Fortunately, Unfortunately with Grade 2 - Class Stories

Thanks to https://ideafm.org/ for the idea and the image.

In second grade, we read Fortunately by Remy Charlip, a story that follows Ned through a series of problems and resolutions, and talked about plot structure.

Then we wrote our own version as a class ... the kids much preferred coming up with the "unfortunately" parts!

Finally, the students paired up to write and illustrate even more versions. I'll post pictures of them working together - and their stories - once they finish up. For now, enjoy the stories they wrote as a group:

How I Got to My Party - Rm 5

Today is my birthday. 

Unfortunately, I can't get to my party.

Fortunately, a bus came along to drive me there.

Unfortunately, the bus blew up.

Fortunately, there was another bus.

Unfortunately, that bus had to fix its tires.

Fortunately, I jumped on a car.

Unfortunately, the car broke.

credit: pinterest

Fortunately, there was a big cat and I rode on it. 

Unfortunately, he died.

Fortunately, my mom drove by me and picked me up.

Unfortunately, I fell into a fire and I died.

Fortunately, it started to rain.

Unfortunately, there were no firefighters.

Fortunately, I came back to life.

Unfortunately, there are 1,000 snakes in my way.

Fortunately, they didn't bite me.

Unfortunately, the dead cat's ghost tackled me, and the snakes bit me, and I died again.

Fortunately, I came back to life AGAIN.

Unfortunately, I danced on a car and fell off.

Fortunately, I made it to my party.

The Crazy Drama - Rm 5

credit: Youtube

I had to get to Florida. 

Unfortunately, a magic wizard turned me into a water bottle.

Fortunately, I wished upon a dragon and I turned back into a human. 

Unfortunately, the dragon died, so I turned into a garbage dump.

Fortunately, a car was driving to Florida and was pushing me with it.

Unfortunately, a wizard came and turned me into a skunk.

Fortunately, I secretly got into the car.

Unfortunately, the roof was broken and a bird pooped on me.

Fortunately, it was magic bird poop and I turned back into a human with bird poop on my head.

Unfortunately, a snake then bit my head.

Fortunately, the snake wasn't venomous.

credit: amazon

Unfortunately, the driver finally looked in the back and kicked me out of the car.

Fortunately, I fell into a magical puddle of water.

Unfortunately, I then turned into a squirrel. 

Fortunately, I found a golden Easter egg, and when I touched it, I turned back into a human.

Unfortunately, someone then handed me a baby with a dirty diaper.

Fortunately, the baby didn't have diarrhea.

Unfortunately, the diaper fell off onto me.

Fortunately, my fairy godmother took the baby to Babyland.

Unfortunately, 1,000 scorpions ate me up.

Fortunately, they threw me up.

Unfortunately, they threw up so far that I was in California.

Fortunately, there was a jet to go to Florida.

Tyler's Unlucky Day - Rm 4

One day, Tyler's house exploded!

Fortunately, he ran out.

Unfortunately, there were tigers outside.

Fortunately, he ran into some superheroes that killed all the tigers.

Unfortunately, there was a tsunami.

Fortunately, one of the superheroes grabbed him and they flew away.

credit: foodyear.net

Unfortunately, the superhero hit a tree and they fell into the water.

Fortunately, the water was bouncy because ... Jell-o ... and they bounced out.

Unfortunately, a plane was coming and hit them!

Fortunately, he fell into a hole and found a spa to spend the day.

Unfortunately, the hole got flooded by more tsunami water.

Fortunately, 5,000 superheroes saved him and flew into the beautiful sky.

Blackout Poetry by Room 12

Have you ever heard of blackout poetry? 

credit: flowmagazine.com

It is a form of "found" poetry, where you select words from a written text to create something new. Once the students got over the shock of me letting them write in books (don't worry, these were weeded books that either were falling apart or hadn't been checked out in years or extra copies from former RICBA sets), they came up with the following: 

Pop!

Sweet candy across my tongue.

Mmmmmmm, nice.

Tastes like chocolate and strawberry.

Chocolate-covered strawberries, anyone?

