A Bunch of Chickens

I Used to Be a BIG Chicken, Until…

Our Response to the Hilarious Book:

Big Chickens by

Leslie Helakoski and Henry Cole

Task:Every child was asked to connect with

our newest Book of the Month by thinking of a time in their own lives

when they were “big chickens.”

Each student then wrote about once being a chicken and how they

overcame their fears. Students also created illustrations showing themselves before and after

defeating their fear!

Miss Young’s ClassChets Creek Elementary School

Jacksonville, FL

AlexisI was a big chicken when I saw a BIG giant baby tiger

growling at me. Because the tiger had sharp teeth and I thought she was going to kill me. I’m going to die! (shocking voice) I just hid from the baby tiger

until… I thought that baby tiger cannot eat a person. Plus the baby tiger was in a cage. Now I’m not a big

chicken.

AlexI was a big chicken because I was scared about

the FCAT. Until I heard it was easy cheesy weasy. So I decided to use all my strategies.

Now if I still fail, in fourth grade I will cheat! I do not want to take the FCAT. I want a 5. I do not

want a 0! A 0 is like an F!

AliseI was a big chicken about the big, bad, terrible FCAT test until…

Now, because my wonderful awesome, nonterrible teachers, Miss Young and Miss Russell, and my super duper, cool principal Mrs.

Phillips told my classmates and me NOT to worry about anything. I also got some advice from my friends older than me who have

taken the FCAT before. They told me “Just to do your best.” Now remember this, Don’t get lazy. If you don’t do your best, you won’t do so good. Here. I’ll give you some tips: 1. Get a good breakfast before the test. 2. Get to school on time and 3. Do your best don’t

give up.

AnnaI was a big chicken about a humungous roller coaster

that was about 100 feet high! That was called THUNDER MOUNTAIN. I was scared that the roller

coaster was going to fall off its tracks. Until my mom said she’d hold my hand and my dad said he’d wrap

his hand around me really tight. So now I love Thunder Mountain and I’m not afraid.

BryceI was a big chicken when I was in Dollywood on a trip. There was this roller coaster called Tennessee Tornado. It was so BIG. Right when I looked at it I thought I was going to die! There were three big loops and there was a really high drop. At first, I said I was not

going on. So my dad went. When he came back he told me all about tit. He told me I had to go on. So I did. It went up so high.

You would see a cabin in the mountains. You would drop. It turns. Guess what happens it drops 100 feet or more. I could not

breathe. Then came a loop and tow more. It ended and I was not scared anymore or roller coasters. I am about to go to Universal

and Island of Adventure. I’m ready to go on those roller coasters!

CarterI was a big chicken when I jumped off a diving board at a theme park until I jumped of the diving board. I was a big

chicken when I went in a haunted house until I came out of the haunted house, and now I think why I was scared of

that.

DanielI was a big chicken about the FCAT. U used to think that it

was Superman hard and I would faint after I’d seen my horrible grade. Then my teachers said to NEVER GIVE UP!

Then my music teacher said that the test was easy and we shouldn’t be scared. That encouraged me to never give up.

Now I’m not afraid any more about the FCAT.

DakotaI was a big chicken on the ride with a steep drop you would

go up up up then drop down. It was very scary and I was going to throw-up and fall off. I thought it would never stop

it was going so fast. Then my dad and aunt and cousin wanted me to go on. So we got in line and we were the first

ones in line. So yep I was still a chicken until we went on and at the end we got off and I asked my dad if we can go

again. I wish we could go again to Bush Gardens.

EliasI was a big chicken when I heard the FCAT was coming. I freaked out because everybody was saying that it was a

super hard test that everybody was afraid of. I’m different because now I’m so relieved that the teachers say it’s easy

and the principal also says that.

EmilyI was a big chicken about TURANTULAS! Big blood sucking evil

tarantulas! I have been a HUGE chicken about tarantulas! They are just about the scariest animals on the planet to me. If I see a tarantula in a book or on TV I start screaming! They suck your blood when they bite

you! They crawl up on you and bit you until you’re completely unconscious! They are the most horrifying animals EVER! Every time I see a HORRIBLE, DEADLY, DISCUTSTING TURANTUALA I start to think

“What would happen if a tarantula ate me!” But then on Animal Planet I was watching and they said EVIL, DEADLY, DISCUSTING, HORRIFYING

TURRANTUAS are completely HARMLESS! So every time I see a tarantula, I’m a little scared but I don’t care! But every time I see a

different type of spider, GOSH, I’M SCARED!!

