Final Exam

 Part One: 

To begin, I disagree with the arguments listed against children's literature. For this post, I will vouch for the book The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill to be included in my district's curriculum. The school board says, "No one around here knows anything about it. If it was really worth knowing, we’d have heard about it." In response to this claim, I would like to make apparent how incredibly worthy and well-known The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill truly is. For starters, this book won the John Newbery Medal in 2017. This national award is given "to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children" (ALSC 1). If this prestigious children's literature award isn't persuasive enough, many media platforms such as news outlets offered recognition for the book's significance as well. Some media platforms include; MPR (link) and Twin Cities Pioneer Press (link). In addition, as teachers, it's our responsibility to know a wide variety of literature and bring the ones we truly believe are worthy into the classroom. Alongside receiving recognition and winning a well know, exclusive, and honorable award, there are many other components in this book that factor into its exceptional value and undoubtable worth. The Girl Who Drank The Moon is a book that is heard of by many, worthy, and ultimately deserves a place in the classroom. Next, the school board asks, "Why have kids spend time in class reading something they can easily read on their own?" My answer to this is that it's all about the reading experience. Sure children can read books on their own and get enjoyment out of them, but reading a book in a classroom setting completely transforms the reading experience into something that allows students to fully absorb all that the book has to offer. Spending time in class reading a book promotes class discussions about the characters, settings, themes, and so much more that gives the students a deeper connection and understanding of the work of literature. As teachers, we must know enough about dramatic techniques and oral interpretations that we are able to read aloud to students to help enrich their reading experience and really help them get lost in a novel. Furthermore, the book The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill would be a great opportunity for this exact type of enriching reading experience. The book is filled with an abundance of magic, intriguing characters, and a mysterious setting that would make for amazing classroom discussions that further engage students with literature and expand their overall reading experience. All in all, the John Newbery Medal Award winning book The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill would bring extensive value and enjoyment into the classroom and should be included in the district's curriculum. 

Part Two:

Both children's and young adult literature are branches of literature that are made for specific age groups depending on monumental moments/experiences/things that happen at those ages.

Beginning with children's literature, it's aimed for a young audience (although can be read at other ages too). In children's literature books, the main character is often a child, animal, or object that resembles something young readers can relate to. The books depict challenges and struggles that a child would face to teach them important lessons, like how to overcome them. Children's literature is filled with lessons because children's books are read during a crucial time in a child's development and can have a great impact on that development. Another significant aspect of children's literature is that they are filled with colors and illustrations. From this class, I have learned how truly important illustrations are in children's literature. They help children have a better understanding of the story, draw connections between words and objects/things, and teach children another form of communication other than words--art. This helps children become more creative and sparks their own imaginations. All in all, if I had to define children's literature it would be: literature made to enhance development, teach lessons, and spark joy in young readers. One children's book that we've discussed in class that I think is a perfect example of all these qualities of children's literature and my own definition of children's literature is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. This book is filled with beautiful illustrations that do an amazing job at helping its young readers create associations between words and objects. An example of this is when it says in the book, "On Monday he ate through one apple. But he was still hungry" and it shows an illustration of an apple right above the words. This shows the reader that the word "apple" and the drawing of the apple are associated with each other. Not only does this children's book teach children associations, but it also furthers their development as they expand their knowledge. Below is a photo of the page I am referring to for a visual. 

Onward to young adult literature, its intended audience is adolescents (although can be read at other ages too). In young adult novels, one main theme is that they talk about real-life issues that are sometimes harder to talk about. They discuss challenges, emotions, experiences that adolescents/teenagers can relate to. These books are important because since they are relatable and talk about challenging topics, they give teens something to feel like they're not alone. These books can be many different genres, as we've seen by the genres of the ones we've read in this class. If I had to define young adult literature, I would define it as literature that expresses relatable challenges and experiences that adolescents have, both good and bad. One book that just screams young adult literature to me that we've read in this class is Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. This book is the perfect example of a young adult novel because it talks about real issues that adolescents face. Some of the real-life challenges depicted in this book include struggling with sexuality, love, strained family relationships, distant parents (the dad in the beginning), complex emotions, and much more. A significant quote from the end of the book that I think represents this is, "All this time I had been trying to figure out the secrets of the universe, the secrets of my own body, of my own heart" (Sáenz 358). This was said at the end when one of the main characters (Ari) finally feels at ease about his sexuality and self-worth, two real-life concepts that many adolescents struggle with. In addition to that, I think many adolescents can relate to trying to figure out/understand themselves during their teenage years. Ultimately, even if one can not relate to a young adult novel, they can still learn from it and find enjoyment in the story. One can be educated on what others might be struggling with, as young adult novels spread awareness of the challenges many young adults encounter in real life. 