- A.S., "Willa by Heart"

Pick pretty cool.

Stupid Ryan rolled his eyes.

Huh?

Turkey sandwiches, corn.

Declan, Grandpa Eddie, Lizzy.

Antique.

- A.O., "A Drop of Hope"

I didn't like anything 

but things better spinning on.

My phone, Owen, paddle in the background.

As he shot photos, trying to email you.

Owen.

- C.C., "Because of the Rabbit"

Before that start was said,

it seems impossible that Black entered a single subject.

I inform Percy.

"Yes" said coldly.

Dementor cross the threshold.

I am, Percy, abashed.

- D.M., "The Prisoner of Azkaban"

The Box

June 22

I bother people

I figure myself

Over the next months

My assignments sleeping

- T.C., "Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life"

Sebastian spotted friend

few minutes to two

before their last class began

- A.R., "Dew Drop Dead"

The ghost of our dead cat Bat

Calm down

Pull me back down

We can't move

- N.S., "Every Soul a Star"

Most of the blood

under me ...

noise jumps

quick in a doorway.

How long will it be?

- A.M., "Bloody Jack"

Wanted to compete

Early talked

Canals of venice

Explain things about boat building

September, two weeks

- W.B., "Navigating Early"

Green leaves rotting

trail mills hauled milk to Afghanistan

Money college

Ground woods

Light-headed

- L.S., "Wildfire"

Coral-colored,

those poor,

his smile.

He said to me,

"I assure you, this young lady."

"That's wonderful," Ms Fry said.

I'm so relieved.

Happily

Suitcase

Relieved.

We went behind,

shut the door beind us.

Ripped poster.

Leave guests, ruin property.

Sudden speechless.

- D.P., "Out of My Shell"

Smoke in the air

I leap to my feet and stare

There's a fire burning somewhere nearby

Too close for comfort

Fire coming

Let's try south

South takes longer than I expect

- R.D., "Wildfire" 

Cinderella as Retold / Summarized by Rm 15

In 4th grade, we are learning about the difference between retelling and summarizing a story. Retelling has lots more details and may contain dialogue, like the students' retelling of "Cinderella" below.

Ms. Moore's favorite retelling is "Ever After," starring Drew Barrymore.
Photo from thewonderfulworldofcinema.wordpress.com.

Retelling

Once upon a time, there was a happy couple and they had a child named Ella. Then Ella’s mom was mortally sick and died. Then the dad married a very rude and sassy woman with two crazy children. The stepmother liked her two children, but made Ella do chores. 

Then the father died, and the stepmother got even meaner. Ella got so dirty doing the chores, they called her Cinderalla. (Cinders are ashes, and they had a fireplace that needed to be cleaned out.) 

One day, they got four pieces of mail, and it was invitations for a ball. The stepsisters said they were going to go, but they didn’t want Cinderella to go. The mom agreed that C. shouldn’t go. The mice made a dress for C., but the sassy stepmother and crazy stepsisters tore it apart. Now she definitely couldn’t go, and she was sad. Then the mice made her a new dress, and the stepsisters tore that apart too and then left for the ball. 

C. cried and cried and cried until her fairy godmother came. The FG said, “Hello, there dear! It is I, your FG. I will grant you one wish, but once the clock strikes 12, this wish will expire. Like milk.” 

C says, “But how will I get there? The ball ends in three hours!” 

The FG pointed her wand at a pumpkin, and it transformed into a carriage with horses pulling it. She said, “Have fun! I’ll be cleaning up the house while you’re gone.” 

Then the prince said, “Dad, I don’t want to get married.” The king says, “You have no choice.” The duke says, “Line up the women.” The crazy stepsisters ran up to the prince and tried to hug him, fighting over him. 

C. finally got to the ball. The prince saw her and danced with her. The crazy stepsisters were so mad and jealous. When the clock struck 12, she ran away and left behind a glass slipper. The prince said, “I’ll find you … even if it takes me my whole life, I will find you,” and looks out in the distance. 

