The Visual Character Arc: Characterization in Picture Books

WELCOME TO DAY 1

BLACK COW BOOK TOUR

 

The Visual Character Arc: Characterization in Picture Books

by Magdalena Ball

 

Normally when writing instructors speak of the 'character arc' they're talking about textual based fiction, but all good books, from novels to children's picture books use characterisation well. So why is characterisation important? There's one key, critical reason and that is because everyone reading your book is going to be a person who will need to relate to and accept (even if temporarily) as real. To achieve good characterisation in a novel you need details, specifics, visual impressions, motion. This can be achieved just as well with images as it can with text. With text, you often need a paragraph to convey a character impression such as the following from my new novel Black Cow:

Her mind knotted with things she couldn’t say out loud, desire for change, fear for James’ health and a growing headache that had begun to work its way around the eyes as she called out, "Are you okay?"

Now look at this image of the the Lorax from the Dr Seuss book of the same name:

Doesn't his expression convey something similar, anger, concern, frustration, a hint of tireness, and maybe a sense of being small, helpless and still in charge to an extent all in one glance? It helps that Dr Seuss supports this amazing image with some cracking text:

He was shortish. And oldish.

And brownish. And mossy.

And he spoke with a voice

that was sharpish and bossy.

An example of powerful characterisation? I'll say. There are classic examples of characterisation here with the antogonist/protagonist relationship strengthened by using the antagonist as contrite narrator trying to make good - a character arc if ever there was. All of this is supported by Dr Seuss's colourful imagery, which has stayed with me from childhood like other characters including those of Maurice Sendak.

 Who, for example, could forget Little Bear and his mother. The care, the very human concern of the mother (and just the tiniest hint of exasperation - after all, mother is busy as all mothers are), and the hat, which mother provided him to keep him warm. Yes, all the elements of characterisation can be conveyed in images, in brief hints of text, using rhyme as Dr Seuss does, personification, onomatopoeia, allusion, imagery, all the poetic techniques are in play, and strengthened by the visual.

So how do you do this in your work? Just stick to the basics. Know your characters, develop them with both explicit and implicit qualities, from the superficial and quirky, to the deep and universal. Show the reader who they are through nuance and action, detail, dialogue and description, just as we might get to know someone we meet at a party for the first time. Let us come to love your picture book characters as we would the characters in a novel and you'll have produced a work that will remain with the reader into adulthood.

Magdalena Ball is the author of the newly released character rich novel Black Cow. Grab a a free mini flip book of the book here: http://www.bewritebooks.com/mb/BlackCow/BlackCow.html

For more information on the book visit: http://magdalenaball.com/wordpress/?page_id=175

Buy the Book

AMAZON (discounted!) | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY (free worldwide shipping!) | BEWRITE BOOKS

BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE:

Friday, 24 February: Educationtipster

Monday, 27 February: Writing and other ways into the heart…

Tuesday, 28 February: Nancy Famolari

Friday, 2nd March: Boychik Lit

Monday, 5 March: Slow and Steady Writers

Tuesday, 6 March: World of Ink Network (radio show)

Thursday, 8 March: The Alliterative Allomorph

Saturday, 10 March: Writers on the Move

Monday, 12 March: WOTM Webinar workshop

Thursday, 15 March: Heidi M. Thomas

Friday, 19 March: The Simplicity Collective

Tuesday, 20 March: The Dark Phantom

Wednesday, 21 March: Do North

Friday, 23 March: Karen Coiffi-Ventrice Writing and Marketing

Saturday, 24 March: The New Book Review

Thursday, 26 April: A Book and a Chat radio show

Please comment for a chance to win a prize!

KATHY STEMKE'S WEBSITES: Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285

Tips for Nurturing Reading in Young Children

by Kathy Stemke

Reading is a fundamental lifetime skill that will bring a child immeasurable enjoyment over the years. By singing, talking, reciting rhymes and reading to young children we help their brains to form the links that are essential to learning all language skills. In fact, it is in the
first three years, when the brain grows to 90% of its adult weight that children have the greatest capacity to learn to read.

During this time it is important to form the habit of reading daily to your children. Be dramatic and animated to hold their attention. Use unique and funny voices for each character.

Point to the words you read so that your child associates the pictures and sounds of the book with the letters on each page. Sound out a few simple words. As you read, point out the similarities in the words. Act amazed, as if you found a beautiful jewel. Enthusiasm is contagious.

