Libraries Unlimited

1-20-11 Dianne de Las Casas with students from Ms. Loszczyk's first grade class

Friends:

Today was the 8th day of my “Stories on Board: Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales” residency at Strehle Elementary in Avondale, Louisiana. First and second grades went on a field trip to the Insectarium in the morning so I had a little break. My first class started in second period. I visited Ms. Jones’ Kindergarten class for the second time. I told the story of “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza” and the students enjoyed the rollicking rhythm of the story. Afterwards, they played the accompanying game, “The Little Red Hen’s Pizza Party.”

1-20-11 Ms. Jones' Kindergarten class plays The Little Red Hen's Pizza Party

In Ms. Royster’s third grade class, we had so much fun! The students completed their board games and were able to play. They were so excited to play the games they had created. Ms. Royster loved their collaborative work and their creativity. It was great to see their enthusiasm!

1-20-11 Students in Ms. Royster's third grade class play their game, The Ferocious Fox, board game from , based on the story of Henny Penny

My next class was PK Special Ed. Boy did we have a great time. I shared my stories, “Rockin 3 Billy Goats” and “Mama’s Bayou.” We sang songs and the kids loved it. And I did it with a child in my lap the whole time!

Next, it was on to Ms. Badeaux’s second grade class. They had just returned from an exciting field trip to the Insectarium. I told them the story, “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza.” They loved it. By Ms. Badeaux’s special request and in honor of their trip to the Insectarium, I told an excerpt of Madame Poulet and Monsieur Roach (Mrs. Chicken and Mr. Roach), showing them the book. Then they began asking questions about how a book is published. I deviated from the planned lesson and embraced the “teachable moment,” sharing insider information about how a book goes from manuscript to a printed book on the shelf. They soaked up the information!

1-20-11 Ms. Badeaux's smiley second grade students!

My last class was Ms. Lojszczyk’s first grade class. It was my second and final visit to their class. We had a great time with the story, “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza.” Afterward, we played “The Little Red Hen’s Pizza Party. It was a slice of fun!

1-20-11 Students in Ms. Lojszczyk's first grade class play The Little Red Hen's Pizza Party

Friday is my final day in the classrooms. I can’t wait to see the 5th graders finish their board games. It’s going to be a blast!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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1-19-11 A group of 5th graders work on their game, The Wolf Chase, based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood

Friends:

Today was the 7th day of my 10-day “Stories on Board: Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales” residency at Strehle Elementary in Avondale, Louisiana. My first class began in first grade in Ms. Short’s class. It was my second and final visit to the class and I told them the story of “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza.” They were familiar with the story of “The Little Red Hen” but they really loved my remixed version. Afterward, they played “The Little Red Hen’s Pizza Party,” using the higher math concepts on the board. I was really impressed with Ms. Short’s first graders!

1-19-11 Students from Ms. Short's first grade class play Little Red Hen's Pizza Party

Here is a picture of yours truly in Ms. Short’s first grade class. Good morning!

1-19-11 Self-portrait in Ms. Short's first grade class

Next, it was on to 5th grade. I had three groups of 5th grade classes, back-to-back. My first group was working on the story, The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Their games were turning out so cute.

1-19-11 A group of 5th graders work on their game, Troll Troubles , based on the story, The Three Billy Goats Gruff

The next group of 5th graders were creating games based on the story, “The Lion and the Mouse.” Some of the students used the concept of the Lion in creating their game, while others used the concept of the Mouse. I loved how this group used the outline of the lion to create their board.

1-19-11 A group of 5th graders work on their game, The Hungry Lion, based on the story, The Lion and the Mouse

My next group of fifth graders were assigned the story, “Little Red Riding Hood.” There were a lot of creative concepts with this group! I loved how one group created their board inside the body of a wolf (picture at the top of this blog). Little Red’s Caper is another stand-out. Look at creativity involved in this game!

1-19-11 A group of 5th graders and their game, Little Red's Caper, based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood

After lunch, I went to Ms. Hervey’s first grade class. It was my first visit to their class and they really loved my version of “The Gingerbread Jam.” The whole class fully participated in the story, losing themselves in the participation. It was so much fun to see that kind of enthusiasm. It’s contagious! Then, of course, it was time to play the game. They had fun playing again and again. Each time someone won the game, they started over. When I left the class, I settled them down and they were as quiet as church mice. Good job, Ms. Hervey’s class!

1-19-11 Students in Ms. Hervey's first grade class play The Gingerbread Jam

Next, it was time for Ms. Badeaux’s second grade class. It was my first visit to this class and again, the story of “The Gingerbread Man” was very well-received. After dividing the class into groups of four and five students, it was time to play “The Gingerbread Jam.” The volume of the class tends to go up as they play the game because they get so excited but I love seeing them cooperate, take turns, and navigate around the board.

1-19-11 Students in Ms. Badeaux's second grade class play The Gingerbread Jam

I ended my day in Ms. Royster’s third grade class. They had to continue work on their board games, based on the story of “Henny Penny.” They worked on plotting their game board spaces, creating perils and triumphs, and coloring the board. In my next class, they should be able to play their games.

1-19-11 Killer Foxy Loxy game from Ms. Royster's third grade class, based on the story of Henny Penny

It was a good day and I can’t wait to see the upper grades’ finished board games. On Friday, we should see some of the amazing results!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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