Ultimately, although both children's and young adult novels can be used as learning tools, they are also a great source of entertainment and joy. 

Ready For Adulthood? Let's Find Out!!

 Hi! Do you think that you're ready for adulthood? You do? Awesome okay... go through this short checklist and find out if you actually are or not. 

Ready for Adulthood Checklist/Test 

1. Do you know how to wash your clothes without shrinking them or changing their color (even if you think no one will notice)? 

2. How do you get stains out? 

3. Can you cook a healthy meal from scratch? 

4. How's your grandma/grandpa/extended and immediate family? Have you gone to visit (if location allows for it) them recently? 

5. Do you know how to return something via the mail? 

6. How do you pay taxes? (Ya... that's fine... you can think about this one for a little longer.)

7. How often are you supposed to get your car's oil changed? What about tires rotated? 

8. Do you have a First-Aid kit? Do you know how to use everything inside of it?

9. Have you cleaned your room and bathroom within the last few weeks (willingly... not because guests were coming)? 

10. Do you wear perfume or cologne?

11. Have you hosted recently? 

12. Does your place of living smell nice? What type of candles or air fresheners do you use?

13. Have you cleaned your oven recently? (Yup... that needs to be cleaned too!)

14. And how do you cook a Thanksgiving turkey? (Call mom/dad/family and get on that). 

15. How do you turn smoke alarms off?

16. Do you have a stable source of income? 

17. Do you brush your teeth every night without skipping ever? 

18. Do you brush your teeth in the morning, and before you hang out with anyone?

19. Do you know where your nearest hospital is?

20. Do you know how to manage money? What's the point of savings, investing, etc? How much of your income should you really be spending, and on what? 

I chose these questions because when I think of the abilities of an adult compared to an adolescent, these are what come to mind. Along with some more serious test questions on the checklist, I included some funny ones that I think a lot of people can relate to hearing too. For example, I've heard so many people say before "you're not really an adult until you know how to cook a Thanksgiving turkey" and this seems so accurate in my opinion. I feel like all "real" adults know exactly how to perfectly cook a thanksgiving turkey, or they're on the uphill of their learning experience. All in all, in my opinion, I think the majority of these tests are funny but very accurate. I hope you guys get a little laugh out of them too. I guess the final question is... Are you ready for adulthood?

If you passed the test, here is the photo of your adult license!

Comics, Comics, and More Comics!

Hi everyone! I was feeling like I needed to branch out to a different (more fun) type of Jazzy Journal this week! I wanted to do something with the drawings in this novel because I feel they play such a huge role in bringing the story to life. Ultimately, I decided I wanted to share some comics from the first half of the novel and talk a little bit about how I felt about them and why I liked or disliked each one. 

1.

This is the first comic that I want to talk about and I absolutely loved it. It was on page three so this was right at the beginning of the story. One aspect of this drawing that I found so engaging was that it incorporated history (because it was right after a comic explaining the Veil had become mandatory to wear at school) and humor. I thought this was such a funny drawing because as you can see the children didn't really want to wear their Veils. I also thought this was one of the first visuals that demonstrated rebellion. 

2.

Unlike the comic I talked about earlier, this was one of the parts of the book that I found more disturbing. As you can see, I included a group of comics in this picture to further explain the comic on the bottom. The bottom comic is a drawing of the police beating the people that were outside of the building that was on fire. This beating took place after the police told the people outside that they were forbidden to help rescue people from inside the building on fire. At times like this when I was reading the book, I found myself forgetting that this is a memoir and this is something that ACTUALLY happened. It definitely made me sad to read that and I felt that it was almost told in a very casual way which made me as a reader think that things like this were not unusual. 