If you make reading a priority, children will consider it important as well. Create a warm, cozy corner of their room just for reading. Include a bookcase full of great fiction and nonfiction books as well as periodicals. Decorate this corner with pictures that they draw of the books they read. You could even make a caterpillar and add a segment each month
with the book titles they read that month.

Be aware of reading levels and choose books with appropriate levels for your child. One of the biggest turn-offs for children is the frustration they feel when they struggle to read a book which is above their level of reading.

Children feel so grownup when they get mail. Why not sign them up for an age appropriate magazine that comes in the mail monthly.

"O Say Can You Say" by Dr. Seuss teaches a child the silliness of words and rhymes. As you falter over the words, do it with laughter so children will learn that if you read a word incorrectly, it's not time to quit.

Keeping children engaged in the stories, and including fun activities in their reading experience are also important keys to nurturing a love of reading in young children.

Since play is how children learn, play with letters, sounds and words. Play games with sight words too. For instance, draw a road with sight words printed on it. Use a toy car to drive to each word. Have them repeat the word after you so they can drive on to the finish line. Give them an award. When children master many sight words, reading becomes easier.

Use puppets to create interest. Make your own puppets inexpensively. Buy stuffed animals at a thrift store or yard sale, remove some stuffing and add a sock to the inside. Allow the child to act out the story with the puppet.

Take a trip to the local library. Get involved in a story time for children. The librarians introduce fun games and activities associated with books. Encourage your child to explore the children's section of the library.

Make personalized books. Allowing children to become the main character or a hero in the book will definitely keep them hooked to it. Photograph them during their daily activities and create a wordless book. Foster creativity by permitting them to tell their own story.

Make books on fruits and vegetables. Plan a trip to the supermarket. Have your child take pictures of different fruits and vegetables. Children love to touch, feel and smell the different fruits and vegetables. They can also compare the size and weight.

There are an infinite number of ways that you can make books come alive for young children. Once they get the book bug, they will always want to read.



Moving Through all Seven Days link:
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20 Best Quotes of All Time!

My favorite time quote in this list appears in red.  Which is    yours?                                                             Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein. ~ H. Jackson Brown

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. ~ Michael Altshuler

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. ~ Carl Sandburg

I am definitely going to take a course on time management… just as soon as I can work it into my schedule. ~ Louis E. Boone

In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is lacking. ~ Sir John Lubbock
Those who make the worse use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

The great dividing line between success and failure can be expressed in five words: "I did not have time." ~ Franklin Field

Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another man gets a full year’s value out of a week. ~ Charles Richards

The key is in not spending time, but in investing it. ~ Stephen R. Covey

Ordinary people think merely of spending time. Great people think of using it. ~ Author Unknown

Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade! ~ Anthony Robbins

You’re writing the story of your life one moment at a time. ~ Doc Childre and Howard Martin

Never let yesterday use up today. ~ Richard H. Nelson

Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got. ~ Art Buchwald

One thing you can’t recycle is wasted time. ~ Author Unknown

All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that. ~ Baltasar Gracian

You cannot kill time without injuring eternity. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Time is at once the most valuable and the most perishable of all our possessions. ~ John Randolph

What may be done at any time will be done at no time. ~ Scottish Proverb

You will never "find" time for anything. If you want time, you must make it. ~ Charles Bruxton

Kathy Stemke's websites:
Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285

Trouble on Earth Day Review

Title: Trouble on Earth Day

Author: Kathy Stemke

Illustrator: Kurt Wilchen

Published by Wild Plains Press

ISBN: 978-1-936021-36-9

Reviewed by Karen Cioffi

As a proponent of conservation and the environment, I love children’s books that approach this topic in an engaging and entertaining format. Trouble on Earth Day by Kathy Stemke does just that.

The story begins with the main character, Shelby the squirrel, winning the Earth Day poster contest; the young reader is quickly brought into the focus of the story, our environment. Shelby’s poster has “Rethink, Reuse, and Recycle” boldly and colorfully written on it.

As the story progresses, Shelby and her parents discuss the different ways individuals and families can conserve, such as using old clothing for a quilt.

It also delves into the effects of deforestation. When Shelby hears the cries of a “little bird,” she searches until she finds it, then asks the bird what’s wrong. The bird explains, “The workman cut down my tree and my nest. I found a new tree, but I can only find twigs to make a new home.”

