries in science, but also included not allowing poverty to prevent her from getting an education, being a working mother and raising strong daughters. Irene, along with her husband, earned a Nobel Prize of her own in 1935. Discovering that Marie Curie worried about work and motherhood is the most important thing I’ve learned about her. It makes me a little bit like her. It also reminds me of why I teach this long, difficult pioneer research unit. I teach it so that hopefully the student assigned Marie Curie each year learns from her example and dreams of being just like Marie Curie.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
What I Did at Faculty Meeting
I’ve often said teachers make the worst students. Get us in a meeting, seminar or workshop and we do all the things we complain that our students do. Today I was a prime example. Today I was a pretty good example of how my students are at about 2:30pm and 45 minutes to go until the end of the day. Faculty meeting started at 3:30 pm and went to 5:00 pm. My attention was gone before it even started. I was just too damn tired, my brain was done thinking and I was having a difficult time mustering any caring. So, this is what I did during faculty meeting.
What I did during faculty meeting January 13, 2010:
Whether Harold’s favorite crayon, or
a “one eyed, one horned people eater.”
A giant sing dinosaur,
one counting puppet, or
a teen idol’s socks,
I’m an entertaining color.
Wine to get you drunk,
Dimetapp to clear your head,
Juice to stain your lip,
I’m a satisfying color.
Lilacs scent the breeze,
Lavender blankets the field,
Irises sway in the wind,
Pansies paint a garden.
I’m a memorable color.
What I did during faculty meeting January 13, 2010:
Whether Harold’s favorite crayon, or
a “one eyed, one horned people eater.”
A giant sing dinosaur,
one counting puppet, or
a teen idol’s socks,
I’m an entertaining color.
Wine to get you drunk,
Dimetapp to clear your head,
Juice to stain your lip,
I’m a satisfying color.
Lilacs scent the breeze,
Lavender blankets the field,
Irises sway in the wind,
Pansies paint a garden.
I’m a memorable color.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Today's lesson: Color Poems
Once again trying to set an example as a writer as I teach writing. Today's writing lesson was Color Poems. Color is used to express and represent so many things: personalities, emotions, smells, sounds, tastes, holidays... The object was to express a color without coming right out and telling the reader the color. Here are my poems from today:
I smell of squishy, fresh mud and grainy sand storms.
My dust tickles noses and makes eyes itchy.
I am rough, scratchy bark and strong, smooth leather.
I tint many curls and eyelashes.
I am thick, creamy chocolate milk and a greasy hamburger.
I am the crunch of a nut or the tapping of a stick.
I flash suddenly and quickly to your cheeks,
telling people you are embarrassed.
I help celebrate the 4th of July
and many other holidays too.
I smell of rose petals and cherry chapstick.
I can taste like peppermints, spaghetti or watermelon.
I feel like a scratched knee or Santa’s velvety suit.
I sound like a heart beat or a siren.
Last year's attempt.
I can be as cold as snow or as warm as fur.
I enjoy the North Pole and grandpa’s scruffy face.
I’m an oval egg or a round golf ball.
I smell sweet like sugar
and I’m as soft as cotton.
This one is from two years ago.
I stain the knees of soccer and football players.
I color the leaves that shade you in the summer heat.
I command cars,
and many consider me lucky.
I smell of squishy, fresh mud and grainy sand storms.
My dust tickles noses and makes eyes itchy.
I am rough, scratchy bark and strong, smooth leather.
I tint many curls and eyelashes.
I am thick, creamy chocolate milk and a greasy hamburger.
I am the crunch of a nut or the tapping of a stick.
I flash suddenly and quickly to your cheeks,
telling people you are embarrassed.
I help celebrate the 4th of July
and many other holidays too.
I smell of rose petals and cherry chapstick.
I can taste like peppermints, spaghetti or watermelon.
I feel like a scratched knee or Santa’s velvety suit.
I sound like a heart beat or a siren.
Last year's attempt.
I can be as cold as snow or as warm as fur.
I enjoy the North Pole and grandpa’s scruffy face.
I’m an oval egg or a round golf ball.
I smell sweet like sugar
and I’m as soft as cotton.
This one is from two years ago.
I stain the knees of soccer and football players.
I color the leaves that shade you in the summer heat.
