Author: BBCo

Posted on by

Write “Your Very Own Ars Poetica”

_MG_3713
Q: What is the purpose of poetry?

A: Why an Ars
Poetica of course.

Q: A what?

(Now the fun begins…)

A: Well, being a Latin phrase “ars poetica” is translated
“on the art of poetry” in English. And art by definition allows the imagination to speak. Art shows.

Q: So how does poetry show?

A: Let’s explore. 

 

To begin, compare a
poem to the unexpected and you will begin to see the art of poetry:

A poem is an orange balloon against the blue sky.

A poem is a gift-wrapped pair of well-worn sneakers.

A poem is a baby crying at the end of a nap.

A poem is a collection of musical notes.

A poem is a silver spoon diving into vanilla ice cream.

A poem is honey on the tongue.

Keep going…

 

Think about how the
poem infuses the senses and you will begin to “show” the art of poetry. Generate
ideas by answering the following questions:

How does poem sound?

Example – A poem is river tumbling stones.

How does a poem look?

Example – A poem is a glass tower in gloaming.

How does a poem feel to the touch?

Example – A poem is nestled in velvet and fingertips stroking bark.

How does a poem taste?

Example – A poem is cayenne smothered in chocolate.

How does a poem smell?

Example – A poem is honeysuckle on a warm spring day.

Where does a poem take the reader?

Example -…to stars hanging in night sky.

 

Gather
more fodder by imagining a series of “what if” scenarios…

If your poem was on the moon, how would it
survive?

If your poem was on stage, what would it
wear and how would it act?

If your poem was a bird, what would it see?

What if your poem went exploring?

Keep imagining until you have a page of
ideas.

 

Now, began by
crafting your ideas to single sentences that describe the art of poetry and the
essence of a poem:

Example-

A poem is the clap of rain, the trumpet of thunder and
takes me to stars hanging in the night sky.

 

Next, break each sentence into poetic phrases. Feel free
to make little word adjustments as you craft your line breaks:

 

A poem is

clap of rain,

trumpet of thunder,

and painter of stars

clinging to the night sky.

 

As you see, each sentence will be crafted to a single
stanza. Try another and another. Soon you will have your Ars Poetica.

 

Archibald MacLeish "Ars
Poetica" (1926)

A poem should be palpable and mute

As a globed fruit, 

 

Dumb

As old medallions to the thumb, 

 

Silent as the sleeve-worn stone

Of casement ledges where the moss has grown
– 

 

A poem should be wordless

As the flight of birds.

 

A poem should be motionless in time

As the moon climbs, 

 

Leaving, as the moon releases

Twig by twig the night-entangled trees, 

 

Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves,

Memory by memory the mind – 

 

A poem should be motionless in time

As the moon climbs.

 

A poem should be equal to

Not true. 

 

For all the history of grief

An empty doorway and a maple leaf. 

 

For love

The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea
– 

 

A poem should not mean

But be.

Posted on by

Seven Ways to the Wonders of Chemistry

Ele5
Ele4
Ele3
Ele2
Chemistry is much more than a table
of elements, complicated theories, and experiments in the lab. Chemistry is the
foundation of literally everything we know. But for our children, chemistry is
at best a daunting subject, at worst downright boring. Mention the word
chemistry and they will run! That’s
why this year I chose to introduce my elementary and middle school apprentices
to the subject before it was too late.

Honestly, chemistry is no
more daunting than any other subject to be mastered. And chemistry is certainly
NOT boring! Developing an imaginative view of chemistry is the key to unlocking
its wonders.

Here are some ideas to
get started.

1. Transcend the Textbook
There are all sorts of
wonderful books available to help simplify this expansive subject. Chemistry: Getting a
Big Reaction, by Simon Basher, is a really good introduction for children.

In his book, The Periodic Kingdom, P.W Atkins transforms the periodic table to a
fictitious kingdom where we can explore the potential of its topography. This
is the perfect, albeit heady, way to move beyond the mundane and journey into
the wonderful territory of chemistry.

