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Tis' the season for gift giving. And this issue of TALKING STORY is intended to be just that - a gift to you, our readers, teachers, and favorite librarians. In it, you'll find book recommendations, a fun writing exercise, and book giveaways. We hope you enjoy!
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NCCAT as a GIFT
by Joyce Hostetter & Henry Wong
Meet Henry Wong, a Center Fellow at NCCAT. Does his white beard remind you of any jolly old fellow you know? Yes, Henry does Santa. And click on the video view button in the article below to experience another of his charming talents.
Here's what Henry has to say about NCCAT and gifts:
The center's seminars are based on the NC Standard Course of Study with multiple classroom applications in the humanities and sciences. These weeklong seminars provide time to learn something new, network with colleagues, and renew the spirit, so that teachers can return to the classroom recharged and continue in their profession.
At the end of a seminar week, teachers often comment that NCCAT was a great gift of time and personal development. We hope the outcomes for teachers attending NCCAT are retention, renewal, and reward for their state service. - Henry
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CELEBRATING TEACHERS
by Carol Baldwin
Joyce and I always enjoy our week teaching at NCCAT. Check out the video link below for a quick look at some invigorated North Carolina teachers.
If you're a teacher from another state, let us know what your state does to rejuvenate you. We'll include your responses in an upcoming issue.
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TAKE 1 PHOTO - WIN 46 BOOKS!
(A Contest for Librarians Only!)
by Joyce
Please note this contest by 46 brand new authors who want to give you books!
The YA and MG authors of Debut 2009 are giving away a 46 book set of their debut novels to ONE lucky library, anywhere in the world! Until December 31st, 2009 they'll be taking entries from librarians only- public and school libraries are eligible.
It's incredibly easy to enter. Take a picture of yourself, your patrons, or your library cat * with ONE Debut 2009 novel**. Send that picture to debslibrary09@gmail.com, from your institutional e-mail address. Please include your name, the name of your library, your library's mailing address, and your photo.
That's all there is to it! The Debut 2009 authors will be posting your photos throughout the rest of the year on their website, www.feastofawesome.com. On January 1st, 2010, they'll pick a winner from all entrants.
The authors of Debut 2009 thank you for being the keepers of the books, and wish you good luck!
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And speaking of contests, in November at AASL, I (Joyce) offered the chance to win a classroom set of autographed book marks to librarians who signed up for this newsletter. I came home, cut the names apart, picked one from the cereal bowl, and VOILA!
We have a winner - Laura Daniel of Charlotte Latin School. Congratulations, Laura!
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A BOOK WISH LIST FOR TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS
by Carol
Check out these titles of books you'll want on your bookshelf!
Laurie Foote, a North Carolina high school teacher, loves The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. She says, “This is a wonderful story, and you can teach life lessons as well as all kinds of literary terms. It is chock full of alliteration, onomatopoeia, similes, metaphors, personification, and more. I have come up with many worksheets and activities to go along with it. I just can't say enough about the wonderful teaching moments that present themselves as a result of reading it with a group of kids!”
By the way, Laurie reads the book with her high school students but thinks it would be good for students from 10-years-old and up.
"The Chortling Bard has been such a blessing to my ninth and tenth grade English class,” says Elisabeth Wise, another North Carolina high school English teacher. “Earlier this year, we were slogging through the rules of subject-verb agreement when Carol Baldwin recommended Ms. Keister's book. This fun approach to grammar has completely turned the grammar portion of my class around. The students enjoy learning more of the story each day. One ninth grade boy said it made him want to read the play on his own because he wants to know what happens!
"Moreover, the students feel like experts as they correct ‘someone else's’ grammar mistakes. Now we spend the first five minutes of class on grammar and move on before the students have had a chance to weary of it. I would recommend The Chortling Bard to every high school English teacher."
I am currently reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2009). This story, which intertwines the stories of three women in 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi, not only informs my own work in progress, but is entertaining and well written. If you receive a gift card from your favorite book store, consider treating yourself to this enlightening view of the South.
My School in the Rain Forest by Margriet Ruurs (Boyds Mill Press, 2009) is a wonderful addition to Ruurs' other book My Librarian Is a Camel. Through beautiful photographs and interesting text, Ruurs shows how children attend classes in such varied places as an outdoor school under a tree in Kenya, onboard the MV Anastasis hospital ship, and in a floating school on a lake in Cambodia. Children from kindergarten through middle school will learn from this eye-captivating book.
Giggles in the Middle: Caught 'ya! Grammar with a Giggle for Middle School by Jane Kiester (Maupin House, 2006). Click on the video below for a teacher's recommendation of this book. I wish I had thought of this clever way to make learning grammar and vocabulary fun!
