Today, we are making special books all about our dads! I’m writing about how my dad is super strong. He can still carry me, and when I’m up on his shoulders, I feel as tall as the sky!
My friend Evelyn shared that when her mom works at night, her papa sings her a favorite song. It’s the same song his mom and papa sang to him. Evelyn hummed the tune, and we all stopped to listen. But then Mrs. Madoff reminded us to keep quiet while writing, so Evelyn stopped humming, and we got back to work.
After a while, Evan asked how to spell “skillet.” Mrs. Madoff helped him spell it: S-K-I-L-L-E-T. Evan was writing about a camping trip with his dad. They slept in a tent and cooked bacon and eggs in a skillet. Sounds fun, right?
One of my friends wasn’t sure who to write about because she has two fathers: her dad in Texas and Lou, who lives with her and her mom. I suggested she write about both, and she thought that was a great idea!
When it was time to read our stories, Charlie went first. He said his father is a terrific person with lots of friends because he never gets mad. Charlie’s dad is a pilot and always stays calm.
Jessica read next. She has two fathers and loves them both. Her dad, Bradley, knows all about horses, while her stepfather, Lou, plays fun games with her.
Sarah shared that her dad is great at everything, especially cooking. She said his chocolate marshmallow minty fudge is delicious!
Pablo talked about playing soccer with his Poppy. Poppy teaches him how to kick and dribble, and Pablo gets better every time they practice.
Kate wrote a poem for her dad. It was about diving and catching shiny fish. Everyone loved it!
Machico drew pictures of her bright pink room. She told her dad she wanted a pink room, and they painted it together. Now her dream has come true!
Nicholas shared that he and his dad love reading the same books. They read together all the time.
After lunch, we took our stories to the publishing center. Machico’s mom was there to help print copies for all the dads.
On the Friday before Father’s Day, we brought our dads to school. We gave them our books. Jessica was surprised when her dad in a cowboy hat came to the picnic. She had both her dads there!
We enjoyed cupcakes and brownies. Sarah said the brownies were almost as good as her dad’s. My dad read my book over and over, giving me a hug each time.
The end.
Create a Family Storybook: At home, gather your family members and create a storybook together. Each person can write or draw about a special memory or fun activity they enjoy with their dad or another family member. Once everyone has contributed, put the pages together to make a family storybook. Share your storybook with your class and talk about how each family is unique and special.
Observation Walk: Go on a walk with your dad or a family member and observe the world around you. Look for things that remind you of the stories shared in class, like a tall tree that makes you feel as tall as the sky or a bird singing a song. Draw or write about what you see and how it connects to the stories you heard. Share your observations with your classmates.
Interview a Family Member: Choose a family member to interview about their favorite childhood memory with their dad or another important person in their life. Ask them questions like, “What was your favorite thing to do together?” or “What is a special lesson they taught you?” Write down their answers and share them with your class. Discuss how these memories are similar or different from your own experiences.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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**Father’s Day by Anne Rockwell, Pictures by Lizzy Rockwell**
Today we are making books about our dads. I’m writing about how my dad is so strong; he can still carry me. I’m as tall as the sky when I’m up on his shoulders. Papa sings his favorite song to me if Mom has to work at night, Evelyn said. It’s the one his mom and papa sing to him. She hummed the tune, and we stopped writing to listen.
Mrs. Madoff reminded us, “Remember, we need quiet when we write,” so Evelyn stopped humming, and we went back to work.
After a while, Evan raised his hand. “How do you spell skillet?” he asked Mrs. Madoff. She said, “S-K-I-L-L-E.” He erased something he’d written and wrote it again. I was sure he was writing about the camping trip he and his dad went on, just the two of them. Evan told me that they slept in a tent and cooked bacon and eggs in a skillet.
“I don’t know who to write about,” she whispered. “I have two fathers: my dad who lives in Texas and Lou who lives here with me and Mom.”
“Write about both of them,” I said. “Hey, why didn’t I think of that?” she said.
When it was time to read what we’d written, Charlie went first. “My father is a terrific person. He has lots of friends, and I know why. He never gets mad or loses his patience. He says he can’t because when you’re the pilot of a big jet plane, you always have to keep your cool.”
Jessica read next. “I have two fathers and love them both. My dad, Bradley, lives in Texas and knows all about horses. My stepfather, Lou, has never even been on a horse. He always plays giggle bugs with me after work, even if he’s tired.”
Sarah read, “My father is great at everything—yes, everything in the world. He is such a great cook; he should be a chef on TV. You should taste his chocolate marshmallow minty fudge; it’s delicious.”
Pablo held his paper close to his face. “I feel so proud when Poppy and I play soccer. Poppy shows me how to kick and dribble. Every time I practice with him, I get better. Poppy plays on a team in town with his friends. He says that one day I’ll be a better player than him.”
Kate said, “I wrote a poem for my dad. Is that okay?” “Of course,” said Mrs. Madoff. Kate read her poem, which went, “Daddy taught me to dive and to find a beehive. When I caught three shiny fish, we put them in a yellow dish.”
For a long time, I drew pictures of me in a bright pink room, Machico said. “I told my father how much I wanted a bright pink room. One day we went to the hardware store, and now my dream has come true. My father and I painted my room summer rose because that’s the color I picked.”
“Dad reads all the time,” Nicholas read. “We like reading the same kind of books.”
After lunch, we took our stories to the publishing center. Machico’s mother was helping there that day; she printed copies for all the dads.
On the Friday in June before Father’s Day, we came to school with our dads. We gave them our books. All of a sudden, a man in a cowboy hat got out of a pickup truck and ran to Jessica. “Dad, I didn’t know you were coming,” she said as they hugged each other. “I wanted to surprise you,” he said.
Jessica had two dads at the Father’s Day picnic. We had cupcakes and brownies. Sarah said the brownies were almost as good as the ones her dad makes. My dad read the book again and again; each time he read it, he gave me a hug.
The end.
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any unnecessary elements and ensuring clarity.
