Posts Tagged writing

The Impression of a Great Story

By on February 21, 2022   /   Articles  

My sister and I like to swap conspiracy theories. It’s a favorite activity at family gatherings, and this past Christmas, after we established that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle probably aren’t robotic clones, we got onto the subject of the Mandela Effect.

The Mandela effect was coined by paranormal researcher Fiona Broome in 2009. The name comes from her discovery of a commonly held belief that former South African president Nelson Mandela died as a political prisoner in the 1980’s. In reality, he passed away in 2013 at the age of 95. Nonetheless, countless people seem to share a false memory of Mandela’s death in the 80’s and his subsequent funeral.

Thanks to the marvels of the internet, there are now dozens of places to find lists of other, similar phenomena (starting with Broome’s own website, which documents the history of this discovery), and the name “Mandela Effect” serves as an umbrella term to describe these commonly held false memories.

Any amount of research on the subject leads to the inevitable question of “why?”.

Why do we misremember things so easily?

Or maybe…why are we so quick to dismiss our memories when they’re challenged?

I’m not particularly interested in solving this problem. Like most writers, I’m happier opening doors and asking questions. And since I’m especially interested in how this phenomenon ties into the kidlit corner of the world, I’ve sifted through the lists to find the three best literary examples of the Mandela Effect. Ready to do some head scratching?

There are no Berenstein Bears

Even as I write that title, Google is telling me I’ve got it wrong. But if it wasn’t for spell check, I’d challenge anyone who questioned my spelling. I mean, hey, I have two little kids. I read books about a lovable family of anthropomorphized bears on the regular. So how could I have it so wrong? What about you? And be honest. The Berenstain Bears would want you to be honest.

A Tale of No Tail

This is one I had to personally check for myself, which isn’t a great sign for my overall sanity. It’s true, though — despite all taxonomical evidence to the contrary, George is a good little monkey who’s always very curious…and inexplicably lacks a tail. Some devoted fans point to the tendency in the 1930’s to group smaller apes (who do not have tails) with monkeys, hence the confusion. Others have proposed the equally reasonable suggestion that in an alternate reality, George does have a tail, and several parallel timelines have actually merged together to create this memory conundrum. Maybe in that other universe George does take the chocolates at the end of the book. I get that he was full, but I never understood why he didn’t just hang onto them for later.

Down or In?

Here’s another one I had to go digging for on my kids’ bookshelf. The Big Bad Wolf tells the pigs he’ll huff and he’ll puff and he’ll blow their house down, right? 

RIGHT?

Maybe you’re faring better than I did in this exploration of collective recollection, but I was 0/3 in my research. The wolf does, in fact, promise to blow the pigs’ houses in. To be fair, there are a hundred spinoffs of this story, and I’m fully confident that in one of them, I’ve got the wording right. Have I personally checked this? Nope! This is as far down the rabbit hole as I’m willing to go, but be my guest and let me know in the comments.

One of the inevitable questions when we do this sort of thing is what really makes a book memorable? Is it these little details, which we apparently have a tendency to muddle, or is it something less tangible? As a kid, my favorite book was James and the Giant Peach, but until I reread it as a young adult, I couldn’t really tell anyone the plot. I just knew that I loved it. I remember a strange sadness when the stack of pages in my right hand grew thin, and I knew it was almost over.

As authors, those are the feelings we dream of conjuring up in people, and it goes far beyond a title or a memorable line or an artistic decision. So whether you’re a reader, a writer, or a little of both, we can probably all agree that the impression of a great story lasts a lot longer than the details, no matter which reality you’ve merged from.

