How to Bicycle to the Moon in 9 Steps...and Take a Selfie

Last week, due to testing in the library, Mrs. Cabral's class took a break from our Easel.ly infographics on the computers and I read the instructional picture book, How to Bicycle to the Moon to Plant Sunflowers by Mordicai Gerstein. Written from a young boy's perspective, he outlines 24 steps to bicycle to the moon and plant sunflowers including the physics of getting there, acquiring a spacesuit, and convincing your parents. After reading the book, students created their own version using a 9-panel comic style organizer. The activity helped students practice sequencing, instructional writing, and using their imaginations to make the impossible possible.

Austin used traditional carpentry to build a ramp and supplemented with jet packs:

 Sam took the thrifty approach and fashioned a ladder out of monkey bars using a blow torch:

Elijah catapulted bike and all and ended the trip with makeshift wings:

Zoe made sure she had a food sack, jet packs, and the proper suit:

Samantha suggested sleeping on the moon to make sure the sunflowers took:

Kennedy launched from a giant slingshot:

Elizabeth used 5 Dumbo elephants to get to the moon:

Lily's final step was to return home and have horrible nightmares about the whole ordeal:

And in true 2014 fashion, Sam took a selfie on the moon so he could post on Facebook.

Reader's Theater in 2nd Grade: Calabash Kids

I love reader's theater. Students read an adapted folktale aloud together to hear a great story, practice speaking,  develop fluency, work collaboratively, and just plum have fun with expressive reading. Scholastic does an awesome job of explaining why reader's theater is valuable. And of course, it falls right in line with the Common Core Standards listed below.

In second grade, we performed a reader's theater of The Calabash Kids: A Tale of Tanzania by Aaron Shepard as a culmination of our unit on folktales. We had read and discussed folktales from several different continents including, The Empty Pot by Demi, The Hatseller and the Monkeys by Baba Wague Diakite, and Wiley and the Hairy Man (one of my favorites!) by Molly Bang. Each student got a booklet of The Calabash Kids story with their part highlighted. There were also several whole group parts which kept everyone engaged even after their individual lines were over. We talked about using expressive voices while reading and staying "on-script." My favorite thing about this lesson was that it leveled the playing field for all. Everyone was able to participate equally regardless of reading level. Students waited in anticipation for their part, followed along religiously, and spoke with confidence and flair when it came to their turn. We didn't record this version but are currently working on a new poetry reader's theater that we will turn into a multimedia presentation. Stay tuned!

Common Core Standards:
RL 2.2: Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
RL2.6: Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud. 
SL 2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.