Emma K.I was a big chicken about aliens, until I found out the only aliens were germs. I was scared that they would invade

earth and take over. It changed when I watched War of the Worlds. I know the aliens they used were animated (not real/cartoon). They said germs were aliens. Now I’m not

afraid anymore.

Emma S.I was a big chicken about the thought of a big hairy slimy meat eating monster in the shower to eat me. When I went to the bathroom and I

almost screamed my head off when I went closer to the shower and in my head I thought the meat eating monster would eat me. When I

looked in the shower and that’s when the meat eating monster would make a horrible sound when he ate me. Until I got my dad’s bat and

opened the shower and there was nothing in there but bath toys, soap, and some wash rags. “Fuuuuuu” I said. Now I am not a big chicken. I am very brave and confident that there is not hairy slimy meat eating big monster in the shower. I am positive because I will go look. I am

not afraid of a big chicken about a monster in the shower that will eat me alive when I go in the bathroom.

EthanI was a big chicken because I did not know how to ride a

dirt bike when I first got it. I was afraid of dying in a crash. But after that I conquered my fear, but that was only

because I was trained by my grandpa. Now I’m amazing at ride a dirt bike and I even take bigger risks by popping

wheelies! DuDuDu Daaaa!

JacobI was a big chicken about my delicious food tasting nasty when it touches. I thought it would poison me or taste bad. I got yelled at

by my dad said “Come on son!” I tried bread with gravy and realized it’s okay if a food touches. Now very rarely do I care if my

food touches. Before, I did not like mash potatoes to touch my steak. After, I don’t care if I dip my steak in gravy. See the

difference?

JakeI was a big chicken at my birthday party because I didn’t

want the Australian bearded dragon on my shoulder. I was scared if it would puff up and spike me with sharp things. Until the reptile man told me it will just sit there and do

nothing. Then he put it on my shoulder and I wasn’t scared at all! Because I knew it wouldn’t harm me.

JessicaI was a big chicken when I was 3 years old. I was a big

chicken- wait, promise you won’t laugh? Pinky Swear? – of CHOCOLATE! Because I thought I would get very fat as the

size of an adult’s belly. Because an adult’s belly is way larger than a baby’s belly. But now I eat thousands, no

millions, no tons of chocolate. I bought a 5 pound chocolate bar from New York City. (It cost $40.00 + tax)

Also I am eating a giant Hershey Kiss. I love chocolate now. Were you afraid of chocolate?

JJI was a big chicken of ROLLER COASTERS!! I thought I was gonna fall, really your feet hang out it goes really fast it’s

called the Dueling Dragons. You go up side, sideways spin. Then I want to get out but my dad said “No” so I went on and I ……………… TOTALLY LOVED IT!! I especially loved

going upside down. Now I love every roller coaster except one called Mummy. Well, that’s another story so don’t be a

big chicken like me.

JohnnaI was a big chicken about using the bathroom. When I was 4 years old at my

4th birthday. I was just about to open presents when it came. Yep I had to use the bathroom. I try to hold it but I couldn’t I try to hold it because I was

afraid of the bathroom. My toilet is right next to the shower. I’m afraid something would pop out of the shower and then when I flush the toilet it

makes a lot of noise. I thought all that noise will get the thing in my shower mad. So to let no one know I’m afraid of the bathroom. I slowly got up and walked cautiously to the bathroom door, hoping to come out alive. Until an idea raced across my mind. I ran into the bathroom, locked the door, used

the bathroom, washed my hands, then I flushed the toilet nervously. I pulled down the lever and I screamed. I ran to the door but it was locked. Pulling the door knob for the life. I noticed nothing happened. So I walked to the shower. No one was there. So now there is nothing to be afraid about. No

ones in my shower. I ran back to open the presents and have a good time. I learned when you try you WILL SUCCEED. Now I go to the bathroom every

day. I feel proud of myself to face my fears alone.

KaelynI was a big chicken because this was my first time taking

the FCAT. I thought I couldn’t pass the test at all. I thought I was going to barf because I was worried too much to take

a test I never did before. My heart was beating fast because I was nervous to take the FCAT test. Until my

mom, dad, teachers, principal told me “I believe in you. That I can do this and you will try your very very best.” I

change that I do believe in myself.