The man went out knocking on people’s doors, trying to find C. He knocked on C’s family’s door, and the stepsisters answered. They tried on the glass slipper, but it didn’t fit. Then the prince noticed C. cleaning, and asked her to try on the shoe. She did, and it fit. They lived happily ever after, and the two stepsisters had to clean and got a taste of their own medicine.

Summary

After we retold Cinderella in 426 words, it was time to summarize it in a couple of sentences. The method I taught the 4th graders is Somebody Wanted But So Then. Here are some of the summaries they came up with: 

Cinderella

wanted to go to the ball, 

but the stepmother didn't want her to.

So the fairy godmother came and got her a dress and said it would expire at 12, like milk. 

Then she went to the ball and danced with the prince. 

The stepsisters 

wanted to dance with the prince, 

but Cinderella got to instead. 

So they were surprised to see her there. 

Then they got a taste of their own medicine. 

The stepmother 

wanted her daughters to go to the ball and meet the prince,

but Cinderella came and danced with him.

So the stepsisters were mad.

Then the clock struck 12.

 

Cinderella as Retold / Summarized by Room 14

In 4th grade, we are learning about the difference between retelling and summarizing a story. Retelling has lots more details and may contain dialogue, like the students' retelling of "Cinderella" below.

Ms. Moore's favorite retelling is "Ever After," starring Drew Barrymore.
Photo from thewonderfulworldofcinema.wordpress.com.

Retelling

Cinderella got a stepmother, who was mean and only wanted her to clean the house. She had two mean stepsisters. Her father died, and her stepmother kept telling her what to do. 

Their family got invited to the prince’s ball, and C. couldn’t go because she had to clean the bathroom. Also, her only dress, which had belonged to her mom, got ripped by the stepsisters who were making fun of it for being old. 

She goes to the front of the house, in the garden, and is crying. Then she meets her Fairy Godmother, who gives her a brand-new blue dress and glass slippers, but they will only last until midnight. The FG turns her animal friends into horses and footmen to drive her in a carriage that used to be a pumpkin.

She goes to the ball and her two mean stepsisters don’t even recognize her. The prince asks her to dance with him. The clock strikes midnight and she runs out, losing one of her glass slippers. She tries to get in her carriage, but it breaks down, and she has to walk home. 

Later, the prince finds her slipper and tries to return it, but the stepsisters and stepmother don’t let her go downstairs. They try on the slipper, but it doesn’t fit. C’s mice friends find a key and unlock the door for her. She goes downstairs, and the shoe fits! Then the dad came back because he had actually been captured by pirates and got away. And they all lived happily ever after. 

Except for the stepmother and stepsisters, who got boiled by C. as revenge.

Summary

After we retold Cinderella in 272 words, it was time to summarize it in a couple of sentences. The method I taught the 4th graders is Somebody Wanted But So Then. Here are some of the summaries they came up with: 

Cinderella

Wanted to go to the ball,

But her stepsisters and stepmother made her clean the house instead. 

So a fairy godmother comes. 

Then she gets to go to the ball. 

The prince 

Wanted to dance with Cinderella. 

But she ran away. 

So the prince finds one of her glass slippers and goes around to see who it fits.

Then he goes to C’s house and it fits her.

Telling Fibs in Grade 4

Fibonacci, a mathematician who lived during the 1200s, developed a number sequence named after him. Each number is added to the previous number to get the next number: 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 and so on.

Author Greg Pincus invented the “Fib” form of poetry, in which each consecutive line has the same number of syllables that appear in the Fibonacci sequence. The students wrote their own. Here are some of their creations:

Oh no!

I'm sick!

by that bug!

Its now on the rug!

I hope I will feel better soon.

I am feeling much better before the afternoon!

I guess those five-star rated, cherry flavored pills worked amazingly well, that is swell.

- C.S., Rm. 14

Autumn

Red,

green,

yellow

leaves. Get out-

side and enjoy the

breeze. It's a piece of cake to en-

joy today. Go out and play! Hip hip hooray!

- S.C., Rm. 14

My

show

will come

out on this

December 18.

The show is about Star Wars, yay.

- B.B., Rm 14

So

wow!

No way!

