Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: Lafayette Day 9

On Thursday, the kids at Lafayette wrote some wonderful "I Am" poems. Take a look!

Ruby:

I am from the earth that has plenty of things I don’t like, TV, candy, and, of course, shopping.

Andy:

I hear my mom rattling the pan and pots to make food.

Suah:

I am from the smell of fresh washed strawberries ready to be eaten with thick whipped cream.

I am from the tall, grassy Hollywood Hills showing off the famous city of Los Angeles.

I am from the hundreds of shiny stars in the midnight sky.

Genie:

I am from the shiny plate in front of me, filled with roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes with gravy.

I am from my sleepy head on the pillow, softly snoring in my dreams.

SJ:

I am from the smell of Korea, the cars, the trees, the dirt, and the people eating spicy kimchi.

Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: Musically Minded Day 4

Today, we took a look at our superhero selves. To start, we watched a video put out by the Discovery Channel about genuine superhumans - a man who can run barefoot in the snow, a blind man who can paint, and a human calculator.

Then we talked about what kind of superhuman powers we would want. The list included invisibility, the ability to read minds, flight, taking on the power of animals, and getting power through a sword, wand, and other means.

After each of us created our own superhuman character, we reviewed the elements of a story (plot, dialogue, setting, etc.) and then we teamed up to write adventures featuring our superhero duos.

Ross' map drawings for fun

Sushma, Madelena, Claire, and Izzy

Ross

Izzy's suitcase

Sydney's suitcase

Allistair

Claire and Sydney work on their superhero adventure

The kids' "Suitcases of You"

The Inside-Out Gang!

Later we finished our masks working outside on a beautiful day. See if you can recognize who is behind them in these photos- Hint: Alistair, Sushma, Claire and Izzy.

We're excited to prepare for tomorrow's reading!

Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: Lafayette Day 8

Today we continued to explore persona and identity. The students wrote Persona Poems following a template and made masks to go with them. They also wrote Letters to their Future Selves!

Andy: about Justin Bieber’s persona

I understand that you might not like me.

I say that I am good at singing.

I dream that I’m the best singer.

I try to sing good.

I hope that I don’t get a cracked voice.

I am cool and nice.

SJ: from Iron Man to Hulk

I understand that he is stronger.

I say that I am stronger.

I dream that I am strongest.

I try to hold a building.

I hope I am strongest.

I am brave and strong.

Genie: sister to a sister

I pretend that I’m a princess or a singer

I feel a comforting and warm hand.

I touch my dress, my hair, and my face.

I worry about my lost library book.

I cry when I hurt myself or am sick.

I am adventurous and curious.

Suah: Letter to self

I honestly think that all the stuff I need is already with me. I have a family, an education, a future, and a heart. I feel that though I might not have everything I want, I feel like I don’t need anything more or less because all the things I need are already with me.

Ruby: letter to self

I think war should end because it just some silly idea and people get hurt.

Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: Lafayette Day 7

Today we delved into our beliefs and explored identity through personification. We also finished up decorating the "Suitcase of Me" that the kids started Monday, and started creating a Dream Mural as a group (see pictures below!)

Andy, personifying a snail:

Suddenly the bird smiled and gobbled me up.

Ruby on her belief: 

I believe that animals have feelings because they like to do things and they cry when they don’t like things. I got this belief from watching my Grandma’s dogs.

Suah, personifying Lady Gaga:

I am totally gaga right now. I just had my concert and I needed to sing every song I created. I’m riding in my limo and going back home. Everyday I think of my face in the flashing lights and being the center of attention except that Justin Bieber is everyone’s favorite singer.

SJ, on his belief that there is life on other planets:

There could be plants, insects, animals, or even aliens! Or there could be a planet we don’t know that is exactly the same as Earth.

Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: Musically Minded Day 2

Today, Tuesday, we started out by creating alliterations based on the first letter of our first names that also described us. Here's one from Izzy:

Izzy is impeccable, she can do the impossible inside her interesting and interested mind. Is going into air impossible? Not to impeccable Izzy!

Next we explored identity a little further by taking on the identity of another person or object. Here are a few of the results:

Claire:

Point (an excerpt)

I'm a pencil whose name is Point. I live in a pencil box with my Mom, my Dad, two baby brothers and a big sister...I was taken in a dark room and this person or thing used me to write but it was also shredding my head! Then when my head was all worn down this person or thing stuck me into a hole that started to sharpen me...

Alistair

"Fate" (an excerpt)

It is a crowded place in drawer three of the chest of drawers. All my sock-y friends are there. Then I heard a shout in row 58. It was Kenny sock.

"Susan sock in missing! Sound the alarm!"

"Everyone push open the drawer", I yelled.

"Umm, oh", no hands!", said Bill sock. "Then use your sides!", I said.

Everybody pushed and I tumbled out. "Ahhhh!"

"Send me a postcard if you get out of this room!", said Tess sock. They shut the drawer and I was left out...

Madelena (an excerpt)

There once was a sock named Blueberry . Blueberry's color was blue (of course). She was said because she couldn't find her matching sock. She looked for her (her name was Orange) in the drawer, the laundry basket and under the bed...

Sydney (an excerpt)

Once upon a time there was a snail who lived in the underworld. It was a very mean, sloppy, soupy snail and her friends did not like that. So they told her and she said, " I am a thousand years old and I don't want to be called those things!"

We also examined how our beliefs are part of who we are. After listening to an essay written by a young boy named Tarek from the NPR radio program called, "This I Believe", we wrote our own. Here are excerpts from a few:

This I Believe

Ross

"I believe that smoking should be deemed a crime. Not only crime, but assault. not only assault. but slow, grueling chronically painful assault."

Sushma

"I believe that you have to die so then another animal or human can be born and have a turn to see the world. And to learn the knowledge and for the knowledge to flow into the brain. And when the animal or human dies the knowledge flows out of the animal or human so then the new animal or human can learn."

It was a rainy camp day but we stayed dry and busy inside. In the afternoon we worked on "Emotional Portraits" after discussing cool and hot colors and the emotions they convey. We also worked on our Inside Out Suitcases. We popped the balloons on our paper mache masks but decided to give them an extra day to dry.

Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: Miraloma Day 5

Here are some great pics we got from the last day of camp at Miraloma on Friday!

We had a blast, and hope you did too!