As term 2 is about to close, it is time to share with you the winners of the 7th grade TREASURED OBJECT CHALLENGE!!!!!!!

So here's the assignment:

According to SignificantObjects.com, items that were more frequently sold on EBAY were ones that were accompanied with a story about said object. Some objects even had bidding wars for their invaluable stories. As a class, we decided to take the challenge in a simliar way. My students chose from my pile of 'treasured' objects, an object that stuck out to them or seemed like it might have an interesting story behind it. They were told to create a fictional story no less than 500 words about their object. Their objective? To win by a class vote to be posted on no other than my blog! These six stories are now competing for the number one spot!

Please vote for your favorite!!!

Story Number 1:


Life is a Game

“ Number 8 is dribbling down the court, he shoots he scores to end the game, right on the buzzer!”

Said Benny’s dad, waving his hands back and forth with excitement.  Benny his son

jumping up and down ran to his father and gave him a bear hug. Then released and

followed his dad to the men’s locker room to congratulate the team. His father stepped in

the room where the team was sitting.

 “Hello winner”! He said with a giant grin on his face.

 “Can I talk to you?” said one of the players to Benny’s dad. Benny’s dad stepped off to the side with the player to ask him to talk. The player reached into his pocket and pulled out a small orange, basketball that was obviously a toy.

 “Thank you for your cooperation and understanding of the league.” Said the Player. Benny’s dad was speechless. That was the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for him. Benny ran over to his dad to admire the basketball given by his favorite player.

“That’s amazing dad!” said Benny with his eyes wide and mouth as open as wide as a train tunnel. That day they went home and Benny’s dad mounted the basketball over the fireplace to show how much he loved it.

About ten years later Benny’s dad was given cancer, and Benny’s wouldn’t leave his side no matter what happened. Him and his father did everything together from playing basketball to going to vacation to just being silly, he couldn’t stand thinking about his father not being there for him. Benny was driving to the hospital to visit his dad once again  pulled into a slot and went to the check in stand.

 “Hi Benny are you here to see your dad” said the nice nurse lady easing to the papers.

 “What’s wrong?” said Benny his eyes filled with fear.

            “This way” Said the nurse who checked him in.

The nurse scurried down the hallway meeting a doctor who she stopped and talked to for about two minutes. The nurse motioned her hand to the doctor to show Benny where his dad was because she had to back to work. The doctor stopped at a totally different room than last time. The sign read 10 B. There Benny’s hard crawled to his throat and his heart sank.

 “Why are we here?”said Benny’s voice with terror and regret.

The doctor swallowed hard.  “Benny everything’s life ends.”

Benny felt his eyes start to sting.

 “What are you trying to say?” Said Benny with a tear trickling down his cheek. The doctor opened the door slowly and motioned him to enter. Benny ran to his dad.

            “DAD!” he yelled Tears went everywhere, then he knelt on one knee beside his father, Benny grabbed his father’s hand and held it tight.

“I will be here for you every step of the way.” Benny said softly into his father’s ear.

His father coughed then spoke so soft you could barely hear him.

“ You've done enough. I love you so much thank you for being there for me therefore I want you to have this.” He unclenched his hand and there was the ball that Benny’s favorite player gave to him. He put it into Benny’s hand and told him to keep it.

His father’s eyes shut and his grip loosened. He was dead. Benny looked down at the tiny orange ball that smelled like plastic, and threw it across the room in disappointment and anger. He stormed out of the room.

The next month Benny was packing for college at his tiny little apartment home he bought after his father died. He was a different person his eyes gleamed with excitement and understanding. His smile was very bright and he didn't look as sad as he did a month ago. There was a knock at the door. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! Went the door. Benny opened the door.

“hello”. He said with a wide grin hoping it was good news.

The person at the door seemed familiar. “Hello”. He said in a nervous voice. “May I come in”. Benny nodded. They sat on the couch. “Benny there is something you forgot about a month ago”.

“What?” Benny said eyes wide, full of sadness.

The strange man opened his fist revealing the little orange basketball his father game him when he died. Benny stuttered and his eyes began to sting he stood up and snatched the basketball out of his hands. “Thank you”. He said.