Using ingenuity and what she learned from her parents, Shelby helps the bird build a new nest using recyclable items from her home. Trouble on Earth Day will quickly heave children asking about the environment and looking around their homes for items that can be recycled.

Adding to the invitingness of this delightful story are amazing full page illustrations by Kurt Wilchen. Each page has vivid and bold illustrations that will surely grab and hold a young reader’s attention. Along with all this, Stemke includes pages and pages of activities, and additional information about conservation and the environment, all to help children better understand the story’s theme. It even includes a song titled “The Fuzzy Squirrel” that children can sing to with the music from “I’m a Little Teapot.”

Some of the activities and information include in Educator’s Edition:

• Reading comprehension activities
• Original topic related lyrics that children can sing to the melody of classic favorites
• Discussion topics, such as Why Trees are Important and What Things Can be Reused
• Games, including the Going Green Game
• Recycling activities, such as making napkin rings using recycled toilet paper rolls, recycling old CDs to make ornaments, and how to recycle old crayons
• Dolch Sight Word activity page

My favorite information page in Trouble on Earth Day briefly explains what went on before the first Earth Day in April 1970, what the focus of Earth day is, and why it’s so important.

Learning how each of us can take steps to protect our environment is important for children and adults alike. It will take all our efforts to help improve the environment for a healthier tomorrow. Trouble on Earth Day is a great start for children.

~~~~~~~~~~

Karen Cioffi is a published author, ghostwriter, and editor for 4RV Publishing. For writing and marketing information, and to find out more about Karen and her books, visit: http://karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com. While there, be sure to sign-up for her newsletter, A Writer’s World.

Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285

LANGUAGE ARTS LESSON

Grades K-2, 3-5
Brief Description

Put that pile of Beanie Babies to good use in your classroom as students create and write original biographies for a favorite stuffed animal.

Objectives

• recognize specific purposes/characteristics of biographies.
• participate in telling and writing a fictionalized biography (whole-class activity).
• include in their stories a sequence of events that makes sense.
• include good supporting details in their stories/biographies.
• apply the writing process to a character sketch or biography.

Materials Needed

• Beanie Babies (or similar stuffed animals), ideally one per child. Students might be willing to bring in one of their own from home.

Before the Lesson
For this lesson, you will need a collection of Beanie Baby animals/characters (or other stuffed animals/characters can be substituted). One stuffed animal per student is ideal, but you might offer a smaller selection and allow more than one student to work on a bio story for the same character.

Choose one Beanie Baby to use in modeling how to write a "Beanie Baby Bio." Set the others aside for selection by students later in the lesson.

The Lesson
Choose one Beanie Baby to share with the class. Tell students that this Beanie Baby is a very famous one. Engage students in brainstorming "information" about the Beanie Baby. Ask: If you were to read a story (biography) of this Beanie Baby's life, what kinds of information might be included? Students' responses might answer some of the following questions:

• What is his name?
• Where and when was she born?
• How many siblings did he have?
• What was her mother and/or father like?
• What were his hobbies and other favorite things?
• What kind of "person" was she? (What personality characteristics did she possess?)
• What did he do to become famous?

Encourage students to think outside the box. The funnier the better! As students share ideas, list those ideas on the board, chart paper, or an overhead-projector transparency.

After the class has generated a bunch of ideas, take a look at the ideas. Group together some ideas and talk about how those elements might be developed into a story. Identify beginning, middle, and ending ideas/events that might be included in a story. Write a story together.

Once you have a draft of a Beanie Baby bio story, read aloud the story to the class. Ask students if they think you have all the details in the right order. Talk about where more detail might be needed. Discuss why it's important to have events ordered correctly and well developed.

Next, it's the students' turn.

• Allow students time to brainstorm additional ideas for their own Beanie Baby stories/bios. They might do this as a class, in small groups, with a partner, or on their own.
• You might provide a story web or a graphic organizer for students to use as they brainstorm new ideas.
• After students have brainstormed a list of possible ideas, have them circle similar or best ideas. At this point students are "thinking" and starting to put together ideas that might form an interesting story.
• After students have had a chance to share ideas, talk about what kinds of information make a good biography. What information should be included? What should be left out? Why do people like to read biographies? Why are details important in telling a biography?
• Give students time to work out their story ideas and to share them orally with a partner.
• Then give students time to write their Beanie Baby Biographies.

