Where I’m From
At the beginning of the school year, students read the book Where Are You From? as a way of reflecting on their familys’ unique backgrounds and histories. They then wrote poems entitled “Where I’m From,” showing how they are each special. The writing process of brainstorming, drafting, and revising was followed. First, the students brainstormed their ideas, which ranged from items, food, vacations, family members, and holidays with special significance. Then they drafted their poems. They revised their pieces to bring forth their best writing. Finally, they shared their final drafts with each other to showcase what makes them unique. This was a community-building writing assignment that allowed students to get to know each other while recognizing and celebrating their differences.
Celebrating Autumn Moon Festival
Earlier this fall, 5G celebrated Autumn Moon Festival, a holiday widely celebrated across Asian cultures. The children observed the full moon in the night sky while in class we read 4 poems about the moon. One of these was a classical Chinese poem by Li Bai read by Jazlyn, Olivia, and Iris in Mandarin followed by an English translation. The children analyzed the poems and noticed the variety of literary craft employed by poets. Some poems rhymed, while others did not; some told a story, and others painted a picture or created a mood; some were told from the point of view of an observer, and some spoke in the voice of the moon herself. Next, the children wrote their own poems, trying to include their own poetic elements. To complete the project, we looked at a variety of paintings of the moon, observing how artists use a variety of colors for moonlight and heighten its effect by drawing silhouettes on its surface. With Mr. Jones’s help, the children created their own moon art by printing craters on paper moons with bubble paint, adding a silhouette sketch on the surface.
