Britney Spearament

I think it was a time of war. And she had just got back. And the city was at war and she was a doctor for the military for that time of war. It was the time of Pearl Harbor. But the photo was taken in April 26th, 1944 and she died in her forties for trying to make a great experiment called Britney Spearament to get rich because she is poor and needs money.

One of the Joke Boys

He is a DJ and he is 44 years old and today is his birthday and he is glad and he is turning 45. And one day he got shocked and he went to the doctor's and he died on his 45th birthday. And the doctor was sad. And his mom was sad too and his dad was too. He was a good DJ.

He was happy the day he died on. On his 45th birthday.

Kevin Paul and Sarah Kathryne

Kevin Paul and Sarah Kathryne are brother and sister. And they have a nice house that has a lot of stuff. Also their ages are 9 and 2 1/2 years old. Kevin Paul and Sarah Kathryne have nice clothes that look beautiful. They are loving each other because they're happy, and they are like a real family. Kevin Paul and Sarah Kathryne are really nice because they're responsible of their stuff. And every day they always listen to their parents and have fun. But Kevin was thinking about when they miss each other. They have one mom on their side of the family. Also Kevin has a mom and the other has a mom.

Zombie Baby

Once upon a time there were old people having fun. They were having a Valentine's Day party with a baby. They are in a trailer park. They just got done eating dinner when the zombie baby chewed her arm off and blood went over the dinner table. Then the baby ate the whole family. Then the baby ate himself.

The end.


*editor's note: the zombie baby can be seen at the far left edge of this photo, being held by one of its unwitting victims.

Rocky: The Cat

My name is Rocky and I'm a cat. I live with Jake and Kate who found me three years ago lying in the middle of the street. I had a broken paw and they saved me from getting hit by a semi truck. They bandaged me up with a cast and decided to keep me. I got the name Rocky because I was running and a kid dropped a rock on my paw. I am really glad these nice people saved me and are now my new family.

The end!

Wanda Houston

Once lived a single mother named Monica who lived with her mother, Wanda Houston, and her two kids, Jaylen and Jasmin. They were poor and only had couches to sleep on. That Thursday night someone came knocking on the door asking for Wanda Houston. She handed her 10,000 dollars and Wanda said, "Who are you?"

"I am Olivia," said the lady. "I was told to bring you 10,000 dollars by my mom."

"Thank you very much," Wanda said. The next morning Wanda had a surprise for Monica, and the kids and herself. They went to Victoria's Secret, Walmart and Big Kmart's. They bought clothes, shoes, food and drinks. Of course they bought Olivia some things like lotion, perfume and shoes. When they were done they had 8,000 dollars left. Then they spent 50 dollars to get their hair done, including Jasmin.

They lived happily ever after!

The end.

Six Veterans

There are six veterans from Iran who survived the war. Today is Vet's Day and they're at the VFW and they're honoring the brave men and women who died, to remember them.

Mike

Mike wanted to go to war to save his city. Mike's family and wife wanted Mike to stay home so he would not get hurt in the war. Mike's wife Resumy wants a picture so they wouldn't forget Mike if he didn't come back home. Mike didn't come back home until he was better because he was badly hurt. His family was happy when he came home. His family didn't forget him because he was there with them. One day he was dead. They never forgot what he did for his city. They made a statue for his great bravery.

The New Factory

One day a woman named Sue found a factory. She wanted to buy it. The next day she bought it. The name was Pondarosa. She made cars with her friend Fred. Fred was a mechanic. When they started Pondarosa it was spring. They did well for 5 years. Next to Pondarosa they built Mickey D's. When they went out of business they were 75 and 50 years old. The reason they went out of business is because they didn't pay bills.

The Lady

A long time ago there were three ladies named Pam, Jam and Sam. Pam did all the work for Jam and Sam. She cooked, cleaned and made up their beds. Jam and Sam went out to parties to do fun stuff. They always screamed at her. She packed her stuff and yelled, "I'm leaving." And they said, "We don't care!" So Pam walked out in the deep, deep snow. She walked through the forest. She got really really really really hungry. So she went hunting. She caught a deer, rabbit and a fish. She cooked and ate. She missed her family so much she went back home and Jam and Pam said, "I'm sorry," and Pam said, "It's OK." And they lived happily ever after.

Lonely Man

Once there was a lonely man. He didn't have not even one friend. His name is Alexsander. He lived by himself. He only went outside to walk and buy his lunch. Then he went to work and by himself ate lunch. Then he walked home and made some tea and all dressed he sat in his comfortable chair, and saw the kids play outside. Every day he did the same thing until he received a letter that said something mysterious. Then the next day he woke up and went outside to get his mail, and was so surprised because the neighbors had a party just for him.

Then he lived happily ever after.

