A G A G II A AN N TT CC H HA A PP TT EE RR BB O OO O KK
E H T W O H
L S A M I AN THEIR GOT
In collaboration with Mrs. Ivanic and Ms. Seeger’s 3rd grade class at P.S. 153
E H T W O H
L S A M I AN THEIR GOT
A GIANT CHAPTER BOOK
In collaboration with Mrs. Ivanic and Ms. Seeger’s 3rd grade class at P.S. 153
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Joan Ganz Cooney Center from Sesame Workshop FUNDED BY
Robin Hood Foundation
COPYRIGHT © 2025 THE GIANT ROOM
THIS BOOK BELONGS TO:
GIVE
F L E S R U O Y TICKER
ER
H
ES
H E!
PLACE T
D R A W A N A
NAME OF THE AWARD
TABLE OF CONTENTS About the Book............................................................................................ 2 Meet the Animal Families....................................................................... 4 About the Process.................................................................................... 16 Narrative Writing..................................................................................... 28 Chapter 1: The Dragon Family by Jaden............................... 30 Chapter 2: An Animal Family by Asher.................................. 34 Chapter 3: Hogwarts by Ava...................................................... 38 Chapter 4: Dragonlong by Mathew Z..................................... 42 Chapter 5: Furrys by Suhaila...................................................... 46 Chapter 6: Sea Snertel by Luna................................................ 50 Chapter 7: Pigysimrose by Julia............................................... 54 Chapter 8: Dark Oceann by Thien........................................... 58 Chapter 9: The Super Duper Strengthers by Auiskar..... 63 Chapter 10: The Moon Pack by Gianna R............................. 68 Chapter 11: Super Duper Dragons by Jared........................ 72 Chapter 12: An Animal Family by Henry............................... 76 Chapter 13: The Ocean Kings by Liam ................................. 80 Chapter 14: The Octopus by Shahd........................................ 84 Chapter 15: Canca by Gia........................................................... 88 Chapter 16: Draconius by Mrs. Ivanic................................... 92 Credits........................................................................................................... 96 About The GIANT Room....................................................................... 97
ABOUT THE BOOK For six weeks, The GIANT Room and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop partnered with students and teachers at P.S. 153 in Queens to co-design a classroom book and a deck of trading cards showcasing students’ science learning and writing. Throughout the project, students also strengthened their AI literacy and criticalthinking skills by responsibly using a suite of AI tools to support their creative writing process. As part of the school’s Inheritance and Traits science unit, the program focused on animal families, their genes, and their offspring’s inherited and acquired traits. Students created their own “Animal Families” with special traits and powers, then wrote fictional stories about their Animal Family on vacation, highlighting those inherited and acquired traits. Their completed work is featured in this book, along with a set of collectible Animal Family trading cards. We extend our gratitude to P.S. 153 and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center for their partnership, and to the Robin Hood Foundation for funding the program and making this publication possible.
Your creative collaborators, The GIANT Room
2
ACERCA DE ESTE LIBRO Durante seis semanas, The GIANT Room y Joan Ganz Cooney Center de Sesame Workshop colaboraron con estudiantes y maestros de la escuela P.S. 153 en Queens para co-diseñar un libro y tarjetas de colección que muestran el aprendizaje de ciencias y la escritura de los estudiantes. A lo largo del programa, los estudiantes también fortalecieron su alfabetización en Inteligencia Artificial (IA) y sus habilidades de pensamiento crítico, al usar de manera responsable una serie de herramientas de IA para apoyar su proceso de escritura creativa. Como parte de la unidad de ciencias “Herencia y Rasgos” de la escuela, el programa se enfocó en las familias de animales, sus genes y los rasgos heredados y adquiridos de sus crías. Los estudiantes crearon sus propias “Familias de Animales” con rasgos y poderes especiales. Luego, escribieron historias ficticias sobre sus familias pasando unas vacaciones, resaltando los rasgos heredados y adquiridos. Su trabajo final aparece en este libro, junto con un conjunto de tarjetas coleccionables de Familias de Animales. Queremos agradecer a la escuela P.S. 153 y a Joan Ganz Cooney Center por su colaboración, y a Robin Hood Foundation por financiar el programa y hacer posible esta publicación.
