Five for Friday July 8

Happy Friday! I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday.  Thank you for hosting, Kacey! 

       

I found another book.  I know.  I can't help it.
This one is fabulous.

Here is a little synopsis of the book from Amazon:

This is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. As the child's confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens. This is a story for anyone, at any age, who's ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult.

The story starts out with a simple "idea."  

One day, I had an idea. 

“Where did it come from? Why is it here?”

I wondered, “What do you do with an idea?”

The idea and the child become friends as they share secrets. The idea shows the child how to walk upside down...

“Because,” it said, “it is good to have the ability to see things differently.”

Finally, in the end...

It's such a well-written, well-illustrated story.  I love how Mae Besom, the illustrator, uses color. She uses it very sparingly in the beginning- when the boy is unsure of himself and his idea.

         

Then, she lets the color explode as the boy's confidence does.

Here is a video of the reading of the book.  Can't you just see how wonderful it will be for encouraging your students with their ideas during writer's workshop?  It can be a really deep book if you let it be, or with young students, it can be simple, too.  Just don't make it too deep for them!

Where do ideas come from? 

Why did it take so long for the little boy to share his idea with others?

What would the world be like if we didn't share and use the ideas we have?  

Can you think of ideas that people had that turned into something we use today? (inventions)

Are all ideas good ideas?  Why or why not? (share mistakes)

How can  you make your story ideas go from black and white to really colorful? (details, more information...)

This book could also inspire your adult friends who don't believe in their own great ideas enough- and you want to encourage them!  So many possibilities. 

            

After we read the story, we'll make a quick shared writing chart of ideas we can think of that changed the world- different inventions that the children use all the time but started as someone's simple idea. Some examples could be different toys, video games, Legos, cars, bicycles, telephones, cameras, televisions.

I made some simple writing prompts to go along with this book.  I also added a QR code of the video, because I love it when the kids can take the book home with them (in the form of a QR code for a Youtube video!) and they can hear the story over again. If you'd like a copy of the prompts, just click the picture below.

I use writing prompts with QR codes all the time with my class.  They love the QR code packets at the listening center so they can hear stories again, and then when the QR code is on their writing prompt, they are so excited to have it to take home!  I group the stories into different packets for the listening centers and change them out during the year. I made them for 102 different stories.
 Yes- I like them a lot. :)

This book reminded me of these sayings:

Guess what?  Now there is a new book...  Ut oh.  That'$ probably going to be a problem...$$$

This video is a great introduction to SOMETHING!  I think I'll use it with my kids to show them that lots of things are hard- for dogs, children, adults- but we don't give up! We try lots of different ways to do something until we find a way that works.   When we begin to write, it's hard.  BUT... do we give up?   NO!  We keep trying until we get it!  

            

Kindergarten Kindergarten shared this awesome free Animal Rainbow Slideshow.  We always do color weeks the first two weeks of school, and I show pictures of different things that are the color of the day.  This is fabulous!  Thank you! Thank you!  

She also shared an Animal Coverings Slide Show which looks great, too.

This story is just ridiculous.  I guess Jeff and I can't just make anything easy.  We needed to get new patio furniture cushions.  Ours were about 7 years old- and actually ripped.  Sounds easy enough, right?  Maybe a trip to a store?  Order from Amazon Prime- free delivery? Or Walmart online?   Well- 7 Walmarts later...

Yeah, that's right. SEVEN.   Apparently, on Friday, when we decided we needed cushions (6 square, 4 backs) was when Walmart decided the cushions needed to go on sale.  That was good.  The rest is sort of bad.

The first store had 2 squares and one back.  That's okay, we thought... the next store is only a little ways away. They'll have the rest.  They had 1 square.  Now we were in too deep.  We went to yet another Walmart in the other direction.  They had one back.  Meanwhile- there were NONE online or even on Ebay. Nowhere.  I was thisclose to putting it on Simply Kinder's facebook page begging  for someone out there to finish my job... 

On Saturday, we had to go out of town, and stopped at 2 more Walmarts.  ZERO.  I was nervous.  

Finally, Tuesday, I called a Walmart by my daughter's house- the nicest man in the world told me they had 3 squares ( just what I needed)- and he saved them for me.  I heard angels singing. When I picked them up, the lady said they really aren't allowed to save things.  I knew right then, he was really an angel. 

When we got there, we also found one more back!  Long story even longer... to finish it off, on the way home, we stopped at one Walmart we had already been to, and found the last back.  We went to Five Guys to celebrate.  I ate a lot of fries.  It was a celebration, after all. We'll either love or hate these cushions for a long time.

That would probably make a good writer's workshop story, I'm thinking.  But I refuse to even let myself think that because... it's summer, for heaven's sake!

Have a wonderful weekend! Thank you for stopping by!