3. 

One thing that I really liked about this comic was that I felt like it represented Marji's character well. This drawing shows the mind of a child in such perfect resemblance. When Marji heard that her grandpa was a prince her mind immediately painted this picture of wealth and glory. I think that is true to what a lot of young children might picture when they picture a prince. All in all, I thought this comic did a great job of reinforcing the child's perspective that the beginning of the book is written though. 

4.

 

The reason why I picked these last comics to show was because I thought they were so touching. They really show the strong family theme in this novel. As you can see, the dad that was in prison let his daughter ride on his back even when he was in pain because it made her happy. This part of the book, along with the drawing, really touched my heart and made me feel something as a reader which I think is an important quality of a good book.

A Poem of Self Acceptance inspired by Ari

I wanted to write a poem about self-acceptance inspired by Ari. Throughout the book, Ari struggled with self-acceptance of his sexuality. He struggled with accepting his feelings because some of the people he was surrounded by were homophobic (extended family). He struggles with handling and accepting his true feelings for Dante, and felt ashamed for the way he felt. Later in the story when he was finally able to accept his sexuality and his true self, he reflected on his past feelings of shame by saying, "I thought of that look on my mother's face when I'd told her I was ashamed I thought of that look of love and compassion that she wore as she looked at me. 'Ashamed? Of loving Dante?' I took Dante's hand and held it. How could I have ever been ashamed of loving Dante Quintana?" (Sáenz 359). I can only imagine that this acceptance that Ari expresses and feels was one of internal freedom. I hope to capture that feeling in the poem I wrote below.

Internal Freedom

Self-acceptance can be hard to do,

especially when no one knows what you're going through.

It can be hard when you bundle all your feelings inside,

lock them up and throw the key to the side. 

But once you realize it's okay to be you,

you can start accepting all the parts no one knew. 

You can grow your love for yourself,

which will help you take better care of your mental health. 

You will be in a happier state,

and notice that smiling has become your new fate. 

You will be able to retrieve the key you threw to the side,

and unlock the freedom from inside.  

-Nadia Abukhadra 

Unit Plan ELA Standards and Research

I'm doing my unit plan on the book The Girl Who Drank The Moon. I'm really excited to continue to create this unit plan and see how everything comes together in the end!!

To start, when I researched this book, it came up as a fifth-grade reading level book. I had originally thought this book would be perfect for fifth graders, and this just confirmed it! So, I'm planning my unit plan for fifth graders. 

Some ELA fifth grade guidelines that I want to include in my process of creating my unit plan are:

5.1.1.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. 

5.1.2.2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from detail in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speakers in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. 

5.1.3.3: Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text. 

Goals:

Some goals that I have for this lesson plan based off some of these ELA standards are:

-Activities comparing and contrasting settings and characters in the book. 

-Determine the major themes in the book as we read the book, and then have a reflection activity on them.

-Including an activity where I have the students do a group project (to be determined what the project is; maybe creating a kahoot or presentation for the class) and include quotes from the text and being able to explain why they included them or thought they were important. 

Research:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3JXsIk3kJ4

- This is an interview with the author where she talks about her book The Girl Who Drank The Moon. I think this would help prepare me to teach this Unit Plan. I also think it would be beneficial to perhaps showing the students a clip from the interview so they have a better understanding/some background knowledge before we dive into the book.

http://www.suzyred.com/The-Girl-Who-Drank-the-Moon.html

-This source is one that I could gather a lot of inspiration from. There are different lesson ideas that I think would be engaging to include in my unit plan in teaching The Girl Who Drank The Moon. For example, pictured on the website in a jeopardy game for the book. I hadn't thought of that before seeing in on this source but that definitely made me intrigued. I think a jeopardy game might be a fun way to "quiz" the students on different aspects of the book.