I got home and showed my mom and

dad my grade; it was an A! Yay!

"No way," said Mom. Yay Yay No Way Hey!

- C.P., Rm 14

Cold

It

is

colder

than a mon-

ster's cold sore. Ew! So

gross. I meant to say ice cream. Ew.

- N.C., Rm 14

I

am

a num-

my chicken

wing so don't eat me.

If you do, you will go to chick-

en wing jail, and you will learn your rules so listen up.

- M.D., Rm 14

Al-

though

I can't

see my friends,

I still can. You might

not understand. But I can with

my tablet so I can. I hate this pandemic.

- C.C., Rm 14

I

am

annoyed

with COVID,

because we have to

stay home and wear a mask. But ev-

ery one knows we love Ms. Moore's teaching because she 

does a lot of fun things. She loves teaching library; that is her favorite subject. Books!

- L.L., Rm 14

I

like

football.

Patriots,

they are the best team.

Play in Foxboro at Gilette.

They are the best team in the National Football League.

- G.Z., Rm 15

I

like

the snow,

but I like

summer sunny days

so I can jump in the pool. Yay!

- L.B., Rm 15

Run!

They

will hunt

you down 'til

sunrise once you touch

the hidden treasure items. The

torches will turn into blue flames and start smoking.

You can't hide from them. You can't survive from them. They won't stop 'til you return the items.

- K.L., Rm 15

I

love

ice cream.

I like it,

but not strawberry.

I also do not like blueberry.

- A.S., Rm 15

I

hate

worms, but

worms love apples.

When they see one, they

go crazy for one, then get crushed.

- T.C., Rm 15

Fortunately/Unfortunately with Grade 3

Thanks to https://ideafm.org/ for the idea and the image.

We read Fortunately by Remy Charlip, a story that follows Ned through a series of problems and resolutions, and talked about plot structure.

Then we wrote our own version as a class ... the kids much preferred coming up with the "unfortunately" parts!

Ms. Gemma's Class

Story 1:

I was going swimming.

Unfortunately, I went to the deep end and I can’t swim.

Fortunately, there was a lifeguard there to save me.

Unfortunately, the lifeguard couldn’t see me.

Fortunately, there were stairs beside me.

Unfortunately, I fell down the stairs.

Fortunately, there were life vests.

Unfortunately, there were sharks that had come through the drain, as well as piranhas.

Fortunately, they were nice.

Unfortunately, a jellyfish came through the drain and zapped me.

Fortunately, a doctor was swimming in the pool too.

Unfortunately, he was evil.

Fortunately, the sharks ate the evil doctor.

Unfortunately, the doctor gave the sharks a shot.

F, the lifeguard finally saw me and I was rescued.

Story 2:

There was an evil octopus in the sea that sucked the smart out of people.

Unfortunately, the octopus sucked the smart out of me.

Fortunately, I was so smart that the octopus couldn’t suck ALL of my smartness out of me.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t alone, and he had poisonous piranhas and poisonous sharks that can also suck out brains. 

Fortunately, they couldn’t breathe on land, and I escaped.

Unfortunately, there were mountain lions chasing me.

Fortunately, the lions were distracted by Subway subs.

Unfortunately, the octopus was actually a scientist that didn’t like humans because they killed his brother, and he came on land and suffocated me.

Fortunately, my older brother was there sneaking up on me.

Unfortunately, he fell into the water and the evil scientist tried to suck out his brain. 

Fortunately, he saved himself and Supergirl and Superman attacked the octopus with their laser eyes, and the Subway subs turned into the Avengers … actually the Subvengers.

Story 3:

Once there was a scientist in secret lab.

Unfortunately, the scientist caught me and planned to turn me into a hairless cat.

Fortunately, he was allergic to cats, even the hairless ones.

Unfortunately, he decided to turn me into a dog.

Fortunately, he was scared of dogs.

Unfortunately, when I turned into a dog, I transformed into a Grinch and wanted to steal Christmas.

Fortunately, I turned into a good Grinch.

Unfortunately, he wanted to turn my brother into a lifeless lizard.