I command cars,
and many consider me lucky.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Life in Third Grade
I love teaching third grade. The kids aren’t too old, so they aren’t smart asses yet. They’re not too young, so no nose wiping or pant zipping necessary. Most are comfortable with the basics of reading, writing and math, so I can challenge them to think deeper and explain their ideas. They are the middle children of Lower/elementary school. No longer “babies,” but not as sure of themselves as fifth graders. They’re in the midst of their early school years, observing then beginning to discover themselves as learners. However, they are still kids and by Friday afternoon, no matter how much I love my class or teaching, I’m exhausted. Most jobs can do this. An experience from today explains why my job can be so tiring. It’s 10:00am, morning recess has just ended. My class is straggling in from the playground. They trickle into the room trying to eek out seconds more of play time. The last three enter the room loudly chatting. The one in the middle has something he desperately needs to tell me.
“Mrs. Johnson,” he says in a panic filled voice, “I lost something at recess.” I patiently respond with the question, “What did you lose?” Knowing that a third grader’s idea of an emergency and a teacher’s idea of an emergency is often very different.
“I lost part of my recorder.” Yesterday in Music every third grader was given a recorder for a five week unit. Many had taken theirs to recess so they could practice.
“What part did you lose?” I asked.
“My bracelet,” was his response.
With raised eyebrows I asked, “A bracelet?” In my head I was thinking, that’s not part of a recorder. He explained, “She gave us bracelets to wear so we can remember which hand goes on top.”
Now it was making sense and I had a decision to make. Do I let him go back to the playground and search? If I do he misses part of the directions. Also, I’m sure the music teacher has extra bracelets and she’ll give him another later during music. If I don’t let him search he’ll worry about it all day and be distracted. Hmm.
Just then a voice behind me says, “You lost your bracelet? I know where it’s at. I can show you.” Great, I think now two will miss directions. However, they shouldn’t be long since they know where they’re going. I make my decision.
“Okay, go look, but be quick.” They shake their heads yes and very seriously respond with, “We will.”
A few minutes later they return. “We couldn’t find it.” They tell me. I’m about to say that the music teacher probably has another bracelet when once again we are interrupted.
“Was your bracelet orange?” a boy asks, “ because I saw an orange one over by the slides.” The owner of the missing bracelet confirms that his bracelet was indeed orange.
“Go check by the slides.” I say.
At this point I’m a little frustrated with all the time we’re wasting, but decide to let him finish his search.
Again he returns empty handed. Since I let him look he’s less worried about his loss, because he knows he at least tried to find it. He shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head, no. He continues over to his cubby, taking off his coat and hanging it up. It is at this point I hear a surprised, “OH!”
This of course caused the whole class to turn their attention towards him. Sheepishly blushing a deep red he held up his arm saying, “I found it. It’s on my wrist.” And that is a moment in the life of third grade and why the teacher is worn out at the end of the day.
“Mrs. Johnson,” he says in a panic filled voice, “I lost something at recess.” I patiently respond with the question, “What did you lose?” Knowing that a third grader’s idea of an emergency and a teacher’s idea of an emergency is often very different.
“I lost part of my recorder.” Yesterday in Music every third grader was given a recorder for a five week unit. Many had taken theirs to recess so they could practice.
“What part did you lose?” I asked.
“My bracelet,” was his response.
With raised eyebrows I asked, “A bracelet?” In my head I was thinking, that’s not part of a recorder. He explained, “She gave us bracelets to wear so we can remember which hand goes on top.”
Now it was making sense and I had a decision to make. Do I let him go back to the playground and search? If I do he misses part of the directions. Also, I’m sure the music teacher has extra bracelets and she’ll give him another later during music. If I don’t let him search he’ll worry about it all day and be distracted. Hmm.
Just then a voice behind me says, “You lost your bracelet? I know where it’s at. I can show you.” Great, I think now two will miss directions. However, they shouldn’t be long since they know where they’re going. I make my decision.
“Okay, go look, but be quick.” They shake their heads yes and very seriously respond with, “We will.”
A few minutes later they return. “We couldn’t find it.” They tell me. I’m about to say that the music teacher probably has another bracelet when once again we are interrupted.
“Was your bracelet orange?” a boy asks, “ because I saw an orange one over by the slides.” The owner of the missing bracelet confirms that his bracelet was indeed orange.
“Go check by the slides.” I say.
At this point I’m a little frustrated with all the time we’re wasting, but decide to let him finish his search.
Again he returns empty handed. Since I let him look he’s less worried about his loss, because he knows he at least tried to find it. He shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head, no. He continues over to his cubby, taking off his coat and hanging it up. It is at this point I hear a surprised, “OH!”
This of course caused the whole class to turn their attention towards him. Sheepishly blushing a deep red he held up his arm saying, “I found it. It’s on my wrist.” And that is a moment in the life of third grade and why the teacher is worn out at the end of the day.
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