Marian Anderson

by Hannah

     I want to tell you more about Marian Anderson and how her singing career got started. Marian Anderson sang at the Lincoln Memorial and the press asked, "How did your career get started?"
     "Well," Marian answered, "I'll tell you."
     When Marian Anderson was young, she sang with her family. Also, she sang at her church in the junior and senior choir. Her dad bought her a used piano, that she taught herself to play. Her church wanted to help her get farther and paid for her to be taught by vocal coaches.
     Marian Anderson traveled to different countries to sing to other people who enjoyed the music no matter what the color of the artist. When Marian returned to American she got an invitation to perform at Constitution Hall. When she got to the Hall, the DAR, who owned the Hall, took back the offer because Marian Anderson's color. Mrs. Roosevelt suggested that she sing at the Lincoln Memorial.
     "that's how my singing career got started, now any more questions?" Marian said. Marian Anderson got married and had a happy life.

Bullying

By Hannah Hofacre

               At some point in your life, you may have been bullied, been the bully or witnessed bullying. I was bullied for 5 years, and I know a few things about bullying. Most importantly, bullying hurts everyone and it needs to be stopped.

               Bullying is unwanted aggressive behavior found among kids, teens or adults. Bullying can happen anywhere: school, playground, bus, work or the computer.

                There are three types of bullying: verbal bullying, physical bullying, and social bullying. Verbal bullying involves name calling and insults. The physical bullying involves hitting, kicking, and spitting. The social bullying is cyber bullying, but social bullying involves leaving someone out on purpose and spreading rumors about someone.

                There are many accounts of bullying every day. I heard on the news that a 17 year old set fire to a 14 year old. The news reported that it was bullying. My sister, Esther, came home covered in spit. I always came home and I never talked to my mom, because I was bullied on the bus. I also heard that a friend of mine has been bullied, worse now in Jr. High School, than before.

                Bullying can hurt people so bad, that they can be depressed and sometimes the victims can kill themselves. Bullies are found to be dependent on drugs or alcohol when they are older. People who witness bullying are often found to need stimulants to get through a day, such as cigarettes.

                We can stop bullying if we stand together and show we are not afraid.

Sources:

Channel 12 News

www.stopbullying.gov

Conservation, Then and Now

By Hannah

                The U.S. Census Bureau stated that there were no more frontiers, in the 1890’s. People had felt that the land would go on forever. In their quest for land, they cut down trees without planting more to replace those they cut down, and they hunted and killed the buffalos almost to the point of extinction. The passenger pigeon has become extinct. This attitude is still in evidence today as people use energy that many feel cannot be replaced. We need to stop destroying and start reusing wherever possible.

                In the 1890’s, people would move into a new land, cut down the trees to use for building homes, fuel to heat their homes, or to cook their food. They would kill animals that came onto the land that they had planted, to keep the animals from destroying their crops. The people who lived on the frontier would kill a buffalo, but leave the skin, the bones and the meat. This killing would cause the buffalos to almost disappear from the frontier and the native peoples who depended upon it from having skins for homes, meat to eat and bones for tools.

                As the land became scarce, more people were willing to fight to get land. They were willing to destroy more trees and more animals to create a homestead. John Muir, who was a preservationist, wanted people to stop chopping down the trees and destroying the land and killing the animals. He wanted land put aside for people to see, to experience it as God had intended it to be enjoyed. President Lincoln signed a bill to protect Yosemite Valley in California. In 1870’s, President Grant signed a bill to save Yellowstone in Montana and Wyoming for the people. In 1889, President Harrison signed a bill to protect undeveloped lands that needed protection. In 1916, President Wilson created the National Park Service to protect all these lands from greedy individuals who wanted to take more land to get more money.

                Joy Hakim said that there are three kinds of people, Conservationists who want to use the land wisely and responsibly. Replacing trees as they cut trees down, protecting animals so that there will be more for when the future generations come along. Preservationists, who want to keep people from doing anything to the land. Not cutting down the trees, not allowing hunting of certain animals. They want things to be left just as they are. Others, who just want to take the land and use it to make more money for themselves.

