This session’s curriculum at Joaquin Miller Elementary is “Take My Portrait.” Students have composed word portraits using metaphors and similes, written letters to their imagined future selves at age 21, used color to create dynamic landscapes, and explored different emotions in writing to see how they color the tone/voice of a piece. From: Portrait of a life that’s not my own…
Dylan the Dragon One day, Dylan the Dragon woke up and ate a person for breakfast. Then he walked to the Sun Temple and terrorized people. He set the temple on fire and felt proud.
-Dylan
From: Using color to bring a person, thing or landscape to life…
Sandcastles
I was walking on amber-colored sand and stopped to make sandcastles. I put cili crab in my castle. Then cobalt water brushed against my castle, but it stayed standing. I put shells of mercury, emerald and navy blue on it.
-DJ
From: Writing Prompt: When do you feel invisible?
Invisible
I am invisible when I go to the lunch counter and I ask for water and they give me juice. When I say “hi” to the principal, he says, “Are you a student here?” I say, “Yes” but it is too late. He is walking away.
-Julia
From: Using color to bring a person, thing or landscape to life…
Cow
Once a cow was eating grass. The grass was on a wide field and it was green like celery. The cow was white and black. The white was like milk and the black was like coal.
-Seiji
From: Portrait of a life that’s not my own…
Super Snail!
Once there was a snail named Super Snail! He was slowly moving to the White House in Washington D.C. to help Obama reopen the government and save the North America! Super Snail quietly moved through the grass, unnoticed, spreading straw-colored mucus over logs.
-Miko
From: Using color to bring a person, thing or landscape to life…
Me and My Colors
I’m a robber and I’m in jail. I’m stuck and there is no way out. It’s like I’m in a coal chamber. It’s escape-proof and it’s made out of nickel-colored metal–different from my base, which is made of coal-colored rock. One day an ally comes in a asphalt-colored suit and runs fast like a crow-colored blur.
-Tomo
From: Portrait of a life that’s not my own & Using color to bring a landscape to life
Alien Kitty
Hi, I’m Alien Kitty. Right now I’m on the Battleship Moon but Wisdom Kitty is still on the neon-amethyst planet Zurg. Planet Surg is where Wisdom Kitty and I live. We love it there. Out house is to die for. Our… I mean my favorite room is the dance party room! Clearly, we have parties in it. It has an awesome mirrored disco ball that spins slowly, shining bright aqua colors on the walls and floor.
-Dani
From: Using color to bring a person, thing or landscape to life…
Donut Shop
The donut shop was the best in town. There was one specific donut though, one with mahogany –colored dough, caramel coating and rainbow sprinkles that glittered like gems beneath the light. The donut made the others look like shadowy clouds floating in a crystal sky.
-Marcella
From: Using color to bring a person, thing or landscape to life…
My Day
The sky was as hot as an iron and the leaves of the trees just looked like they were going to burn up, but I didn’t really care about the trees, I cared about me! I wore a jet-black sweater, asphalt-colored pants and midnight shoes. But all my friends were wearing cloud-white shirts or neon-yellow pants or something like that, and since black absorbs the most heat, I felt like I was dying.
-Carolina
From: What would it be like to be invisible?
Invisible
I would be invisible so I could scare people. I could tickle them and make them laugh. I want to disappear when I am playing Hide and Seek with my friends Emma, Naomi and Lauren.
-Siena
From: Using color to bring a person, thing or landscape to life…
Down in a Hole
I live in a tar black hole. Everything is so boring, but when I step outside of my hole there is a field of bubblegum pink unicorns and violet-purple grass. The sky above my hole is ash gray but above the unicorn field the sky is electric blue. The clouds are cotton candy pink and they look so fluffy and soft. I love going there and sitting in the daffodil patch.
-Morgan
From: Using color to bring a person, thing or landscape to life…
Yuba River
…Slick and slimy, I managed to climb atop the wood. I teetered for a second and then slipped into the water. Vision blurred, all I could see was a stonewashed blue. I grasped the dark hazel-colored splotch I assumed was the wood and heaved myself out of the water. I paddled to the shore and collapsed on top of the cobalt towel. I snatched the glistening water bottle, and took a swig of the ice- cold water. I grabbed the sunblock and smeared alabaster gel on my body.
-Marley
From: Using color to bring a person, thing or landscape to life…
Mr. Blob
Mr. Blob has emerald green tentacles and a royal blue shell. He strolls along the dusty brown sea floor and plays with his rainbow friends. He plays with a sunburn red soccer ball. He also goes fishing and catches bright sunset-red salmon. His archenemy is Mrs. Love Shirt. All of her amethyst tentacles are worn out.