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STEM Tuesday– The Impacts of Our Changing Climate– Writing Tips & Resources

By on February 15, 2022   /   Climate Change/Earth Science, STEM Tuesday  

Our Changing Climate: A Personal Narrative Prompt

In the eye of the storm book cover

In her acknowledgements, Amy Cherrix, author of IN THE EYE OF THE STORM, shares what motivated her to write her book about hurricanes. As she notes: “I undertook this journey to understand hurricanes because I am no stranger to these storms.” In her author bio she writes that she and her family have lived through “six hurricanes, two floods, a desert sandstorm, and more blizzards than she cares to count.” Reflecting on Amy’s comments, and reading through this month’s book list made me realize that all of us have a story to tell when it comes to the impacts of our changing climate.

Like Amy, my family has been affected by climate change. Southern California, where I live, is facing intense wildfires and extreme drought. In the past few years, we’ve seen one of our Scouts’ favorite backpacking trails destroyed, the nature center at a favorite hiking spot burned down, and we were forced to stay inside many days because of wildfire smoke and poor air quality. Not to mention, we have been asked to conserve water because of our ongoing drought.

From  floods to blizzards, and increasingly hot summers, climate change is affecting all of us. This shared experience could be a powerful prompt for a personal narrative assignment. Let’s dive in.

The Personal Narrative Process

There are so many wonderful resources and free lesson plans for crafting personal narratives, and I’ve included links to many of these below. Here are some key steps in the process.

  1. Read and study personal narratives. All good writing starts with mentor texts. The New York Times offers a free personal narrative writing unit for students, which includes links to personal narratives written by Times columnists. Study them to discover the elements of good narrative writing, like the role of setting or using dialog. Or better yet, read some of the personal accounts captures in our books this month, like IN THE EYE OF THE STORM.
  2. Brainstorm your topics. How have you experienced climate change? Read some of the books on this month’s book list to learn about climate change and its various impacts. You might look closely at a book like HOW TO CHANGE EVERYTHING, which includes first-hand interviews with many young activists, who talk about how changing climate is affecting their communities. In the classroom, you can brainstorm impacts of climate change in small groups or with the whole class. Once you have a list, pick a topic that’s affected you personally.
  3. Write down everything you can recall about your specific experience. What happened on that day it was too hot to play soccer outside or that day you had to evacuate for a hurricane? Remember, for a personal narrative, you are your own best source. For your chosen event, think about where you were (setting). Who were you with (characters)? What happened (conflict)? How did it feel? Think about details that speak to all five senses, not just what you saw, but what you heard, felt, smelled, tasted.
  4. Shape your narrative arc, making sure to include:
    • Exposition – the setup where your setting and characters are introduced
    • Rising action – where the action starts happening and events escalate
    • Climax – the final showdown, the moment of greatest conflict
    • Falling action – the events after the climax where tension is falling and the plot events are being wrapped up.
    • Resolution (or dénouement) – that final, satisfying moment, like “they all lived happily ever after.”
  5. After you’ve finished your first draft, revise. After you’ve revised on your own, share with a writing partner (or two) for feedback. I often like to ask my writing partners specific questions, especially about areas I might be struggling with. For example, I might ask “What did you think of the opening? Did it grab your attention?” or “Was the ending satisfying?”

I found some wonderful resources for narrative writing and personal narratives (including mini lesson plans), which I’ll include below. Happy drafting!

O.O.L.F.

Kirsten Williams Larson author

Kirsten W. Larson

Website: kirsten-w-larson.com

Biography

Kirsten used to work with rocket scientists at NASA. Now she writes books for curious kids. She is the author of  WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: EMMA LILIAN TODD INVENTS AN AIRPLANE, illustrated by Tracy Subisak (Calkins Creek), an NSTA Best STEM BOOK, A TRUE WONDER: The Comic Book Hero Who Changed Everything, illustrated by Katy Wu (Clarion), which earned two starred reviews, and the forthcoming, THE FIRE OF STARS: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of, illustrated by Katherine Roy (Chronicle, 2023), and the middle grade graphic novel, THE LIGHT OF RESISTANCE illustrated by Barbara McClintock (Roaring Brook, 2023), as well as 25 nonfiction books for the school and library market. Find her at kirsten-w-larson.com or on Twitter and Instagram @KirstenWLarson.

