WRITING WILD

by Karen Leggett

If you could be any wild animal, what would you be?  Kids can be motivated by animals any time of year, but in May there are at least four special days  that encourage a focus on animals: Endangered Species Day May 15, International Day for Biological Diversity May 22,  World Turtle Day (who knew?) May 23 and environmentalist Rachel Carson’s birthday May 27.

Gather a collection of books about wild animals to help children choose a favorite. Fun titles to include are Susan Stockdale's new book Spectacular Spots as well as her earlier titles such as Fabulous Fishes, Bring on the Birds and Stripes of All Types (also available in Spanish).  Although written for very young children, these books provide excellent examples of verses students can write and the kind of information they can collect. 

An alphabet book by David McLiman's, Gone Wild (2007 Caldecott Honor Book) introduces students to endangered animals all over the world - each with a specially designed letter that will inspire the young artists in your midst.

Ask students to write down basic information about their chosen animal’s habitat and food as well as a few interesting facts, gathered from the books you have collected or the Internet, depending on the age of the class and the time available.

Ask them to think about the questions posed in this quiz from the National Wildlife Refuge System as it pertains to their animal - What is your animal’s idea of a great adventure?  What is your best quality?  How close are you to your family and friends? What is your favorite food? How do you escape predators? What super power do you have (or would you like to have)? Students can actually answer the quiz questions and see a sample profile. Then ask them to write their own paragraph or personality profile about their animal - ideally in the first person.

If there is time to expand the activity, provide a list of animals and the profiles written by students to another class to see if the new group can match each profile to the correct animal. 

http://childrensbookguild.org/karen-leggett-abouraya

WINTER WRITING IDEAS

by Karen Leggett Abouraya

Bundling up for an outdoor walk may be time consuming, but it can be worth the hassle, whether you take a field trip to a nearby park or refuge  or just wander the playground or school neighborhood.  Get ready for a winter observation walk by reading Amy S. Hansen’s Bugs and Bugsicles: Insects in the Winter. Youngsters will learn about winter habitats for monarchs, ladybugs and dragonflies but also how Amy creates words like “bugsicles” to describe a woolly bear caterpillar in winter:

“She’s getting ready to perform an amazing trick. She will freeze in the winter, thaw out in the spring, and start all over. Woolly Bear won’t need to breathe while she’s frozen. She isn’t dead. She isn’t really asleep. She’s a bugsicle.”

Now make sure each child has a journal and a good, soft pencil and head outside. Give each child or pair of children a small area to investigate – just a few square yards, like the children in the photo outside the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center in Fergus Falls, MN. (Check the link to see samples of student writing!)

Ask students to use descriptive words to write about their area – what colors do they see? Is there concrete or grass, mud or snow? What do any trees or plants look like?

Are there signs of wildlife? Ask children to imagine where an animal or insect could live in the space they are investigating. Under a log? In a frozen pond? Wrapped in a dry leaf? In the crack in the sidewalk?  

Encourage children to write just single words or phrases that can be turned into poems or prose when everyone is back indoors, where they can also add artwork or research.  There are also several ways to expand this activity:

·       Return in the spring so children can write about changes in the area they observed in the winter. This can be a good “compare and contrast” exercise.

·       Have children write poems about their observations to enter in the River of Words contest. Here is a SAMPLE from Whittlesey National Wildlife Refuge, WI.

·       Partner with a park or refuge to have children write and publish a guidebook, like Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (NM) Through the Eyes of Children.

 http://childrensbookguild.org/karen-leggett-abouraya