Get Your Wiggle-Waggle On!

What a fun day we had on Tuesday!  It was part of our ongoing collaboration with Ms. Jena Ball, author, illustrator, and co-founder of CrittenKin.  Back in March, we first had the opportunity to learn how a disabled dog named Ricky Bobby was rescued - and actually loved for the first time.  It should be noted that if you can bring 3rd graders from feeling shock, horror, and anger - and drive them forward from feeling to wanting to DO, you are indeed a powerful storyteller!  

For this part of our collaboration, we first read part of a CritterKin book called Meet the Mutts, and then we learned about an interesting blog swap project where we give other CritterKin-readers clues about which "mutt" we met.  The swap part is that we'll read their blogs to learn about the mutt they met, all students reading, writing, and asking questions!!  Here is a link to our kidblogs:  http://kidblog.org/MrsKincersClass/
{Side note:  It’s state testing week at our school, so our regular schedule is a bit off.  Sharing in this humorous and engaging chapter was just what we needed today!}

We did a quick journal-writing activity outlining the characters, setting, and events from our chapter, and finished up by telling about the underlying message of kindness demonstrated by the characters.   {Another side note:  Kindness is the recurring theme in all things CritterKin, opening doors for many very insightful discussions.}

Later, we had a chance to have our second Skype with author and illustrator Jena Ball.  During this Skype session, we learned about three dogs currently living at our local animal shelter.  After seeing photos of all three, we voted to draw pictures of Spike with Ms. Ball, and she walked us through it, showing us how to give each of our dogs a little different personality by merely changing the slant of the eyebrow or the positioning of the eyes.  As I look at the finished pictures,  they are all similar, but oh so different!

As if drawing with an illustrator wasn’t enough, the class also got to participate in writing a short story from Spike’s point of view, providing details that might help someone decide to adopt Spike!

Just when we thought that reading, writing, and drawing was the “icing on the cake,” Ms. Jena asked us to help her with a dance called the Wiggle-Waggle.  She got us thinking like dogs – wagging, scratching, barking, panting, chasing our tails, shaking a paw with a neighbor, and finally lying down for a well-deserved nap!  Amazingly, all of the wiggle-waggling turned into snoring as sweet dreams were had by all!

{Side note:  Let’s just say, for the record, that the students weren’t the only ones reluctant to see all the fun end!}

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