"In Flight" at Joaquin Miller Elementary

In this session, the 3rd-5th grade writers at Joaquin Miller Elementary explored the theme of flight. They composed letters from Amelia Earhart to the girls of the world, used sensory details to describe the flight of the bumblebee, and wrote a first person account of Icarus’ fateful flight. Students experimented with a variety of craft elements such as point of view, sensory details, simile, personification and metaphor. The result was a collection of imaginative, colorful, odd and humorous fiction and poetry that illuminated humankind’s age-old obsession with flying. Prompt: Write about Icarus’ fateful flight from the first-person point of view.

Flight of Icarus

My name is Icarus. I have been locked inside a stupid tower almost my whole life. One boring day I was putting out birdseed when my dad said that something was done. I was like, “Whatever,” but he said, “Let us fly!” He put a pair of wings on and jumped out the window and I followed. I flew high, the wind in my face. After a while, the feathers started falling off. I thought, Oh no! I went too close to the sun! I fell into the water. It felt cold on my flesh.

-Dylan

Prompt: Invisibility vs. Flight – Write a story in which you have one of these powers.

Dr. Ginko’s Amazing Am-777

Hi. I’m Dr. S.R. Ginkos. Some people call me Dr. Sr. Ginkos, and some people call me Dr. Sr. I’m a scientist who works for the military and I have figured out a way to make people invisible using an acid called Antrixamacility or Am-777. About ten other scientists know about it. We only have about five quantities and we plan to use it on the five most aggressive soldiers at a base in South Florida.

-E.J.

I Am There

I am there. Following. Watching. Waiting. Why, I wonder, do I do this? I am a shadow. I must mirror your every move. Sliding in and out of existence as if can’t die. But I can. I’ve been killed over and over by deadly assassins but regenerated every time. I wake with no feet, live without a heart. Skimming the ground, I fly soundlessly over light. Dying slowly every day, vengeance has become a part of me.

-Marley

Nox and Nob

There once was a man who discovered a gem the size of a bowling ball. He named it Nox and went home with it. When he got home, he was about to turn on the lights when he noticed that Nox was giving off a whitish blue glow. Nob went to brush his teeth but nearly fell into the bathtub. He looked in the mirror. In the reflection was nothing but the bathroom wall.

-Miko

Prompt: Use sensory details to describe what it feels like to fly.

When Pigs Fly

When I, Mr. Piggy, fly, I don’t fly straight. I have special wings that glide through frost and coldness, high in the air. The feeling is completely different from being on the ground. It’s better. High above the humans, I feel safe.

-Marco  

Prompt: Use Significant Detail to render the place you are from using the phrase "I am from..."

I Am From

I am from clean up your room from cinnamon roll donuts and maple oatmeal with brown sugar. I am from Mexico on Spring Break from from swimming with my friend and reading Greek mythology. I am from snorkeling in Belize from from Mine Craft and reading for too long.

-Josh

Words from Our Young Authors at Joaquin Miller!

Want to see some of the star-studded writing coming from our young writers at Joaquin Miller Elementary? Check out some of our favorite poems below!

Exercise: Writing Odes – students created their own odes using descriptive language, rhyming, and repetition.

Shadow by Marley

You dance across the ground With exquisite delicacy. You walk across the ground Without a sound. Oh shadow, the harmless but dangerous hunter.

You sleep in a soft blanket of moonlight On the hard ground. You walk in the sun’s warmth On the cold, frosty ground. Oh shadow, the harmless but dangerous hunter.

You walk quickly, Without fear or pause. You can’t be hurt, Unless it’d dark out. Oh shadow, the harmless but dangerous hunter.

You leap across the floor With gracefulness. You skid along with someone else, Who is not alone.

Oh shadow, the harmless but dangerous hunter.

You’re very smart But you can’t learn. You love eating blackberries, But you can’t taste them. Oh shadow, the harmless but dangerous hunter.