“But sir I- good day” Benny interrupted. The man ran out of Benny’s house. Benny went up to his room where he was packing just before and laid the tiny toy basketball that smelled like his father in the box. He stared at it and remembered all the good time they had before his passing. Benny closed the box and brought it down to his truck where he loaded all the boxes and took off.

“I’m ready for a new life, a new me and a new place.” Benny said sadly yet happily. He drove past all the memories- The beach where his father taught him to swim, and his favorite restaurant where he learned to bake cookies, and……… Benny’s mind went blank. He drove by the hospital where his father past and began to cry. He knew he had to stay strong an move on. But he just couldn't.

“Life is a game,” Benny said softly. “Just a game full of disappointments, happiness and understanding.” Benny pulled up to the last parking space and unloaded his car, and brought the boxes up to his dorm.

“Well this isn't so bad, just my new life”. He pulled out the little basketball out of the worn down box which reminded him a lot about his life, he lay on the bed trying to fight the tears that had been rushing to his eyes, but he just couldn't win. He turned over so no one could see him and cried that day missing his father and wishing he could be with him.

Story Number 2: 

Dragonfly Bookmark

                      I have a treasure that was passed down to me by my grandmother who passed away. It is a blue dragonfly bookmark. I want to sell it to you for $5.00. The bookmark was made in 1921 and it was fixed up in perfect condition. The day I got it was April 28, 1992. My grandmother was dying in bed and she knew I loved books so she gave it to me as a gift to remember her. I want to sell it to you because I want to get rid of it. It reminds me to much of my grandmother, and I want to stop worrying too much about when I will stop crying.

                                                             The dragon fly bookmark looks like a small rectangle that is made with real silver. It has swirls going up to the dragon fly to show where it flew and there is blue beads going all around the swirls and blue beads inside of the dragonfly. The dragonfly is the size of four pennies put flat on a table and shaped like a cross. It shows the dragonfly’s nose and its two eyes that are made with beads. The eyes and nose are also tinnier than the other beads. But there is no mouth to see it smile.

                                     How I got it was when I was working and I got a phone call from my mom and it sounded like she was crying her eyes out. I told her to calm down and speak. Mom said

 ‘You need to come home your grandmother is getting worse and the doctor said she doesn’t have much time, she said she wants to see you.’

  I said ‘I’m on my way.’

 She hung up and I started to rush over to go and see her. My grandmother was sick with a really bad flu. By the time I got there I started to hear the beeping of the machine. It beeped every five seconds but to me it seemed like five minutes apart. I didn’t want to go into the room but if I didn’t I knew I wouldn’t get a second chance to see her again. I started to open the door but the doctor told me to,

‘Stay out for the rest of her last breaths.’

But I heard her in a raspy voice say to

‘Let her in.’

 As I looked around the corner of the door I saw that she was as pale as snow in you can see her bones through her meatless skin. Then the doctor whispered to me,

 ‘Be careful with her and don’t get her mad.’

                                                     I thought to myself that why would I make her mad. But then I remembered. She has a very hard time to control her temper and feelings. One moment she is happy with joy, and then she insults you with the weirdest things. Then out of know where starts to cry.  When I walked towards her bed I saw that she was reading a book. The bookmark was on her lap and it was shining, with the light reflecting on it. I sat down on the chair beside her bed and noticed that she was watching me. Grandma took my hand and said to me,

‘I can’t wait to die so I can stop with all this suffering.’

Then I said ‘If that is going to make you happy then it will make me happy.’

 She smiled and put the bookmark in my hand. It felt a little cold in my hands.

“It’s not much but it’s all I got to give you.” She said.

“Why are you giving this to me?” I said

 “Won’t you appreciate something I give you? I told you it’s all I got.”

The bookmark smelled like her favorite hand lotion. Just like almonds. When I was little she used to buy the lotion for me. But I never put it on. Whenever she used to come over I would put some on then hide the bottle so she couldn’t see it was still full.

