Mrs. Burger started thinking about Dr. Seuss's birthday celebration almost five months before the actual event. In October of 2003 she came to me to suggest that it would look so cool if each child designed and wore a tie for that special day. That was how the theme for Read Across America Day became TIEd around the word TIE.

In our first media center lesson the TIE project was explained in full detail. Children could choose either a neckTIE or bowTIE shape. It was stressed that they should plan carefully what their TIE would look like. By participating, they would be showing excellent school spirit.

I read aloud a story called Mr. Tanen's TIEs by Maryann Cocca-Leffler. This gave the students ideas for TIE decorations and how to wear TIEs that day. The main character in the story is really an elementary school principal in Massachusetts, and he has 975 novelty ties.

Our second media lesson focused on all the meanings of the word TIE. In the media lab, we looked at a book about a lady whose dad died and she decided the best way to remember him was to make an outfit enTIErly of his TIEs. Since then, she sews all sorts of things out of pieces of TIEs. In a vintage TIE book, we looked at horse TIEs from the 40's and 50's. Children learned that back then there were only seven channels broadcasting shows on television, and many of the shows were westerns. Then we visited a website www.neckties.com and saw their variety of Dr. Seuss TIEs.

In Poetry Pond and Story Swamp children were asked to think of as many meanings for the word TIE. Then using a bag full of items, we discussed the following:
neckTIE - neck wear
bowTIE - neck wear
shoe - to TIE laces
wedding invitation - TIE the knot
heirloom pocket watch - family TIEs
yellow ribbon - TIE a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree
TIE a ribbon in one's hair, a bow on a dress
pretzels - dough TIEd loosely in a knot
soccer ball & cross - community ties (to participate in sports and go to church or temple)
boat and knotted rope - knot - measure of water distance
twist-TIEs - used to close plastic bags
book of tongue twisters - tongue-TIEd
game - TIE score
fabric - TIEdyed

Following that, the children were shown an antique quilt with flowers that was in excellent condition, yet not handed down as an heirloom. We then looked at a picture of a little shoefly quilt pattern to notice that it was a tic-tac-toe board filled with squares; triangles were in the four corners.

The outcome was very interesting; despite the instructions being the same but the color choices perhaps being different,
the patterns designed were quite unique.

Two of Dr. Seuss's books actually are tongue twisters: Fox in Socks and Oh Say Can You Say?
As homerooms, we practiced a variety of tongue twisters from easy to difficult.

So much school spirit was shown Tuesday morning, March 2nd.
The TIEs the students designed were incredible!!!

In the afternoon, we all gathered in the gymnasium for our annual sing-along. Prior to March 2nd, Miss Harvey practiced the songs with each grade level. This year, to go along with tongue twisters, we all sang the first part of Fox in Socks very quickly. Also sung were Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss We Love You, and Happy Birthday.