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Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: "Found Treasures & Scavenger Hunts" at Musically Minded

Our week ended with one last writing activity inspired by a story about the tornados in Alabama abd Mississippi this Spring. Victims' personal effects were found miles away from their owners - and through a Facebook page, how others found them and attempted to return them to their owners. 

Here are writing samples from the Subject / Verb Stories we did the day before. The assignment was to write a story only using subjects and verbs. Read on.

 

Dolphins swam.
Water rippling. Aging boat. Wind howled.
Water choppy. Got lost two weeks. Deserted. Fend for themselves.
Dolphins rescued. Debt never repaid.

 

Dream Storyteller

I'm falling. Alice in WOnderland. Clocks ticking. Doorbells ringing.
Someone shouting. Cats hiss. Dogs bark. Sprinklers spray. All craziness.
Crickets chirp. Never quiet. All dark. Land. Tall ceiling. Through door. Ocean of crabs.
I awoke.
- Katie

 

Cat meowed.
I thought. 
Dreams spun. 
Sun rose. 
I drove.
We talked.
He told.
I told.
He gaped.
I spoke.
Sirens blared.
I screamed.
Doctors rushed.
They drove.
I cried.
He whispered.
I spoke.
He slept.
- Xochtl

 

You Tried

She lied.
He cried.
You tried.
She left.
He wept.
You tried.
She tan.
He walked.
You tried.
She died.
He died.
You're tired of
trying.
-Amy

 

Scream

He hit.
She pushed.
He left.
She sobbed.
He came back.
She screamed.
He screamed.
They embraced.
She hit.
He pushed.
They embraced.
He left.
She cried.
She died.
He came back.
He cried.
He cried.
He died.
Their ghosts scream.
- Amy

 

We're glad you came to our  reading and art exhibit this afternoon and thanks for being game about doing a writing exercise yourselves!

We really enjoyed being creative with your children!

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Word relay!

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Amy, Esme and Xochtl

Amy, Esme and Xochtl

Galen, Kyra, Katie, Gillian and Emma

Galen, Kyra, Katie, Gillian and Emma

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Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: "Found Treasures & Scavenger Hunts" at Musically Minded

We had our work cut out for us today, so we launched right into completing either our scavenger box story or our long-lost twin story.

Then we spread out all of the phrases and words collected during yesterday's "found peotry" hunt and arranged them into (loosely speaking) poems.

Here are some examples:

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Later Laurie met the students at the park and after their lunch they did rubbings with crayons and paper of different textures found on utility signs, leaves, bark etc. Back at Musically Minded, our afternoon project was creating architecturally inspired collages from wood shapes, lids and other scavenged materials incorporating shelves and other hiding spots. We then painted our collages black in the style of the artist Louise Nevelson.

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Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: "Found Treasures & Scavenger Hunts" at Musically Minded

Today we started off the morning with reaching into a bag of words and randomly pulling out one to use as a diving board into writing. The writing these words inspired was wonderful and you will be hearing some of it at the reading on Friday.

Next we set out to explore the concept of "Found Poetry". Found poetry is like making a collage with words.

Riffing on the theme of "Found Treasures and Scavenger Hunts" we became word hunters, first pouring through magazines and old books cutting out words and phrases we were drawn to and then setting out on our second outdoor adventure. We walked around the neighborhood gathering words from scraps of paper on the ground, from street signs and posters. We ended up at Oakland Public Library with instructions to pull a phrase from page 42 of any book, to pull another phrase from page 102, a "y"' word from the dictionary, and "s" word from the dictionary and 5 book titles.

This afternoon we watercolored drawings of a chart of Treasures in My Life or Scavenged Items and you can see the results in the photos. Sophie's treasures were seashells, my dog Maisy, chocolate cream wafers, bare feet and a comfy sofa. Kyra did "Lost and found" articles consisting of a thimble, hair tie, school I.D.card, earring backs and chapstick. All the students put thought in their selections and the paintings are beautiful. We then did jewelry making with beads, bottle caps, and little boxes. 