                Today, we still have groups who have differing views of the land and how it should be used. We have people who don’t want the land used at all. Leave it just as it is, for the future generations. They don’t want people to hunt deer or elk or moose, for fear that they could be hunted to extinction, again. There are people who say, that if you are replacing as you go, you can cut down trees and use it for the things you need, a home or a fire. They feel that you can hunt, if you have a license and only take what you need, not hunt just for the pleasure of saying you are hunting. There are others who feel that this is their land and that they should be able to drill for oil on their land, or they should be able to cut all the trees down, without replanting or anything else. There are so many ways that we can help preserve and conserve. We can use bottles for water over and over again, without throwing out the plastic bottles. We can use solar energy and wind energy to heat our homes. We can recycle things that we use so that we don’t need to use more resources. It just takes us working together to make things better for future people.

Sources:

www.conservation.org

http://endangeredspeciesearth.com/american-buffalo.html

Hakim, Joy, A History of US, copyright 2011, K12, Inc.

www.sierraclub.org

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/energy-conservation

www.wikipedia.org

African Painted Dogs

By Nicole

                African Painted Dogs were introduced at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden over the summer and I have become more interested in them. They are on the endangered species list and there are only about 6,600 left in the world.

                The African Painted Dog is also called the Cape Hunting Dog or its scientific name is Lycaon Pictus. They are a canid of Central to South Africa.

                The African Painted Dog can live about ten years. They grow to about 2.5 to 4 feet tall. They weigh about 44 to 71 pounds. Thane Maynard, of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, said that “They are the most colorful of all wild dogs.”

                They are endangered because of a loss of habitat, human persecution and diseases, some that come from domesticated animals. They are a social animal and hunt in packs. They are a fierce predator. They primarily hunt antelope, warthogs, hares and other small animals. They are diurnal hunters, hunting primarily during the day time. They have few natural predators, like the lion. Hyenas, a kleptoparasite, depend on the African Painted Dogs for their meals.

                 They hunt in packs of about six animals and they chase their prey to exhaustion. When they bring a carcass back to the pack (about ten animals) they let the young eat first.

                I feel that it is through understanding the African Painted Dog that we can help save it from extinction. It is a very interesting animal to watch at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.

Sources:

http://animals.nationalgeorgraphic.com

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, OH

Gardner, Jane P., African Wild Dogs, copyright 2014, Bearport Publishing Company, Inc., New York

www.kidsplanet.org

www.wikipedia.org

Peter the Great

By Nicole

                Russia’s great country and great czar.

A Russian leader is called a czar instead of a “king” or “emperor.” Peter the Great tried to bring new ways and ideas to Russia. Peter the Great went places in Western Europe such as Holland, Germany and England. Peter came back and made the men cut off their beards and change their clothes. Peter built schools, canals, started a newspaper and he built modern European capital and called it St. Petersburg. History can be interesting when you make it fun. 

The Great Exhibition

by Nicole

The Great Exhibition was a fair put together by the British people and their Queen, Victoria, to show Great Britain's wealth, goods, abilities and successes. Great Britain was a leader of the Industrial Revolution, so Britain was called the "Workshop of the World."  The British were very proud of their position in the Industrial Revolution and used the fair to showcase their accomplishments and their country.

White Fang

By Esther

White Fang learned the law of meat. When White Fang attacks a weasel, he was attacked by a hawk, so he learns the law of meat, which states “to eat or to be eaten.” When a lynx attacked White Fang and his mother, it reinforces the law of meat, because they killed the lynx before the lynx killed them. They were then able to eat the lynx, which would have eaten them.

White Fang became the animal he was at the end of the book, because of Weedon Scott’s kindness and his family’s love shown to him. The factors that had shaped him were Kiche, forced him out of the cave. Gray Beaver treats the dogs well, while Beauty Smith treats White Fang with abuse, to make him a fighting dog. Weedon Scott, once felt that White Fang was a vicious dog and needed to be put down, but Matt reminded Weedon that White Fang had been mistreated and would need some gentle handling. Weedon’s quiet and calm way helped White Fang become a good dog that worked well in sledding. White Fang learns that he needs to depend on people for survival, because they provide food. Later, Beauty Smith breaks into Weedon Scott’s place to steal White Fang, because he wants his fighting dog back, but Weedon Scott was the owner and White Fang was loyal to him. He also barked to save the life of Weedon Scott and to protect Alice from intruder to her home. 

