Read Like a Writer

Currently, I am still reading the book Animorphs by K.A. Applegate. As I shared last week, this is a science fiction book that has our planet under attack by a strange species of aliens, known as Yeerks. A group of young children ran into a different alien, a good alien known as the Andalites, who granted the children a special power to stop the Yeerks with his last dying breaths. These children could then morph into an animal they touched, hence the name Animorphs. Morphing into an animal would allow them to go undetected by the Yeerks.

This author clearly has a large imagination. I love the way she is able to describe scenes in the book, painting a picture in the reader's mind. I often find myself having a hard time connecting with science fiction works. However, the author does an excellent job of providing mystery and suspense throughout the story. Dragging you into the alien madness you never thought you could be interested in.

If I were to use this text in a classroom, I would use it for the upper elementary grades. I am thinking 5th and 6th, possibly even into 7th and 8th, depending on how you are using the book. I would want my students to use their imaginations and use descriptive words to paint that picture for the reader, as Applegate does.

Here are some of the passages I would use:

"<You do not understand. Yeerks are different. They have no body like your or mine. They live in the bodies of other species. They are...> I guess he couldn't think of a word to explain Yeerks, so he closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate. Suddenly a bright picture popped into my head. I saw a gray-green, slimy thing like a snal without its shell, only bigger, the size of a rat, maybe. It wasn't a pretty picture. "I'm guessing that was a Yeerk," Marco said. "Either that or a very big wad of slimy chewing gum." <They are almost powerless without hosts. They-> Suddenly we felt that bast of pain, straight from the alien. I could also feel his saddness. He knew his time was almost up. <The Yeerks are parasites. They must have a host to live in. In this form they are known as Controllers. They enter the brain and are absorbed into it, taking over the host's thoughts and feelings. They try to get the host to accept them voluntarily. It is easier that way. Otherwise the host may be able to resist, at least a little.>"

"<I know that you are young. I know that you have no power with which to resist the Controllers. But I may be able to give you some small powers that may help.> We all looked at each other. All except Tobias, who never took his gaze off the alien. <If you wish, I can give you powers that no other human has ever had.> "Powers?" What was that supposed to mean? <It is a piece of Andalite technology that the Yeerks do not have, a technology that enables us to pass unnoticed in many parts of the universe - the power to morph. We have never shared this power. But your need is great.> "Morph? Morph how?" Rachel asked, her eyes narrowed. <To change your bodies, to become any other species. Any animal.>"

After reading these passages and possibly a few more to my students. I would start writing on the board adjectives and descriptive words, asking them what descriptive words are popping up into their heads after reading. Leaving those words up there while they write. I would have them go work individually on writing what animal they would morph to and why. Also including how that would help them in defeating the Yeerks. The students would be working on good descriptive words, enhancing their vocabulary and working on painting that picture for the reader. I would ask them to create a story that readers can visualize while they're reading. After the students have completed their stories I would randomly pass the stories out to different students. I would then ask the students to draw what they think is happening in the story. This would allow the students to see if they created a good visual representation with their words.

There are many other ways to teach this aspect of writing, but I think this would be a fun and exciting way to let my students use their imaginations in the classroom. We so often see students being scolded for using their imaginations in their work, but I want them to be creative as they possibly can with this activity.