4th Grade's Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall Tales

How very creative you guys were!! I saw lots of fun decorations added to your characters - the shoes may have been my favorite part (cleats, penny loafers, and even leprechaun shoes were represented)! Your stories were very cute and entertaining, and your Tall Tale heroes (long paper that was decorated to look like the hero) were just as intriguing. It looks like you all had a good time!

High five to you all.

I was especially impressed with the dialect, figurative language and the hyperboles (exaggeration) that were used in your stories.

And on a side note, who knew so many around-the-house items could be used for hair?? ha ha

8:30 class

10:00 class

3rd & 4th Journal Topic due March 24

We are doing an old favorite this week: A Squiggle!!!

Here's How It Works
1. First, each student received a squiggle (doodle) in his/her journal which looked something like this:






2. Next, the student is to turn that squiggle into something (see example below):
I added on to the original squiggle to make a worm. (Isn't she cute, Grayson? ha ha)


3. The last step is to journal about what you drew. There are many directions you can go in once you get to this step. Some possibilities for my worm drawing are:
-write about a time I saw a worm
-write about a time I used a worm for fishing
-write about how I feel about worms
-do research and write facts about worms
-write about what the worm reminds me of
-write a poem about the worm
-write about what the worm reminds me of
-make up a story about a worm
-describe or explain its purpose/uses
-describe what the worm looks like
and so on...

Squiggle Rules
1. Do not spend more than five minutes on drawing your squiggle. This is a writing class; not an art class. :)
2. Add your design to the squiggle in a different color than I drew it in so I can easily tell what I drew and what YOU drew.
3. Be sure that you write the required amount: 3rd = 1/2 a page, 4th grade = 3/4 a page (if you skip lines, remember to write TWICE as much to make up for the lines you skipped over).

3rd & 4th Journal Entry Topic due March 10th

It's your turn! You are free to choose whatever topic your heart desires for your journal entry this week.

4th Grade: Example of Tall Tale Final Copy due March 10th

Okay - no laughing..... I never said I was the best artist, but you get the idea: Write your Tall Tale on the long strip of calculator paper, and then add a head, arms and feet, and add details to fit your hero's character/personality/special skill.

Words of caution
*Even though you are writing your final copy on a long piece of paper, you still need to follow all the rules you would follow if you were writing on lined notebook paper. For example, be sure you still INDENT each new paragraph.
*You may draw lines on the calculator paper to help you write in straight rows.
*You may write on the front and back of the calculator paper.
*Be careful of how big/small you write. You don't want to write as tiny as a mouse - your Tall Tale won't be very "tall". You don't want to write like a huge hippo either - you'll run out of room.
*If you run out of room and need to go to the next line in the middle of a word, be sure you split the word up at a syllable break.
*You may choose to write with pencil and then go back over it in pen or marker.
*Use materials you have around the house to decorate your hero. For example, I used:
raffia for the hair
blue brads for the eyes
orange ribbon in hair
lipstick for the lips
pink blush for her cheeks
white construction paper for head and arms
blue felt for the sleeves
brown paper and pink felt (decorated with red marker) for lollipop
orange felt for shoes
And this is just the tip of the ice burg. There are so many more craft supplies out there that are available for you to use (sequins, pipe cleaners, buttons, glitter, google eyes, fake eyelashes, fabric, yarn, wallpaper, sandpaper, foil, etc). I challenge you to use your creativity, and don't forget to HAVE FUN!

Head view

Full view:

3rd & 4th Picture Prompt for journal entry due March 3rd

3rd and 4th Graders:

Below is the picture you are to write about for your journal entry that is due Tuesday, March 3rd. You have several options when you journal about a picture: describe what you see, tell how it makes you feel or what it reminds you of, tell a story about the picture, write a poem or song about the scene, etc.

**Be sure to not only look over the picture carefully, but be sure to also read the quotation that goes along with it so you'll get a better idea of what the picture is about.

Under the Rug

Two weeks passed, and it happened again.

Have fun!! I can't wait to read what you came up with!!!

4th Grade Tall Tale Video

John Henry is one of America's tall tale heroes. Some say John drove steel in West Virginia in the 1800s. Some say he worked in the Deep South. Most agree that he was a real man. John Henry's tale may have come from the lives of real-life workers . These African-American men were born as slaves before the Civil War. They grew up to be free men working for the railroad. Like John Henry, these men helped build America's railways. They succeeded through their own strength - not through the power of machines. Over time, their work was done, and over time, John Henry became a tall tale legend.

We call stories like John's tall tales because everything in them is extra big, extra fast, and extra wild. And, the truth in these stories might be just a bit stretched. The heroes and heroines in tall tales are as tall as buildings, as strong as oxen, or as fast as lightning. They meet with wild adventures at every turn. But that's okay because they can solve just about every problem that comes their way.

Tall tales may be funny and outsized, but they describe the life that many workers and pioneers shared. The people in these stories often have jobs that real people had. And the stories were always set in familiar places.

The Tall Tale of

John Henry: The Steel Driving Man

Now you are ready to complete the John Henry worksheet that was passed out today in class.