An Original Short Story Mystery by Nicole

The Case of the Missing Diamond

By Nicole

                People looked at the beautiful diamond. Once a robber saw this diamond and said, “I want that diamond.”

                The robber waited until night to steal the diamond. In the morning, the owner of the museum saw that the diamond was gone and said to the police, “The diamond is missing.” So the police searched for the robber and the stolen diamond and arrest the robber. The best police officer’s name is Alice.

                Alice looked at all the security tapes and cameras. She looked for fingerprints and hairs to lead her to the diamond and the criminal. She said to the people, “Where were you last night between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.” Everyone had the same answer, “I was at home.” But the robber didn’t say where he was.

                When Alice heard the results from all her clues, she said, “Let a few suspects go.” The robber was still a suspect.  When the robber saw that he was still suspected of stealing the diamond, he said, “Nobody is going to think it’s me, because there are still suspects left.”

                When Alice heard that the rest of the results were in, she said, “I know who the robber is and where he lives.”  Alice said, “You thought you could get away with it.” Alice arrested the curator of the museum. The diamond was returned and Alice received accommodations for her hard work.

Stories from the Bible

By Nicole

           I chose the character Noah. Noah is a character in “Noah and The Ark.” Noah builds an ark to save himself, his family and the animals. An important choice Noah made was to follow God, listen to God, and to be kind to others.

          The consequences for the choice Noah made have to do lots of work, like searching for food for the animals and themselves. They also have to find two of each kind of animal and bring them onto the ark. The second consequence is not having help from any of the neighbors to build the ark. The third consequence is they have to stay on the ark with the animals for forty days and nights.

       I admire Noah for his choice because he followed God; he was kind and warned people that God would bring a flood upon the village. Noah listens to God and does what God says. He’s kind to people around him and warns them of their evilness. 

Prometheus

Prometheus

By Esther

                Prometheus was the Titan of wisdom and trickery. Prometheus is Zeus’ uncle and fought with Zeus against the Titans in the Titan War.

                Prometheus was not like his brother, Atlas, Cronus’ general. Prometheus liked mankind and wanted to give mankind the gift of fire. In one myth, found in “Mythology Greek Gods, Heroes, & Monsters,” it says, that Prometheus gave mankind the fire that he stole from Mount Olympus in a fennel stalk. Another myth, found in, “Jaw Dropping Geography Fun Learning Facts about Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses,” says he used one of Zeus’ lightning bolts.  Another myth, found in “Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods,” says that Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, helped Prometheus get the fire from the hearth of the gods.                                                                                                                                                                              When Zeus found out what Prometheus did for mankind he had a horrible punishment for him. Prometheus was bound in chains on Mount Caucasus, and each day a mighty winged eagle would appear and eat Prometheus’ liver. Each night his liver would regrow, only to be torn out again the next day. This is according to, “Mythology Greek Gods, Heroes, & Monsters,” by Lady Hestia Evans.

                Prometheus, again showed his kindness toward mankind, when Zeus demanded that men give him sacrifices. Prometheus tricked Zeus by wrapping two bundles of oxen. One was bones, wrapped in fat and the other was meat wrapped in a stomach. Zeus, chose the bundle of bones with fat for his meal and that is what men sacrificed from that time on, according to “Mythology Greek Gods, Heroes, & Monsters.”

                Prometheus was a good Greek Titan and liked by mankind for the kindness he showed to them.

Evans, Lady Hestia, “Mythology Greek Gods, Heroes, & Monsters,” Candlewick Press, 1825

Riordan, Rick, “Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods,” Disney Hyperion, 19 Aug 2014

Roche, Jess, “Jaw Dropping Geography Fun Learning Facts about Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses,” Thought Junction Publishing, 11 Sept 2014

Honor and Bravery

Honor and Bravery

By Hannah

The Greeks admired honor and bravery in their heroes. Perseus was brave and Jason was honorable. Perseus is from the myth “Perseus and the Quest for Medusa’s head.” Jason is from the myth “Jason and the Golden Fleece.”

