Kasota Prairie walk

 

Kasota Prairie Walk 

Freya and I went to the Kasota Prairie on a cold but melty March Day.

We saw a hawk (who as actually huge though it doesn't show up in the picture).

We had fun romping. 

And we saw this weird ice formation:
Water rose and froze, then dropped and left behind ice sheets floating in the air, attached to weeds, fences, and twigs.

South Central Service Cooperative Young Writers' Conference

Yesterday (March 13), I presented at the SCSC Young Writers' Conference for 7-9th graders. I did the keynote opening program about "From Here to There by Way of the Zoo," subtitled, "Prairie-Dogging Your Way to a Story," using animal metaphors to talk about patterns of writing to completion, and how we can use odd things we find in everyday life to weave together a coherent whole story. I think it went well--at least the auditorium full of junior high students was attentive the whole time.

Somebody threw up, but otherwise it went smoothly. :)  At leas I had fun. That should count for something, right?

Then I did three sessions on creating a character out of thin air, using an exercise I do in Creative Writing class. Each student makes up a story element (character, setting, problem, twist), puts it in the appropriate bucket, and then draws an element from each bucket. Weaving these different elements together is always the challenge, but can make for some delightful storylines.  It was fun, and nearly every single student in each session had a great start on a story by the time they left the class.

I did meet a lot of wonderful young teens, many of whom are excellent writers!

Young Writers' Conference

At Bethany College on March 13th, I'll be keynote speaker for the Young Writers' Conference.
"Prairie-Dogging Your Way to a Story"

My Workshops will be "Creating a Character Out of Thin Air"

I love this!

Why I ride...Love this video I found...

African Folk Tales

When Joseph Mbele visited our class last week, one of the things he talked about is how folk tales can be so very valuable in learning about a culture. He said that's a way to understand what's important and what a culture sees as valuable and moral.  It made me very happy that I had already planned to make (force?) each student in my Humanities of South Africa class to present a South African Folk Tale to the rest of the class.

Joseph Mbele has a book of folk tales himself, which I am purchasing as soon as I get my next paycheck: These folk tales are from Tanzania, and I can't wait to read this.

Since we're studying South Africa, however, I found this book:

 Each student will get one folktale to present to the class through any means they choose:
storytelling
a skit (collaboration is encouraged)
a video/film
a powerpoint with appropriate pictures while telling...maybe even reading in that case
anything else they can think of.
Some of the stories include the following (Aren't the pictures spectacular!!??)

Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales was published by W.W.Norton&Company in 2002.
I can't list all the contributors or artists, but the book is worth checking out.Everything is copyrighted, so I only gave you a little sampling here.
I can't wait to see what my students do with these stories! 

Joseph Mbele's book AFRICANS AND AMERICANS

Our class, "Culture and History of South Africa,"  read Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences last week. The author, Joseph Mbele came to visit us on Tuesday. It was unanimously considered a DELIGHT.

The book is a fast read, and Joseph Mbele writes in a converational, welcoming style that sucks you right in, keeps you laughing, and keeps you reading. 

In person, Joseph proved to be one of the most brilliant, funny, warm, and gentle human beings I've ever met. My students loved him; the two hours with him flew past.


Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences by Joseph L. Mbele
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was the most delightful read about the differences between Africans and Americans and how we relate to each other. My students loved it, found it fascinating, and flew through it.


If you have students, friends, neighbors, classmates, ANYBODY you know from Africa, this book is for you. If you are traveling to Africa, like my students and I are, it's a MUST.

Best part? Now whenever I am late (no, that never happens), I can say I'm on AFRICA TIME.

View all my reviews

Dog in the ditch

Dog in the ditch

Please don’t chase me

I’m tired

I can’t outsprint you

Today.

I spent all day pulling students,

A paceline toward understanding

the Harlem Renaissance.

They drafted,

I pulled. We got there but

And I’m tired.

You carve a parallel

path through the snowy ditch,

I rise on the pedals,

Sprint over muddy

Icy gravel

Legs remember

Miles in the bank

I race you

And win

You trot home

Through the snow

Good dog

To remind me

Why I am out here

On this inconsequential gravel road

on my heavy winter mountain bike

And no longer tired