2. Go Digital
One of the best resources
available on the web is hosted by The University of Nottingham. Trust me, The Periodic Kingdom of Videos is AMAZING, crazy-haired scientist and all! Your apprentices will want to watch
every single video and once they do, they will never be bored by chemistry
again.

Element videos

3. Demonstrate Virtually
These ChemDemos from James Madison University help kids to visualize chemical concepts. (The Gummy Bear Sacrifice is particularly dramatic.)

4. Experiment
Experiencing the wonders
of chemistry is to experiment. But keep it simple. Focus on the concept of
chemical reactions. Teach the budding chemist to hypothesize.

You can purchase a
chemistry kits all over the Web:
Thames & Kosmos and Carolina both have tons of great resources.

Or purchase a book of
experiment recipes like, Janice Van Cleave's Chemistry for Every Kid: 101
Easy Experiments that Really Work, by
Janice Van Cleave

5. Play


914EG7tsCtL._SL1500_
The Elements Puzzle: 1000 Pieces, by Theodore Gray
The Periodic Table of Elements Magnets, by Smart
Memory Art
Elementeo Chemistry Card Game, by Alchemist Empire,
Inc.

Periodic Table Playing Cards, by Les Entreprises SynHeme

6. Sing Along


They Might Be Giants – Meet the Elements from They Might Be Giants on Vimeo.


7. Research and Make!
This past week I assigned each of my 22 science
apprentices an element to research. Each would write a three-part paper. The
research paper would begin like all good research papers should, by
communicating the history and basic scientific characteristics of that element.
The paper would move on to discuss the element’s purpose and uses in the wide
world. But I saved the best for last. The third section of the research paper
would move on to a larger discussion of what the element teaches human kind
about human nature. I helped them to begin this consideration by asking, “If
you were an element, what element would you be and why?” The group smiled and
the conversation got lively. Ultimately, this is the challenge that my
apprentices liked best of all because this is the sector of their research
where they were invited to engage imagination. 

I provided each of my apprentices with a frame from
my local craft store—only $1.00 each—and gave them specific instructions to
stain the frame with a color that would best represent or compliment their
element (I, of course provided the watercolor). They were to put periodic table
information on the front of the frame and amazing facts on the back of the
frames. The frames would not only guide them in an oral presentation of their research,
but in the end become a larger than life game for our guild, “Scramble them up
and see how fast you can order them!” 

Here are some wonderful resources to have on hand
during the research:
The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe, and The Photographic Card Deck of The Elements: With Big Beautiful
Photographs of All 118 Elements in the Periodic Table, by Theodore Gray, and The Periodic Table: Elements with Style! by Simon Basher.

PS – And just for a little more Periodic Table fun!

– Kim

Posted on by

To Read or Not to Read… Now That’s a Question!

Mango
Yesterday
one of my apprentices brought me a gift. She simply handed me the sunny little
package and smiled. Actions really do speak louder than words, but in this case
the action was sparked by the whisper of words. And that whisper was echoing
all the way from Elizabethan England, a whisper from the Bard himself.

This
particular apprentice has been part of my high school literature and
composition workshop for three years. When her parents came to me for help at
the beginning of her sophomore year, she was on her school’s “at risk” list. But,
after meeting this girl, I knew she was not at risk. This girl was not
interested in words—not the reading of words, not the writing of words, not the
speaking of words. This girl was not interested because she could not imagine what
in the world words had to do with her.

I
receive calls on a regular basis from parents deeply concerned by apathetic,
and often dangerous, behavioral tendencies in their uninspired adolescents.

My
heart breaks each and every time.

The
solution to this dilemma is a complex choreography that can only be
accomplished longitudinally, one step at a time. But the dance can’t begin
until I teach the dancer to read. I’m
not talking about phonics—this is not about learning to decode language on the
page. Truth is, illiteracy is much more than an inability to decipher letters
on a page. I’m talking about the insidious kind of illiteracy that begins with
three small words, “Books are boring.” This is the kind of illiteracy that
shrinks possibility.

Choosing
to read is courageous.

More
than one parent has asked me, “What have learning to read and write got to do
with promoting individuality?”