When you die, You stay alive until you are buried. You’re loud and annoying, But you can’t bother anyone. Oh shadow, the harmless but dangerous hunter

A Bee by Luke

I saw you make the flowers droop. I saw you fly in a loopty-loop. You are super fast, I can’t see you pass. Oh bee, why do you buzz? Oh bee, why do you have fuzz?

You fly away, You sting your prey. In sight, You are a fright. Oh bee, why do you buzz? Oh bee, why do you have fuzz?

I sit and watch you in the air, And I wonder if you have hair. You fly by my eye, I see you say hi, You fly away – bye bye. Oh bee, why do you buzz? Oh bee, why do you have fuzz?

Owl by Julia

Owl oh Owl, where do you roam?

The owl danced across the night sky, Oh my, Oh my. Owl oh Owl, where do you roam?

The owl spoke Hello, Hello. Owl oh Owl, where do you roam?

The owl sprouted feet and a nose. Owl oh Owl, where do you roam?

And what do you know, What do you know, Some toes. Who knows, who knows. Owl oh Owl, where do you roam?

Turtle by Pearce

Oh turtle, why are you so slow?

The turtle walks through the room. It is soooo slowwww. Oh turtle, why are you so slow?

The turtle wears a slow reddish-green coat. Why is it so slow? Oh turtle, why are you so slow?

Turtle, you walk so slow you can’t stub your toe. With no name, you won’t get to the Hall of Fame. Oh turtle, why are you so slow?

Mr. Monkey by DJ

Why Mr. Monkey, you don’t have to do what you do. I watch you from the Grand Canyon to the polar ice caps. But why do you terrorize the world? From the Space Needle to the Statue of Liberty, You destroy with your TNT breath.

I saw you on vacation at the Eiffel Tower and the Rome Coliseum. Why won’t you go away? I don’t understand why you won’t just go. But why do you terrorize the world? From the Taj Mahal to Tokyo, You destroy with your TNT breath.

In the end, the world was chaos and fire and destruction. People survived by digging below the surface for iron as money. But on the summit of Mount Everest was you, Mr. Monkey, In a mansion – the wealthiest of them all. And still from Mount Everest to the end

You destroy with your TNT breath.

Exercise: Life Doesn’t Frighten Me At All – after reading Maya Angelou’s poem of the same name, students wrote poems about the things that frighten them while experimenting with using repetition lines.

Life doesn’t frighten me at all by Morgan

Life doesn’t frighten me at all

Unicorns mocking me, Clowns taunting me, Life doesn’t frighten me at all.

Mermaids flying in the air, Scissors snipping here and there, Life doesn’t frighten me at all.

Darkness everywhere, Robbers creeping down my stairs, Life doesn’t frighten me at all.

Frightened by Louka

I am not afraid of microscopic atoms that go in my brain. I am not afraid of chickens who cackle, Or clowns who pass by. They think they know what scares me, But they don’t know it’s just a story. I am not afraid of monkeys that cry. There is one thing I am afraid of. I’ll only name a clue. It’s a thing that’s dead and rotten. I am not afraid.

Exercise: On Turning Ten – after reading Billy Collins’ poem about turning ten years old, students created descriptive lists of the defining traits of turning a certain age, then wrote poems using those lists.

On Turning Four

by Marco Four is when you realize that things aren’t what they seem. Candy is less sweet, Steak is just plain meat, School turns out important, Field trips are educational. Four is the year you start forgetting things, Wait… what did I just say?

Exercise: List Poems – students read a selection of poems that use listing as a technique, then created their own list poem using the five senses and concrete details.

My Junk Drawer by Hunter

3D glasses make the movies amazing. Baseball cards are fun to collect. Sticky stars are great weapons. Football cards are not as fun. Mario Cards are the worst. Legos are so… so awesome. Rocks rock, And more stuff that I can’t name.

Happy Halloween!

A Halloween Poem by Luke of Joaquin Miller Elementary

Earthquakes and fire I don’t desire.

I am not scared.