https://quizlet.com/228597335/the-girl-who-drank-the-moon-flash-cards/

-I liked this quizlet for this book because it included page numbers with the answers. I think if I created my own quizlet for my unit plan I could use some inspiration from this quizlet. I also think that it might be helpful to see what other people think are the valuable things to take away from this book, and looking at other teacher's quizlets show me what they value from the book! 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/40813940361127259/

-I really like this worksheet outline for comparing characters! I think this would be a resource that I could just print off and give to the students to work on. I think that since most compare and contrast worksheets look the same it would be kinda pointless for me to create my own when I could just use one already made in an organized, easy-to-read outline. 

https://fifthgd.weebly.com/uploads/4/6/9/1/46913849/compare_contrast_settings_answers.pdf

-I found this ELA standards worksheet that shows exactly how to compare and contrast the setting of a novel in an efficient and effective ELA way. I think this would be such a helpful source in creating my unit plan! I could pull so much useful information from this source that would help me create an activity where the students could compare and contrast the setting in the book. 

The Girl Who Drank The Moon Unit Plan

Week One: 

-Let's take a quick look at the book, what do we infer the book is about based on the title, back of the book, and cover? 

-Make a list of the class's book predictions and hang the big sheet of paper somewhere in the classroom where everyone can see it. 

-Read the first third of the book 

-On Friday, have everyone pick their favorite character and plan out how they're going to dress up like them for school on Monday. I will also have everyone bring in one small prop that they feel represents their character. I will have a sheet of paper designated for every character with some inspiration of things that could help students decide what to wear and what props to bring (keeping this pretty vague and left up for interpretation).

Week Two: 

-To start off, have the students write down what was their favorite part of the book that we read last week? Once everyone has their scene, I would have them draw it for 10-15 minutes and then have the class do an "art gallery" and walk around and look at everyone's favorite scene and their interpretations of what it looked like.

-Read the second third of the book 

-Spend a day in The Girl Who Drank The Moon world ( this is where the classroom is all decorated with glow-in-the-dark decorations and there are different stations around the room where the students can interact with different aspects of the book. For example, there would be a huge tube of slime in one section of the classroom where they could play with the swamp that Glerk lives in)

Week Three:

-We will have a recap of what we read last week, and then dive right into reading the last third of the book

-Finish the book 

-Roll play week! During this week we will act out the different major scenes as we read the chapters. Each student will have a chance to play a character in the role plays. This is meant to be a fun activity not an anxiety-provoking one.

Week Four:

-Final Discussion of the book (answer any last-minute questions) 

-Kahoot about the book to make sure everyone has a good understanding before diving into presentations. 

-To finish off the book and the week, group presentation on assigned chapters.

The Book Thief Passages

"He reached over and grabbed hold of The Shoulder Shrug. No explanation was required. It was obvious that the girl had stolen it from the fire. The book was hot and wet, blue and red--embarrassed--and Hans Hubermann opened it up. Pages thirty-eight and thirty-nine. "Another one?" Liesel rubbed her ribs. Yes. Another one" (Zusak 125-126).

I chose this passage to discuss because I think it's a very important part of the novel and story's development. To explain this passage further, this is when Liesel steals a book called The Shoulder Shrug from a Nazi book burning. This is significant because this is an area of the novel where the readers can see power from Liesel. She shows how she refuses to conform to the beliefs of the Nazis by doing actions that revolt against their beliefs. In my opinion, this builds character development because it shows how Liesel refuses to blindly follow everything that Nazis suggest and believe what they want everyone to believe. 

"In her room, she prayed. Hands and knees, forearms against the mattress. "Please, God, let Max survive. Please, God, please..." Her suffering knees. Her painful feet. When first light appeared, she awoke and made her way back to the kitchen. Papa was asleep with his head parallel to the tabletop, and there was some saliva at the corner of his mouth. The smell of coffee was overpowering, and the image of Hans Hubermann's stupid kindness was still in the air. It was like a number or an address. Repeat it enough times and it sticks" (Zusak 400).

