Literary Safari

It's #NationalPoetryMonth! We are super happy to be celebrating with our friends at KidLit TV with a #PoetryPrompt from the pages of our activity book IMAGINATION LAB: "Imagine you had an unusual or quirky trait. What are the weird and wonderful things might you do with it?" This prompt is inspired by our episode The View from the Top, featuring 13 year old Jasper and his story seed match Chris Grabenstein Chris Grabenstein author of the NYTimes best-selling MR. LEMONCELLO...'S LIBRARY series! In the episode, Jasper asks Chris to write a story about a 74-foot tall boy detective named Zeta whose height allows him to see and do things that others cannot. Find the blog post that includes a writing template for this poetry prompt and a YouTube video of a Story Seeds writing workshop with Chris Grabenstein via the link in bio. Interestingly, the prompt also has a neat origin story of its own which you'll get to read about too over at KidLitTV! If you want more prompts and projects make sure to check out IMAGINATION LAB: EXPERIMENTS IN CREATIVITY. Our activity book is inspired by our podcast and has over 80 pages of writing prompts, STEAM projects, non-fiction reads, and tips from all the best-selling authors on Season 1! Get a copy at www.storseedspodcast.com/activitybook KidLit TV is an award-winning destination to to discover great children's books and connect with the people who create them. KidLit TV is an exciting and informative destination for authors, illustrators, teachers, publishers, and anyone with a passion for children's literature. It has been selected as a @americanlibraryassociation Best Digital Tool for Teaching and Learning and is available in over 700,000 schools worldwide via their website and video distribution partners. www.kidlit.tv #imaginationlab #imaginationlab activitiesforkids ##activitybooks #kidspodcasts #kidlit #kidlittv #chrisgrabenstein #mrlemoncelloslibrary #poetsofinstagram #parentsofinstagram #teachersofinstagram #librariansofinstagram #screenfreekids #activitiesforkids #parents #kidslisten #homeschoolcurriculum #education #weneeddiversebooks #steam #poetrymonth #napowrimo #writing prompt #shelsilversteinpoems

SWIPE TO SEE STUDENT CREATIONS inspired by Story Seeds Episode 8: The Paintbrush of Doom. How cool is this! One of our teacher listeners Ms. De Friese @pylusd used our activity book IMAGINATION LAB (link in bio) to create a theatre unit for her 7th and 8th graders, inspired by Episode where twins Siri and Zarana’s story seed was about hybrid mythical creatures. Ms. De Friese broke down the podcast into two listening sessions; part one focused on the collaboration process an...d podcast components and part two focused on the outcome - a story. During part one, students noted the collaborative contributions and the podcast features (introductions, background, sound effect, on location interviews, relevant commercials, etc.). During part two, they listened to the story as inspiration for creating their own monomyth. She asked her students to draw their own hybrid characters and then build them by hand using Play-Doh. These creatures became part of the kids' own monomyths that they then developed. Once finished, they recorded an "elevator pitch" sharing the key events of their hero's journey. Carlos Hernandez (@writeteachplay ) asked Zarana and Siri to do the same on the podcast! In the words of Ms. De Friese: "The theatre arts center on communication, collaboration, creativity, and emphasize process in conjunction with product. Tools provided by Story Seeds allow for teachers and students to explore these tenants with activities that are concrete, digital, and a combination of both.The professional quality and content inspires students to dream big. Following our lessons and unprompted, students developed their own project learning goals with the desire to script and produce their own podcast. This is one way we keep students engaged, curious creatively, and the arts alive." So so cool to see these awesome creations, to hear how teachers are using our podcast and companion print materials in the classroomand ALWAYS, to see young people's imaginations blooming! Thanks @msdefriese for sharing your work with us! #podcastsintheclassroom #alternativelearning #theaterkids #activitiesforkids #activitiesfortheclassroom #steamactivities #learningthroughplay

A note from Story Seeds creator & executive producer Sandhya Nankani (@litsafari): At our studio Literary Safari, we believe that in order to be meaningful allies and create lasting change, we must listen, research, learn, and provide a space to tell the often hidden stories that recognize the rich diversity of this country. As BIPOC and Asian-American producers, my co-producer Anjali and I stand committed in creating media which gives children and familie...s of all backgrounds, in the words of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, "mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors" that both reflect and represent them, as well as offer opportunities to discover other cultures and communities. In response to the horrific treatment towards Asians in the United States and around the world, Kids Listen recently included Episode 4 of Story Seeds in a list of resources for "Raising Anti-Racist Kids and Fighting Anti-Asian Hate." The episode brings together Korean-American author-illustrator Aram Kim and a 7 year old White New Yorker named Cici. You'll hear the two of them collaborate on an epic superhero adventure, but also, you'll hear two people of different cultural backgrounds and life experiences form a meaningful connection. The list also includes episodes from Girl Tales, The Ten News, and Peace Out Podcast, along with recommended reads which are just the tip of the ice-berg. Find the article via the link in bio. Can change start by listening to and reading more Asian American stories? We truly believe it can. Representation matters. Studies show that a lack of representation in media can lead to negative psychological outcomes for those with identities that are underrepresented or negatively portrayed. On the other hand, seeing people who look like you or have had similar experiences in books, movies, advertising, and other media is especially impactful for children. It not only provides them with positive role models they can look up to, but it also builds empathy in those that do not culturally identify. If we start early, I have no doubt that this stepping stone will bring an end to hate and racially based violence. #stopasianhate See more

Do you want to spend your summer with us?We're surveying our followers and listeners to gauge interest in summer virtual classes from our Story Seeds team of producers and educators. Via the link in bio you will be directed to a short and easy 4 question survey. It should only take about 2-3 minutes If you know a parent who may be interested in a workshop for their creative rockstar, tag them in the comments! #kidspodcasts #workshopsforkids #virtuallearning #virtualactivities #makeyourownpodcasts #diykids #diyactivities #bookstagram #middlegradeauthors #summercamps #summeractivities #summer2021

Excited to be on Apple Podcast'snew Kids' Listening Club curation. You can find Story Seeds by clicking Common Sense Media Picks and scrolling down to shows for kids ages 6-9! We also have a home in their Kids and Family collectionand within Story Time's Fairytales for All Ages Grab your headphones and get listening! #kidspodcasts #showsforkids #storiesforkids #applepodcasts #fairytales #podcastrecommendations #kidsandfamily #screenfreeactivities #screenfree #springbreak #kidlit #middlegradebooks #familytime #listeningclub