Sus colaboradores creativos, The GIANT Room
3
E E T M THE
ANIM AL
FA
M ILIES
Designer of the animal family
The name of the animal family
The offspring’s inherited traits from Mom and Dad
The offspring’s special power
AIgenerated avatar based on student’s original design
Original design by the student The offspring’s acquired traits
5
JULIA AI AVATAR PROMPT: A cute family of three cat-like creatures with grey fur and white bellies, black and white eyes, small pointy ears, wearing red shoes and red capes, with lasers coming out of their eyes. The background is a vibrant, bright galaxy filled with stars. 3D illustration, Kawaii style. Character centered.
PAGE 54 Author’s signature
LIAM AI AVATAR PROMPT: Three vibrant purple jellyfish creatures with thin, elongated limbs and radiant purple and pink eyes. The family is known for incredible strength and clear vision, embodying a divine aura against a mystical underwater world with shimmering coral and gentle sea currents. 3D illustration, Kawaii style. Character centered.
PAGE 80 Author’s signature 6
SHAHD AI AVATAR PROMPT: Three octopuses with vibrant traits: first having blue eyes and purple hair, the second with purple skin and blue feathers, and the third with purple skin, blue feathers and blue eyes, showcasing thunder powers. Set against a dynamic stormy sky, with vivid lightning and swirling clouds. 3D illustration, Kawaii style. Character centered.
PAGE 84 Author’s signature
AUISKAR AI AVATAR PROMPT: Three figures with blue fur and large green eyes; the mom has long arms, the dad has long legs showcasing strength, and the offspring with a scar on his right arm, appears swift and agile. The background is a vivid, bustling cityscape to highlight their super abilities. 3D illustration, Kawaii style. Character centered.
PAGE 63 Author’s signature 7
GIA AI AVATAR PROMPT: Three cats with two tails and large eyes, featuring furry ears, displaying laser vision. The vivid night sky is filled with shimmering stars and auroras. 3D illustration, Kawaii style. Character centered.
PAGE 88 Author’s signature
LUNA AI AVATAR PROMPT: A family of three sea creatures, a blue-shelled female turtle, a little green-shelled turtle with blue legs and blue snake tail, smiling brightly, and a male green snakelike figure. They all have water super powers. They all hang out on a sunny beach with sparkling ocean waves in the background. 3D illustration, Kawaii style. Character centered.
PAGE 50 Author’s signature 8
THIEN AI AVATAR PROMPT: A brave wolf family with black and white fur, the dad and mom have mysterious markings, their child has blue eyes and a small scar, showing daring courage. They stand proudly on a misty moonlit forest floor, surrounded by tall, shadowy trees and glowing fireflies. 3D illustration, Kawaii style. Character centered.
PAGE 58 Author’s signature
GIANNA AI AVATAR PROMPT: A cute family of three wolf characters with colorful, fluffy fur. The female has soft blue fur and a glowing crescent moon on her forehead, normal paws. The male has warmcolored paws that sparkle like tiny flames, with a big smile showing his little teeth and kind, sweet eyes. Their child also has a moon symbol on their forehead, one bandaged leg and has gently tripped on a small rock, holding one leg while smiling bravely. They’re on a cliff at night, with a big crescent moon shining in the dark sky. The moon seems to give them their magical powers. 3D illustration. Kawaii style. Character centered.
PAGE 68 Author’s signature 9
ASHER AI AVATAR PROMPT: A family of three owls, the female with blue eyes, the male with colorful hair, and the child with the same hair color as his dad. Sitting in a picnic area on a starry night. Kawaii style. 3D illustration. Character centered.
PAGE 34 Author’s signature
HENRY AI AVATAR PROMPT: Three dinosaur-like creatures in an attacking pose. A female one shoots venom, the child one shoots sparks and the male one emits darkness. The background is a dark forest and streaks of light escape through the spaces in the trees. 3D illustration. Kawaii style. Character centered.
PAGE 76 Author’s signature 10
MATHEW AI AVATAR PROMPT: A family of three dragon-like creatures, male, female and a child, all with a pair of long golden dragon horns. They walk on all fours and have grey fur. Flying in the sky with lightning in the background. 3D illustration. Kawaii style. Character centered.
PAGE 42 Author’s signature
SUHAILA AI AVATAR PROMPT: A family of three, a chubby dragon mom with small dragon wings with blue eyes, a cat-like creature dad standing on all fours, and a child cat with small dragon wings. In a colorful landscape surrounded by snowy mountains. 3D illustration. Kawaii style. Character centered.
PAGE 46 Author’s signature 11
AVA AI AVATAR PROMPT: A family of three, each holding a magic wand. The female and the child have a purple pointy hat on their heads, the male is riding on his own broomstick. Flying on their broomsticks surrounded by a bright cloudy sky. Kawaii style. 3D illustration. Character centered.