Old clocks that tick tock and creaky heaters,

Evil people who are brain-eaters.

I am not scared.

Spiders that are creepy,

Babies who are weeping.

I am not scared.

Some things are not scary,

Like a really mean fairy,

Bugs and mummies,

Bears and bunnies.

I am not scared.

Cats and bats and giant rats,

They’ll come alive and eat my insides.

I am not scared.

I am not scared.

Creative Writing by Joaquin Miller Elementary Students

Odes

Ode to Jolly Ranchers, by Luke
I love you Jolly Ranchers.
You bring your wild flavor to my mouth,
Even though I don't know what it is. 
When you plop onto my tongue,
My taste buds run right to you. 
You last forever in my stomach. 
I shall never, ever let you go. 
You are so smooth and yet so bumpy, 
I fall to my knees before you. 
Jolly Ranchers, you are my hero. 

Ode to Nerds, by Pearce
Oh Nerds, you are so small. 
You are like a dream come true.
Oh Nerds, you are so cool.
Please, Nerds, take over the world.
You make parties in my mouth and all over the world!
Oh Nerds, there's nothing tastier than you. 

Ode to Stinky, Salty Cheese, by Marco
Its smooth, silky sensation
Rocks my mouthbuds.
It can be so good,
It can cure any sickness.
It will launch you to the moon
With one salty lick.

Onomatopeia & Alliteration

Sushi, by DJ
Squish is the sound it makes when I eat it.
Munch is what happens when I chew. 
Swish is the sound of me spitting it out. 
Bonk is what happens when I hit my head trying to run away. 
I hate sushi!

Avocados, by Oliver
The awful otter ate the avocados in awe. 

Cheese Broccoli, by Max
The chipmunk had chunky chocolate crackers with his cheese broccoli. 

Recipe of Me

Recipe of Morgan
• 8 cups of soccer
• 7 ounces of very dark brown hair
• 1 gallon of personality
• 3 gallons of having fun

Instructions: Mix soccer with having fun and pour in very dark hair. Stir together with personality. Bake in the oven for five minutes at 250 degrees.

Personification

Ick, by Jordan
This is a story about Ick the red bean soup. Ick smells so bad he tries to run away from himself. He likes to sing, but he knows he's really bad at it. Every day, Ick jogs around his bowl in Bowltown, even though he's as slow as a snail. Ick has skin which is as red as blood and a lot of big bumps that look like acne. He also has black specks that I think are hair, but I can't be sure. 

One day, Ick was jogging around his bowl when he slipped and fell onto the floor. He realized he didn't know how to get back to Bowltown, so he started to walk. A few hours later, he saw a chair and climbed onto a table. He was surrounded by dishes and realized he must be in Bowlsville. Since he was tired, he decided to stay...

The Five Senses

If Pasta Ruled the World, by Alex
Darren Black was a guy who loved pasta. Then one day, pasta started ruling the world.

"This is totally awesome!" said Darren. But all of a sudden, pasta became that evil villain. It turned the humans of Earth into slaves. A group of humans escaped to the underground, however, and formed a rebellion. Darren joined it, and his weapon of choice was a fork and knife.

"I've got that one," whispered Darren. He speared a piece of ravioli, cut it, and ate it. "That was tasty," Darren said. "All right, I have eyes on Emperor Tortellini." Darren began to chomp his way through the tortellini's bodyguards.

To be continued...

If Apples Ruled the World, by Marley
If apples ruled the world, things would be very different. Houses would be hollowed out apples. Instead of rain, apple juice would fall from the sky. There would be apple lightning and apple skin clouds instead of thunder. Pets would have apple skin collars, and breakfast, lunch and dinner would all be apples. No one would have braces because it's hard to eat apples with braces. The White House would be the Apple House.

All of a sudden, I woke up. "THAT WAS THE BEST DREAM EVER!" I shouted. Oops. I had forgotten about my brother, who came in looking like a cat in water. Thank goodness our parents were still asleep. I quickly ate an apple slice and smiled.