Keeping it REAL (like Dan)

In a New Post share your thoughtful answers to 4-5 of the Dan In Real Life questions.  Shoot for about 500 words.  Include an image.

This is...Photo Writing

Happy French Girl and Her Cat, 1959

I'd like you to do a New Post on your own blog with some writing about one of your own photos inspired by Katy Barber's "Photograph 1969." I'll leave it up to you to decide whether you'd like to arrange your words as a poem or a short piece of prose. I'll be looking for a vivid description of what we can actually see in the photo, followed by that "twist" we discussed in class, where you intimate or imply what else is "in" the photo...an understanding, an observation, a hint at something that came later, a bigger idea at play...something more. Please include the photo in your post. 

If you don't have a photo of your own or find that too personal, find a striking or interesting photo that speaks to you on the internet or in a magazine or use one we looked at in class and write about it in this same way instead.  Here are some historic photos you could use, and here are some heartwarming ones.  

Photograph 1969 by Katy Barber

This is my mother
lifting her hair long
like a low whistle
off her neck
These are her fingers
caught in the tangles
of brown and gold caught in
silver earrings
This is my father
reaching through the lens
to touch the edge
of a new family
to touch her opening belly
under her full dress

This is existing
before I exist

This is me growing up
against their lives
him watching for a sharp
breath from her looking out
onto the border of birth
this is bumping us into three

We will move on to a new theme tomorrow so please have all work connected to PHOTOS posted by the end of class today or tonight at the latest to receive credit.

Remember your journal is due with 20 new pages on Friday, too.  Thanks!

Inspiring Images

Photo #1

Photo #2

Photo #3

Photo #4

Photo #5

Photo #6

Photo #7

Photo #8

Photo #9

Please do a New Post today on your blog inspired by one of these images and following these steps:

1. Add the image to your post. (You can right-click the image and save it on your computer to upload, or you can click the link below the photo and copy/paste the url--sometimes you lose the image later when you do it this way).

2. Write a prose paragraph of about 250 words inspired by the image (a fictional story, a personal memory, a vivid description...whatever comes to mind).

3. Then rearrange the exact same words in your paragraph as a free verse poem.  Experiment with the font if you'd like.

Example--yours should be a bit longer at 250 words (inspired by Photo #9):

Prose:

He put his hand on the back of my neck and kissed me, like he knew just who I was and what I wanted, that I loved summer nights and big, thick books, dancing and chocolate milk. I just closed my eyes. I didn't know if his favorite color was red or blue, if he liked Italian or Chinese.

Poem:

He put his hand
on the back
of my neck
and kissed me

like he knew
just who I was and
what I wanted

that I loved summer nights
and big, thick books
dancing
and chocolate milk

I just closed my eyes

I didn't know
if his favorite color
was red or blue
if he liked
Italian or Chinese.

For tomorrow (Tuesday): I know it will be hard to remember, but I'd like you to bring in some images of your own to inspire some writing--your own photos, snapshots, family pictures or even images you've come across in magazines or on the web. You'll need to add the image(s) to your blog, so figure out the best way to make that happen.

You can still use your grade check from last week to make up any posts you're missing today if you'd like to improve your grade.

Be ready to turn in your journal again FRIDAY, 11/17 for our mid-2nd quarter check (already!?). You should have 20 new, full pages.  You could freewrite about a few of the other photos in this post if you need some material.  Thanks!

Click Click Catch Up

Use your time today to get caught up on any PHOTO related blog posts you might be missing or write in your journal.  

I'll collect your journals next Friday for our Mid-2nd Quarter check--you'll need to have 20 new, full pages by then.

Here are some journal topic ideas:

• Who takes most of the photos in your family?
• Who is missing in most of your photos?  The photographer?  Someone else?
• How are the photos in your family or your home organized?  archived?  displayed?
• Are photos important to you?  Why?
• One of the funniest/weirdest photos my family has is of…
• Driving around with pets…
• Hands tell stories…
• I wish I had gotten a picture of…

Flea Market Photos

In a New Post on your blog, please share some new writing of at least 250 words inspired by the antique flea market photos we looked at in class (or another one if you'd rather find your own).  

This could be a fictional short story, a long poem, a set of dialogue, a journal or diary entry in the voice of one of the people pictured, or something else...If you want to also include your profile information for the people, you could.

Include a picture of the picture or another image that fits. Please have this posted by the end of class Friday.

If you'd like to check out the work of Ransom Rigg's and his fascination with old photos, visit his website.  I referenced his book Talking Pictures in class.

Photos of the Millennium (so far)

With the advance of cell phones, capturing all aspects of history and everyday life is easier and more accessible than ever.  Think about what your great-grandkids will say about all the images your generation is leaving behind--or will many of the images that tell your story/history vanish into cyberspace somewhere eventually instead of being in a photo album for those grandkids to flip through? (Write about this in your journal?)

This little dog happened to be strolling down a street just after the Pope had passed by--his little smile and upturned chin make it seem like he believes all the applause and fuss is for him!  Adorable.

Choose one of the photos from the 2000s and write a piece (poem or prose, fiction or nonfiction...your choice) of at least 250 words inspired by the photo. This might be a personal memory you have connected to this event or your thoughts about this moment in history...you decide what you'd like to say. You could also choose one from Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential Photos.