PAGE 38 Author’s signature
JADEN AI AVATAR PROMPT: Three animal-like characters with dog legs and heads, and a pair of dragon wings. The female has spiky fur, the male has a spiky tail and dark wings, the child has spiky fur and tail and has the ability to fly. They all glow like fire sparks. Stand on all fours. The family is soaring in the bright orange cloudy sky, in an attacking pose. 3D illustration. Kawaii style. Character centered.
PAGE 30 Author’s signature 12
JARED AI AVATAR PROMPT: A family of three, tortoise-like creatures, shells made of bricks. The female mom has the ability of throwing knives, the male dad in a backflip pose, the child shows super strength by hold a load of bricks and has laser eyes. They are in a field in a hero pose. Kawaii style. 3D illustration. Character centered.
PAGE 72 Author’s signature
MRS. IVANIC AI AVATAR PROMPT: A petite dragon with purple eyes, purple hair, large wings, and long talons, next to a large dragon with no wings, blue eyes, curly black hair, and sharp talons on four legs; next to them, a medium-sized dragon with large wings, purple eyes, straight black hair, four legs, and a scar on its right cheek, exuding strength. The scene is set in a lush, magical forest under a vivid sunset sky, where trees sparkle with mystical energies.
PAGE 92 Author’s signature 13
MS. SEEGER AI AVATAR PROMPT: Magical creatures with purple skin, a unicorn horn on its head, and a fin with a scar; able to swim and fly gracefully. Background: a vibrant underwater kingdom with shimmering corals and a bright, clear sky above. 3D illustration, Kawaii style. Character centered.
Author’s signature
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ABOUT
THE
PROCESS
HOW THIS BOOK WAS MADE Co-designed and co-written by 15 students from P.S. 153 and a multidisciplinary team of artists, educators, and writers at The GIANT Room, “How the Animals Got Their Cool Traits... on Vacation!” showcases students’ achievements in science, creative writing, and AI literacy. The book invites families and friends to celebrate, reflect on, and learn from their creations. Students designed the Animal Family avatars featured throughout the book by sketching and writing about an imaginary animal family with special powers and traits. Using The GIANT Remix app, we generated prototypes of their avatars and refined them through multiple feedback rounds to create the final trading cards. You can find the exact AI prompts used in the “Meet the Animal Families” section. Teachers Mrs. Ivanic and Ms. Seeger joined in by creating their own AI avatars. Students then used their trading cards to write fictional stories about their animal families on vacation. They incorporated key vocabulary from their science unit, used AI-powered spinners to brainstorm vacation destinations and conflicts for their stories, and received two rounds of feedback to help them revise and edit their writings. All writing in this book is authored by the students, with only minor corrections for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Scan the QR codes in each chapter to explore their writing journey, original drafts, and badges earned for their progress. Why AI? The GIANT Room’s mission is to elevate kids’ voices and provide them with opportunities to publish and share with friends and family. AI is a powerful tool they can use in their creative journey, and along the way they can gain AI and media literacy skills that are incredibly valuable for their future. The GIANT Room introduces students to these tools in a responsible and safe way, always with a human in the loop. 18
CÓMO SE HIZO ESTE LIBRO Este libro fue co-diseñado y co-escrito por 15 estudiantes de P.S. 153 y un equipo multidisciplinario de artistas, educadores, y escritores de The GIANT Room. Este libro, “How the Animals Got Their Cool Traits... on Vacation!” muestra el increíble trabajo científico, escritura creativa, y la alfabetización de Inteligencia Artificial (IA) de los estudiantes. Al mismo tiempo, invita a sus amigos y familiares a celebrar, reflexionar y aprender sobre el libro. Los estudiantes diseñaron los avatares de sus Familias de Animales que aparecen a lo largo del libro. Lo diseñaron pensando en un animal, planta, o invento con poderes especiales que ayuda a su hábitat. Después, utilizando la aplicación de Inteligencia Artificial (IA) de The GIANT Remix, generamos prototipos de sus avatares. Estos prototipos pasaron por múltiples rondas de retroalimentación por parte de los estudiantes, hasta que estuvieron listos para formar parte de sus tarjetas de colección. Podrás encontrar las descripciones o “prompts” exactos de IA en la sección “Meet the Animal Families”. Las maestras Mrs. Ivanic y Ms. Seeger también participaron y crearon sus propios avatares con IA.