                Perseus is brave because he went after Medusa and chopped off her head. Perseus also faced a sea serpent by turning the serpent to stone and rescues Andromeda the sea serpent.

                Jason is honorable because he keeps his promises to all the people he meets. Jason also needs to rescue his dad’s kingdom from Pelias the terrible.

                The Greeks see their heroes brave, honorable and not selfish. 

Compare and Contrast Essay

Winter and summer

By Hannah

I am going to compare and contrast summer and winter. Not every place in the world gets to experience winter. Winter is cold and dry, while summer is hot and humid, at least near me.  

In the winter, you wear sweaters, long pants, coats, hats, scarfs, boots, and gloves, to help you keep warm. But in the summer, you can wear on sandals, t-shirts, and shorts, because it is hot outside.

In both winter and summer, you can go hiking, swimming, play on the playground, and snowball fights. In winter, you have to put on more clothes on to go hiking and play at the playground. Also in winter, you have to go inside to swim, whereas in the summer, you can swim outside or inside. In the winter, we have snowball fights, but these are made of snow and ice. In the summer, we have snowball fights, but we use flowers called snowballs.

Winter and summer is based off of your position near the equator. If I lived closer to the equator, I would have noticed there was little or no change, it would have been summer every day, but I live far from the equator, so I get summer, winter, spring, and fall.

In the summer, you can see plants that are all green and you can see flowers outside.  Although in the winter, you can see the evergreens covered in snow and you can buy flowers that grow inside your house.

In the summer, we play baseball, soccer and tag outside. We have fun at swim meets, held at outdoor pools. In the winter, we can go sled riding, skiing, and build snowmen or snow forts. They even have Olympics for the different seasons. The Winter Olympics, showcase skiing, bobsledding, ice dancing and skating. The Summer Olympics feature water activities, like swimming and diving, running marathons, and beach volleyball.

In conclusion, even though the seasons are different, they have similarities that make their season special and fun.  Summer and winter have the beauty and the fun.

Book Review by Nicole

“The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” Book Review

By Nicole

                I’m going to write a book review on “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe,” by C.S. Lewis. It was published by Geoffrey Bles in 1950 in the United Kingdom. The illustrator is Pauline Bynes.

                The setting starts in a country house in England, where the children are sent to be safe from the German bombs being dropped on London during WWII. They find a room with a wardrobe, that leads them to a woods and a land called Narnia.

                The characters are Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, Mr. Tumnus, Aslan, the Professor and the White Witch. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are the children sent to live with the Professor in his house. They find the woods through the wardrobe and Lucy meets Mr. Tumnus, Edmund meets the White Witch and they all meet Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. Aslan, is a lion who helps the children to save Narnia and take the thrones that they are destined to have.

                The problem that they have to solve is how to remove the White Witch from her throne and return Narnia to its former glory. When they arrive, Christmas is finally able to happen and they meet Father Christmas. As they stay in Narnia, spring returns to Narnia and many come out to help the children and Aslan, to defeat the White Witch.  

                Father Christmas gave Peter a sword to help defeat the White Witch. He gave a quiver filled with arrows and a bow to Susan. He also gave her a horn to blow when she is in trouble. Father Christmas gave Lucy a dagger and a small bottle filled with a liquid that helps heal wounds and the dagger to protect her. When they reach the stone table, Aslan is there waiting to help fight the White Witch and save Edmund from the White Witch who calls herself the Queen of Narnia.

                My favorite part is where Aslan comes back to life and helps defeat the White Witch after bringing the statues back to life. The statues used to be enemies of the White Witch that she turned to stone. I recommend this book to everyone, because it is a timeless story that is well written. If you like “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,” you will probably enjoy the other books he has written.

