Alina's Adventures

The Phantom Tollbooth: Max's homeschooling podcast.

The time has come for Max and I to bond over one of my absolute favorite books in the world. Max cackles as he reads it, and I find myself begging him to tell him which part he's reading. For the podcast today, Max is reading aloud Chapter 1 from the book- it's a bad recording because you can hear my typing click-click as he reads. So..... I might try to re-record it if Max is game. But here it is, in alls its ambient distraction, for now. Just click on the image below to listen.

 

Norton Juster shares three minutes of insight into his own childhood and inspirations for The Phantom Tollbooth in this episode of All Things Considered. He explains why his book was not entirely well-recieved by the pedagogy of the day:

Not everyone in the publishing world of the 1960s embracedThe Phantom Tollbooth. Many said that it was not a children's book, the vocabulary was much too difficult, and the ideas were beyond kids. To top it off, they claimed fantasy was bad for children because it disorients them.

The prevailing wisdom of the time held that learning should be more accessible and less discouraging. The aim was that no child would ever have to confront anything that he or she didn't already know.

But my feeling is that there is no such thing as a difficult word. There are only words you don't know yet — the kind of liberating words that Milo encounters on his adventure.

More to explore:

Phantom Tollbooth Interactive Story (Wayback Archive)
Excerpts from the story (B's Page)
Book Report Form (EdHelper) 
Discussion questions (Literary Link) 
Characters (Sparknotes) 

A chat about redwood trees: The podcast.

Redwood Trees: A Conversation

Redwood National Park was established on October 2, 1968 along the coast of Northern California. Together with California’s Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith and Prairie Creek Redwood State Parks, The Redwood National and State Parks protect 45% of all remaining Coastal Redwood trees. 

Max wanted to make this podcast to inform other kids about redwoods and how "cool they can be if they survive". It came up as an option after we read Jason Chin's book (click on the image below) and I asked him a few questions about what he had learned. Our conversation doesn't even cover half the book's rich content, so I encourage you to read it for yourself and share it with your family.

FOR PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARDEN 
3 Different Redwoods (PDF) plus The Redwood Rap (YouTube)
Redwood Trees Coloring Page (JPG)
Redwood National Park Coloring Page (PDF)
Redwoods Bingo Game (PDF) 
Redwoods Tracks Activity (PDF) 
Marbled Murrelet Coloring Page (PDF)- letter M
Coho Salmon Coloring Page (PDF)- letter S
Exploring Redwoods (YouTube) 
Redwood Edventures  

FOR THOSE WHO CAN READ AND WRITE
> Have You Ever Seen A Red Tree? plus Teacher's Guide (K-2, PDF) 
Have You Ever Seen A Real-life Giant? plus Teacher's Guide (3-5, PDF)
Have You Ever Seen Something Thousands of Years Old That's Still Alive? plus Teacher's Guide (6-8, PDF)
Redwood Trees: Three Ancient Wonders (PDF)
Interactive Redwood Forest (Online Activity)
How Tall Is A Redwood? Worksheet (PDF) 
Imagine Redwoods Activity (PDF) 

Max's Intro to Drama podcast.

Max has been busting my bumpers to help him do a weekly podcast for at least a few weeks now. I thought, "Hmmmm... what if he podcasted his drama worksheets for the day"? Sure enough, Max was game (so long as we were able to include a few boings and other noises).

The result is the mp3 below- just click to play or right-click to download. And hey, you can use it with those worksheets from earlier today! Ain't life grande?

An Introduction to Drama

Maternal Counsel, a poem worth coloring.

Oh the things we'll color for what looks like good advice. This is our poem of the day for the day- a little nonsense is good for the soul. You can download the printable version below.

Maternal Counsel by J G Francis (PDF)

 

Sail hard, die old: A podcast with two guys who sail for a living.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a podcast with two sailors who love what they do and do just what they love.

Kevin and Michael take it easy on the way out from Key West.

Michael catches beautiful food.

Unidentified lady and three sailors enjoy Key West.

Sail Hard, Die Old- An Interview with Two Sailors

Sail Hard, Die Old (mp4)

You can touch base with Kevin Gray on his Facebook Page, Pray4Wind.

Max reads a poem from a book by Edith Nesbit.

Last week, Max finished reading E. Nesbit's The Story of the Treasure Seekers (free text online at Open Library). There was a poem in the story that made both of us giggle and nod in sympathy. So Max decided he wanted to share it with friends, family around the world, and all the kids who need to hear a funny poem once in a while. 

Max reads Edith Nesbit

Just lick on the link to listen and enjoy. Max opted for a little dramatic interpretation towards the end, but I'm not one to pick at someone's take on the inherent subjectiveness of fictional experience.

My unschooling podcast with Constantino.

So the podcast that made me so nervous is up and running. And it still makes me nervous.

Here it is.

Let me know what you think. What did I miss? What do you agree with or disagree with? Also, if you'd like to host Constantino overnight in your home as he continues his walk from Alabama to California, please let him know on at the website above. He has brought so much joy to my family's life and I get nervous when I imagine that he will soon be gone.

A pourquoi story podcast about magpies.

A book of porquoi tales.

A pourquoi tale is a fictional narrative that explains why something is the way it is, for example why a snake has no legs, or why a tiger has stripes. Many legends and folk tales are pourquoi stories. Here is a pourqoui tale which explains why magpie nests are not well built. You can download the podcast by right-clicking on it and pressing "save as". Or you can just play it and listen.