Luego, los estudiantes utilizaron sus tarjetas para escribir historias ficticias sobre sus Familias de Animales de vacaciones. Ellos incorporaron vocabulario importante de su unidad de ciencia, y utilizaron dos ruletas con sugerencias de AI de destinos vacacionales y conflictos para usar en sus historias. Los estudiantes recibieron dos rondas de retroalimentación para ayudarles a revisar y editar lo que escribieron. Lo que está en este libro fue escrito por los estudiantes, con solo pocas correcciones de ortografía, gramática, y puntuación. Escanea el código QR en cada capítulo para ver el proceso de escritura, sus borradores originales y las medallas que obtuvieron por su progreso. ¿Por qué IA? La misión de The GIANT Room es elevar la voz de los niños y brindarles oportunidades para publicar y compartir su trabajo con amigos y familiares. La IA es una herramienta poderosa que los estudiantes pueden utilizar en su camino creativo y, al mismo tiempo, les permite desarrollar habilidades de alfabetización en IA y medios, que son increíblemente valiosas para su futuro. The GIANT Room introduce a los estudiantes a estas herramientas de manera responsable y segura, siempre con una persona presente en el proceso. 19
DR
G IN
G TIN AF
PU BL IS H
PLANNING
RIN G
G
SHA
E DITI N
Writing Wheel
RE
V IS
IN G
EVAL
T UA
IN
G
Students’ Scientific Writing Journeys
Here’s to celebrating the remarkable improvements students made as they revised their manuscripts and applied feedback from The GIANT Remix app: Students showed meaningful growth in scientific understanding and narrative writing, producing final pieces that were more accurate, better structured, and richer in detail. On average, they wrote 45% more words in their final draft, for an average of
187.27
words!
Average number of words written by students 200 150
187.27 129.27
100 50 0
First Draft
Final Draft
AND received
99
badges!
Mission Kickstarter
Word Scientist
Science Hero
Word Hero
Revision Superstar
Scientist Wizard
Punctuation Champion
Super Speller
Grammar Guru 21
Students took up the challenge to include more science vocabulary in their writings! On average, they each wrote 16 science words in their final manuscript!
AND received
34
science badges!
On average, students earned more than 2 science badges (out of 3) on their final writing - an impressive jump from just 1.53 science badges on their original drafts. 22
Word Scientist Badge Requirement: Use at least one science keyword. Achieved by: 15 of 15 students
Science Hero Badge Requirement: Include at least one science fact. Achieved by: 14 of 15 students
Scientist Wizard Requirement: Use all five science keywords. Achieved by: 5 of 15 students
Five science keywords: offspring, inherited, acquired, trait, genes 23
Critical Thinking Skills Not only did students strengthen their writing skills and science vocabulary, they also learned how to give constructive feedback by sharing their likes, dislikes, and ideas for improving an AI-generated avatar.
By the end of the program, students provided an average of 4.5 pieces of feedback, a GIANT jump from 3 at the start. That’s almost
1.5x 24
more feedback provided by students!
AI Literacy Skills By the end of the program, the majority of students knew... AI stands for Artificial Intelligence! AI makes mistakes! As humans, we can give feedback to AI to improve its work. One example of AI prompting is writing descriptions for AI to create images.
25
BADGE GLOSSARY Mission Kickstarter For writing at least 1 word in each section of your manuscript.
Word Scientist For writing at least 1 science keyword.
Word Hero For writing unique and fancy vocabulary.
Science Hero For including at least 1 science fact.
Scientist Wizard For using all 5 science keywords. 26
BADGE GLOSSARY Revision Superstar For making at least 5 revisions.
Punctuation Champion For having less than 3 punctuation errors.
Super Speller For making less than 3 spelling mistakes.
Grammar Guru For making less than 5 grammar mistakes. 27
NARRATIVE
WRITING
COOLEST WORLDBUILDING AWARD For inventing the unique, imaginative setting of Lavaspace and sticking with it all the way through.
CHAPTER 1:
THE DRAGON FAMILY By Jaden, Age 8
SCAN FOR EDITOR'S NOTES
30 30
My name is Matthew and I am the offspring of Christina and Cris. We are going to a place that is space and lava mixed together. The place is called Lavaspace. When the Dragon Family was on vacation, the aliens came and said, “Give us your offspring.” Mom’s fighting trait was passed down to me. In the end, the Dragon Family fought with the aliens and won. The offspring acquired fire breath power and the Dragon Family acquired super strength. The offspring acquired bigger wings.
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JADEN’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
32
SECOND DRAFT
INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
33
BEST TRAITTEAMWORK AWARD For showing how the whole family’s traits—from genes and from learning— work together to save the vacation.