KarmenI was a big chicken when I was a big chicken when I was three years old because I was afraid of the dark. I keep seeing faces in the dark saying “mmmmmmmm.” I kept thinking “What will the faces do to me, why is the faces there?” But one day I forgot to go to my bedroom. So I

missed and slept on the sofa. Then I woke up and saw that I sleeping on the sofa and then I yelled to my mom. I faced my fears that day. I was not scared of the dark any more.

Now I’m still not scared.

KatelynnI was a big chicken about going on the hulk roller coaster at first when we were at Islands of Adventure. I was just a little

scared and I think it was because the roller coaster went upside down and it was big and high. Until I went on the roller coaster I was a chicken. The roller coaster was not that bad because it went really fast so it was a lot of fun and I wanted

to go again. I would like to go and do it again now too.

KaylaI was a big chicken of Big Blue the most biggest, scariest, most water gushing ride at Adventure Landing. I kept on

saying “I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die.” Until my dad and me just went on it. Everyone says it’s scary

now. But I say it’s AWESOME! Every time we go to Adventure Landing I want to ride it 3 times. It feels like

your swimming through the waves at the beach. It sounds like your under the waves at the beach and you also hear people screaming in terror. Maybe one day I can make a

big, scary, water gushing water slide just like the Big Blue at Adventure Landing! The Big Blue ROCKS!

KnowltonI was a big chicken when I was at Universal because my dad and my brother were forcing me to go on the ride called the Hulk! the reason, I didn’t want to go on was because there were upside down flips that went higher

than the Statue of Liberty. There was also times when the cart you were in went so low that it went into the ground. Until the ride ended when I found out that all those things that is said were fake but the cart I was on did go pretty high up and very low. Now I want to go on the Hulk every

time I go to Universal.

LaurenI was a big chicken about the dark. I didn’t like the dark

when I was young because I thought there was a ghost in my room. But now I can sleep by myself when my sister is

gone. Do you know how I was afraid of the dark? Well, I watched this scary show called… A Haunting. I do not like that show because it talks about ghost stories. Until I was

old enough to sleep by myself.

LukeI was a big chicken when I go in the evil car wash because I

thought the rotating things would cut open the car and start hitting us! Until mom told me car washes are like

waterparks and I loved waterparks! Mom also told me the rotating things could not the car. Mom drove the car

through a car wash to show me nothing happens. Now when I go to a car wash, I feel like I’m at a waterpark and every time we go to the gas station I beg my mm to go in

the car wash!

MichelaI was a big chicken because if I rode the half pipe, what if I went to fast. What if I fell off the rim? Or I might fall out of my ring/floaty/ride seat. I thought if I did this I might die. So I asked my brother what the half-pipe is like. He said

that it was very fun ride. Then I asked my dad. He said it’s just like trying food you don’t know you’ll like it until you try it. So my dad said I have to try it. So I went down the humungous ride with great belief that I would die. But it was actually kind of fun. As I screamed of excitement I realized that it wasn’t bad at all. Now whenever I visit

adventure landing the half-pipe is my first ride!

MirelaI was a big chicken when I saw a roller coaster. I did NOT want to sit on it. I thought I was going to fly right out! It

was cccrreeeeppee. It was so scary because it was going fast. It was like you’re going to die! I got off it. It wasn’t scary because it was going kinda slow. It was all right.

TaylorI was a big chicken when I was in my bedroom and in my head I was like “Oh! No somebody is going to scare me in the middle of

the night. Because I was afraid of the dark. so one night I was under the covers, but then I heard something on the floor so I

looked, nothing was there. So I looked again. I saw a head so I ran back up under the covers and waited until she left. So I pulled down the covers slowly. Then I looked up and saw my sister

standing over me. So I screamed. So after that she kept doing it. Until I faced my fear and said to myself “I am not a chicken. I am

brae and smart.” so that tonight I stayed up and watched my sister creep up on me and I said “Go back to your room and leave me alone.” I threw a ball at her then after that she left me alone.

TrinityI was a big chicken about swimming in the sea water, because I thought I would drown in the water and get

stung by jelly fish and get lost in the water. Until I went swimming at a beach with my boat, with lots of

jelly fish. Good thing they were far out from the beach and I found lots of sand dollars on the bottom of the water. I was glad I swam in salt water all my

own.

ZakI was a big chicken when I was trying to ride a bike… WITH OUT training wheels. My dad taught me “Keep calm” and

“balance” and to get on the bike and push off and start out pedaling slow and to catch speed and stand up. I stick my tongue out like a dog. Now I can ride really good and do all

the things that my dad taught me. I can also stop really well. I can also turn sharp and regular. I can go up bumps.