MAGIC

I was sitting on the floor next to some of my third graders during writing workshop, acting as scribe for one of them.  There were whispers from students, two other teachers conferring with our writers.  Then I heard a voice.  “Ms. Bless, can I share my fairy tale?”

This is a magical moment coming from a third grade student in the process of drafting.  He wanted to share his work in progress with the class after getting some ideas from them during the mini-lesson about magic.

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The credit for this magical moment goes to Lucy Calkins Units of Study, our fabulous ELL teacher (who taught the mini-lesson), and the amazing third grade writers of 3AB.  Here is how it came to be…

We (my co-teacher and I)  are lucky enough to have our ELL teacher/Bilingual Interventionist push in for writing workshop.  We rotate who teaches the mini-lesson between the three of us.  Friday it was her turn.  The lesson:  Once Upon a Time – Session 17.

Example of Magic in Fairy Tales

A Student Example including Magic

After the explicit teaching, she used a student example that already included magic.   Then, she asked for a volunteer who needed help with ideas for adding magic to his/her draft.

He ended up using a combination of the ideas and shared this fairy tale draft with the class:

Fairy Tale Adaptaions in Progress

We are in the first bend of Lucy Calkin’s Once Upon a Time Fairy Tale unit.  Students are rehearsing and drafting their adaptations of either Cinderella or Little Red Riding Hood.  Boy are they creative!

One student asked for help and this is how our conversation went…

“I’m not sure what to write next,”  she told me.

“Tell me about your adaptation so far.”

“Well, I’m adapting Red Riding Hood.  Red Riding Hood has a sister, Nancy.  And Nancy is dating Bill, but she is secretly in love with Juan.  And then Little Red Riding Hood finds out that Nancy is cheating on Bill with Juan and she slaps Juan. And that’s where I stopped yesterday.”  There were more details in here and I may have mixed up some of the events, but I don’t have her notebook with me to reference.

“O.K….Do you know how it is going to end?”  I ask, trying not to laugh too much.

“Yes.  Bill is going to kill Nancy.”

At this point I feel that it is very important for you to know that this student is one of the sweetest, most empathetic girls in the world.  She doesn’t understand why everyone isn’t nice to everyone else.  She often brings up the cruelty she sees on the news from presidential candidates.  She can not fathom how people can possible be racist.  She is THE LAST student that I would ever expect to write this ending…Ok…here’s how the rest of the conversation went…

Pause.  “Um…Where does that happen?”

“At a bridge.”  She replies, without needing to think.

“Alright..How does that happen?”  I ask, more shocked at each response.

“Bill invites Nancy on a date at the bridge, but then he drowns her.”

At this point you may be thinking that I should have put a stop to this very violent conversation and fairy tale adaptation, but I needed to know where it was going.   

“Why does he kill her?”

“Because he found out that she was cheating on him with Juan. But, he didn’t tell anyone.  He just planned the fake date and murder.”

And then I had a thought, “X…do you watch Telenovelas?”

“Yes.  Yes I do.”  She replied.

 

Summer Lovin’

Not that kind!  But I am loving these first few days of summer!  (BTW…Can you believe our parents let us watch Grease?!  Even if I was oblivious…)

♥  Trips to Half Price Books with my BFF and great picture book finds like this one…

This is so cute and funny.  I absolutely love the twists and the Tooth Fairy’s attitude!  The thing is, I can’t just read a book anymore without seeing the potential applications in the classroom.  This would be a fantastic mentor text for Fairy Tale Adaptations – completely original twists!

♥  One book crossed off my “Someday List” already…

I read the version written for young readers.  I am always looking for books that I can recommend to students and I need to beef up my nonfiction reading recommendations.  This one will be added to my library in the fall.  She is an amazing, intelligent, inspiring girl…

I also told [the president] that if America spent less money on weapons and war and more on education, the world would be a better place.  (p.190)

I raise my voice not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. (p.191)

One child, one teacher, one pen, and one book can change the world.  (p.192)

♥  More time with my favorite…now a fourth grader!  He can have fun with anything…even red solo cups!  Empty of course!