Spring gives me so many ideas for writing...easy writing. Lucky for my family, I don't believe in giving advice unless I'm asked for it, but today will be the exception because I'd like your advice in return. Your creative advice!
Here's my springtime advice for you:
If naked baby squirrels fall out of their nest, put them in a shoebox at the base of a tree. Their mother will painstakingly carry them back up the tree...one at a time. Repeat this action as often as necessary. I speak from experience. The end result will make you happy. You may decide that squirrels are stupid, but you'll be happy nonetheless (especially if you're an animal person).
Writers: What springtime advice can you share with us? Your advice can offer suggestions for happiness, relaxation, physical fitness, meditation, family gatherings, lawn mowing, barbecues, planting seeds, growing gardens. You name it. Anything goes!
Teachers and Parents: Do this same activity, but first offer your children some advice. Say something like, "Since it's spring, I think we should dance in a puddle!" You can either really dance in a puddle or laugh and say "Just kidding!" but that will get your kids thinking outside the usual springtime activity box.
Then get a posterboard. At the top of the poster, write: SPRINGTIME ADVICE by ______.
Ask your kids to help you think of more advice. Of course, your idea will head the list. The joy of spring and the love of language should topple onto your posterboard. Please share. I know the advice the kids give you will be brilliant!
6 comments:
Hum...Spring to me means sitting outside smelling the trees before the rains come and knock off all the sweet smelling blossoms. So, my advice is get a really long extension cord if you're not a laptop person (and thus far I'm not), an awning for shade or brellie and work on computer outside. Spring is comfortable, later on gets toooooooo hot. And too buggy.
Squirrels, I'm not one who would be putting them in box. We have an abundance of them here, and watched wild kingdom almost the other night. A story about a hawk and a squirrel.......
Been visiting all The Bridge Team Members to say, hey swing by and see what we've accomplished, where we are with our goals. Been behind but, am trying to catch up bit by bit.
I am going to do your idea with the kids tomorrow. Sounds like fun!
Hey, thanks for the blog award. You are so sweet! I haven't been blogging much because I've had to go to the chiropractor and get fixed! Then, I had to play catch up with chores. As soon as I got all that done, I had to play catch up with blogs!!
Hope all is well. I'll let you know what the Espressos say, tomorrow.
Love,
Janet
Ok, I didn't do your writing idea today! I forgot that we had to go to our co-op group and we don't do a whole lot of subjects before we go. I'll try again tomorrow.
Hope things are going well with you!
Love,
Janet
When I taught 3rd grade, we did a huge science unit on Water Cycle every spring. I would start the unit by giving each kiddo a clear cup filled with water and then have them use all 5 senses to observe water droplets. Students would journal the scientific process. As the unit progressed we would use illustrations and journaling to learn about the properties of H2O and the water cycle.
If I were teaching this year, I would totally take your advice and turn the Springtime Advice poster into a classroom book. I would provide some examples like...
In the springtime, ALWAYS stomp thru puddles in your rainboots or bare feet!
In the springtime, NEVER forget to keep an umbrella in your car.
In the springtime, ALWAYS stop and smell the flowers.
Springtime advice from 8 & 9 year olds (or 5 & 6 year olds, etc.) would make an adorable classroom book!
Another writing activity I would do in the spring would be to complete Charlotte's Web as a read aloud or small group lit circle. We would practice our dictionary/thesaurus skills by creating "word webs".
Charlotte's Web has some incredibly challenging, but beautiful vocabulary in it. I would allow each student to choose a word from a chapter that was unfamiliar to them. The student had to use the dictionary to define the word and then the thesaurus to come up with 3 to 5 synonyms or antonyms.
We would then use construction paper and yarn to created spider webs. Students would then attach the defined word in the middle of the spider web and their synonyms/antonyms randomly on the webs.
I would then display their E.B. White Word Webs around the room to celebrate the advent of spring.
Okay, I promise to stop posting...I really miss teaching! LOL
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