Both the Youngs & Barone chapter and the Gillespie article encouraged me to continue to implement multigenre writing into my instruction.  The obstacles and rewards paralleled my class’ pirate project. I found many things to rework for next year, but the rewards far outweighed these obstacles.  As with the project in the reading, my students found a deeper understanding of the topic/person.  I am thinking of adding a multigenre writing activity to our class reading of Blue next month.  I feel that teaching the genres earlier in the year will be helpful  next year so the project will run more smoothl.

My poetry assignment is a part of a unit on NC pirates.

Poetry Assignment:   poetry assignment

 Invitation:   poetry invitation[1]    Pirate Think

Rubrics: poetryrubric     pirate rubric

Pre-assessment/Post-assessment examples: Prepost assessment

Student Research: Research 

Websites: Pirate Websites

Graphic Organizer:  Graphic Organizer-Francois    Graphic Organizer-Mary Read

Shared Writing:  I am Orville Wright 

                                   I am Francois L

Student Samples: I am Mary Read 

                                   Anne Bonny Acrostic

                                   Edward Low

                                   Charles Vane

                                   Concrete

Student Pictures:  Student Pictures

Poetry Analysis:    Poetry Analysis

Both the Allen and the Grierson article reminded me of the pirate multi-genre project that my students have just completed.  Like the two articles, there were unseen obstacles and successes along the way.  I feel that we need to rework some aspects of the project to increase the depth of knowledge students gain.  Some students simply skimmed the surface of their pirate and lacked quality information.  More instruction on genre needed to happen.  On a positive note, poetry genres worked well and final products showed analysis of the information. Overall, the project was a great success with only minor adjustments needed.

When I got the syllabus I was very excited to read Boy. As a third and fourth grade teacher, I have immersed my students in the works of Roald Dahl for the past 10 years.  I had never read Boy. I enjoyed the stories of Roald Dahl’s childhood and insights about how he got his inspirations his books.  I am currently reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with my class. I couldn’t wait to share how Roald was a taste tester for Cadbury. I read the whole book in one sitting. Throughout this book and the article I learned that I have been teaching memoir and never knew it. Our writer’s notebook is mostly memoir, but I’ve never told my students this. I’ve read When I was Young in the Mountains, but never pointed out it was a memoir.  I have so many new ideas that I can’t wait to try out in my classroom.

I am a Flyer

Inspired by To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers

 
I am determined to accomplish what others have not
I wonder how man can fly like birds
I hear the swishing of sturdy wings
I see birds swoop and glide on a sliver of wind
I want to be like the birds floating through the sky

I am determined to accomplish what others have not.
I pretend I am floating through marshmallow clouds
I feel as light as air when I fly
I manipulate the wires that control the wings                                                                                                                                                                                            I worry that I will not survive the flight
I cry when the Flyer fails                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     I am determined to accomplish what others have not.
I understand that nature is the key to the mystery
I say we will be the first to fly
I dream of crowds cheering as I float effortlessly
I try to lift the flightless bird one last time
I hope this time we are successful
I am determined to accomplish what others have not.

Photo courtesy of http://www.thereadingnook.com/image_manager/attributes/image/image_1/061813347X_large.jpg

Old, W. C. (2002). To fly: The story of the wright brothers. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

The smell of dirt              between my

mud caked toes, the             tickle of corn leaves

against my arms as I run through the arrow straight

rows, the click of a needle pulling rainbow colored

threads through crisp, white linens, the ruffled edges of

daffodils in mason jars of blue water, the sizzle of fried

bologna and cheese in a cast iron skillet, the green

and yellow stripes of the vanity stool where I

learned to color, the whir of the sewing

 machine punching holes in paper as I

learned to sew, the smell of vinegar

wafting from canning jars full of

pickles, the glint of lightning

bugs prisioned in an old

mayonnaise jar. A

day with my

grandma.

Aviator with one purpose,

Mind set on changing the world,

Everyone laughed at her plans,

Likely to crash because she was a woman,

Islands were her only refuge during that final flight,

Air and sea, her final images.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snow Jobs

Wanted

before the Olympics

100% Bold Flying Machines with a Drop of Power,

the Swoop, & an Olympic Special Perfomance

A Winning Combination

Never Shout Never

100% American and Free

Who’s Good? Hot List

It doesn’t get Better than This

WINNING is a Smooth Finish to a Rough Day at Work