Bright Ideas Winner-2006

Category: Twist

Ann B. Duff

Media Specialist

Edith I. Starke Elementary

The Blazing Mouse & Other Exciting Activities

At the beginning of this school year, our school started a “Before Breakfast Club” for those students who arrive at school reallyearly. These “early bird” students go to tutoring from 7:00 a.m.until 7:30 a.m. We have a grades K-1 group and a grades 2 – 5 group which alternate weekly into sessions with the media specialist and the reading coach. The focus of this early morning tutoring is reading.

Throughout the school year, I incorporated use of newspapers with several activities. With older students, the activity has been as simple as locating an article of interest and sharing it with the group in an oral summary. Students enjoyed sharing why they found particular articles to be of interest to them. With students in grades K-2, we created alphabet books using pictures from the food advertisements from local supermarkets. (Note: Instead of using only ads from the newspapers, you can pick up quantities of ads at stores.) Students write the name of their food item under the corresponding letter of alphabet; then, we discuss sentences which students can write in their alphabet books. Emphasis is given to writing mechanics: capital letter at beginning of sentence; punctuation at end; complete thought, correct spelling, etc. Students enjoyed being authors; they quickly took ownership of their product and were eager to work on it daily.

NEWSPAPER ACTIVITIES IN MEDIA CLASSES:

My favorite newspaper activity for this school year was a lesson in fable writing with third graders. This lesson centered around the January News-Journal article titled “Blazing mouse burns down man’s house”. [This intriguing true story is about a mouse getting revenge against a homeowner. The homeowner tried to dispose of mouse in a pile of burning leaves. The burning creature ran back to the man’s house and set it on fire. The house and everything in it was destroyed.] I taught students that a fable has two characteristics: a moral and animals that talk. They re-wrote the newspaper story to turn it into a fable. [Sample lesson format attached] Of course, in the students’ fables, the mouse became a talking one and the morals varied. Examples of morals are: “Man who throws mouse into fire will regret it.” “Man who throws mouse in fire will get hot house.” “Mouse abuser will become house loser.” Students enjoyed the opportunity to become fabulists and to do creative writing.

For media lessons for grades 3, 4 and 5, students learned tips for FCAT testing. As a part of this activity, students were encouraged to make posters showing testing tips – by using pictures from newspapers or by illustrating their posters. They particularly liked food and furniture store ads. Examples: Picture of a person settled in bed; slogan: “Before the FCAT test, get plenty of rest.” Picture of a proper breakfast; slogan: “Eat healthy food and be in a good mood … for FCAT tests.” Students enjoyed being creative and having their posters publicly displayed (in cafeteria and media center).

I determined that the activities and strategies were successful by the student participation, by the finished products, and by students’ excitement about learning and using the newspapers.

FABLE

Characteristics of a fable:

(1)A fable has animals that talk.

(2)A fable contains a moral (a lesson to be learned).

Rewrite the following true story to turn it into a fable.

BLAZING MOUSE BURNS DOWN MAN’S HOUSE

Fort Sumner, New Mexico – A mouse got its revenge against a homeowner who tried to dispose of it in a pile of burning leaves. The burning creature ran back to the man’s house and set it on fire.

Luciano Mares, 81, of FortSumner said he caught the mouse inside his house and wanted to get rid of it.

No one was hurt inside, but the house and everything in it was destroyed.

- - Daytona Beach News-Journal (January, 2006)

“Before Breakfast Club” students in kindergarten, grade one and grade two make alphabet books from newspaper advertisements.

Sample Alphabet Books

T t tomato soup

Sentence: Tomato soup is good on a cold day.

Third and fourth graders design FCAT testing posters using newspaper pictures, especially from furniture stores and supermarkets ads.

Students in grades 2 through 5 search newspapers for an article of interest; give an oral summary of the article; and describe why they found that article to be of interest.