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HOW THE HOLIDAYS CHANGED ANN FAY'S LIFE!
by Joyce
Since Ann Fay, my protagonist in BLUE spends much of the book and nearly a year in the hospital, I didn't actually know how she'd celebrate holidays at home.
But then I wrote the sequel. In COMFORT, I needed to know. It was November in my story and I wondered, What would the family do for Thanksgiving?
Well, of course - over the river and through the woods to Mamaw and Papaw's house they'd go....
It just so happened that Mamaw and Papaw lived in Georgia - not far from the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation established by President Franklin Roosevelt. In BLUE Ann Fay had dreamed of going there for therapy and hoped to meet FDR himself. But then, he died and so did her dream.
But Thanksgiving changed all that. Papaw offered to drive the family to Warm Springs for a look-see and next thing Ann Fay knew the institute was feeling a whole lot like home!
Turns out that Warm Springs equipped patients to do much more than walk or face life with a physical disability. It also provided much needed emotional strength - just what Ann Fay and her father needed to cope with life's post war challenges!
I, the author, had no idea this was going to happen! Not until the holidays rolled around and I needed to know how my character would celebrate. I love the gift of serendipity that happens in every writing adventure!
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HAPPY HOLIDAY WRITING
by Carol
Happy Holiday Writing!
As I mention in Teaching the Story, creating a vivid setting is an important part of any story. Sometimes describing a real setting bridges the gap for students who are writing fiction. Here’s a fun writing activity (for 2nd grades and up) that will add focus to those restless days before winter break.
Ask each student to bring in five different types of items to class; make sure that nonconsumable items are labeled with their name. (You can also assign one sensory item per student). Each item should remind them of a memory related to the holiday season. For example:
- Sight: A special ornament , Kinara candle or piece of African art for Christmas or Kwanzaa memories.
- Taste: Potato pancakes (enough for everyone to taste!) for Hanukah or small candy canes for Christmas.
- Smell: A spice jar of cinnamon or a handful of pine needles.
- Touch: A pine cone, velvet ribbon, or dreidel.
- Hearing: CD’s (with a CD player and earphones) of Christmas carols, drumming and musical selections for Kwanzaa, or Hanukah songs.
Ahead of time prepare a worksheet with each sense listed leaving space for students to jot down memories. Print these directions at the top:
DIRECTIONS:
For students: Spend 5 minutes at each table. Quickly look at the objects and select 1 or 2 that produce a strong memory. In the spaces below, jot down quick thoughts that the object or sound brings to mind. (Example: cinnamon. Grandma’s house. baking cookies) Be specific while recording your memory.
For Teachers:
- Set up five tables in your classroom and label each with a sense. Have napkins, cups, and paper plates available for the taste table.
- Ask students to place their items on the appropriate table.
- Hand out the sensory worksheet and review the directions, allowing 15-20 minutes for everyone to circulate around the tables.
- When finished, students return to their seats and pick one or two vivid memories which elicit strong images. (If they want, they can include a relative.) Focusing on one memory, students then brainstorm other memories related to that event. For example, if a student focuses on baking cookies with Grandma, she could write down what she experienced in the kitchen using as much detail as possible. (her Grandma wiping sweat from her wrinkled face) what she heard (her aunt yelling at her little cousin to stay away from the tree), what she felt (heat of oven, cold tile floor on her bare feet), etc.
- Students then write one or two descriptive paragraphs based on their memories and observations. The goal of this assignment is to include as much sensory information as possible.
- Students can decorate their finished piece, mount it on construction paper, and fasten a ribbon to it. Voila’! A holiday gift for the relative they named in the piece.
We hope your students, and their families, enjoy this memorable writing activity.
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1 MORE GIVEAWAY - WELL 2, ACTUALLY!
by Carol & Joyce
We're each giving away a book - Carol's TEACHING THE STORY and Joyce's COMFORT. Here's how you enter. Send an email to jctalkingstory@gmail.com. In the email share a favorite tip for getting out of the winter doldrums. It can be library, classroom, or home related.
We'll put the accumulated tips in our proverbial hats and each of us will pick one. Carol will send a copy of her book to the person whose tip she pulls and Joyce will do the same. With one tip you get two chances to win a free book.
AND we'll publish the winners' tips in the next issue of TALKING STORY.
Happy Holidays and we'll see you on our blogs!
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IN THE NEXT ISSUE
- Avoiding Winter Doldrums (including tips from some of you)
- Carol & Joyce's Writers in Residence programs (we'd love to come to your school)
- An encouraging story of how your teaching is getting through
- A mentoring program for young writers and artists
- And more!
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