CHAPTER 2:
AN ANIMAL FAMILY By Asher, Age 8
SCAN FOR EDITOR'S NOTES
34 34
We were going on vacation. By the way, I am Mathew, offspring of Jonathan and Jen. I inherited blue eyes from my mom and I inherited hair color from my dad. We are going to Bali. We went to the airport and took a plane. I inherited blue eyes from my dad’s side, and skin & hair color from my mom’s side. I got these traits because of the genes my parents passed down to me. We are going to start surfing! OH NO, we forgot the suitcase! This is really bad. What shall we do? Let’s think of a way to get it. WAIT! One of our inherited traits could help. We could just use our super strength we got from our parents. We could use our super strength to just hang onto an airplane. Six hours later... YAY! We got the suitcase. Our vacation is over. It was amazing. We all had a lot of fun! We made new friends and tried new foods. But, the best part of all is that we all got a new acquired trait… WE CAN SURF! Our acquired trait of surfing works great with our inherited trait of super strength! It changed us because now we have a new way to have fun.
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ASHER’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
36
SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
37
FUNNIEST FAMILY MIX-UP AWARD For the hilarious moment when Dad used toothpaste instead of sunscreen.
CHAPTER 3:
HOGWARTS By Ava, Age 8
SCAN FOR EDITOR'S NOTES
38 38
My mom’s name is Krystal and my dad’s name is Brandon and my name is Ava and our family name is the Frauenberg Family. The offspring is me. I inherited my dad’s nose. I acquired my scar and learned to fly on a broom. Today we are going to Hogwarts Village. We will see snow. We were getting ready when… Dad mistook toothpaste for sunscreen! So we used our flying trait to go to the doctor. But, dad was stinky like mint. Thank god I inherited the flying trait! The vacation ended with me acquiring how to do magic spells. It was fun. We almost fell off! We were safe! Though it took us two days to get home. We were so glad!! The end!!
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AVA’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
40
SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
41
BRAVEST ALIEN BATTLE AWARD For fighting giant aliens as a family and showing courage.
CHAPTER 4:
DRAGONLONG By Mathew Zuna, Age 8
SCAN FOR EDITOR'S NOTES
42 42
Hi, my name is Carlo and I am the offspring of Jessica, my mom, and Meteo, my dad. And we are going to the lava fields of Hawaii. And we are on a boat. And I inherited traits, which made me fight. Speed and strength were passed down from us to Joe through our genes. When we were walking, we found an abandoned rocket ship. Then, this happened: we got chased by giant aliens! When we got chased by aliens, we had a problem. We had to speed up the boat, but I was taught to fight, so I was brave. And my dad, mom, and I fought the giant aliens… We all share the trait of bravery, which helped us to fight off the aliens. When we fought the aliens, we won, but we each got a scar on the face and lost a bit of a wing. And I can still fly. And we landed on the lava fields of Hawaii. We got off the boat and we learned that fighting might be scary, but after all, we only got a big scar on our faces. And mom and dad helped, and I only got hurt on my leg.
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MATHEW’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
44
SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
45
SMARTEST USE OF POWERS AWARD For using inherited powers to fix the problem in the crystal ice cave.
CHAPTER 5:
FURRYS
By Suhaila, Age 8
SCAN FOR EDITOR'S NOTES
46 46
My family and I are going to a crystal ice cave in Iceland. I am Alaya. My mom’s name is Carrie. My dad’s name is Gordon. I am the offspring of Carrie and Gordon. My mom’s genes made her skin blue. My dad’s genes made his skin yellow. I inherited a light belly and blue eyes traits from my mom. It is going to be cold. I am so excited! I wanted to go so much to see what the cave looks like. One day we were exploring the cave, but we got very confused. Then we figured out the map was upside down. What should we do? I looked up and down. My mom tried sniffing the way out, but it didn’t work. I used my power that I inherited from my mom and dad. I used my power to change the color of an ice piece. Then, I had a plan. We are back inside the hotel. We learned we can do anything together. I also learned how to use my power! I am so happy. It was a great day. We celebrated with pizza, hot chocolate, and cinnamon nuts.
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SUHAILA’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
48
SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
49
CALMEST LIGHTHOUSE ENDING AWARD For ending the adventure quietly in the lighthouse, safe and resting.