When students have finished writing their Beanie Baby Biographies, set aside time for them to introduce their Beanie Baby to the class by reading aloud their biographies.

Extension Activity
Students might create their biography as a "book." They will want to divide the story into chunks of information that go together on a page (or "spread" of two pages). What kind of cover illustration might be best for their book?

Assessment

Evaluate the finished biographies. Do students have a beginning, middle, and end to their stories? Was good detail included?

Submitted By

Mary Pat Mahoney, Holy Trinity Catholic School in Grapevine, Texas

Sara Dutcher
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Fostering Creativity in Children

There is a serious creativity disconnect developing in today’s children. In the not-so-distance past, a plain old cardboard box could become a car that could take a child around the world as fast as light. Back then, “Hide and Seek” and “Cowboys and Indians” were standard games that could fill up an entire summer day. As the old saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”  

          Back then, creativity was pretty much all a kid had to entertain themselves. These days cardboard cars have been replaced by real battery-operated automobile miniatures; Facebook has replaced “Hide and Seek”; “Cowboys and Indians” has been deemed politically incorrect, whereas video games that encourage kids to sit alone in their rooms and score points for headshots are becoming normative. It is not really surprising that kids are becoming increasingly less creative though, especially in the face of the digital age. Today it seems that more and more academics, particularly those who have attended Ph.D. Programs, are arguing  that this fall in creativity is partly due to the fact a child is born with a certain creative caliber, and that this caliber is difficult—if not impossible—to foster effectively. Fortunately, there are many studies and experts that disagree with this perspective.

          In an article for Goshen.edu, Marvin Bartel, Ed.D. wrote, “while most 5-year old kids have a high level of confidence in their artistic capabilities, most of that confidence will be diminished within three to four years by the push to replace creativity with social conformity.” As an art teacher, Mr. Bartel noted a significant drop in the level of imaginative work produced by older children as compared to art projects produced by their younger counterparts, which to him appeared to be caused by a lack of challenge to their creativity skills. Whether due to laziness or a lack of interest in challenging their students, many teachers simply give their pupils free reign on assignments today. While this may inspire creativity in some, most have a tendency to revert back to their comfort-zone in order to ensure their success.

A better approach may be to set a child's boundaries somewhere outside the edges of their comfort-zone. For example, if a child displays a tendency to use only oils or clay for art projects, establish that they cannot use traditional art tools to apply the paint to their canvas or require that they create their next sculpture blindfolded. This way the child will be forced to try a new approach for an activity they are already comfortable with, which ideally will get their creative juices following and prevent them from being stuck in a rut. As Mr. Bartel explains, “So long as the difficulty level is reasonable, new learning happens.”

Patricia Dischler, an expert of teaching creativity in children, believes that while it is important to teach kids the "3 R's: reading, 'riting and 'rithmatic," by also instilling in the principles of the 3 C’s in a child: creativity, curiosity and courtesy, teachers can perpetuate a child's natural precociousness and love of learning. Parents can participate in the development of their child’s imagination as well as their reasoning and problem solving abilities by encouraging them to get off the computer and engage their friends in creative, real-world activities. According to Ms. Dischler, doing so will “teach children to overcome their fear of making mistakes, teach them the value of patience and combine right and left brain activity.” Ultimately, these activities serve to strengthen a child's ability to be creative and to use their imagination rather than resorting to a dependency on others to solve problems.

Likewise, you can foster creativity in your children simply by encouraging them to resist blind conformity. When they question the public zeitgeist or express disagreement with what is deemed by the majority to be socially acceptable, talk to your child. Show a genuine interest in hearing their perspective. Encourage them to explain their reasoning and to give a specific example of why they feel it is right to go against the flow.

With a young child, creativity is as natural as breathing. However, it can be difficult to find a similar expression of the imagination in older children and adults. Primarily, this is because these creative juices are suppressed almost as early as they begin to surge through their brains. As parents and teachers we encourage intellectual conformity with something as simple as the expectation for them to color within the lines in their coloring books.

According to Robert Sternberg and Wendy M. Williams at the Center for Development and Learning, “Creativity is as much a decision about and an attitude toward life as it is a matter of ability.” Encouraging children to explore novel and interesting ideas will help them develop problem solving skills and to make connections between things that otherwise fly over the heads of others. It is the ability to translate theory into practice and abstract ideas into practical accomplishments that will provide them the survival skills they will need when they leave the nest, and will give them a competitive edge in the job market.