Part II

                I choose to write about Edmund. At the very beginning of the story, Edmund lies a lot and is very mean to Lucy. At night, he pretends not to be tired and was grouchy. When Edmund enters Narnia, he finds a lamppost and meets the White Witch who feeds him Turkish Delight. When Edmund and Lucy get out of the wardrobe, Edmund lets down Lucy and said they were just playing that Narnia wasn’t real. So, Edmund thought his plan was working until they all go into the wardrobe and the older brother and sister realized that Edmund had been lying to them. Edmund’s behavior at the end of the story changed and he became nicer to all of them.  

The Storming of the Bastille

By Nicole

I’m going to discuss the Storming of the Bastille. The Bastille is a prison where the king’s enemies are kept and where the king stored his weapons. The people that lived around it were poor and could not afford food for their families. On 14 July 1789, the people decided to attack the prison, for gun powder and to free the prisoners. Many people died trying to get in the Bastille. Today, the French people still celebrate Bastille Day as their Independence Day. It is believed that this day was the start of the French Revolution. It’s a really interesting storing that’s true. 

French Revolution

By Nicole

I’m going to be talking about Rumblings of Revolution in France. King Louis XVI was the king of France and he didn't want a republic. The Third Estate is part of the National Assembly and is the working class. The National Assembly wanted a constitution with the King.   King Louis believed that kings get their power from God and did not want a constitution. So, King Louis XVI decided to lock the National Assembly out at the next meeting. The National Assembly decided to meet at the tennis court. The Third Estate wants a republic, but the king says no and no longer wants to listen to the National Assembly. History can be fun if you really like to learn about what happened back then.

Animal Adventures

By Hannah

                In the article, “The Think Tank,” a scientist, Shumaker, says, “The most important thing to know is that they are all individuals. Just like people, they have different personalities and learning styles.” I chose to compare the dog and the orangutan. They’re different because the dog can be wary; on the other hand, orangutans are curious to find new things. I agree with Shumaker because he says that animals are like humans, they have different personalities.

Shumaker’s statement about animals being like humans, and having different personalities is true. Azy, an orangutan, works to find links. The scientist found it more interesting, when Azy made mistakes, than when he got it right. They could watch how he learned in “The Think Tank” article.

                When I read the about how dogs learn, it talked about how they are treat driven. They are not curious, like an orangutan. They will go to where the treat was the last time, and then look under the new object. Dogs are more wary than orangutans. Dogs spend whole days at home alone waiting for someone to come home. An orangutan, would find this boring.  

                I think that the scientist is correct in saying that all animals are individuals. They all learn different and have different levels of intelligence. Just as humans learn differently, so do the animals and tests need to be adapted to each species. 

My Family Loves Me

By Nicole

                My family loves me very much; I decided to talk about them. My animals are a cat, another cat, a kitten, and a dog. My first animal is one my cats named, Houdini. Houdini is a black cat that likes to get on high places, like the table, the freezer, and the counter tops. Houdini also has two white spots on him and he has greenish yellow eyes that look like gold eyes. His personality is loving and playful and he is also a male cat. The next cat I will talk about is Lucky. Lucky is a female cat that is shy, loving, and playful. She is also black and has three white spots. Now, I’m going talk about my kitten his name is George. George is very playful and sometimes loving. He has brown eyes and a pink nose. All the cats are short haired strays we rescued. Next up is my dog, her name is Lily. She is a mutt, her breed is beagle, red healer, and pointer her eyes are brown and is a medium size dog that is strong.

That is all my animals, so now it’s time to tell, you about my family. First, I will tell you about myself, Nicole. I’m homeschooled and my mom is my teacher at home. We use the website that is called K-12. I have lots of work to do, because we have to a 20% at the end of this week. I have blond hair and green eyes with glasses. Next, I’m going to be talking about my dad. My dad works at Teva for money so we have a house, food, and water, so we can live. I love my dad and he loves me. Next, person I’m going to talk about is my mom. My mom is my learning coach and works with me at home. When I’m struggling my mom helps me out and she also tells me what I need to work on. My mom loves me and I love her. Now I’m going to talk about my sisters. My middle sister is Esther. Esther is my one of my older sisters.  She is also a homeschooler and has blue eyes and blond hair. She is at 20% on everything although she still struggles with math. My oldest sister is Hannah. Hannah is also a homeschooler and she has blue eyes and red hair. She likes to stay up at night watching TV or reading a book. I love my family very much and they love me, too. 