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STEM Tuesday– The Impacts of Our Changing Climate– In the Classroom

By on February 8, 2022   /   Climate Change/Earth Science, STEM Tuesday  

 

What is climate change? And how does it affect you and me? There are a lot of great books to help students learn about climate change, how it impacts our lives, and what we can do about it, and they are an excellent starting point for activities and discussion in the classroom. Are you ready to explore our changing climate?

 

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.orgWhen the World Runs Dry: Earth’s Water Crisis by Nancy F. Castaldo
What would you do if you turned on the faucet and the water was toxic, or no water flowed at all? Readers will explore worldwide water issues and learn from those impacted and making a difference.

Classroom activity: Hold a classroom discussion about water and water shortages. Do you live in an area that has experienced water shortages? What happened? How did you deal with it? In small groups, have students investigate the water supply in their communities. Where does their water originate? How is this water source affected by climate change? What impact has that had on the local community? On families? Students can brainstorm ways to conserve water in their communities. Have each group present their conservation plan to the class.

 

 

 

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.orgEye of the Storm: NASA, Drones, and the Race to Crack the Hurricane Code by Amy Cherrix
Hurricanes and severe storms leave millions of people in danger. Explore how scientists are studying hurricanes in this Scientists in the Field title.

Classroom activity: Extreme weather can be one of the earliest signs of climate change that you will experience. Weather becomes “extreme” when it is far outside what is typical weather for a specific place at a particular time of year. Hurricanes are one type of extreme weather. Have students select a different kind of extreme weather to research. Have them answer the following questions: What areas of the world are most affected by this weather? How does climate change impact this type of extreme weather? What can we do to protect people and property from this type of extreme weather? Have students prepare a disaster plan for their chosen weather event. What should they do to prepare before the weather event? What should they do during and after to stay safe? Share and discuss the disaster plans with the class.

 

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.orgWhere Have All The Bees Gone? Pollinators in Crisis by Rebecca E. Hirsch
Hirsch explores bee population decline in her latest STEM title. Readers will explore bee natural history along with ways to slow their decline.

Classroom activity: Bees are just one species threatened by climate change and habitat loss. Every living thing on Earth feels the effects of climate change, including those in the backyard or local park. Have students take a walk outside in their backyard or nearby park. Have them identify the organisms that live there, their habitats, and the typical climate of the area. Research and discuss how climate change will affect the plant and animal habitats? Will the species that live there be able to survive? Have students predict what will happen to the backyard ecosystem in the next 20 years and explain their reasoning.

 

 

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.orgHow To Change Everything: The Young Human’s Guide to Protecting the Planet and Each Other by Naomi Klein with Rebecca Stefoff
Klein explores a trove of things we can all do to help the planet in this age of climate change. It also includes powerful stories of young readers making a difference.

Classroom activity: Have students choose one of the young people profiled in this book or another book to study. How has their chosen activist made a difference to protect the planet and everything that lives on it? Have students work together in small groups to create a short presentation of their chosen activist and their achievements.

 

 

Want some more climate activities? Here are a few resources to try:
• NASA Climate Kids, https://climatekids.nasa.gov/menu/make/
• UCAR Center for Science Education, https://scied.ucar.edu/activity
• National Ocean Service, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/discoverclimate/

Hopefully, these activities and resources will get your students excited to learn more about climate change!

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Carla Mooney loves to explore the world around us and discover the details about how it works. An award-winning author of numerous nonfiction science books for kids and teens, she hopes to spark a healthy curiosity and love of science in today’s young people. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, three kids, and dog. When not writing, she can often be spotted at a hockey rink for one of her kids’ games. Find her at http://www.carlamooney.com, on Facebook @carlamooneyauthor, or on Twitter @carlawrites.

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