CHAPTER 6:
SEA SNERTEL By Luna, Age 7
SCAN FOR EDITOR'S NOTES
50 50
My family went to a lighthouse on the cliffs of Ireland. My name is Wate and I’m the offspring of Wa and Te. We saw the Northern Lights. My mom and dad called all of us the Sea Snertels. My mom’s trait is her flower shell and my dad’s trait is healing power. I inherited my shell color from my dad and my blue eyes from my mom. I got mysterious purple dots all over my body, and I lost my shark bite trait. But my dad used his healing power that he got yesterday, and I got my bite back. Oh! My shark bite is an acquired trait. Finally, we went into the lighthouse and slept in beds.
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LUNA’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
52
SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
53
BEST HEALTHY HABIT LESSON AWARD For including the important acquired trait of learning to wash hands.
CHAPTER 7:
PIGYSIMROSE By Julia, Age 8
SCAN FOR EDITOR'S NOTES
54
Zoe is the offspring of Rumi and Juno. Rumi is the mom and Juno is the dad. The cats decided to go on vacation on a hot-air balloon to Cappadocia. My family wanted to go because they love to go outside, so they went. Rumi, Zoe’s mom, said to go for her birthday with her friend so we did… Mom and dad passed down their genes to me, which makes me unique. I inherited the fluffy fur trait from my mom and pointy ears trait from my dad. He did not know but he heard it. Zoe’s strongest trait is shooting out lasers. Baby cat got sick, so we had to forget his birthday. He was sad but his friend is coming so he is going to play tomorrow. He was so happy that he is going to play tomorrow. His mom and I said let's go buy a toy for his birthday. So they all went to space. He was excited … for the plane. He learned to wash his hands. We make mistakes, even I. After the trip we became flying cats. We acquired a trait that made us flying cats. It was your birthday so let’s go to the airplane and let's go home and relax. I want to go to the spa. It’s ok, we will go next time. I really like it. We learned to all be happy to not be sick. 55 55
JULIA’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
56
SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
57
COOLEST ICE HOTEL DESCRIPTION AWARD For describing the shiny, mirror-like walls and freezing hotel so clearly.
CHAPTER 8:
DARK OCEANN By Thien, Age 8
SCAN FOR EDITOR'S NOTES
58 58
I am the offspring of my mom and dad. My mom's inherited trait is blue eyes. My dad's trait is red eyes. My animal family goes on vacation. They travel to the ice hotels of Lapland, Finland. I got to the hotel and the walls were shiny and the door was so shiny. I can use it as a mirror. It was freezing. I got food. My mom fed me. Dad got food. Once I was done, I practiced balancing on stuff and doing backflips, but I got hurt and got a scar, which is an acquired trait, but I was still ok. Then I was tired. Later I slept for 10 hrs. "Oh no! Mom, the key fell in the pool!" "Oh no sweetie, we need to ask someone!” "Ok mom, sounds great!" "Can you go to the pool? Because the key dropped in the pool!" "Ok!" "I will get the key!" Mom used her excellent swimming genes to dive into the pool to get the key. *Dives in.* "Thank you so much!" "No problem." "Yay!" "Now, we can go back to the hotel!" "Yeah sweetie, now let’s take a rest and eat." "Yeah Mom, I am hungry."
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"Yeah I am hungry!" *After they ate* "Mom, I got a bruise." "Oh no sweetie, it's ok. We can put an ice pack on it, don't worry!" "We have to go on the plane now because we have to go back home." "Ok, mom!" "I will miss the ice hotel!" *Back home* "We are home!" "I miss the hotel so much!" "It's ok, we can visit next time!" "Ok..." "Ok, let's take a rest!" I am very proud of my genes because they have been passed down to me and our lives. I will help my family and me throughout my life.
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THIEN’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
61
SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
62
COOLEST POWER-UP SEQUENCE AWARD For unlocking multiple new powers, including not feeling pain and teleportation.
