Seuss: Wild, wacky week
Students create their own planets and enjoy the chance to be creative during Read Across America Week.
Students create their own planets and enjoy the chance to be creative during Read Across America Week.
This week marks a celebration of the colorful, wacky world of Dr. Seuss as area schools participate in Read Across America with multiple activities.
At Glenwood Primary on Monday, Brandy McKenzie, media specialist, was making room on her shelves for Seussical planets made by the students.
The project was based on the book “There’s No Place Like Space,” which uses Dr. Seuss characters to talk about space in Dr. Seuss’ classic rhyming style.
“His books are wacky, silly, funny,” said McKenzie. “He makes up words and the kids love the rhyme. I even found myself
making up words as I read to the pre-K class today.”
Each student in the school was invited to make their own Seuss-themed planet. Whether they wanted to make that planet at home or at school was up to them.
Kelsey Arp, a second-grader at the school, delivered her Sugar Seuss Planet to McKenzie Monday morning.
“It took me about three weeks to fix it,” said Kelsey. “I had to find all the candy I wanted to use and then start gluing it together. Gumballs are not easy to glue onto things.”
Her colorful planet was covered in rock candy, gumballs, chocolate kisses and glittering spheres.
Students also were asked to complete a back story for their planet, such as what type of people lived there and what life is like on the planet.
“Dr. Seuss makes me feel creative,” Kelsey explained. “I wanted to do something brand new.”
Kelsey explained that her planet could fly anywhere and drop off candy if another planet needed some.
“They just call up and say, ‘hey, we need some candy,’” she laughed. “Also, the planet never runs out of candy, it just keeps growing again. My people on the planet really enjoy the sprinkle pools and the gumball mountains.”
Olivia Casey, also a second-grader, created her planet — CITH — inspired by what is possibly Dr. Seuss’ most famous work, “Cat in the Hat.”
“Every day you walk outside, you’ll probably run into the cat in the hat,” explained Olivia. “You go out and have the best time ever. There are these red and white stripes on my planet and that’s where the trains run so you can tour the whole world.”
McKenzie said the best part about celebrating Seuss is that it not only encourages the children to be creative, but also teaches them the value of determination.
“We use this week to really stress the importance of reading and writing,” she said. “We talk to all the boys and girls about how Dr. Seuss was rejected 27 times before he sold his first book. Now, he’s one of the most famous children’s authors. Anything can be done if you are determined and don’t give up.”