        What got me to stop day dreaming was I heard the bookmark make I little ding because my keys tapped on them. When I looked down at it, it seemed like it glowed more than it did before. I looked back at my grandmother and saw that she was asleep. She had a tight grip on my hand. I ended up falling asleep next to her sitting on a chair. I woke up to the machine making that loud beeeeeeeeeeep. I sat up and saw that my grandmother wasn’t breathing. I called out to the doctor to come help. But he told me there’s nothing he could do. I had to leave; if I stayed there I would lose it so I left.

          I ran to my car and tried not to stop because my mom was calling me. I drove home and plopped down onto my bed. I screamed into my pillow and shut off my phone so nobody can call me. I didn’t want to talk; I wanted to mope around all day. But I got hungry so I made some dinner for myself. While I was eating I tasted the lotion in my mouth. It was a terrible taste but I remembered it probably came from the bookmark.

            That made me cry more and more. That is why I am selling it to you now because I don’t want to be reminded about it. So I hope you will buy it.


Story Number 3: 

The Lost

Hi I’m Lucia this is my story about my favorite pin. It all started at the hospital with my mother (Julie) and my grandmother (Izzy). Izzy was in the hospital from cancer in her lungs she hadn’t gone to the hospital to save her own life and never meet my grandchildren she had given my mother a pin from the days she was a figure skater. My mom had taken the 5^th day my grandma was alive. My mom never stopped visiting her but on the last day she was held up by traffic. She tried and tried to go see my grandmother but when she got to the room someone new was there with the same problem.

            My mom always said it was her fault not getting to the hospital in time she regrets leaving there to get her purse at the house if she hadn’t went back to get something that wasn’t worth it she would still be able to remember her. My mom never got out of bed she always yelled at us for no reason and made us get our own dinner then one day I came home from school I was looking for my mom. I went in the bathroom and I saw my mom in the bathtub with pills in her hand I ran down to the kitchen and called 911 then ran back up the stairs she was wearing the pin my grandma had given her when she committed. There was a knock at the door it was the paramedics they ran up the stair took her out of the bathtub and got outside in the ambulance in less than 5 minutes. I was only 10 at the time so I had called my aunt Lisa she got to my house in 10 minutes we had went to the hospital and my mom was in surgery by the time I got there. We waited in her room for her to come out when she did she had scars on her stomach and had a tube in her throat from not breathing they said if she doesn’t wake up in 30 days they would have to take her off life support.

                                                            Twenty seven days later

“Mom, are you ever going to wake up it has been twenty seven days you have three more days please wake up please!” Lucia exclaimed I have spent twenty five days here the first two days I couldn’t think about seeing her after what she did. But I had thought about my grandmother and how she died and my mom didn’t get to say good-bye. But I wasn’t going to let that happen to me and my mom. “Mom wake up I don’t want you to go,” Lucia said. Knock knock

“Hello is everything okay has anything changed?” Auntie Lisa said as she came in.

“Well she hasn’t woken up yet do you think everything is okay?”Lucia said annoyed my aunt Lisa doesn’t mean to be so questionable but it is just her sister and she wants our family to stick together.    

 “Well the doctor is outside and wants to speak with you, so I will watch your mom while you go talk to him okay sweetie.”Auntie Lisa said worriedly.

            “Hi Dr. Dean is everything okay?”Lucia said worried

            “Well as you know your mother is still not waken up, and we had taken her to an MRI to check her stomach and see if all drugs are out. But we had found a tumor and with her not waking we can’t take her to surgery so your mother is going to sadly die, and I am not sure if you want to risk her having surgery? But it is you and your aunt’s choice not mines. So why don’t you go talk about this with your aunt and come see me after you decide.”Dr. Dean started very seriously

“Aunt Lisa we have to talk.”Lucia said very sad

“Alright sweetie what’s up?”Auntie Lisa said playfully

“Should we let Dr. Dean do surgery on my mother, because she has a tumor and she isn’t waking so I don’t know what we should do?” Tears run down my face while trying to explain what is going on

“Surgery…” Aunt Lisa said very quick but yet scared

“Dr. Dean we have decided to let you begin surgery on my mother, but please bring her back to me please.”Lucia said trying to hold back the tears

“We will try our best to get her back to you, but we don’t know how well she is going to be.”Dr. Dean said like every doctor would say to calm a patient down

Dr. Dean and his nurses took my mother out of the room it was the most scared I have ever been. My aunt Lisa was so stressed out she started smoking again.

