Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Slice of Life - Cat Scratch Fever


I love participating in Slice of Life, started by Two Writing Teachers and writing a story, reflection, or musing at least once a week.
This week my students are making Scar Maps in their writer's notebooks to generate ideas for future Slices of Life for their Kidblogs.  A Scar Map is a self-portrait (just a stick figure will do) with arrows pointing from all the places on your body where you had an injury, accident, illness, broken heart, etc.  Emotional scars count as well as physical ones.  After making a Scar Map, we wrote Quick Writes about one of them.  Of course, I have to write about one, too!


My Scar Map

Student's Scar Map

You thought Cat Scratch Fever was just a Ted Nuget song, right?!  Wrong.  It's a REAL illness.  Read about it here.  It happened right before my 8th grade graduation.  My grandparents were staying with me because my parents were taking a vacation.  I was out on the front porch when I saw a sweet black cat winding in and out of the bushes in the front landscaping.  Me being an animal person, I naturally wanted to pet it and pick it up, with the intention of trying to find out if it belonged to someone on our street.  I coaxed it over, and it seemed friendly.  It seemed clean and healthy.  Growing up in the country, I knew to be careful of petting and handling animals with abandon.  It started to rub against my feet and legs, purring a bit.  I smiled and decided to pick it up.  

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"  It BIT me!!!  Right on the cheek!  No sooner had I pulled the cat close, that it freaked out, yowled, and BIT me.  I couldn't believe it!  I pushed it away and ran inside.  I felt so betrayed.  How dare that cat!  I was just being friendly, and it deceived me into thinking it was a friendly kitty.  It was a demon feline!!

My grandma helped me clean up my cheek, and besides a couple puncture marks, we both figured it was a minor incident.  I might have felt shaky and duped, but I was okay. Night soon fell, and it was time for bed.  I noticed a slight swelling and soreness, but besides that, no big deal.  It wasn't until morning when I realized something was terribly wrong.  I felt like I had a bad case of the flu, and my cheek had swelled to the size of a baseball.  I was achy all over, feverish, and nauseated.  My grandparents were shocked when I walked out into the kitchen.  They immediately called my parents to let them know and made a doctor's appointment for that day.  The diagnosis?  Yep, Cat Scratch Fever.  

14 comments:

  1. Holly, I never heard of cat scratch fever but goes to show you that there is so much to learn about in life, like the Scar Map. I think that is a novel way to get learners to write about experiences. Let me see if I can work that into a PD session on writing. You are always a source of literary information. Can you please find the time to write for the Finding Fall Gallery at http://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2014/09/falling-into-place-as-season-turns.html?

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    1. I will try to get to the Finding Fall Gallery this weekend, Carol! Thanks for the link. :-)

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  2. Love this! What a great idea to generate ideas for writing. We cannot wait to share this idea! Thank you.
    Clare

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  3. That's a cool idea...and who knew about cat scratch fever?!

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  4. My mother always threatened me with Cat Scratch Fever!! Once I became an adult, I figured she had totally made it up, but it turns out it's REAL! Love the scar map idea--will have to use this one. Great way to get to stories.

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  5. Scar Maps, got to share this post with my friends back in the classroom who were working on heart maps today. Loved your line - it was a demon feline!

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  6. Well, I never. I have never, ever heard of such a thing. You bet I won't forget it now! I love the idea of a Scar Map to generate writing ideas. Kids are always drawn to writing about accidents and mishaps anyway. Great idea. Thanks.

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  7. Cat Scratch fever? Sounds yucky. I am SO stealing this idea. My 4th graders absolutely love talking about injuries! Bummer about NCTE. I was hoping to see you there!

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    1. I remember sitting by you last year at the breakfast! I will be sorry to miss you, too. It wasn't an easy decision, but I just have a lot going on right now. I hope to go next year!

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  8. I have heard of cat scratch fever. Sounds scary to actually get it, though. I love how you participate in everything you ask your students to do, a great model for them. I have not thought of doing a scar map before. Students are fascinated with boo boos. Thanks for the idea and the SOL model.
    I just saw GiGi's comment. You won't be at NCTE? I was hoping to meet you. (Sad face)

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    1. I'm sad, too. I would have loved to have seen you accept your Donald Graves award. I'll be there in spirit, though!! We'll meet up one of these days!!

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  9. A teacher friend of mine got cat scratch fever. I've never had it, though I've had many cats and many scratches.
    My daughter did one of the scar maps years ago. She had lots of them - they all seemed to be related to her brother or our dog...

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  10. How did I miss this on Tuesday? I LOVE this idea and I'm going to use it too. Thanks Holly!!! Have you thought about opening blogs? My student blogs are on my blogroll at mshaseltine.edublogs.org. We'd love to have you stop by and read. :)

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