Super Saturday

Greetings Journey Fans!  As a former elementary school teacher (mostly 3rd grade), I begin each "Journey Around" book as if I were taking a group of kids on a field trip to the area.  What will they find most interesting?  What will be most fun and memorable?  What do I want them to learn along the way?  I make a list and then I take my children and nephew on a journey!  (In the picture above, they are checking out the Herring Run in Brewster with their dad, uncle, and grandmother).  If the place was fun, memorable, and exciting, it stayed on the list, if not, we crossed it off and sometimes we made new serendipitous discoveries along the way that we added.  Because it's so important for writers and illustrators to know their audience, I'm introducing a guest blogger today- My daughter Bevin who is 9 1/2 who will give you an insiders peak at a third graders world...

Wow! This week has gone by so fast with so many fun and interesting projects in between. Two huge projects were planning for a Colonial puppet show and Simple Machine models. First, everyone in the class chose a Colonial trade.  Then we researched the topic and wrote facts about the trade on a white lined paper. Our very nice teacher typed up the scripts and gave them to us to memorize. My puppet is a wig maker.  My little sister Avery likes to be included so I'm helping her make one at home.  She is making a Colonial jailer.  Next week we even get to preform in front of other classes and parents!  

Now we move onto simple machines. What we do for that is write a short piece and build a model of our machine. The machine has to solve a problem and it has to include at least one simple machine.  Also, it has to be built of recycled things.  I made a "Roof deCatter" to get my cat off the roof.  I used pulleys, an inclined plane, screws, and wedges.  The simple machines that I saw were very interesting. 

 I LOVE,  LOVE,  LOVE, LOVE,  LOVE,  LOVE to read. I'm going to tell you my favorite books. One is "12 Again" by Sue Corbett about a mother who turns 12 again and her son has to find out how to turn her back to 40.  I also loved "Toilvers Secret" by Esther W. Brady , about a girl named Ellen who dressed up as a boy and sent a secret message to General Washington.  My favorite series is the Nancy Drew books about 3 girls who solve mysteries and never give up! I have thousands of more favorite books! 

For your father make something or buy something. One idea is a friendship bracelet in his favorite colors or summer colors. Maybe even breakfast in bed or  lunch somewhere special. You could always give him a hand-made card. He might like a plant brightly colored with petals and leaves. Gift-cards are always nice. There are more ideas out there, you should check them out at Family Fun!  Well bye for now see you next time on "Super Saturday"!