Tomorrow we will fashion our collection of words and phrases into Found poems.

Can't believe tomorrow is Thursday already!

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Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: "Found Treasures & Scavenger Hunts" at Musically Minded

Today we went on a scavenger hunt in the neighborhood! The girls were divided into pairs and after looking at some wonderful photographs of "found" letters from the alphabet and "found" faces online, their task was to choose one of the two categories and then photograph as many letters or faces as they could find. (Tomorrow, we'll continue with Part 2 of that project.) 

We also spent time working on the "Scavenger Box" and the "Long Lost Twin" stories from yesterday.

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Then, before the students left for their lunch break they all wrote messages about a treasure they found and Laurie put them in mini bottles.  Laurie hid some on the stairway near the park and Kyra hid the rest in the park. Before we returned we had a scavenger hunt to find the hidden bottles- FUN! Our afternoon art project was making recycled sculptures of characters or animals from items Laurie scavenged like T.P. rolls, coffee cans, lids, clothespins etc. and some of the students painted their sculpture . Check out the photos of the finished creations!

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Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: "Found Treasures & Scavenger Hunts" at Musically Minded

We have nine curious and creative girls ready to launch into a week of creativity inspired by the concepts of lost, found, scavenger hunting and treasure!

On Day One, we started off by inviting each camper to select a special box, we are calling their "Scavenger Box" (in keeping with our theme of Found Treasures and Scavenger Hunts). Inside each box is an assortment of objects and photos meant to evoke a story - a story they're composing that's based on a character they're creating who is the box's owner.

We also listened to a radio documentary piece from a radio program on NPR called "Radiolab". It's a strange tale of two girls who through a twist of fate end up meeting and discover they not only look, sound and act alike, but also both have the same name: Laura Buxton. (If you're curious to hear more, the link to the story is: http://www.radiolab.org/2009/jun/15/a-very-lucky-wind/). After listening to the story the writing prompt was to write about your own (imagined) long lost twin.

Galen, Kyra, Xochtl, Amy, Katie, Esme, Sadie, Gillian, Emma

Galen, Kyra, Xochtl, Amy, Katie, Esme, Sadie, Gillian, and Emma

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Our art afternoon was all about "scavenging" to create a Journal/ Sketchbook  from a variety of recycled papers, fabric, envelope making and many creative ideas from our students. Everyone enjoyed collaging from all the materials and Whew! We made a paper mess- but with group collaboration  we agreed that a major clean-up was worth the fun of the mess!

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Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: "Shhh Secrets" at Musically Minded

We are rounding the bend towards the end of the week and Laurie and I will be sad to say goodbye to this remarkable bunch of creative kids.

Today we selected pieces that needed editing and polishing for tomorrow's reading.

We also had time for two writing activities that produced such stunning writing that we're waiting until tomorrow to share more of it with you.

We'll tempt you with some first lines:

 

My secret is made of knotty, tangled string...

- Kyra

My secret is made from the best wood in the world, made from the eldar tree fashioned by death himself...

- Anna

Her secret is from scared, small faces, a long-lost Mom and a small purple knitted hat...

-Amy

My secret can fly, dodging is and out of angry clouds...

-Braelyn

A secret is made of from the huggiest hug, the best bar of chocolate, the sweetest of kisses...

-Mikela

My secret is made of the strongest, hardest armadillo skin in the world...

-Ian

 

In the afternoon, we had making our own original Pop-Up books with illustrations and a story! Nicole made a "Secret Recipe" book, Mikaela made beautiful bird illustrations with a beak that opened and closed,  Ian made an iguana with a curly tongue that popped out, Sophie made an Alice in Wonderland book and Esme drew a detailed piano with a lovely poem. Everyone  creatively explored the possibilities for their pop-ups and stories.

 

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Can't wait to share more with you tomorrow!

 

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