 

Chasing butterflies

Explore this sign warning against "swooping magpies". Can you come up with a porque tale for why magpies swoop?

Learn more about magpies and their habits from this wonderful printable created by wildlife biologost Thomas Hall.

Color this drawing of a magpie.

Mudheads: Folk art, readings, and a podcast.

A Zuni pueblo mudhead from Mud Matters.

With so much rain, Max observed that Pontullia is "peaking" and "it's a great time for mud". He wanted to know more about the Mudheads so we did a little morning browsing. We found this information on a kachina website:

The Koyemsi, or Mudhead Kachina, is a clown who may be seen in most Hopi ceremonies. Mudhead Kachinas drum, dance, play games with the audience, and may act as announcers for events. They often give prizes or rewards for the races and guessing games they organize. The term "mudhead" comes from their masks which have mud applied to them.

Most of the time they accompany other kachina; probably the only time when they do not appear with other personages is during the Night Dances. Koyemsi are usually the ones that play games with the audience to the accompaniment of rollicking tunes. These games are generally guessing games or simple attempts to balance objects of performances of some common act and the rewards are prizes of food or clothing.

They may appear as a chorus, and on First Mesa and possibly other villages their songs are in Zuni. During the rests in a dance, they may engage in games with the boys and girls in the audience. At other times, only a single Mudhead may appear as a drummer for a group. Should a dancer not have the proper mask or be late in arriving, he can easily become a Mudhead by donning that mask. These kachinas appear in almost every Hopi dance.

A Zuni mudhead mask from New Mexico currently at the Met.

Alina reads an excerpt from Mud Matters in which author Jennifer Owens Dewey describes her experience at a Hopi mudhead ceremony (6:21)

Editorial note: You can enjoy Milla's latest vocalization phase in the background. She is currently exploring screaming at the top of her lungs and then looking around to see if Micah or Max will scream with her. I am so very glad they did not.

Hopi mudhead masks for auction.

Love poem by John Frederick Nims with podcast.

This poem carries the afterglow of reprieve for the woman who couldn't ignore the song of the whipporwill for the sake of a well-oiled family dinner. I have been guilty of many crimes and misdemeanors against the supposed-to-be orders that be. A beautiful love poem honoring the soul of a particular woman-wife rather than the accomplishments of a wife-who-just-so-happens-to-be-a-woman.

LOVE POEM by John Frederick Nims

My clumsiest dear, whose hands shipwreck vases,
At whose quick touch all glasses chip and ring,
Whose palms are bulls in china, burs in linen,
And have no cunning with any soft thing

Except all ill-at-ease fidgeting people:
The refugee uncertain at the door
You make at home; deftly you steady
The drunk clambering on his undulant floor.

Unpredictable dear, the taxi drivers' terror,
Shrinking from far headlights pale as a dime
Yet leaping before apopleptic streetcars—
Misfit in any space. And never on time.

A wrench in clocks and the solar system. Only
With words and people and love you move at ease;
In traffic of wit expertly maneuver
And keep us, all devotion, at your knees.

Forgetting your coffee spreading on our flannel,
Your lipstick grinning on our coat,
So gaily in love's unbreakable heaven
Our souls on glory of spilt bourbon float.

Be with me, darling, early and late. Smash glasses—
I will study wry music for your sake.
For should your hands drop white and empty
All the toys of the world would break.

Love led me to make an audio recording of this poem so I can play it in the car and ponder it as I drive around town. You can listen and download the audio mp3 below.

as read by Alina with Bon Iver and traffic in the background

Odes are not odious.

An ode is a poem which celebrates a person, place, thing, or idea. It is a formal address to something close, far, or invisible. The word "ode" comes from the Greek word aeidein, meaning "to sing or chant". Its roots lie in lyric poetry, and its branches stretch out to encompass a variety of forms. 

Originally accompanied by music and dance, and later reserved by the Romantic poets to convey their strongest sentiments, the ode is a fanciful event. We read a few odes aloud- Max used his "ode" voice, a combination of pomp and declaration. 

"Ode to a Pair of Socks" by Pablo Neruda (with audio)

"Ode to Pablo's Tennis Shoes" by Gary Soto

"Ode On a Unicycle" by Ken Nesbitt

"Ode to the West Wind" by Percy Bysshe Shelley

"America" by Robert Creeley

Then Max made a list in his journal of 15 things which deserve an ode from his hands, including his sisters, a car, a lightpost, Hurricane Creek, words, a movie, a bee, a road, a railroad, a playground, a grass meadow, a flower, an apple, a fence, a book, and a swing. The swing captured his ode-ing fancy, and he decided to write and ode to the swing right away, while watching Milla and Micah fly, twist, and giggle through the air.

Since he was enjoying odes, I told him about poet Danielle Pafunda’s simple, four-line ode structure: 

Ode to (ode topic)

(one word describing the subject) + (one word describing the subject) 

(fact about the subject)

wild card line (imagine your subject speaking or acting or speak to your subject)

He loves formulas, and brevity certainly lent its appeal. He played around with the four-line formula and his remaining topics. Then, he jumped up and exclaimed:

"Mom! I want to share my swing ode the way that kid shared the sock ode! Can I read it aloud and you record it and put in on your blog so other kids can hear it? "

How can I resist? I finally found an excuse to use Garage Band, which deserves an ode of its own.... And here is Max's ode.

ODE TO MY SWING by Max Coryell