New Author!

We started a new writing curriculum this year. It's put out by the Institute for Excellence in Writing. It starts out with a simple concept of rewriting another story using a key-word outline. The story the kids rewrote today was The Hare and the Tortoise. I started out with a younger curriculum so that I could teach Ben and Beth together. It was easier for Beth, but I think she still had fun. She'll be posting her story on her blog later today.

The main rule was for them to stick to the theme of the story. In the original story, the Hare challenges the Tortoise to a race. Obviously the Hare was much faster, so it didn't seem like much of a challenge. Then, because of a fateful mistake on the Hare's part, the Tortoise amazingly wins the race! The kids had the freedom to change the characters and the circumstances...just not the main storyline.

So, drumroll please.................

Spider-Man Challenges Mary Jane to a Race

by Ben, age 10

One day Spider-Man was annoyingly making fun of Mary Jane and how slow she was. "Why don't you race me if you think you will win?" she asked. "Because it would be way too easy!" he answered.

"Race me?" he asked a moment later. "Fine," Mary Jane agreed.

The Green Goblin was judging the race. "On your mark, get set, go!" Spider-Man was off! Mary Jane was going pretty fast, but by now she couldn't even see Spider-Man. Then all of a sudden he heard a scream. "Go get 'em Tiger!" Mary Jane yelled from far off. So off Spider-Man went to save the world! Meanwhile, Mary Jane kept plodding on.

Two hours later, Spider-Man, exhausted from fighting, limped across the finish line to find that Mary Jane had won the race.

The End