The Weekly MUSE: Locomotives

Steam Locomotive
Photo by: Vestman

Last week we talked about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. This secret system of paths and stations helped Tubman free hundreds of African American slaves!

This week we are going to take a look at the not-so-secret railroad. In particular we are going to look at this railroad’s giant IRON HORSES we call LOCOMOTIVES!

All, aboard, Creative Writers! We’ve found our MUSE!

Unlike Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad, it’s NO secret when a 200 ton locomotive chugs down the railway. These beasts make no effort to roll through town silently.

Take a look at a steam locomotive in action below!

Like I mentioned above, what you just saw was a STEAM locomotive. The engine of this locomotive is powered by steam.

Here is how it works. In most steam engines, coal is fed to a boiler that heats water to make steam. This steam creates pressure, which is used to PUSH the pistons. The pistons PUSH and PULL the rods that make the wheels move, making the classic “chugga-chugga” sound.

How did I learn this? I read Brian Floca’s new book called LOCOMOTIVE. This book just won the Caldecott Medal for best illustrations.

George Stephenson  (1781-1848)

After further research, I learned that the first steam locomotive was invented by George Stephenson of Great Britain in 1820’s.

Stephenson's Rocket Train (first steam locomotive)

Locomotives were first used to transport coal from the coal mines. Later, locomotives were used to power passenger trains.

Pretty soon, traveling by train would become the most popular form of transportation. And this would last until the 1950’s and 60’s when it became popular to travel by AIRPLANE!

Diesel Locomotive
Photo by: Seth J.

Today, locomotives still exist, but most are powered by diesel fuel. These locomotives are still used to transport people across the country, but most are used to transport cargo.

Before I send you on your way to create your own fascinating stories about locomotives, can you think of any stories where locomotives are the MUSE?

What about this one???

That movie clip came from the POLAR EXPRESS. As you can see, the conductor is the captain of the train. The engineer takes the orders.

With this new knowledge, what kind of story could you write? Maybe these what if questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF your main character was a kid and the youngest conductor on the railroad?

WHAT IF you your story’s setting was on a train powered by a steam locomotive? What if the main characters were not human?

WHAT IF the locomotive in your story was not taking the passengers to a normal destination like Seattle or Chicago? Instead, this locomotive was taking passengers to a magical place like Hogwarts or the North Pole. Use these destinations as examples, but create your own.

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

The Weekly MUSE: Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman (1820-1913)

February is African American History Month, so before this month flies by, I want to share with you one of America’s greatest treasures: Harriet Tubman.

All aboard, Creative Writers! We’ve found our MUSE – this time on the Underground Railroad. Choo-choooo!

As you already know, the United States of America has a very sad history with slavery. At one time, White Americans were allowed to own Black Americans like they could a horse or a mule. There was so much wrong with system, and eventually a war would be fought because of it – the American Civil War.

Levi Coffin (1798-1877)

But before slavery was ended, there were many white and black Americans that fought tirelessly to free the slaves. These people were called abolitionists. One of the most famous abolitionists is from right here in Indiana, Levi Coffin. In fact, he was called the President of the Underground Railroad.

The Levi Coffin House - A "station" on the Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad was not a railway for trains or locomotives, and it was also NOT under the ground. Instead, it was a series of secret paths and stations (homes and farms) that escaped slaves used to find their way North to FREEDOM!

Leaders or guides for the Underground Railroad were called conductors. To be a conductor, you must be smart, quick-thinking and BRAVE. White and black people both served as conductors, but one woman stands out beyond the rest. Her name was Harriet Tubman.

Today African American people still refer to her as the Moses of their People. (In many religious texts, Moses is given credit for freeing the Hebrew people from slavery by the Egyptians).

Below is a short video biography of Harriet Tubman. Take a look.

To me, Harriet Tubman was brave on two accounts. Not only was she able to free herself from slavery, but she made several more trips into “slave country” knowing that HUGE bounties were on her head. This did not stop here. She could not be free herself while knowing that so many others suffered under the hands of bondage.

Harriet Tubman is a woman I wish I could have met. She is one of the greatest SHE-roes of all time.

With this new knowledge, what kind of story could you write? Maybe these what if questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF your main character was a kid on one of Harriet Tubman's escapes to Freedom?

WHAT IF your main character took a field trip to the cemetery where Harriet Tubman is buried? Does something interesting or strange happen? 

WHAT IF you could write a letter to Harriet Tubman, and she was able to read it? What would you say?

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

The Weekly MUSE: Owls

The first book in the series...

I have just begun reading The Guardians of Ga’Hoole by Kathryn Lasky, and I’m incredibly inspired by her muse: OWLS!

I’m so inspired that I've decided to share this MUSE with you!

With who?

With you?

Who?