I chose this passage to discuss because I believe it has great significance. To further explain some events that lead up to this passage, this passage came after Hans gave bread to an elderly Jewish man. By doing this, he endangered his family and Max (the Jewish man that was hiding in their home). I think this is an important passage because it really shows the true character of both Hans and Liesel. As readers, we are able to see the overwhelming kind personality that Hans has and his huge heart. We are also able to see the kindness that Liesel has learned from Hans. When Liesel is praying it is obvious how much she cares for Max and how much kindness she has in her heart. 

I think both of the passages are significant parts of the novel and show immense character development. 

Conversation as Frida Adler

 Hi Frida,

My name is Ita Grynbaum. Times are tough for me. I am battling typhus.

I am working in a labor camp with not ideal conditions. How are you doing? Did anyone escape the arrest?

I would love to get to know you. 

Ita 

 

Hi Grynbaum! I'm really sorry to hear that times are rough for you right now.

I hope you recover from Typhus soon. It makes me really sad to hear that you're working in a labor camp.

Is your family there too? When was the last time you saw them, if not? I haven't seen my family since I was a teenager,

but I think my father might have survived the arrest upon hearing new information although I have no memory

of it taking place. 

-Frida 

 

Frida,

My father died when I was younger.

I miss him dearly. It was so unexpected.

One morning he did not wake up. I remember that day vividly.

My mother is here with me in this camp. It is quite scary. I hope she does not contract this illness.

Many people have been dying. 

 

Grynbaum, 

I'm sorry to hear about your dad. I miss my family dearly too. I wish we could be reunited.

I hope your mom doesn't get the illness either, and I hope that you are able to escape the labor camp soon.

I wish there was something I could do to help.

 

Thank you for your kind words Frida. I have been quite lonely here. I hope the best for you. 

You too, I'm glad we got to know each other! I hope things get better for you soon!

Brown Girl Dreaming the Movie

Hi Everyone! While reading this book, I was constantly envisioning what it would look like as a film! I thought it would be really fun to share some parts of the book that I think would be really interesting to watch in a movie version of this memoir. 

To begin, yes... I would definitely watch this movie if it was one! I think it would be super interesting to view the Civil Rights Movement era through the unique perspective of young Jacqueline Woodson. 

Here are some chapters and quotes that I think would be really intriguing, engaging, eye-opening, and educational to view in a movie form. 

1. I think the chapter called second daughter's second day on earth would be such an interesting part of the movie as it sets the time period, discrimination, and gives an introduction to major people that had a significant impact on the Civil Rights Movement. One quote from this chapter that really made me curious and want a better visual (through a movie) was "I am born brown-skinned, black-haired and wide-eyed. I am born Negro here and Colored there and somewhere else, the Freedom Singers have linked arms, their protests rising into song: Deep in my heart, I do believe that we shall overcome someday" (Woodson 3-4). I thought this quote was so interesting and I think it could be portrayed in such a unique way because it gives details about Jacqueline Woodson's life but also intertwines important historical people and events. 

2. The second chapter I think would be interesting to watch if this was a movie would be the chapter called baby in the house. In this chapter, Roman gets sick from eating the paint off the walls and gets lead poisoning, and has to go to the hospital. I think this is a really sad reality of the time period the events in this memoir took place in. Many babies and young children used to get sick and/or die from lead poisoning and I think watching this part in the movie would be a really engaging way to be educated on the matter. Although this would be a sad part of the movie, I think it would be a visually captivating part. In addition, I think watching this situation take place through a child's perspective would be even more interesting. For example, the quote, "And for many days after that, there is no baby in our house and I am finally the baby girl again, wishing I wasn't" (Woodson 188). This quote is captivating to me because I think it's a really unique way to look at the situation. Woodson expresses a sense of what I interpreted as relief from being the baby again, but then the feeling of sadness overweighed it almost entirely. I think this scene would be a really interesting part of "the movie". 

3. Another chapter I would LOVE to see visually represented in a movie version of this book would be the chapter power to the people. I think this chapter is so empowering and as a reader, I can really feel the sense of belonging and power that a young African American girl would feel during the time from watching such a strong female role mole fight for what they believe in--something that would change the world for the better and benefit them, their families, and friends personally. I think one quote that really stands out to me that I think would be so powerful in a move would be, "She is beautiful and powerful and has my same gap-tooth smile. We dream of running away to California to join the Black Panthers the organization Angela is a part of"( Woodson 302). I think this quote is so moving and relatable in a sense, as I think the feeling can be applied to other situations. This would be really powerful to watch in my opinion. 