Great
stories are chock-a-block with possibility.           

Possibility
has the potential to spark curiosity.

Curiosity
leads to imagination.

Imagination
fuels dreams.

Over
the years I’ve mentored countless young people whose GPA does not reflect their
potential. And this particular apprentice was no exception. So I began as I
always do, I handed her a book.

Great
stories contain the potential to be instructive and experiential. For those who
know how to use them, books will spark curiosity, evoke imagination, and foster
creative critical thinking. Because the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual
components of a story are inseparable, a single story can profoundly impact an
individual. A great story may encourage us to revel in the beauty of creation,
coax us to embrace heroism, fight injustice, may inspire us to love our
neighbor as ourselves. No matter the case, great stories hold the potential for
the reader to glean wisdom. Great stories encourage us to persevere in the
complex tasks we encounter while reaching for life’s potential.

I
took this high school sophomore by the hand and stood with her at the first
page of a book, “In this particular story, as seventh grade comes to a close,
Allegra Leah Shapiro has been selected as a finalist in a prestigious violin
competition and this stirs up all sorts of inner conflict…”

            Why
does summer have to be so hectic?

            What
does it mean to be half Jew and half gentile?

            Why
is soprano, Diedre, crying?

            How
can I be a twelve-year-old violinist and have time to be a friend?

            Why
is my brother so annoying?

            How
has Mr. Trouble lost his song?

            What
is this gift from Bubbe
Raisa?

            And
what of this great-grandmother I’ve been named after?

            Will
I be able to dig deep enough for Mozart?

            Can
I undo what has been done?

I
read this to my apprentice believing with all of my heart that Allegra, might
be able to inspire her, if she dared to read between the lines and listen, “You
are not alone.”

“The Mozart Season,” I tell her, “is a
quiet story, one filled with resounding music that just might change your
life.” I leave it there, hand her the book and ask her (well, okay, require her) to read a bit so we can
discuss the story in a week.

I’m
always hopeful, but when a week has passed, I know she might still be at the
starting blocks. This particular type of race is never a sprint.

A
week later I ask, “So have you completed the reading?”

“Well,
no, not really, I mean, well…”

“This
was required reading.”

“I
just really don’t get it.”

Obviously
this is not about decoding the words on the page. This girl knows how to read, thing
is, she has no idea how to be inspired by a story, has no idea how to embrace
the universal truths, let alone apply them to her life. This girl has no idea
how to animate a character like Allegra.

So
I read the opening paragraph on the first page of chapter one: “In Mr. Kaplan’s
studio is a needlepoint pillow, on a chair. On one side of it is a violin. The
other side says, A teacher is someone who
makes you believe you can do it. Somebody who took lessons from him a long
time ago made it. When I was little, I couldn’t read it clearly because
needlepoint letters have odd shapes.”

“Seems
to me Virginia Euwer Wolff is using pretty plain language. This is not
Shakespeare!”

“Um,
I don’t know.”

“Has
anyone ever told you that a great story is a mentor?” 

She
is about to roll her eyes, but surprisingly trusts me instead, “What?”

With
I sigh of relief, I don’t miss a beat, “If we dig deep enough into the heart of
a story, dig to its very core, we always discover a treasure. And I believe
that this treasure has the power to inform our life. A book leads us by the
hand on an exploration of discovery that will make us a richer person.”

“But
my mind wanders when I read.”

“Mine
too.”

“Really?”

“Yes.
I’ve worked to slow down when I read, worked to build habits that help me ponder
words, phrases, passages, peculiar shape, sound and meaning. And this work,
this habit of being, has enabled me to value reading. Truth is, I’ve learned to
love stories because I’ve discovered that stories enrich my individuality. I
know you can too. I want to help
you through this book because there is embedded treasure just for you. I want
to help you do the work of extracting that treasure because your individuality
matters. You matter”

She
is beaming, but only for an instant. Then the work began.          

