Summer SAVY 2018: Session 6, Day 4 – Playing With Words (Rising 1st)
Our word ladder this morning started with the word, present, which bumped us up to a 7-letter word for the start of our ladder. In addition, (yes, it was intentional), we got to discuss how some words may be spelled the same way, but have different meanings (homonyms), and that context is the key on knowing which meaning to use as the frame of reference for sentence meaning. Complexity and depth of thinking are so much fun when playing with words! Our final word on the word ladder was gift. Students noted that the word connection was that gift and present are like the same thing. Students then learned the academic term or this, synonym.
The coffee and creamer of figurative language turned our focus from similes to metaphors. I began by reading Skin Like Milk and Hair of Silk, a book of similes and metaphors. We discussed the difference between a simile and a metaphor. Then we read a funny metaphor book called My Mouth is a Volcano. Then we read a book that our guest illustrator helped create (so wonderful!) that is about the love that parents have for their children called: My Love for You is the Sun. This entire book is a metaphor, such as My love for you is a tree, My love for you is a river. The students loved the clay made illustrations. Students were able to identify the metaphors in the book, My Love for You is the Sun, when we went back for a second read. Tomorrow we will be analyzing poetry to dig deeper into metaphors and comparing two different things that have similar characteristics. What better way to learn about metaphors than to dive into poetry! We will read Emily Dickinson’s poem: The Moon Was But a Chin of Gold, stanza by stanza, and we will evaluate every bit of language possible to man regarding her beautiful poetry, including her precious metaphors. We will also read other classic poems from Carl Sandburg and Robert Lewis Stevenson.
Our guest illustrator was very engaging and our students were hanging on her every word! Not only did she personally sign each book, Poppy’s Best Paper, for our students, but she also read the book to the class on the overhead and gave them fun details about the characters in the book. This is a special book because it is the first book she has authored. Ms Eddy also shared the process of trying to publish a book, and it was particularly interesting to the students to hear about the numerous times this new book was rejected and how she persevered, revised, and finally got published. She also showed the students how she tried to be both author and illustrator, but after many revisions, and rejections, the publisher finally told her that the clay illustrations wouldn’t work with this book and they wanted her to think about allowing another illustrator to for this book. So, this is her first book in a switched role! She then brought out a showcase of the characters she designed from the clay for this book that never made it into the book. The students loved this peek at the characters!
After talking to our guest, our students were ready to try their pencils at writing their own metaphors! We brainstormed some sentence starters and off they went. You will be able to read their writing in their writing journals tomorrow at the Open House. It is hard to believe that our week is fast approaching an end. Open House is between 9:00am-9:30 am in our classroom, Murray, Third Floor. All are welcome! This is your student’s time to showcase all that they have been learning and creating. I look forward to seeing you at the Open House!
Ms. Tyson
Today’s Highlights
