Korean First Graders Review Animal Collective

One of my favorite bands, Animal Collective, just released a new song called "Graze" (it's the first one). I decided to use it as a prompt for some creative writing with my first graders. One of my goals in teaching writing is to break away from simple recall and respond and encourage kids to explore the abstract. You know, writing can be fun. The following is a collection of unedited exerpts from their work. I recommend you listen to the song while reading these.

Place where aladin lives. One man lose and he live in a street.

I feel like looking at stars in the night skys. It's about the sad feeling. They're climbing the ladder. It's like I'm flying in a night sky. It's like starts are saying things to me. It's like a mario song. It's like a UFO gliding through the sky.

It takes to the rainforest. There have many birds that are flying. It feels sleepy. The sound likes dreamy.

Like playing a flute, playing magic! End getting smaller and smaller.

Not stinky, the air smell. happy and so clear. First was small, big, more bigger, bigger, and biggest sound. It will be fun to hear and see the pictures in my mind or in my brain.

Christmas is cold. cave is dark. Love with hurt. Monster is singing. Kids whispering in the park. Sky is dancing. Aladin is walk with the princess. moving (singing). tamburing is moving.

Music is so wonderful and sad that I think the tears roll down my face. It beats correct. It feels like indians jumping in the Jungle. This song will make 10 people dance.

It was comfortable. I want to sleep more than 2 or 3 hour ago. It is keep on funny.

It feels like first, sad party, but the second party is funny song.

Cool, super. Fantastic dum. Flute, clapper. Ack-key. Like slained wiggle. bump tast.

Warm, cool, Blue, Red, Green, Pink. Giggle, bump.

Things what I feel like: rocks, sand, sad nearvous, happy, runs. It feels like I'm playing a flute in the band and go to a fair and I'm playing all day and dancing.

It feels like kind of cheerful song. It suggested character. It's voice is like slow. I feel shrimp jumping. I feel train chu-chu.

Do you want to ask me what I can feel in this song? First, I feel floating sailboats. Second I feel beating drumbs. Third, lying on the beach. Fourth, splashing waves. Fifth, sitting comfortably. Sixth, listning sounds. Seventh, listning Jazz. Eight, Being in the parade. I will be happy to show it to you. The End.