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Chocolate-covered Cherries & George Washington's Birthday

3/24/2016

11 Comments

 
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I love chocolate-covered cherries, and so I wrote about it yesterday while I was in Shelly Keller’s kindergarten class. The students had just tried out a craft move – variation in print for onomatopoeia, after a demonstration with texts including Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!, Night Noises, and Chameleons are Cool.  The students’ learning was documented on an anchor chart, and Shelly encouraged them to use the chart as they wrote in their books.
 
After independent writing and snacks, Shelly read from I Love Chocolate by Davide Cali. It was a half-day of school with parent conferences in the afternoon. I was amazed to watch these young writers eagerly go to their writer’s notebook after the read aloud to write. Many of them were writing about Easter and baskets filled with all kinds of chocolate, some chose to write about a favorite candy, and one student actually wrote about why he didn’t like chocolate. Shelly and I wrote, too.
 
I knew my topic – my love of chocolate-covered cherries! When I was in elementary school, we celebrated George Washington’s birthday and Lincoln’s birthday; Presidents’ Day did not exist.  I can’t remember if we had a holiday for one of those birthdays or not, but I vaguely remember we had a holiday for George because we made a special trip to the bakery on Wadsworth Avenue on that day.
 
Now this particular bakery had a glorious selection of chocolate-covered cherries and even small and medium-sized chocolate hatchets. Of course, everyone knew the story about George Washington and the cherry tree. “I cannot tell a lie,” George solemnly told his father. It was a hard story for me to buy into, because if I had chopped down a tree on our property (or any other property, for that matter), I would have been facing a serious loss of privileges and a lot of time alone in my room.  Anyway, I don’t know how the cherry tree story got started, but it had taken root across America and passed on from one generation to the next.
 
I do remember how disappointed I was when I discovered this story wasn’t true.  Enter author Frank Murphy. He had researched a perfect story about George Washington and based his Step Into Reading Book about this research. At the end of George Washington and the General’s Dog, we find out that Washington had actually written a letter to General Howe (in the Smithsonian today) after Howe’s dog had wandered into Washington’s camp.  Washington was a great animal lover, and when he discovered what had happened, he called a truce to return Howe’s dog to him.  Now here is the story that America’s children should hear about our first president.
 
I still love chocolate-covered cherries. They are my favorite kind of candy in a candy box. But now, I mostly eat them on Valentine’s Day if my husband buys me a small box. They always remind me of George!
 
 
 



11 Comments
Kate link
3/24/2016 04:56:11 am

YUM! So curious if they're dried cherries or fresh--I love the former but have never had the latter, and now I am going to be on the lookout. What a fun way to celebrate. (And that GW and the General's Dog book is one of our favorites!)

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Tara link
3/24/2016 05:06:04 am

I had not heard that story about Washington and the dog - definitely one to share with my students!

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Judy Jester link
3/24/2016 05:07:48 am

I'm so glad to know that about Washington. I too found the cherry tree story hard to swallow (though I always try to eat a piece of cherry pie on his birthday). I'm reading about Washington right now in the Hamilton biography. Very interesting.
If only chocolate hatchets or replicas of Howe's dog were for sale everywhere to remind us what statesmen should be instead of Trump bobbleheads!

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Diane Dougherty link
3/24/2016 05:19:18 am

Chocolate covered cherries with liquid centers are my favorites. I don't care if the story about George and the cherry tree is not true; I like a piece of cherry pie to celebrate George anyway!

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Shelly
3/24/2016 05:29:58 am

Love your post about chocolate covered cherries and how you celebrated by going to the bakery! We enjoy having you with us each day for writing workshop. So glad you stayed when we wrote in our writer's notebooks! It's a highlight of our day to write in them!

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Rose
3/24/2016 05:49:07 am

I love chocolate covered cherries with clear liquid centers. They were my mother's favorite candy, and they always remind me of her.

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Clare link
3/24/2016 05:59:00 am

I have never had a chocolate covered strawberry and now I want one!!!I I ordered Muncha Muncha Muncha - I don't have that book. What do the K writing notebooks look like? Do they have space for drawing and writing? Do they only write in notebooks or do the draft on separate paper as well? Always interested in hearing how folks are making writer's workshop come to life in K!
Clare

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lynne dorfman link
3/24/2016 04:01:01 pm

The kindergarten journals have about a third of the page for drawing. In the beginning of the year there are no lines. Students draw, label, scribble write, and sometimes just write one letter for the initial sound and a line to show there is more like f_________ for flowers. Right now these two classes are also making books of varying dizes and sometimes using a scaffold. For instance, on St. Patrick's Day Kolleen's class wrote a response to "I feel lucky when..." Did this help, Clare?

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Paula Bourque link
3/24/2016 04:50:55 pm

I had to read this post, not because I love chocolate covered cherries, too, but because I can't stand them. I am always intrigued with people who have opposite likes, experiences, and preferences than I do. I'm fascinated by the "otherness" that makes life so interesting. I love how you tied the chocolate, your lesson, and your childhood memories together so beautifully! Next time I am offered a chocolate covered cherry I will think of YOU (and then reach for a chocolate covered almond!!)

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Erika link
3/24/2016 07:51:10 pm

The structure of a story within a story was great.

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Quebec Sex Places link
12/3/2022 04:13:05 am

Thanks forr writing this

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    Lynne loves to write in the early morning hours, especially in warm weather when she can sit outside on the patio.  After a walk with her three Welsh Corgis, her mind is cleared and her spirit is inspired by the choir of birds in nearby bushes and trrees. 

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