That
was three years ago. We made it though The
Mozart Season in much the same way that Allegra got through the violin
competition, gathering strength along the way. We read Pictures of Hollis Woods. We read Milkweed. We read another and another. Last fall we read The Screwtape Letters. This fall we
tackled Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet. 

So
when my apprentice handed me the bag of snacks smirking the slogan, “Much ado
about Mango,” I know she’s learned to read, really read. I hear the violins and
see Allegra smile, “Remember,
what’s down inside you, all covered up—the things of your soul. The important,
secret things . . . The story of you, all buried, let the music caress it out
into the open.”

– Kim

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Twelve Days

2630
Up until recently I thought that the Twelve Days of
Christmas were the twelve days before Christmas. Not so. These twelve days, The
Twelve Days of Christmas, are twelve days after Crīstesmæsse, the Chrsitmastide.

Twelve days came down to us from centuries past to represent
the timing of the Magi, the Wise Ones from the East who followed stars and
discovered something unimaginable—the Christ child in a stable.

And so this year, here in the 21st century, we
are celebrating for twelve days after Christmas anticipating Epiphany or Three
Kings Day.

Here are some ideas how you might too…

  • In remembrance, you might engage in the tradition of chalking the year
    and initials of the Magi above your door: CMB (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar),
    this, and the phrase Christus mansionem benedicat,
    which translated means "may Christ bless the house."
  • Paint the stars – Wash watercolor paper with a watercolor
    to simulate sky. Lightly sprinkle salt on the picture while it is still wet. The
    texture will increase as the salt absorbs the water around it but leaves the
    pigment behind. This chemical reaction leaves little light spots where the salt
    grains landed—simulated stars. Contemplate the journey of the Magi.

Here’s to keeping our hearts contemplating the curiosity of
days, hope and joy for the New Year.

– The Whole Blackbird Team!

Posted on by

Break the Cycle of Boredom: Build a Habit of Being

My son Taylor has remarked more than once that Danny Champion of the World is his all time favorite elementary
read. Having a dad who is a real life inventor, I’m my son could really relate
to this story. But like many young readers, I’m sure Taylor was simply drawn
into Roald Dahl’s clever tale of the antics of Danny and his loving
poacher/inventor dad.

Obviously Taylor did not build a habit of being for reading and
writing over night. The arduous process involved days upon days of providing my
son with the tools that pressed him into the work of becoming literate—in the
not just able to read and write sense, but in the able to apply and create
sense. The work was complex and the process was longitudinal. Looking back,
providing consistent opportunity for Taylor to participate in a series of small
steps, one-foot-in-front-of-the-other over time while incrementally increasing
the complexity of the reading and writing expectations was key.

Still, sometimes the task of helping Taylor learn to read and write
was like a game of limbo. Increase expectations too much and the pole was
knocked down. Increase the expectations too little and Taylor would knock the
pole off just for fun. The game all said and done, I’m pretty sure that my
son’s investment in learning to not only read great stories closely, but to
mine for applicable riches and learn to communicate his spoil in the form of
words has strengthened his ability to bring an original idea to fruition. Taylor
built a habit of being and that habit of being keeps him on his toes.

A habit of being is forged over time as our children engage in the
work of learning to tackle complex processes, processes such as exploring
literature and the process of mathematical problem solving, such as the process
of crafting a poem or an essay or a fictional story. Establishing habits of
being, best achieved slowly over time, is like transforming coal to
diamond.  

Habits of being spark imagination and imagination sparks curiosity
and curiosity is the stuff from which we forge original ideas. And guess what?
Bringing an original idea to fruition simply will not leave room for boredom.

Recently my seventeen-year-old son,
Taylor, was bored.

Not for long.

One Cannon FD lens, one
iPod, and a stack of cardboard. I watched my son think in threes.

The next thing I see can not exactly be
captured in words. Think the bump and jolt of stop motion. Think the colorless
blur of fast motion. Think the patience and precision of a piano tuner.

This mom moves into his kitchen studio on
a pretense. I am not noticed scouring a counter or two to spy on his process.
Soon the lens projects the screen of the iPod onto a white wall surface.
Problem is the image is in reverse.

I see his interior voice utter, “Hmmm.”