Art and scholastic endeavors are not the only activities in which a child can develop their mind. While providing their own unique set of benefits, participation in both individual as well as group sports can also play a dramatic role in expanding and strengthening a child’s personal character. Statistics compiled by a 2007 online survey conducted by psychologist Dr. Jamil Qureshi for Henley Centre Headlight Vision, found that a child’s level of self-confidence, perseverance and passion could be directly linked to their level of participation in sports activities that honed those skills. More specifically, Dr. Qureshi noted definite correlations between sports and specific values gained through involvement:

1) Football promotes both teamwork and individual passion;

2) Athletics itself breeds a healthy balance of self confidence and humility;

3) Golf instills the virtue of integrity and honest decision making skills.

There was once a time when the imagination was pretty much all a kid had to entertain themselves. Now, in the era of the Internet and online social networking, kids rely on pre-packaged entertainment with limited or predetermined objectives. Today, through either apathy or pure laziness, the challenge of imagination and creativity has been replaced by mindless repetition and conformity.

Children have often been referred to as “the future.” Considering that they will be the ones assuming the role of tomorrow’s business and government leaders, by our lack of guidance that future may be in jeopardy. While children are born with an inherent curiosity that inspires creativity, just like a muscle in the body if it is not exercised regularly it will atrophy and grow weak. Therefore, perhaps it’s time for parents and teachers to recognize that what some would like to call social progress is actually taking our children backwards.

jeremyfordham08@gmail.com

Jeremy Fordham is an engineer who enjoys and encourages discussion at the boundaries of many different disciplines. He is a proponent of renewable energy and distance learning, and contributes as a writer to resources promoting online education.

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Webtime Stories™ Offer a New Technology Solution to Summer Reading Slump

In recognition of the research identifying a drop in language and reading skills during the summer break, Be There Bedtime Stories is offering a new, parent-approved, multimedia solution which benefits early literacy, keeps kids connected to family members far away and features a high-tech, “cool” factor.

"We discovered that young readers were motivated to read Webtime Stories because of the video aspect," said Founder, Alison Sansone.

Research spanning a century shows that kids score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer break than they do on the very same tests just a few months earlier. “Although school ends for the summer, reading and learning are year-round activities,” said Earl Martin Phalen, CEO of Reach Out and Read.
“Childhood development experts tell us that the most important thing that parents can do to prepare their children to succeed in school is to read aloud to them every day.”

Be There Bedtime Stories adds a new, technological dimension to reading aloud with webcam-recorded storytelling, also known as Webtime Stories. This online platform works in three steps: 1) Choose an e-book from the online bookstore; 2) read the story in front of a webcam as it displays on the computer screen; the video is then embedded onto each page of the e-book; and 3) the Webtime Stories are accessible via link anytime, connecting young readers with family members no matter how far away.

“Storytelling has been unifying families for centuries, and reading aloud naturally fosters literacy,” said Alison Sansone, founder of Be There Bedtime Stories. While she knew far-away relatives and traveling and military parents would appreciate the ability to read bedtime stories to their favorite little ones, she was pleasantly surprised that new readers also enjoyed recording a story to show off their newfound skills.

“We discovered that young readers were motivated to read Webtime Stories because of the video aspect,” said Sansone. “As a result, grandparents, traveling or military parents, or other family away from the household, can participate in summer learning.”

The visual cues of both the storyteller and the words on the page deliver the proven, read-aloud techniques that build literacy, regardless of whether the child is reading or listening to the Webtime Stories. To encourage summertime reading, Be There Bedtime Stories is offering an unlimited-access plan for $29.99 through Sept. 7, 2011.

About Be There Bedtime Stories
Be There Bedtime Stories is a new, online platform that combines a webcam and bedtime stories to deliver Webtime Stories™. Founded by Alison Sansone, the recorded format of Webtime Stories™ aims to provide a kid-friendly, family-bonding form of multi-media which encourages budding readers and develops early literacy skills. Currently, the company has acquired licensing from eight initial publishers to nearly 250 e-books, including a variety of genres (e.g., educational, character-building, holiday, Spanish language titles, etc.) appropriate for ages 2 through 8 years old. Be There Bedtime Stories is proud to have a recognized alliance with two leading non-profit organizations that share the value of literacy: Blue Star Families, a leading military family support organization acquiring children's books for U.S. Military Base libraries; and Reach Out and Read, an evidence-based research organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness. For more information visit Be There Bedtime Stories on Facebook.

