Academics

Grade 2 "The Big Orange Splot"

In preparation for  the Second Grade assembly, honoring our mission and focusing on “respecting differences,” the Second Grade read and made drawings related to The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater.

In the story, a seagull drops a bucket of orange paint on Mr. Plumbean’s house, ruining his and his neighbors' neat, picture-perfect street.  However, now that the change has begun, Mr. P. sees this as an opportunity to make his house into the house he has always dreamed of.  He paints a jungle on his house, builds a clock tower, and sets out a hammock and palm trees to finish his dream house.  When his neighbors see it and complain that he’s ruined their neat street, Mr. P. responds, “My house is me and I am it.  My house is where I like to be and it looks like all my dreams.”

Second Graders had lots of fun creating their own dream houses by finishing the sentence, “This is my house because…” and drawing what they would imagine their dream house would include.  At Lower School assembly last week, we put The Big Orange Splot on the big screen and read and showed the illustrations for all the Lower Schoolers to see.  Then each Second Grader showed his or her dream house and read about why the house “looked like all my dreams.”  Each student’s house displayed his or her unique interests, talents, and wishes.

Of the six samples below, the first student loves board games; the second loves strawberries; the third loves butterflies and ballerinas; the fourth loves her house because her chapter books are all around her; the fifth loves candy; and the sixth loves fishing.

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