                                                Two hours later

“Lucia?”My mom finally said

“Yes mom?”Lucia said happy but scared

“Well since I have only one and a half days to live I want you to have your grandma’s pin to cherish your whole life.” My mom said shaking trying to take the pin off of her drape the nurses put on her

“Okay mom I will, thank you I will miss you.”Lucia said with the softest of voices while hundreds of tears run down her face

                                                     One day later

Beep beep beeeepppppp silence

“The scariest thing I have heard is silence. I hate silence, I…. I don’t know what I will do without you” Lucia said alone in her mother’s ear

                                                            Ten years later

“And there goes Lucia the first place Olympics figure skater.” The booming announcer said.

My whole life I have lost my grandma and mom, but now I know that it all happens for a reason. I am happily married to a wonderful man and have two adorable kids both girls. I win every contest I am in and I always win with this pin. But I am retiring from skating and I am going into acting. I don’t want this pin it holds many beautiful memories but more ugly then wonderful that is why I am selling it.

Story Number 4: 

My Treasured Shell

I live in New York City. Always busy, crowded, too much noise, and the lights are too bright. Not my ideal place to live. I like it quiet, peaceful and alone, just like where I grew up in Maine. It was right on Old Orchard Beach where it’s breezy, with the sweet smell of salt water in the air. That’s where I want to be.

                When I lived in Maine, I always went searching for sand dollars. I could never find any no matter how many miles down shore I would walk so I started looking for shells. I had the biggest collection but lost almost all of my shells in a very bad storm. My house was practically ripped to shreds but luckily we had gone down here to New York with family so we wouldn’t get hurt. A few weeks after the storm we went back to see what the damage was. We were devastated. We searched for things we could keep that weren’t that badly damaged where our rooms used to be. There was sand covering every inch of the house’s foundation. I looked where my closet was first because that’s where I hid everything I loved or wanted to keep from everybody else: my books, candy that I would never be allowed to have, my diary, and of course my shell collection. There was only one thing I could find: a shell with a few ridges out of the side like tiny little bite marks. Some of the color had faded but it was still beautiful.

                We couldn’t save a lot from the storm. We saved only my shell, my mother’s necklace, a few first aid kits, my father’s laptop, my brother’s baseball cards, a safe filled with money and court letters, and a family picture taken three years ago. Now that everything was gone and we had nowhere to live, we had to move to New York for help from our loving cousins and grandparents. That was a hard decision for my parents because they love it here on the beach too but we really needed help.

                After a few months of living with my grandparents we found our own apartment and eventually my parents got jobs. It was a lot harder to find work here in the city than it was on the beach. People in the city are not as nice as people on the beach.  They are always nagging here. Everything in the city is so rushed. I just like it slow and patient. Almost every day I ask to move back but we don’t have anything to move back to so the only thing I can do is dream. In my dreams the sun’s on my face, the sand’s between my toes, the smell of the ocean is in the air. The simplest dream can be the best dream ever.

                Two years later on my birthday my parents decided to surprise me and my brother. I had no idea what it was until they showed us a van. It was white and smelled like gasoline. We stepped inside and all of our belongings were there. My parents had the biggest smiles on their faces. My brother asked what was going on and they said, “WE’RE MOVING!!” I didn’t know how to feel. Excited for all the new adventures ahead but upset to leave all my friends and family. Mom and dad refused to tell us where we were moving though. All I was thinking was please be near the ocean please be near the ocean. It took four hours to get to our destination. When we walked out of the van there was the most beautiful house surrounded by sand. I recognized everything around it. We moved right where we lived before. Brand new house but same old life. This was the best thing that ever happened. 

                Even though I have hundreds of new shells I treasure the one I saved from the storm. It may not be the prettiest or the most colorful but it helped me think of where I wanted to be and where I belong. I brought it with me everywhere. I would like to sell my shell though. It brings back memories, but some of these memories I would like to forget. Of course my shell brought me hope through the tough times of losing my house but I got it back. I hope this shell will bring hope for other people who need it.