About Reach Out and Read
Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based, national nonprofit organization that prepares America’s youngest children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together. Reach Out and Read currently serves one-third of the most impoverished children in the U.S. The Reach Out and Read model is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the program has one of the strongest records of research support of any primary-care intervention. This year, Reach Out and Read’s 27,000 volunteer doctors and nurse practitioners will provide 6.4 million new books to 3.9 million children at 4,654 healthcare locations in all 50 states.

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Create a Verb-Adverb Wheel

Create a verb-adverb wheel to aid them in their understanding and mastery of the adverb concept.

Each student will need the following materials:

a donut hole (purchased from a store or donut shop) 8-1/2 inch oaktag circle 3-1/2 inch construction paper circle 1 brad (paper fastener) crayons/markers

The Lesson

Are you looking for an "appetizing" way to introduce your students to the concept of adverbs? In this lesson, students use discovery and observation as they create a yummy way to remember adverbs.

First, pass out to each student a donut hole. Before they begin munching the donut hole, challenge them to brainstorm verbs that tell how they might eat the donut hole. Write on a board or chart the verbs that students share. For example, they might share verbs such as: chomped, chewed, bit, devoured, and so on

Next, have students provide words that describe how they are doing the action of eating the donut. Write those words on the chalkboard. For example, students might share words such as:  slowly, quietly, noisily, excitedly, and so on.

Point out that the words that describe the action are called adverbs.

Now that students know what adverbs are, challenge them to add to the list they already provided.

After students have finished eating their donut holes -- quietly, I hope -- pass out an 8-1/2 inch oaktag circle, a 3-1/2 inch construction paper circle, and a brad to each student. Have each student imagine that the small circle is the center of the donut.

In the center of the 3-1/2 inch circle, have each student write her/his name with a black marker. Also on the smaller circle (around the student's name in the center), have him/her write four of the verbs that were listed on the chalkboard. Students might write one verb on the small circle at 12 oclock, one at 3 oclock, one at 6 oclock, and one at 9 oclock. On the larger circle, have students select and write some of the adverbs that describe the verbs.

Students have created a verb-adverb wheel. They can spin the wheel to create a variety of sentences. For example

Harry chomped hungrily/noisily/slowly Harry devoured hungrily/noisily/slowly Harry gulped hungrily/noisily/slowly Harry feasted hungrily/noisily/slowly

At the end of the lesson, offer students time to frost or sprinkle their donuts. They can do that by turning over their donuts to decorate the side that does not have the verbs and adverbs written on it. Watch as they turn their verb-adverb circles into appetizing-looking donuts to go with the appetizing phrases on the other side!

Assessment

Assess each "Appetizing Adverb" donut by checking for accurate labeling of verbs and adverbs.

Lesson Plan Source

This lesson is adapted from and idea I saw in Mailbox magazine.

Submitted By: Laura Graham, Tri-City Christian School in Independence, Missouri

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Mother's Day Scapbook and Marine Homecoming!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL

Our Mother's Day 2011 celebration has proven to be one of the best days of my life.  I finally got to see my grandson, Michael, after his time stationed in Afghanistan.  He looked fantastic with his new muscular body and sun tan.  He has matured into a man who thinks of others first!  Thank you United States Marine Corps!

My daughter, Stephanie, presented me with a beautiful Mother's Day Tribute in the form of a scrapbook.  As you can see by the photos of just some of the pages, it is full of great family photos and beautiful seniments.  I cried.

I was a single parent most of my life and always worried that my daughter wouldn't get all she needed to grow up properly.  She has grown into an amazing woman, wife, and mother.







We used to sing, "You and Me Against
the World," and dance around the living room. 

So much changed when my daughter became a mother herself.  She's a fantastic mother!

Here's my daughter with each of her children.

My beautiful granddaughter, Tori, wrote me a poem. I'll post it in the next post.

On the left is my other daughter, Chali and her husband Doug, then Jeff, Stephanie's husband, my husband, me, and my granddaughter Tori.

             At times our family is a little silly as you can see by these photos.

My grandson graduating from Marine boot camp. 



Here he is showing off his muscles.

This is the part that made me cry!

This is my terrific dog, Lucy.   

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