Earlier in 2022 I was in Robert Raynes’ Year 7-8 class in Howick Intermediate (a decile 9 school in Howick, Auckland) when I noticed some very attractive and interesting student texts hanging from the ceiling.
I asked Robert (a provisionally registered teacher) what they were about and he introduced me to a picture book called My Shadow is Pink by Scott Stuart. He told me how he had read and discussed the book with his students and motivated the writing from them through some direct scaffolding.
About the ‘My Shadow’ Books
My Shadow is Pink – written in rhyming couplets – is all about ‘being yourself’. A boy beginning school realises that his pink shadow (indicating everything he likes about the world) is very different to his dad’s blue shadow and his classmates’ multi-coloured shadows. It is a book about diversity and acceptance of differences. As the narrator of the sequel to this book (My Shadow is Purple) concludes:
I look at each shadow, no two are the same.
On each happy face there’s no trace of shame.
Each different and special and fully unique.
No colour’s stronger, and no colour’s weak.
What Colour Is Your Shadow?
Robert read the text to his students and they not only liked and appreciated it but quickly ascertained that it was all about ‘being yourself’. He then put the challenge to them: What colour would your shadow be?
He declared that his shadow would be yellow and shared a text that he had written based on the format of the book:
My shadow is yellow, as yellow as can be. And is super bright….a reflection of me.
It pirouettes into class, like a ballet dancer, dancing around like its name was Prancer. It enjoys running and swimming, singing silly songs and rhymes. It takes on adventures, and climbs, as we make up murder mystery crimes.
One thing that is our very favourite thing to do, is to go up behind friends and shout ‘Boo!’ It does this you see because life should be fun. Not wanting to always be so serious, and boring….That’s Dumb! Life is too short to stay black and white, so time to be silly and yellow and bright.
Sometimes, however, my shadow forgets. The time and the place to be at our best. With my shadow reflecting, my innermost me….Sometimes when inside, I need to switch to a quieter me. I’m still myself, along with my shadow. But ready to learn, listen, and be a little more mellow.
His students loved his writing. Together, they worked out that it depicted Robert as a person – his contrasting likes and habits – and that it contained lots of detail, descriptive language, language features and a poetic tone. They subsequently decided that they would write about their most innermost being by describing their shadows.
This culminated in a learning intention of being able to write a descriptive piece about my shadow which represents my inner most me and success criteria based on:
- the content (including the shadow’s colour, what it does and why)
- the possible theme (having a subtle moral or message to learn)
- the language (using descriptive words and sentences; incorporating three or more language features per paragraph; using a variety of sentence starters)
- possible extra for experts (containing a consistent rhyming scheme throughout).
Planning, Drafting & Writing
Each student then thought about their colour and what it represented about their innermost being. They subsequently planned and drafted their text, got feedback about it from the teacher and other students, made changes as appropriate, and published and illustrated their writing using the silhouette effect that was on the book covers. If they wished, they could begin their writing in the same way that Robert had begun his writing: My shadow is (add colour) as (add colour) as can be. And is (add adjective/s)….a reflection of me.
Many of his students had a lot of success with their writing and were very proud of their texts. The following are two beautiful but representative examples of students expressing their innermost beings through writing:
My shadow is yellow….My shadow is yellow, as yellow as can be. And is very exciting….a reflection of me. My shadow is daffodil yellow while it laughs and it runs around, it’s beaming with glee as it joins the looney crowd….It laps up the competition as we taunt the opposition. My shadow likes cake decorating, baking and entertaining, an interesting bake show will get me Netflix bingeing. It enjoys chilling by the pool and relaxing at the beach as we splash in the waves in the deep blue sea. Passing the netball as we shoot goals and shout score! After we sit down and read books galore. Then we go biking as we feel like we’re flying. Please tell us it’s time to go Easter hiking! But sometimes chilling at home is a refreshing thing to do even if it’s only for an hour or two. To catch up with family or to take a bubble bath, refreshes my soul and restores my shadow’s laugh. We all need those moments of quiet and peace as we take a step back and enjoy the release. By Ava |
My shadow is turquoise….My shadow is turquoise, as turquoise as can be. And is beautiful and glistening….a reflection of me. My shadow likes drawing, pranks and laughs. It likes popcorn, chips, animals and giraffes. It walks a bit silly, it walks a bit funny, it likes to draw especially monkeys. My shadow is a mixture of my parents combined, two people honestly the best of mankind. Dad with some blue, Mum with some green, making turquoise together, AKA me, the best little teen. Me and my shadow’s most favourite thing is we like to get up and to sing, sing, sing. My sister’s is yellow, my brother’s is lime, and when we have fun we forget the time. I like going to school with a hat on my head and my teacher Mr Raynes his shadow is red. Mr Raynes is nice, he likes me, he’s smart. And funny and tall, with a very big heart. I like my school, I love my family, and that’s my shadow it’s turquoise like me now can’t you see! By Cooper |
Robert realised that not only did the Scott Stuart picture books convey great social messages (daring to be different and having the courage to be true to yourself) but could be used to generate thoughtful and reflective student texts.
Do you have a classroom story that you’d like to share with us and the world ? We’d be delighted to hear from you! Get in touch for more info.
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