Story Number 5: 

Diamond Ring

 “Mom” trust me your going to be fine. My mom hated the water but loved the beach I didn’t get it? Your gonna get that ring dirty or your gonna lose it!

”No I won’t “mom shouted back!

She had been especially scared of the water because there had been shark sightings for the past week. “I’ll go in an hour “mom said.”Fine”.

 So while I waited I played In the sand.”Mom wake up””what” she said it in a worried voice.

 It’s past an hour. “Okay then let’s go”

   We walked down to the shore. The water was cold but I didn’t care so I dived in. it took mom an hour to get in. so finally she came in. we heard someone screaming but we couldn’t understand them. They screamed even louder “SHARK” The moment I clearly heard them I froze. I looked to my left I didn’t see my mom, I panicked and almost drowned. I felt something go past under me. It felt like sand paper. I looked ahead I saw the life guards coming out. There was so much blood. Then all of a sudden my mom’s hand came flying out of the water I reached for it….. I grabbed her finger but she went under again I opened my hand and I saw the ring. All the images came back of me telling her to take it off. That’s the last thing I remember.

I woke up in the hospital. I was scared. All my memory of what happened was gone. I asked the doctor what had happened. He said my mom had died in a shark attack. I was astonished. I felt something in my hand it was the ring. It was covered in blood. I started to remember what happened. I couldn’t believe it. Was I dreaming? Or was this all real. I came back to my senses and told myself I would decide that after I got all the facts. I started  to think all I had was my mom my dad left when he found our mom was pregnant and I had no siblings. I was all alone. What would I do? Do I go to foster care? Just then the doctor walked in he told me that he would call foster care and tell them my story but for now I have to stay here. I started crying I asked if this was all real. He said yes. I started balling I just couldn’t help it. This was all real my mom was dead and I was all alone. I looked at my hand and the ring inside of it; this is all I have of my mom. There was no one else. What do I do? Well there was nothing I could do. I just wished that I never would have pushed my mom to go in the water. I want to give this ring away because it reminds me of the shark attack. I can’t stand to look at it anymore. It reminds me of that day. I was 12 when it happened I just turned 28 and I still think about that day like it was just yesterday.

Six Word Memoir Video!

 

 

Congratulations Term 2 students! Our six word memoirs came out great! From funny, to serious, to extremely real and honest, these students worked very hard on their memoirs. ENJOY!!!!

End of Term!

Hello Everybody! As we journey forth on our second week of second term, I'd like to share with you how our first term ended. While my eigth graders finished their sunglasses, my sixth and seventh graders were busy working on their own projects.

Seventh grade read the poem "Identity" by Julio Noboa Polanco. This poem was an extended metaphor using nature to symbolize someone wanting to be who they are. Polanco used the statement, "I'd rather be a weed than a flower" to show that freedom was more important than being beautiful and caged. Our students were posed with their own question of values and to pick something that could also be used to show this value in an extended metaphor form. One student chose to write "I'd Rather Be a Rock Than a Diamond". These poems came out so well! Pictures are below:

 Students also did a great job illustrating the extended metaphor poems with either watercolor pencils or regular colored pencils!

 

 

 6th Graders were busy also working with watercolors. Our 6th graders picked their favorite character from the three picture books that we read together and they wrote a 6 word memoir for that character. It was a great way for students to take the perspective of the character that they liked the most and then put a visual to it. It also brightened up our writing lab! See for yourself!

These final projects were extremely successful and I can't wait to get our new term students ready! They have already started working on their six word memoirs and we can't wait to share them! Welcome term 2 students!!!!

Sunglasses!

Good Afternoon Everyone!

We have stepped into some poetry that represents our identities! Along with many songs by artists like India Arie, Akon and Gym Class Heroes, we've analyzed and interpreted numerous writings to learn about the different messages and morals there are about being yourself!

One of our favorite poems was "Sunglasses" written by Angela Shelf Medearis.

Sunglasses

I wear these dark glasses

Because they're really cool

(and because I don't want you to see

the fear

In my eyes)

I walk like I do

Because

I'm trying to keep

From Running.
I try to stay alive with a rap
Style that drives 'em wild
With what I say each and every day

Because

No one seems to

Understand me

When I'm talking anyway

Students took paper cut outs of sunglasses and had the option of designing them two different ways:

1. Design the glasses by collaging your fears

2. One side could be how other people see you on the outside while the other side of the glasses could be how you see yourself.