Fortunately, the Subvengers were there, ready to take on everything. 

Mrs. DeSimone's Class

Ned finally made it to the surprise party.

Unfortunately, all the things that chased him were at the party, including sharks and tigers and a pitchfork.

Fortunately, there was a superhero there as well.

Unfortunately, she was an evil supervillain.

Fortunately, everything that chased him decided to fight the supervillain.

Unfortunately, a big herd of elephants ran into the room, being driven by an evil scientist.

Fortunately, the scientist had no chemicals on him.

Unfortunately, he did have a bomb.

Fortunately, the bomb went into the water and blew up the boats instead of the people.

Unfortunately, it rolled back to the party and blew up.

Fortunately, a ladder also flew out of it onto the roof, and Ned was able to escape.

Unfortunately, the evil scientist came back to eat his brain.

Fortunately, Ned was right outside of his best friend’s house.

Unfortunately, before the scientist lost his chemicals, his best friend had had his brain sucked out, and was not smart enough to let Ned inside.

Fortunately, he found the back door open and let himself in. 

Unfortunately, his friend was like “What the heck?” and fell to the ground because he was so scared.

Fortunately, he recovered and they were safe. 

The Z Was Zapped!

 In second grade, we read The Z Was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg, which features the letters of the alphabet meeting sad fates. The students had to guess the action happening to them, which started with the same letter; for example, the F was flattened by a foot and the Q was quartered. Then the kids submitted their own ideas:

Telling Fibs

Fibonacci, a mathematician who lived during the 1200s, developed a number sequence named after him. Each number is added to the previous number to get the next number: 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 and so on.

Author Greg Pincus invented the “Fib” form of poetry, in which each consecutive line has the same number of syllables that appear in the Fibonacci sequence. During Poetry Week, students could choose to write a Fib. Here are some of their creations:

I
love
to swim.
My favorite
is the butterfly.
I also love video games

image from mocomi.com

- G.F., Rm 12

Me
Golf
Hit it
Very far
Mom, always cheering
In my dreams I feel like a pro
- M.F., Rm 13

Run     
Twirl             
Jump up     
Spin around
Jazz, tap, hip-hop too
There are so many ways to move
Lyrical, ballet, contemporary, acro too
- C.B., Rm 14


I
like
baseball.
The Yankees
are my favorite.
They have a lot of great players.
They've won twenty-seven World Series Championships.
- L.T., Rm. 14

bbrr
ice
its cold
snow falling
winter is coming
I can't wait to make a snowman .
- E.A., Rm 14

I
like
flipping.
I'm soaring!
Flying through the air.
Gymnastics is my favorite sport.
- S.W-B., Rm. 14

Hi
I'm
Joelle
and I like
chocolate ice cream
and I like to draw and make crafts.
- J.W., Rm 14

So
my
passion’s
basketball
but I also like
to play video games - all sorts.
- E.R., Rm 17

I
like
playing
games because
they are fun ... they are
only fun though when it is fair.
- A.R., Rm 17

I
love
football.
Gronkowski
goes for a touchdown,
lives in a very big mansion,
and he invites his brothers to Gillette Stadium
- G.Z., Rm 18

I
love
my pup.
He is cool.
Pup fits in my cup.
He likes to snuggle up with me.
- I.F., Rm 18

What Does That Mean?

image from thegreatcoursesplus.com

One option for the Reading Around the House assignment was to find a new word and share its definition. Below is the list of some of the words that kids found ... do you know them all?

If you would like to learn even more words, check out freerice.com or vocabulary.com.

• adjoining
• aglet
• amid
• ancient
• antidisestablishmentarianism
• archaeologist
• comrades
• convened
• cultivate
• dimwit
• durable
• forfeit
• holler
• inferior
• liminal (I had to look it up)
• lofty
• mumbled
• obscure
• pandemic
• pelt
• mysteries
• sensation
• substance

Celebrating the April Reading Challenge - 2

Governor Raimondo challenged every student in Rhode Island to read every single day during the month of April. Garden City students rose to the challenge, sending in "shelfies" and building book forts and reading nooks as their library assignments.