Then I hear, “WAIT.”

I see my son scramble to the art cabinet and reemerge with a piece
of tracing paper. He constructs a screen.

“I made an iPod television!” Suddenly my
presence in the kitchen studio is acknowledged.

“Let's see if I can get the image bigger
on the screen.” A few seconds later, “Whoa!
Look Mom!”

And so, the next time your child is
bored, slide a book across the table. And when they’re done reading hand them
paper and pencil and ask, “Now what’s your idea?”

–Kim


_MG_5169
_MG_5174
_MG_5176
_MG_5183

Posted on by

Imagine a Big Idea: A State Quilt

Lg
The big idea was to study our state in detail for one full school year, learning its basic geography and all the state symbols. There was no pattern. We just designed it the way we wanted it as we journeyed through our study. We decided to spell C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A on little pillows to create a relief effect. Each letter was cut out of different fabrics that had Wonder Under applied to the back. Different embroidery stitches were used to embellish the ironed on letters. The pillows were then hung on little safety pins.

Along the left of the quilt are laminated hand drawn watercolored state symbols—state rock, flower, bird and so on. Our children were delighted to safety pin each symbol randomly.

The middle of our quilted California is made of muslin and is a quilt all it’s own with two sides and batting in the middle. Using a large state map as a guide, major features like deserts, mountain ranges, valleys and lakes were either applied using fabric or paints.

We had children bring in photos of themselves from different places in the state or just photos they had taken in different places. We cut them small, then laminated them and attached them with safety pins. All the quilters painted California poppies and signed their names.

For the finishing touch we used bright yarns to tie the quilt together at random spots. We entered our geography unit in the Mid-state fair and won a first prize ribbon!

It’s pretty obvious that a project like this takes hours and hours. Really, there was no rush… except the deadline for the fair!

– Sara

Posted on by

Read to Write » Write to Read

IMG_2256
Reading and writing should be first and foremost a fun endeavor.

That’s right, fun.

But fun—the true kind—is not a byproduct of easy.

Fun is hard work.

Developing reading fluency takes years.
Developing writing proficiency takes years.
One can’t really be accomplished separate from the other.
Still, more often than not, we isolate the task of teaching the child to read from the task of teaching the child to write. Worse yet, we subdivide these tasks into smaller tasks—phonics, comprehension, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, syntax—until the disconnection is a grim mountain to climb.
The joy of learning to read a great story should not be overshadowed by the work of learning to glean its riches.

The joy of writing should not be overshadowed by the work of learning the mechanical process of setting words to the page.
Words on the page have the power to inspire, to inform, to exhort, to clarify, to persuade, but ultimately words on the page are a gift. When words on the page offer an expression worth expressing, the voice is authentic and the reader is engaged. Robert Frost himself reminds us, “No tears in the writer no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.” Words on the page are worthy on the giving and receiving end.

Blackbird & Company titles represent a selection of authentic classic and contemporary literature that are near and dear to our hearts. We’ve painstakingly created our literature discovery guides with an integrated approach to reading and writing in mind. Our goal is simply to help students engage in the work of loving to read and write.

IMG_3968

Posted on by

Embroidering Audubon


Birds3
“I never for a day gave up listening to the songs of our birds, or watching their peculiar habits, or delineating them in the best way I could.” – John James Audubon

Observation is a powerful skill. Not too long ago we were able to check out bird specimens from our local natural history museum. Sadly they've discontinued this service, but not before we were able to closely observe, sketch, and research more than a dozen species indigenous to our neck of the woods. Simultaneously, we studied the life work of Audubon. As we read, we embroidered original drawings of the birds we were researching.

This past spring, my daughter Hannah graduated from college. As she was a music performance and composition major, she had to write a significant body of original music. All of her music is experimental—Composition for Piano and Toy Piano, Piano and Hands, and so on. But it was the piece that she chose to play at her senior recital that made me smile, no doubt a nod to all the Observation Journal activities from her home school years.

