It Was Teamwork! by First Graders in Ms. Green's Class at University Prep

It Was Teamwork!

Written by First Grade Students from Ms. Green’s Class

University Prep Math &

a publication of 826michigan published by blotch books, michigan

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Science Elementary in Detroit, MI

There was a dinosaur cave that smelled like flowers. On the floor were pumpkins, snow, and green and yellow flowers. A mommy stood nearby. The dinosaur who lived in the cave gave a

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big ROOOAARRR. It was SCARY, wet, and really cold. Summer, a girl who made a mess, visited the cave with her friend the magical butterfly. Summer and the butterfly found a unicorn named Sparkle Heart.

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Sparkle Heart was searching for fossils to eat but couldn’t find any. She shook her rainbow hair and a pink horn. Her friend, a lion named Mufasa II, sometimes forgot they were friends and tried to eat the unicorn: oops!

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Summer also found George, a pimply thirtyyear-old person, and KB, a robot with a black mask, braids, and green beads. George admired KB’s cellphone and 100-inch feet.

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“ROOOOOAAARR,” said the dinosaur again. “We gotta make a plan!” said Summer. Everyone was scared but they formed a huddle to discuss the plan: it was teamwork! They put some fire around them to scare

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the dinosaur, but the dinosaur said, “I can eat fire!” The dinosaur ate the fire and couldn’t see in the dark. The team escaped. “I will use the ultimate power to protect us,” said Sparkle Heart.

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“I can eat that too!” said the dinosaur, but the team was already safe and out of the cave. The End

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Our writing and tutoring programs uphold a culture of creativity and imagination and support students in establishing strong habits of mind. Through publication and community engagement, we provide students with an authentic and enthusiastic audience for their writing. Our programs provide an energizing creative outlet for students and meaningful volunteer opportunities for community members.

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Students come as a class to our writing lab to join a group of volunteers, interns, and staff in order to help solve a problem through writing—whether that is our editor Dr. Blotch’s insomnia, our looming story deadline, a mystery in need of solving, or one of the many others we encounter. Our field trips always end in a finished publication of original writing that students take home.

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826 National was inspired to take a stand on issues of inclusion and diversity in light of the many events that spotlighted social and racial injustices throughout the country. We as educators, volunteers, and caring adults need to be aware of the wide range of issues our students face on a day-to-day basis. We need to support these young people as they navigate through and try to make sense of the world and their own identities.

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Through our inclusion statement, our internal diversity and inclusion group, cultural competency resources provided to staff and volunteers, and partnerships with other organizations, we are always working towards being a more inclusive and supportive organization.

We at 826 have the privilege of working with the next generation of scholars, teachers, doctors, artists, lawyers, and writers. It's our job to make sure they are able to take their own stands.

As an organization committed to encouraging youth in their creative expression, personal growth, and academic success, 826 National and its chapters recognize the importance of diversity at all levels and in all aspects of our work. In order to build and maintain the safe, supportive 826 environment in which great leaps in learning happen, we commit ourselves to inclusion: we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, nationality, marital status, English fluency, parental status, military service, or disability.

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