I Love Visitors!

Today we had a visitor so I planned to do a variety of CI strategies for her to see.

In Spanish One, in Fourth period, we did a five-level story using an adorable Invisible named Maddie the Marshmallow.
Part One
Part Two
We then retold the story with student actors and this is what we do at the end of most every story, to save for the Filmmaker to compile into the end of the year class video.
I blurred the kids’ faces but you can get a feel for what these short retells are like.  I like doing it this way because then the actors know what is coming since we have “rehearsed” during the creation process.  Also this provides a more uninterrupted listening experience as well as repetitions of the language used in the story.
Retell

In French One, Third period, we reviewed the artists’ work of a five-level story we did yesterday about three friends in the underworld of Sydney, Australia, a Rock, a piece of Paper, and Scissors.  I had typed this story up for a reading.
Part One
Part Two

In Spanish One, Sixth period, we created a One Word Image, a box of Kleenex.
Part One (there is a lot of set up at the beginning so skip to 4:00 if all you want to see is the OWI process)
Part Two

In Spanish One, Seventh period, we made a fresh batch of Invisibles for future stories. Here is a short video of the setup.

Note:  The only reason the students were so engaged and therefore made such good art and such compelling characters is that we have already done a lot of art and stories with One Word Images (OWI) and stories with some of the “invisible pets” I had them draw at the beginning of the school year, which I framed as a “get to know you” activity.  I told the class that I wanted to see their personalities and their creativity since we would be doing a lot of imagination and drawing in class this year.

I also told the kids that they should build in some problems or wishes that the character has, so that creating stories with them will be easier.

Here is a list of their creative ideas.

A cucumber that is the happiest cucumber in the world because he is very popular
A box of Kleenex that is sad because it hates germs
A banana mustache that works at a golf course
A lightening bolt that acts happy but she is really sad inside because she knows she can never be as hot as the sun
A winter cap that hates summer because he knows he won’t be used
A jar of jam that wants to propose to peanut butter
A Party Pirate tho loves to party
Bilberta a bubble tea missing one f her bubble babies
A set of ketchup and bustard who are kids and they are missing their dad Mayo who is with Mustache the corn dog (and might I say much more beautifully-drawn than Howard the kid agrees)
Ms. Hargaden’s water bottle, with the story TBD. The stickers are giving the kid a hard time.
Ramos the Ramen Noodles who can’t stop eating himself!

Oh the fun we will have with these stories. I have said it before and I will say it again, this sure beats telling stories about celebrities.