Here's an example of something I wrote referencing an image from the aftermath of 9-11 that has always stayed with me.  

If the link is blocked on the school computers for whatever reason, you could visit another website with "iconic" or important photos from this decade or the last and choose one from there, or you might be able to Google an individual picture if you remember one or have a certain one in mind.  Include the photo you chose and your writing in a New Post on your own blog.

Photo Hunt + Captions + Hashtags

In a New Post on your blog, please share at least 10 of the photos you took during our Photo Hunt. Add a caption of at least 25 words to go with each photo, and include a clever #hashtag with each caption.  You can decide whether to label or otherwise indicate which photo on the list each was supposed to be.

At the end of your post, include a quote that suggests something about paying attention or writers noticing everything or the power of photographs.

Children's Story Draft

Please share a draft of your story for your children's book in a New Post on your blog by the end of class Tuesday.  You can make changes later, but push yourself to get something posted so we can do peer reviews and begin construction of the books by the middle of the week.  At the end of your post, add a sentence or two detailing your plan for illustrating the book--are you going to draw on the pages yourself?  Find images online? Create images on the computer?  Have fun with it.  

Try this mapping technique for ideas.  Or this one.


Have a great week!

Tell Us a Story

Everything childhood-related we've done so far (except this post) must be finished by the end of the day today to count for points.    

Please draft a children's story (300 words?) in the next few days, maybe first in your journal and then in a New Post on your blog.  You'll need your story to be finished and proofread by the middle of next week so we can put together our children's books. 

Give your story a great title and think about how your book will be illustrated (kids' stories are often all about the pictures!)

Please leave a quick comment on this post telling me if you'd rather a) craft and illustrate your own book OR b) use the Storybird website the librarians shared to create your book OR c) something else you think will work for you.

Children's stories aren't usually all that long, but because of their brevity, each line and word needs to count.  Try to make strong and effective word choices and eliminate any unnecessary rambling.  Also, decide on an age group to target with your story and keep that in mind as you craft your piece. What would a kid that age know, want to know, think about, be scared of, find funny, etc.?  (I'm planning to send your books to a 2nd grade class at Wanda Gray for the kids to review) You may want your story to rhyme--seems like many kids' books do--but it's not required. Your story could be funny or serious, silly or sentimental...

You are welcome to write about whatever you want, but there are a number of ideas for stories at this website if you're looking for inspiration, or maybe you could try the brainstorming process explained on this website.

I personally like the feel of Mac Barnett's work.  Check out his blog and ever-growing collection of children's titles. I also love his TedTalk.

Remember the librarians posted their presentation to the Library page on Canvas for you to consult for ideas and tips.  Or maybe consider these activities from the site Children's Book Writer:

Select one character, one character trait, one setting, one problem, and one magical element from the lists below and write a 200-250 word scene or story. To complete the exercise, eliminate the magical element and rewrite the scene/story. What had to change? Does the magical element make your main character, and the story he tells, any stronger?

Main Character (select one from list or create your own)
Cassandra
Joey
Lizard
Ardvark
Gollup

Character Trait (select one)
Shy
Curious
Loud
Slippery
Sad


Setting (select one)
Cruise ship
Hot air balloon
Zoo
School playground
Beach


Problem (select one)
Forgot lunch
Lost
Make a new friend
Bullied
Cold
Save the planet


Magical element (select one)
Skateboard
Bubble
Jumprope
Elephant
Dollar bill

...........................................................................................................

Select a beginning, a main character, and a moral to convey. Imagine yourself telling your tale to a rapt group of children... Keep interest high by using active verbs and phrases, use conflict to create tension, and try lots of dialogue. To complete the exercise, read it aloud!

Beginning:

My friends! Gather around, close to me. We are about to embark on a strange journey...

Once upon a time, in a land nearly forgotten...

I'm as old as the trees, as old as the stars in the night sky. Only I am old enough to remember what happened a long time ago...

Long ago and far away...


Character:

The Bovine King
Quiet Leopard
The Boy in the Moon
Two Sisters 
The Dancing Rabbit in the Moon
The Lonely Princess
Warty Frog

Moral or Lesson to be Learned:

Always practice kindness
A good deed can make a difference
Only you can control your attitude.
Sometimes things are not as they appear to be.
Don't be afraid to challenge authority

Books for Kids

Please type up the information from the folded blue sheet regarding a children's book in the library as a New Post on your blog.  Include a couple of images.  Glue the half sheet in your journal to count as an entry.

Also, leave a comment on this post naming something interesting or cute or inspiring you took away or noticed during the librarians' talk about kids' books.

About the Author

Please post a brief but interesting bio of yourself as a children's author to your blog today.  These bios are written in 3rd person and at minimum generally include where the author lives (city and state) and who he or she lives with (family and pets).  You might also include some lines referencing your own childhood passions and preoccupations, or your inspiration for writing the story, or what else occupies your time besides writing great books.  These also usually include a picture of the author, so  post either a picture of yourself or an avatar or some other image to represent you.

Here are some tips for writing an effective bio.

Here are some notable authors of kids books today.