Football

One day a boy and a girl were playing football. The boy was wearing a jersey and the girl was wearing green clothes. The boy looks happy and the girl looks freaked out. The boy's name is John and the girl's name is Taylor. The boy threw the football and hit the girl in the face. Today is game day and they're proud.

Going to Lansing

There was a lady. Her name is Sue. She is 44 years old. She is going to Lansing for a year. She wants her family and friends to remember her so she took a picture of herself. She lives on Albion Street. When she took her picture she was leaning on her car. Her car was black and gray. She is happy to go to Lansing. She is really happy. She is going to meet her sister there. They are going to do fun stuff together. Her sister's name is Sharon. They are going shopping all year.

Tim, Camo and Jamen

Once upon a time there was a dad named Tim and his two twin boys Camo and Jamen. They are an extremely happy family every day. Tim and his sons are happy because Tim got a new job. They look like they are in their house and are cheerful as can be. In their house are blue walls. They are wearing scarves and coats because it is very cold outside. Camo and Jamen love to play in the snow. Sometimes they have snowball fights with their dad. After snowball fights they like to drink hot chocolate. They get tired and go to bed as one big happy family.

Christmas Eve

It was a cold winter day before Christmas. The Mohammed family was really excited because they were going to the forest to cut down a little Christmas tree. They even went to the store to buy some decorations for the house and the tree. Nooria looked at the calendar to see what day Christmas Eve was going to arrive on, then she put Zanauaba to sleep, and asked her husband if she could invite people to come over for Christmas. He said, "Yes, we should start getting the house ready." So they cleaned the house, they cooked, they baked, and even got dressed. When guests were knocking at the door, Nooria opened the door and said, "Welcome! Welcome!" Then when the guests sat on the couch she gave them everything to eat, and for the children she gave them toys to play with. The guests gave the Mohammed family presents, and went home. After that they opened the presents, and were really happy.

The end.

The Mystery Picture

A baby, a mom, and a dad are taking a picture in front of a tree in their backyard. The mom is holding the baby and the dad is holding something.

The day after their picture, they received it in the mailbox. When the dad got in the house he opened it and it wasn't there. The picture they had taken was gone.

They searched days and days for that picture. Finally they got the right picture in their mailbox the next day and they were very happy.

Fishing

Kimya is by a lake. She has her fishing rod. She didn't want to camp out, she just wanted to fish. It's a very sunny day so she wore sunglasses. She is wearing a glove to keep her hands away from the worms. She is fishing for an hour and catches 10 fish. When she gets home she will cook them and eat them. She will cook them for her family. She will invite her neighbors to enjoy the fish. The next day they invited Kimya and her family to their house for dinner. They had tuna for dinner. Now they are all great friends.

Drum Battle

One day a boy named Mike who is 23 had to practice for a drum battle. He had to for hours and hours. He finally got the right beat that sounded like "boom, tap, ba boom boom, tap!" Then he left for the battle. He had to get his car ready. He had to get his drum and drumsticks. He left out of his driveway and sped off! He had his turn and he had fun. They did well, and they won the battle. And when they won the battle they jumped up and down. They each had their own trophy that is gold, tall, and that had a person on it.

A Woman and Her Baby

Once upon a time there was a woman helping her baby to stand up and to walk. The baby and the woman are in their house. I think Johnson is one year old. I think Sara is about 46 years old. The baby has a rocking horse that looks like a real horse and is red, white, and blue. The rocking horse is made out of wood. The baby and the woman are feeling happy and the rocking horse is looking straight.

Smoky: The Cat

My name is Smoky. I'm a cat. It's 1974. I live with Adam and Sophia and their three girls, Angel, 14, Jamie, 10, and Sara, 5.

I like toy mice, real mice, scratching posts, things I can climb, cat food and my family.

My family bought me when I was ten months old. I was the last one left of the litter.

Right now, I'm sitting on the green couch. I like the flower pillow. It is firm.

Why are they taking my picture?! When will they go away?

See the orange owl? It is my friend. I sometimes knock it over. It crashes! Then my family shouts at me. I can't knock the owl over unless no one's in the room. As soon as I knock over the owl, I must act as if I never touched it. It is fun!

Great! The people are leaving. I'm going to knock over the owl.

3,2,1!

Crash!

Howdy!

Welcome to the picture project! This project started as a writing unit taught in my fourth grade student teaching class in Albion, Michigan. The children chose from a selection of old photographs and wrote short narratives about them.

That's the long story made short, if you will.

What are the photos of? Everything. They range from black-and-white prints of 1940's Marines to candid modern day images of families - pets, young musicians, embarrassed housewives, exuberant children, smiling aunts and uncles and grandparents. The photos are of everything, but at the same time they are of nothing. They are perplexing. We have no way of knowing exactly where they came from, who took them and the reasoning behind their existence. They are mysterious finds.

What are these photos about? What are the experiences, emotions, themes and little "importances" that make them real?

Stay tuned for what the kids had to say.

Cheers and come back soon,

Miss L