wild, wild words!

Welcome to our classroom blog!

The second and third graders began a new unit of inquiry yesterday called, "Wild, wild words." As a way to publish their work, I decided to set up a class blog. This is a private blog, only open to the parents of our children. There is so much brilliance coming out of these children and this seems to be an easy way to keep everyone in the know.

The first session was all about gathering words and creating "word tickets." From the words on the word tickets, the children were asked to free write. The objective was to free their minds and see where the word brought them. I turned on funky music and dimmed the lights. The results were pretty amazing. Here are some examples from our first session:

Word: Wonder

I wonder if hedge hogs could fly in the North Pole or if penguins could glide south to Kentucky.
-Abigail

Elephants are wonderful like their big, long trunks. I wonder when I will go around the world and see the elephants?
-Mabel

Wonder is wonder.
I wonder what wonder is.
I wonder many things.
I love wonder.
People wonder.
Wonder!
-Bret

I wonder if a monster will come in the classroom and eat our posters and the beans.
-Justin

Wonder is my thoughts of imagination.
I wonder what will happen in the future.
I wonder why brown is the common color of eyes?
-Isabella

I wonder what's going on in New Zealand?
-Lorraine

Word: Sky

The sky is the most powerful thing in the world.
It makes the world a better place.
It covers our heads and lets the sun breathe.
It can hold so much mobility to the human world just by
sun, clouds and blue.
It holds the world in place.
-Georgia

Word: Safe

Safe is a word of protection.
It's a word that seems to wash over us when we are scared.
A word that military people use a lot in commercials.
Safe! Safe! Safe!
I never knew such a short word could be so powerful!
-Abby

Safe means I am safe in my home
playing with my legos
having fun,
talking to my mom and dad
eating breakfast, lunch and dinner
it is so nice to be safe
in your comfy home.
-Llwyn

Safe is something that you are.
For example, my mom makes me feel safe
and so do you!
-Addison

Word: Darkness

You can't see anything
but cats have great vision
in darkness
for them the sun is shining.
Darkness.
Camping outside
Small light from the stars
and the moon
but not much.
With so much to see,
nothing visible.
-Otis

Word: Wizard

Wizards are magical.
I wonder what they could turn me in to?
A frog?
A bunny?
A sloth?
A dolphin?
-Sydney

Word: Moment

I think moment is cool because it has
"mom" in it and "ant."
It reminds me of ants and ants remind of
of anteaters.
-Elliot

Word: Book

The book opens like
a magical world or land.
I look in the book and see if there is magic.
-Savannah

Books are hard to read at first, but when you get older, you have an imagination like the stars. Like us. We are amazing.
-Kine

Adventure
fun
ideas
truth
school
story
places
world
imagination.
-Phoebe

They are descriptive and they are fun.
I am reading right now
your mind.
It's complicated.
-Jack

Word: Secret

When someone tells you a secret it sounds like a soft, peaceful sound.
Everyone enjoys a secret.
A secret is a sparkling and brilliant way to tell someone a
sssssssssseeeeeeeeecccccccrrrrret.
-Indra

No one knows. Just you.
And who told you.
-Sam

Word: Dragon

Dragons are gigantic, colorful
Mactoplurodons
which fly with their humongo
flapful wings which
rise to the bright, stormy sky
over the wavy water.
Their eyes glisten as you watch them rise.
-Gabriella

Dragons are ferocious.
They breathe hot and steamy fire.
It makes townspeople flee with shock to a new town
or a new dimension.
Dragons are so powerful but the thing we don't know
is they are very shy but they are still scary.
I can never describe a dragon because they come in a different color.
They come in all different shapes and sizes.
You would never want to be next to a dragon!
-Gracie

Word: Rasberry

People like them small.
-Toren

Word: Crazy

Lazy
Cuckoo
Unwise
Weird
Head is spinning
Odd
-Ella

Word: Ocean

The bank of the ocean stretches over the land like a piece of rubber.
Crabs mind their own business while seagulls hunt the fish.
The fish eat other fish.
It's like a food cycle.
-Mari