This is what she has to say about composing the piece, entitled BirdTree:

I was inspired to write BirdTree when I stumbled across a video of a man who had created a record player that “plays” slices of tree trunks. The sound was transmitted as though a piano unlocks the music of the tree. In a thrift store, I discovered a book entitled, Field Birds and their Songs. These tools helped me imagine the diverse music of nature and inspired me to compose BirdTree. Reflecting now, all that luxurious time observing birds from the museum up close and personal on our own kitchen table must have somehow informed BirdTree. Without doubt this piece is a nod to Audubon! For this composition real melodies of birds are mixed with my personal interpretations of what different trees might sound like if I were wandering and listening to the forest like Audubon. You can hear a mighty oak, a sturdy elm, a weeping willow, and a tall pine interacting with a black and white warbler, the American robin, the blue jay, and the song sparrow. This piece is meant to echo the ethereal of forest life.

It is amazing how the past is stitched to the future. 

– Kim

Listen to BirdTree

BirdTree


 

 Further Reading:
Into the Woods: John James Audubon Lives His Dream, Robert Burleigh
The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon, Jaqueline Davies

Posted on by

Unplug! Take it Outdoors

Photo-2
Photo
During the course of our virtual traveling this summer, we decided to touch down in Times Square via a Ravensburger puzzle. The adventure took place on our dining room table until this past week when we decided some fresh air and bit of sunshine was in order.

We slid what little of the puzzle we had completed onto an unused presentation board so that it could be stored outside. The board allows us to leave the puzzle on the picnic table over night tucked safely from the family of four rambunctious raccoons and other neighborhood nocturnal wildlife who have adopted my boy’s ninja warrior pool as a watering hole—check out the foot print!

So with only a few days of summer left, unplug in the great outdoors!

– Kim

Posted on by

Learn to Read: Be a Copycat

Klee_1
Klee_2
There are many things that can only be said without words. Yes, without words.

This summer we launched a visual literacy campaign inside my guild. We began with observational exercises. I call this close looking. The goal is to discover and decode the phonics of visual art—line, texture, value, shape, color. We began with Paul Klee.

Paul Klee wanted his make-believe faces to be truer than true ones. He wanted to portray complex emotions in his simple paintings, not just what the eye is able to see on the outside. Head of a Man, Going Senile or Senecio, is a perfect painting to learn just how he accomplished this task.

Spend some time exploring Klee's original.

Always use art vocabulary to guide the observation:
What is the personality of the lives in the painting?
What geometric shapes do you see?
Is the composition symmetrical or asymmetrical?
Is the texture smooth or rough?
Are the values bright or dull?
Is the color warm or  cool?
Is the portraiture realistic or abstract?

This particular work was painted in 1922 while Paul Klee was teaching at the Bauhaus in Welmar. The painting now resides in the Kunstmuseum Basel in Switzerland.

Klee is famous for his experiments with bold color. In this painting, notice how the variations of color in the face contrast with each other and how the combined facial colors contrast with the bright orange background. Look closely, notice how the hot red eyes seem to jump off the canvas.

The simple, flat construction of the shapes is child-like—quintessential Klee. Klee used simple geometry to communicate complex mood and this is what makes his art unique.

The colors in this painting are warm and the shapes are simple. But this doesn't mean the composition is simple. Quite the contrary, the warm colors are complex, the simple shapes are constructed in a simply complex manner. And the best way to discover this complexity is to slow down, read the painting closely, and make a copy.

To copy the abstract face you will need:
– Canvas
– Brushes
– Acrylic Paints
– Water
– Paper Towels

Tips:
1. Begin by mixing little tubs of paints that match the canvas, set aside.
2. Sketch Head of a Man onto the canvas lightly with pencil, paying careful attention to think proportionally.
3. Block in the colors using the paint in a thin manner with a bit more water.
4. Layer paint using a dry brush technique until the desired effect is achieved.

A close study of an abstract work of art takes time, cultivates patience and a host of wonderful character traits in the apprentice. But the most important benefit of a close reading of a painting such as this is the discovery that each line, each stroke of color, each simply constructed shape is certain phonics with vast potential to speak.

– Kim