4. Lastly, another chapter that really impacted my reading experience with this book was the one called every wish, one dream. I think this chapter would be amazing to visually see happen. I think it would make it even more of a moving part of Jacqueline's life if I were able to really watch it happen in a movie. A quote that I want to visually watch Jacqueline discover her identity and really find herself would be, "What did you wish for? To be a writer"(Woodson 313). I love this part of the book because I feel like this is where the readers really get to see Jacqueline find herself. I think this part of her life would be so empowering and satisfying to visually see happen. 

All in all, this book (in my opinion) had a lot of really amazing chapters and aspects to it that I would love to be able to visually see take place in the form of a movie. The above chapters were just some of my favorites that I think would be so interesting to watch. 

Thanks for reading! :)

What About Brown Boy Dreaming?

In the book Brown Girl Dreaming, the main character Jacqueline Woodson is a girl that was born during the Civil Rights Movement and faces many hardships that took place during that time period. 

I wonder... would Jacqueline have had the same experiences and life journey if she were a boy? How would the treatment she had received differ? Would it have been better? Would it have been worst? What would her life have been like instead if she were a boy? Would "he" have had a better/worst life overall? 

Did anyone else wonder this when reading? Or was it just me haha?

There was one specific part of the book where I found myself wondering about this and it was in the chapter called "a girl named jack".  My curiosity sparked right here at the title. Well, why would they want to name a girl a typical boy's name, Jack? I thought as soon as I glanced at the title. Upon reading further I realized it was the father that wanted her name to be Jack. I thought about this for a second... Was it just because he wanted her to be named after him? Maybe, but I think not. I continued to read the chapter and stumbled upon the words of her father that read, "Name a girl Jack"... "and she can't help but grow up strong"(Woodson 6). I thought about this sentence for quite some time. Would a male that lived during the Civil Rights Movement be a stronger figure than a woman? Would a man living during this time period face fewer hardships than a woman because of his strength? I started to wonder about what Jacqueline's life would be like if she were born a boy instead. First, I think the perspective and language of this book would be completely different. While reading it, the words carry a feminine ring to them as they leave the pages of the book and enter my mind. Second, I think the style of the book would have been written differently. I think it would have been written in large chapters with no poetry, but hardly language to really shown the struggle of the 1960s. I also think there would have been illustrations to help the reader picture what was going on. Lastly, I think the experiences that Jacqueline had would have been completely different if she was of the male gender instead. I think her life would have been a completely different story. I'm not sure exactly what that story would look like, but I think it would be really interesting to read that perspective as well. 

A Little Monster Trivia For Your Day!

Okay...  Trivia Time!! 

Turn your monster knowledge ON!  ;)

Ready...?

Let's Play!!! 😈

1. What character is a werewolf in the story? 

a. Silas

b. Miss Lupescu

c. Bod

d. Liza Hempstock

2. What is a werewolf connected to?

a. Rivers 

b. Sunlight 

c. Cliffs 

d. Full Moon 

3. What is a vampire's weakness/fear?? 😱

a. Wooden stake through the heart 

b. Garlic 

c. Fire 

d. Sunlight 

4. What character in the story is a witch?

a. Bod 

b. Mrs. Owens

c. Liza Hempstock

d. Jack 

5. What are witches typically BEST known for??

a. Having a connection to a full moon

b. Casting spells 

c. Turning into a bat 

d. Being invisible

6. What do vampires love to eat?

a. Bod 

b. Garlic 

c. Blood 

d. Gold 

7. What are Mr. and Mrs. Owens?

a. Ghosts 

b. Vampires 

c. Witches 

d. Murderers 

How many did you get right???

Do you know your monsters, or do you know your monsters!?!

Answer Key:

1. b

2. d

3. ALL OF THEM... Yes... YOU GOT THIS ONE RIGHT!!! GO YOU!! 👏👏

4. c

5. b

6. c

7. a