CHAPTER 9:
THE SUPER DUPER STRENGTHERS By Auiskar, Age 7
SCAN FOR EDITOR'S NOTES
63 63
Hi, my name is Beth and I am part of the Super Duper Strengthers! I am the mom. Beth’s trait is super speed. And my husband’s trait is super strength. My husband Frank and I are going to a luxury resort on Mars with my son, Joe. Joe is my son. He inherited super speed from me. We are going to Mars and we found an abandoned rocket ship. And we got all the materials for it. And we saw on the news channel there is a luxury resort on Mars. Joe has super speed, like I said in the start of the story. After all, he is their offspring and has super speed. But when we were going to the rocket ship, our map flew away! So, mom went adventuring to find the map because she has super speed. And you might be wondering, why can't Joe go, he has super speed, too? Well, he has to be older. Then, she found the map, but it was soaked in lemonade and she was 13 miles away. So, she made a new map to a luxury resort on Mars and to her home. So, it took her at least 1 or 2 days to go to her home then she was actually 1 mile away from home which is 20 minutes away from home. 64 64
So, when they were in the luxury resort on Mars, dad got a little asteroid in his scar when he was helping mom move stuff for their new house. The table he was holding had a sharp edge and he got his scar from that, but it did not hurt! And then he unlocked a new super power by that asteroid. That is, if he gets hurt, it doesn't hurt him. So, then the mom got small tweezers and got it out. And then, after a week and 2 days, they were going back to Earth. Dad got a new superpower that is an acquired trait he got. Joe and Beth also found a new superpower, which is that if he gets hurt, it doesn’t hurt! Another super power unlocked when they went home. They kept the rock just in case for something. So, when they were sleeping, Joe, the kid, went to the rock and touched it. He got a new superpower that was anywhere he said that he wanted to go to, he would go. So, he has teleportation now. Now mom was the only person that hasn't gained a new superpower trait.
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AUISKAR’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
66
SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
67
MOST CREATIVE FIRE POWER AWARD For inventing fire paws and a fire carpet to help the family travel.
CHAPTER 10:
THE MOON PACK By Gianna R., Age 8
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My genes were passed down to Eclipes, which made her fur blueish. I am the mom. My name is Bella. My offspring, her name is Eclipes. She is a really good girl and dad Ken is good. So we are going to … a secret moonlit forest on the dark side of the moon! I know! So cool! Eclipes said, “YAY!!!” Ken said, “What? OK, fine.” Eclipes wags her tail out of excitement. Then mom booked some tickets, so they walked to catch the train but they could not find tickets back home! Dad has special paws that help him make things and save us. But dad couldn’t help with the conflict. Eclipes said, “What do we do?” “What will dad do?” Mom touched Eclipes’ paws. Mom: “Ouch! What happened to my paws?” Eclipes said, “They are fire paws.” Dad said, “Look what I made! A fire carpet, hop on now, Eclipes! Come on!” “OMG A MONSTER!” “I will help,” said dad. “Ouch! I have a scar. It is fine.” They went on the fire carpet. Mom got fire paws acquired now, just like me and dad. That was a nice trip. Also, poor Dad, he got a scar. Dad acquired the scar from our vacation. “Yawn, I am tired, good night.” The end. Did you know when wolves can’t find food they eat what they find or see?
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GIANNA R.’S WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
DESCRIBE
FINISH
70
SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
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STRONGEST ESCAPE PLAN AWARD For using Dad’s acquired super strength to both enter and escape the hole with the treasure.
CHAPTER 11:
SUPER DUPER DRAGONS By Jared, Age 8
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Hi! My name is Clock and I am a part of the Ninja Dragons. Offspring’s mom’s name is Angel and Dad's name is Fireman. My family wanted to go to The Great Wall of China. So we went there. But super duper strength, laser eyes, and speed is in our traits. My mom has sharp knives as a trait. I inherited mom’s special trait. One of them found a mystery hole. So they jumped in it. My dad used one of his acquired traits to make a bigger hole to go inside. My dad’s acquired trait is super strength. Dad found gold from a chest in the hole, but they were stuck deep in the hole. So my dad used his acquired trait so they can get out of the hole. Dad’s new speed goes really well with his traits!
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JARED’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
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74
SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
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BEST USE OF VOLCANO SETTING AWARD For combining lava fields, a volcano eruption, and an earthquake in one scene.
CHAPTER 12:
AN ANIMAL FAMILY By Henry, Age 8
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Darkness, we are going on vacation! Oh, hi, I guess you’re wondering what I am. Well, I am Darkness. I inherited sharp claws from my mom. And we are going to the lava fields of Hawaii. Darkness looks like the night sky and he is happy! A volcano erupted and there was an earthquake. “It is so beautiful,” said dad, “and it is cool.” WAIT! We could use our traits of the power of darkness because I am an offspring and it is in my genes! We got blasted off of the island from an explosion and I got a scar that is very cool, which is an acquired trait and it is not an inherited trait or an inheritance. I am happy and oh no, a robot invasion!
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HENRY’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
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SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
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MOST DRAMATIC NEW TRAIT AWARD For acquiring the dramatic ability to summon a meteor from the sky.