You!

You-who?

Okay, enough owl humor.

Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve found our MUSE, and it’s sure to be a HOOT! (Okay, no more, hehehe.)

While reading the first book of the Ga’Hoole series, I was intrigued that the author creates kingdoms in which her owl characters live. Unfortunately, the antagonist of the story wants to conquer all the owl kingdoms, which creates a great good versus evil story, don’t you think???

Take a look at the trailer of the movie that the first three books were made into. This will give you a good idea of this epic story.

Exciting, huh?

Sadly, a real-life owl battle is taking place in the Pacific Northwest’s “Old Growth Forest Kingdom”. For centuries the Spotted Owl has called these forests their home, but a new owl is threatening their existence. Take a look.

So, will the two species be able to work it out? Makes me wonder if this is how Kathryn Lasky got her idea to write the Ga’Hoole series.

Where I live in Indiana, there are no Spotted Owls, but there are Barred Owls. And here, the Barred Owls are the ones who need to watch their backs. Why?

Well, Great Horned Owls hunt, kill and eat Barred Owls in the Midwest. No wonder they are fleeing to the “Old Growth Forest Kingdom” two-thousand miles away. Sounds like an epic story to me!

The Great Horned Owl is noted for its tufts of feathers that appear to be "horns".
Photo by: Contemplicity

Other owls WHO live in Indiana are the Screech Owl and Barn Owl.

Screech Owls are small owls that prefer to life in the hollows of trees.
Photo by: Zach Welty

Soren, the protagonist of the first six Ga’Hoole books is a Barn Owl.

Barn Owls like to build their nests in barns, hence their name. To me, they kind of look like aliens, especially in the face. What do you think?

Barn Owl
Photo by: Eric Kilby

Aliens???

Before I leave you to create your own EPIC owl stories, here are some quick OWL facts:

1.      There are 19 owl species in North America.

2.      Owls hunt at night, which makes them nocturnal.

3.      Owls cannot move their eyes like we can, but they can turn their necks almost ALL the way around, 270 degrees.

4.      Owls are closely related to hawks.

5.      Owls and hawks are raptors, otherwise known as birds of prey.

6.      Owls cannot digest the bones and other “hard pieces” of the animals they eat. Their gizzards collect and squeeze this matter into “owl pellets” and are coughed up kind of like how cat’s cough up hair balls.

7.      A group of owls is called a parliament. How hoity-toity is that?

8.      Harry Potter’s owl, Hedwig, is a Snowy Owl. Snowy Owls are AMAZING. Take a look!

With this new knowledge, what kind of story could you write? Maybe these what if questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF you told the story of a Spotted Owl that saves his species from extinction in the “Old Growth Forest Kingdom”?

WHAT IF your main character collects owl pellets? What if he/she finds one the size of a loaf of bread? What kind of owl coughed up that???

WHAT IF your main character is an owl who has escaped his captor, an evil wizard? Why does the wizard want him? How does this owl overcome this evil Wizard?

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

The Weekly MUSE: Muppets

Jim Henson and his MUPPETS!
Photo by: Michelle O'Connell

I was shopping at my favorite toy store (Mass Ave Toys) this weekend and found a puppet of Red, a Fraggle Rock charater!

You know Fraggle Rock, don’t you? Here, take a look!

Fraggle Rock was one of several successful programs featuring Jim Henson’s Muppets. And this week we are going to take a closer look at these MUPPETS!

Fraggles, we’ve found our MUSE: MUPPETS!

Jim Henson is probably the most famous puppeteer the world has ever known. His career spanned five decades. When he died in 1990, his creations LIVED on.

For example, have you ever watched Sesame Street? I am a HUGE fan of Sesame Street. In fact, Sesame Street helped me learn how to read. To this day, when I hear the show’s intro song, I feel ALL HAPPY INSIDE! Here’s the into from when I was a kiddo.

That was Oscar the Grouch! I LOVE HIM! But my favorite character is Big Bird!

BIG BIRD! Sesame Street characters found their way into multi-media outlets, like books, magazine's and toys!

Can you believe that Sesame Street has been around since 1969? That makes Sesame Street 45 years old! WOW! And its mission is still the same. “Prepare young people for school!”

Who is your favorite Sesame Street Character???

Jim Henson’s success with Sesame Street led him to create The Muppet Show! This show opened in 1976 and entertained children and adults alike. Take a look!

The Muppet Show’s final season took place in 1981, BUT the Muppets are just as popular today! In fact, a new MUPPET movie will appear in theatres this March!

Coming to Theaters March 21st! 

Kermit the Frog is said to be Jim Henson’s most FAMOUS Muppet. In fact, he was probably Jim Henson’s favorite Muppet, too. After all, Jim Henson was even the voice behind this legendary Muppet. Kermit appeared on Sesame Street as well as all the Muppet Shows. In most cases, Kermit portrays his undying love for his one and only, Miss Piggy.

