Thankfulness and March Writing

First of all, I am SO thankful for Fabulous 4th Grade Froggies for hosting the upper elementary linky party. I've found SO many wonderful new blogs to stalk. There's nothing I love more than blog stalking.

Anyway, this week my kiddos have been taking the dreaded PSSA (our standardized test) ... insert obligatory horror music. Needless to say, after three straight days their brains are mush, and they're a bit out of control. I wanted to brainstorm an activity we could do that would give them a creative outlet for their energy, but still tie into our curriculum.
So, thinking of March ... I think of "in like a lion, out like a lamb". Though, it's been in the 70's for the past week ... Punxatawney Phil didn't know what he was talking about. But, that isn't the point ...
So, I had the kids begin brainstorming about character traits you could use to describe a lion and a lamb. They thought of some really good words:

My students then used these words to think of an activity or time when they are like a lion and like a lamb. Each student had to think of a main idea: "I'm a lion when ..." or "I'm a lamb when..." Then, they used the words on the board to think of at least 5 details to support their main idea. They also had a put an example of figurative language in there since we just completed a whole unit on similes, metaphors, personification, and alliteration.

Of course they piled them haphazardly on the windowsill in true ten-year-old fashion. 

Then, I hung the ones that were finished (and dry) in the hallway. On a side note, why do kids always use seven pounds of glue when two drops is all you need? 

Tomorrow I'll have to hang the rest. Hopefully they will be dry!!