 

We then decided to accompany these glasses with a haiku having to do with our own identities. Here are some examples of awesome student haikus:

Divorced parents

Stay away from open doors

My drunken father

Always in the dark

wish someone can hear me out

Always left alone

To be brave and strong
You must find a weakness to
Win and overcome

Hate being called names
All the things that people say
I just want to hide



"Pretty" she said, yeah....
Was she lying, I don't know
Can I believe her

Change I am afriad
I don't want to be afraid
I have to be brave

Shining over me
It's brighter everyday
Staying positive

My fear, my hatred
It tastes like bitter poison
Clinging to my skin

Hope you enjoyed! Until next time! - - - - M.

WELCOME!!!

Good Morning and welcome to ELA2's Blog!! This is my very first post and I'd like to share what my students have worked so hard on so far. Together, we've been tackling the 6 word memoirs. Students are asked to create a 6 word statement, phrase or memoir based on what they like, what they've been through or maybe what they believe in. In the picture above, you can see our collage in the classroom that we've put together.

Examples:

6th GRADE:

Listen to what your mind says
Not quite the life I planned
The memories you will never forget
Act yourself and not like others
Be yourself. Not people around you.
Stand up and DONT back down
The girl with quite the name
Be yourself an you are golden
I always have an exciting life
What to expect when expecting it
I have some bad mischevious ways
Life will give you certain challenges
Insanity is me in a nutshell
Sarcasm is the way I roll
Life your life and be awesome
Be adventurous and take the risk
Never ever back down from obstacles
Help wanted, no deffense, can't play
The way you get into trouble
You will always have that opportunity
If you believe you will succeed
Old stuff always becomes new memories
Be proud of who you are

7th GRADE:

Treasure the little things in life
Brings me back to treasure island
Acknowledge the little things in life
Ideas can create something worth making
A ring that's special to me
Love blood on the dance floor
A snowglobe that I love
Always respect the people you love
Treasure it before it is gone
Remember the little things in life
Stand up for what is right
Real friends are always with you
Live for what you believe in
Don't ever stop believing in yourself
Injuries can change your life forever
This is my epic basketball adventure
Life is fragile; Handle with care
Live long and die very strong
In the attic old and dusty
Found in Italy: Please be mine
Old items but still in heart
Happieness is only one football away
Intelligence. Creativity. Imagination. All you need.
You know what, Boom troll time!
I'm the hunter, they are prey
Soccer is life, life is fun
Lazy but talented at soccer games
I never want to lose you
99 problems but drama ain't one
Soccer is life, life is long
My first cat was the best
Basketball is fun, NBA is dreaming
Trust takes forever to gain back
Can't figure out, need to breath
Live life, go home, have fun
I can see them everywhere, anytime
Happiness can go a long way
The Holy Bible will stand forever
Blue is the color for inspiration
The best is saved for last

8th GRADE:

IF only you told the truth
It all changed in an instant
Don't love only with your eyes
Life is short Live the fullest
Hard work will always beat talent
I believe I can fly high
It's like eating cinnabons on Christmas
A thousand words brings thousand's miles
Live and love before it's gone
Success is what smart people crave
Life changed when I became brave
Too much good can be bad.
Is hope all you can get?
A moment can change the game
The story of a brave girl
Moments go quicker than they appear
Sadness is your anger without motivation
I ate poison ivy and died
Every person has their own purpose
Slow and steady wins the race
Don't follow your dreams, chase them!
It's better not to tell secrets
Memories are stronger than words said
The darkness inside holds my light
She's gone and never coming back
Life is all made of choices!
What comes up, must come down
Pictures are worth a thousand words
Energy and persistence conquer all things
The story behind my silly life
I thought best friends were forever
Happiness is a thousand miles away
It's just me and my thoughts
Rain falls and shines the world
Lax it out, all the time
The thing that should not be
Why did I just do that?
Bad injuries end in fast seasons
Any shot could be your last
Lost then found then lost again