And Kermit is SUPER well known for his lament, “It’s Not Easy Being Green.” But don’t take my word for it. Hear it for yourself!

Not only was Jim Henson a puppeteer, he was also a CREATIVE WRITER. After all, all of his Muppets were characters who were brought to life by giving each one of them individual personalities. These personalities were portrayed through the scripts that Jim Henson and his staff wrote.

And I BELIEVE you can do the same! Are you up for the challenge??? Sooooo…

With this new knowledge, what kind of story or PUPPET can you CREATE? Maybe these what if questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF you wrote a puppet show with puppets made from socks? What would your main sock-puppet character’s name be? What does the puppet want more than anything? And how do the other puppets contribute to this desire?

WHAT IF you wrote a story where your main character went to a museum to see a Muppet exhibit? What if he/she saw someone steal Kermit the Frog? How would your character save the day?

WHAT IF your main character was a puppeteer? What does this puppeteer want? And who is keeping him/her from getting it?

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

The Weekly MUSE: Sea Monkeys

I had heard of Sea Monkeys, and I had seen the Sea Monkey kits on many store’s shelves. But I never thought that the little packet inside the kit could truly hold LIFE!

I was WRONG!

Last week, I finally purchased my very own Sea Monkey Ocean Zoo. I followed the instructions, and sure enough, as you saw in the video, I am now the proud father of at least 50 Sea Monkeys.

Sea Monkeys
Photo by: Perry Marco

But are they really MONKEYS?

No. They are actually a type of brine shrimp.

Brine shrimp are crustaceans, related to crabs and lobsters. And what makes these creatures EXTRA cool is that their eggs can survive up to 50 years without hatching, at least this is the case for the Sea Monkey variety.

Sea Monkeys create their own trehalose, which is a substance they secrete over their eggs to keep them safe from extreme temperatures and the lack of water. Once coated, the eggs can live up to 50 years. Once the conditions are JUST right, the eggs will hatch. This is why the envelope of eggs can sit on a store’s shelf until a curious buyer takes them home and adds water.

In my case, the eggs hatched overnight, and they grow bigger every day.

I've kept them near a window above a heat vent, and I feed them the algae powder that was included inside the kit. By the looks of it, a nice crop of algae is growing at the bottom of the tank and the Sea Monkeys are happily feeding.

Sea Monkey's eat powdered algae

And as long as I take care of these Sea Monkeys, they can live up to two years – maybe more.

Here are some more interesting Sea Monkey Facts:

They breathe through their legs, and they are born with three eyes. They lose this third eye by adulthood. STRANGE!

You can tell that your Sea Monkeys are well fed if they have a green or brown stripe running down their bodies. This is a full digestive track.

Male Sea Monkeys are always smaller than the females. And they will reproduce in your tank. If you see a Sea Monkey with a brown pouch under her body - that is an egg sack.

Sea Monkeys do not have brains. Instead, they have a grouping of nerves called “ganglia”.

Brine shirimp have been around since the Triassic period (around 250 million years). And most brine shrimp are found in salt lakes, not the ocean.

If you would like to purchase your own Sea Monkey Ocean Zoo, you can find them at most toy retailers or just click here.

This is all you need to grow your first Sea Monkeys

With this new knowledge, what kind of story could you write? Maybe these what if questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF your setting was inside a Sea Monkey tank? What do the Sea Monkeys think of their new world after being inside their time-capsule eggs?

WHAT IF your main character was a kid scientist who had figured out a way to coat human beings with a substance like trehalose? Would this keep humans alive 50 years longer than normal?

WHAT IF your main character bought an ordinary Sea Monkey kit but did not grow ordinary Sea Monkeys? How are these Sea Monkey’s different? Does this contribute to the conflict in the story?

  

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

The Weekly MUSE: Octopus

The Giant Pacific Octopus
Photo by: Joe Parks

I was at an international supermarket the other day and found octopus meat for sale. I was instantly reminded of going fishing in Seattle’s Puget Sound!

Washington State Ferries crossing Puget Sound
Photo by: Elaphurus

I love to go fishing, but I was used to fishing in the lakes and rivers of Indiana – not the salt waters of Puget Sound. I figured it couldn't be that much different though, so I took a fishing pole, some hooks and some worms down to the pier. I baited my hook and tossed the line in the water.

I waited and waited. Nothing. Wasn’t I supposed to catch a flounder or something?

I waited some more. Nothing. In Indiana I would have had at least a nibble by now.

And just as my mind began to drift away like the Washington State Ferry hauling cars across the sound, my pole lurched forward, and my line tightened.