CHAPTER 13:
THE OCEAN KINGS By Liam, Age 9
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I am Ocean King, offspring of Gina and Phedro. My family went to the Bahamas’ underwater cave. Then, I used my see-through vision to find food, and they ate a big shrimp. Dad killed the shrimp with his strength! Yay! I inherited my see-through vision from my parents. Another trait I have is my purple and pink eyes which I inherited from my mom. So then I got lost. I walked for 30 minutes. I was sweating! My special see-through vision helped me! So, I forgot that I had see-through vision. I used it and I saw my Dad! I ran to him, I was so happy, and my mom was here too! I learned to summon a meteor, and we went back home! Back home, I used my new acquired trait to summon a meteor from the sky.
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LIAM’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
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SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
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YUMMIEST VACATION TREATS AWARD For delicious details about milkshakes, chocolate, and waffles in Bora Bora.
CHAPTER 14:
THE OCTOPUS By Shahd, Age 8
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I am the offspring of Ivonix and Max. My octopus family went to Bora Bora. Dad’s trait is inherited. Then we got a strawberry milkshake with chocolate syrup and waffles with Dubai chocolate. I got a chocolate milkshake. Mom got the strawberry milkshake with mango. Dad got a mango milkshake with whipping cream. Mom’s inheritance is laser eyes. I inherited tentacles from both my mom and my dad. The first day was a big problem! The hotel key fell into the pool. Then the owner came and dived in the pool and got the key. Everybody had a big, big party and danced together. The owner had a wedding party for his daughter, Meshell. They dance and dance until it is time to go home but the owner can't go. Be careful to not drop the hotel key in the pool.
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SHAHD’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
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SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
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MOST IMPROVED STORY LENGTH AWARD For growing the story from just a few lines into a fuller adventure.
CHAPTER 15:
CANCA
By Gia, Age 8
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I am the offspring of mom, Victoria, and dad, Carlos. Dad’s trait is the ability to be invisible and mom’s trait is blue eyes. My family was going to the USA, but by accident they were in the Bahamas. But they forgot that they live in the Bahamas. I inherited my laser eyes from mama. But, my family got the ticket, but it blew away in a cup of lemonade. And it was wet. We panicked! Our special genes helped us to get our ticket back. We learned that we can get new traits. We learned that we can use an acquired trait.
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GIA’S
WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
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SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
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BEST ADAPTATION AND ACCEPTANCE AWARD For showing how the family goes from not liking their new rainbow wings to realizing they help them adapt and belong.
CHAPTER 16:
DRACONIUS By Mrs. Ivanic
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We are a Draconius family – Fyre is the mom, Thunder is the dad, and Lightning is their offspring. Fyre spends her days teaching Lightning how to fly, roar, and breathe fire. Thunder spends his days hunting for food and attacking villages. They all have super strength, an inherited trait. We needed a family vacation, so we booked a trip to the colorful streets of Havana, Cuba. We were having a fabulous vacation – hitting the beautiful beaches, exploring the pretty colorful town, and eating amazing food! Then, one morning, we all woke up with rainbow wings. We’ve never heard of our genes being able to do this! Are we the first ones? What self-respecting dragon has rainbow wings? Who would be afraid of us? That is not an acquired trait we wanted! So much for that fabulous vacation! Our genes are for purple wings – now what are we going to do? We spent the rest of the day trying to figure out our next move. When we woke up in the morning, we decided to go into town to see how people would react to our colorful wings. What is the worst that could happen? It was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! People thought we blended in beautifully with our new rainbow wings – we adapted to our new environment. We were shown so much love that we decided to make Havana, Cuba our new home!
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MRS. IVANIC’S WRITING JOURNEY FIRST DRAFT INTRODUCTION
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SECOND DRAFT INTRODUCTION
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A GIANT thank you to Mrs. Ivanic and Ms Seeger, the students and families from P.S. 153, and the GIANT team members who made this publication possible. Book Concept & Planning
Mrs. Ivanic Azadeh Jamalian, PhD Jessica Mezei, PhD Rebecca Schifilliti Maru Segovia Hongjin Du Maya Hood-Wilson Rama Deshpande
Book Design & Development
Rebecca Schifilliti Azadeh Jamalian, PhD Paulina Quezada M. Rama Deshpande Aaron Toplin Vanessa Raphael
GIANT Kid Collaborators
Julia, Liam, Shahd, Gia, Gianna, Asher, Henry, Mathew, Suhaila, Ava, Jaden, Jared, Luna, Auiskar, and Thien
More GIANT thanks to the Robin Hood Foundation, Tech + Learning Fund for their generous support of this project, and to Joan Ganz Cooney Center from Sesame Workshop for their partnership.
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