I tugged and reeled and tugged some more. Whatever was on the end of my line was fighting hard to stay in the water.

When the beast finally surfaced, I could not believe my eyes. I was expecting a fish with fins and gills, not an OCTOPUS with eight arms! Toto, I believe we are not in Indiana anymore.

Not only had I caught an OCTOPUS, but I also found my MUSE! And now, I would like to share this MUSE with you! Here is what I learned about OCTOPI…

The octopus I had caught was a young Giant Pacific Octopus. This species is native to the Puget Sound and are the largest Octopi in the world. They grow up to 33 pounds with an arm span of up to 14 feet.

Octopi are the smartest invertebrates known to man. They have the intelligence of a house cat, and they are known for using problem solving skills. In captivity, octopi have learned how to open jars. Take a look at this video and see for yourself!

Octopi have superior defense skills. They can squeeze their soft bodies through seemingly impossible cracks. They can change their skin color to match their environment, and they can shoot a cloud of dark ink to confuse a predator. WOW!

The smaller an octopus species is, the more poisonous it is (usually). The most poisonous octopus is the Blue Ringed Octopus that lives off the coast of Australia. This little guy has enough poison to kill a human being, and they only get four inches long. Here is video about the Blue Ringed Octopus.

Octopi usually eat mollusks and crustaceans, but they have been known to eat each other, too. The Giant Pacific Octopus will sometimes snag a shark for lunch. Now, that’s something to write home about. Take a LOOK!

And please do not call an octopus’ arms, legs. Spiders have eight legs! Octopi have eight arms! And these arms are lined with two rows of suction cups each. They are used for holding onto things and tasting things. Yes, I said tasting.

By the way - Octopi, Octopodes, and Octopuses are all acceptable ways of describing more than one octopus.

With this new knowledge what kind of story could you write? Maybe these “WHAT IF” questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF a giant octopus lived under the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, in Tacoma WA? Oops, this legend already exists, but we could embellish it (wink).   

WHAT IF your character woke up one morning and his/her arms and legs had turned into those of an octopus?

WHAT IF your character built a robotic octopus submarine? What would he/she go hunting for underwater?

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own WHAT IF questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Prof. Watermelon

P.S. The word of the week is “invertebrate”. Here is the definition: of or pertaining to creatures without a backbone.

The Weekly MUSE: Mushrooms

Bright orange mushrooms growing at the base of a tree.
Photo by: Skakerman

The other day I fried some mushrooms. And while I was eating them, I thought about my creative writers! Wouldn't mushrooms make a wonderful MUSE?

Let’s take a look at this fungus among us and see what we can uncover.

Mushrooms are a type of fungi, which means that they are NOT a plant. They are a member of the fungi kingdom along with yeasts and molds.

Mushrooms grow on organisms that are dead or dying. In fact, they help things decay or rot. Take a look at this video to see it happen in real life.

Wow! Did you see the mushrooms growing on the dead insects? I had never seen anything like that before.

You are probably wondering how mushrooms reproduce. Since they are not plants, they do NOT reproduce by seeds. Instead, they reproduce by SPORES. Take a look at this diagram of a mushroom.

The spores are released from the gills of the mushroom. These spores blow away on the wind in hopes of finding dead or dying matter to help rot.

I’m sure all this has made you hungry, huh? I can just hear your stomachs growling (wink).

The mushrooms we eat do not come from decaying insects. Most of them are farmed. Take a look at this video and tour a mushroom farm in England.

While most people get their mushrooms from the grocery store, some people hunt for them in the wild.

In the Pacific Northwest, people hunt for the tasty and colorful CHANTERELLE. Very yummy, especially in soup!

Chanterelle Mushroom
Photo by: Charles De Mille-Isles

In the Midwest, people hunt for the tasty and odd looking MOREL! Also very yummy, especially fried!

Morel Mushroom
Photo by: Michael Hodge

BEWARE! While some wild mushrooms are edible, most are NOT! In fact, some mushrooms are poisonous and deadly. YIKES!

The Death Cap Mushroom is one of these DEADLY mushrooms.

The poisonous Death Cap Mushroom
Photo by: Mik Hartwell

On a brighter note, take a look at how the creators of the popular 1980’s cartoon used mushrooms as their MUSE.

The next time you are walking through your yard, try not to step on the mushrooms. You don’t want to smash a Smurf, do you?

With this new knowledge, what kind of story could you write? Maybe these what if questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF your main character grew magic mushrooms. What can these magic mushrooms do?

WHAT IF your main character lived inside a mushroom kind of like the Smurfs? How would you make character different? How would you make the setting different?

WHAT IF your main character went mushroom hunting and got lost?

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

The word of the week is “decay”. Here is the definition: to become decomposed or to rot.