Fierce Interdependence

by Hannah

My theme is Interdependence.  Interdependence is dependence of two characters on each other. I chose the stories, “Ode to Mi Gato” and “Stray.”

                In the story, “Ode to Mi Gato,”the author talks about how much he loves Mi Gato. Mi Gato needs the author to save him from an abandoned car. I feel this shows their fierce interdependence on each other. The author and Mi Gato had depended on each other because the author, need to love someone or something. Mi Gato needed someone to save its life.

                In the story, “Stray,” Doris saw the puppy trudging through the snow. She called it to the puppy, and the puppy came home with her. When Doris came home, she fed the puppy and gave it some water. When her parents took the puppy to the pound, Doris cried because she had saved the puppy’s life. This again shows that Doris, needed someone to love and the puppy needed someone to save its life from the winter weather.

                The theme of interdependence can teach the reader that there are many out there who need another to love or save. This theme is important because there are many stray animals that need homes with loving people. There are also many people, who need some companionship and having an animal provides the love they are craving. 

Innovations

by Hannah

         Telephones, light bulbs, and automobiles, and how they all played a part that changed life in the U.S. First, I will talk about the telephone invented by Alexander Graham Bell.  Next, I will talk about the light bulb invented by Thomas Edison. Finally, I will talk about the automobile invented by Henry Ford.

          The telephone invented by Alexander Graham Bell, can be used to communicate across the country, one person to another. Another interesting fact it helps people communicate faster. In the past, if people wanted to communicate, they had to write letters and it would be months before there was a response. With the invention of the telephone, people could talk right away.

The light bulb invented by Thomas Edison was used to light up homes and factories. Another interesting fact is that people had to use gas lamps or candles to work at night, which made it harder to work at night. When Edison made the light bulb, it was easier to work or study at night. People started to stay up later, worked later or studied later. The light bulb allowed people to do more work.  

 The automobile invented by Henry Ford can travel far distances faster, than horse and buggy.  It usually takes horse and buggy longer to reach their destination. Another fact is that people can go on more pleasure trips in a car.

            The conclusion is that the inventions changed the lives of ordinary Americans. It allowed changes that can still be seen today. 

Imaginary Letter about John Locke

by Nicole

February 12, 1689

Dear Sydney

I’m on a boat heading to London, England with John Locke and Princess Mary. She is going to meet her husband, Prince William. They are going to become King and Queen England and rule over the people.  When I overheard a conversation between Princess Mary and John Locke talking about England, they were saying that the kings or queens do not get power from god, but from the people. For when kings or queens are irresponsible the people have the power to remove them. I hope you’re having fun in Lebanon, Ohio.

Sincerely,
Nicole

PS: Note from Nicole's mom. She has not covered what places were around in 1689. We are working on that next year.  

The Prince and The Pauper by Mark Twain

by Esther

Tom Canty is a pauper that lives in Offal Court, where all the poor families live. Tom’s father is a thief, and his mother is a beggar. His father ignored him, just as his grandmother did. Tom is honest and generous all the time.    

Tom is honest, because even though he was hungry, he wouldn’t steal from people. As the prince, he released and pardoned many prisoners under the prince’s name. The king was happy to hear what Tom said about releasing all the poor people. Tom was to be rewarded for his generosity and loyalty to Edward the Sixth.

Tom was generous, because when he was poor, he shared whatever he had with other’s poorer than he was. He released and pardoned many prisoners under Edward’s name and let them out of the tower to return their homes. When Tom told the king, about releasing all the poor people, he rewarded Tom. When the lords and ladies wanted to kill Tom, it was the king who stopped them and told Tom that he was the new king’s ward.  

What I learned is, you can only truly know about someone’s life, by living it. In the “Prince & the Pauper”, the prince didn’t truly know what life was like outside his castle walls. He didn’t know about the poor people who lived in very bad areas. He didn’t know that they were starving and stealing to get by. It was only when he traded places with Tom that he was able to learn about the other side. It was also, only when Tom became the prince that he truly understood, how hard life is for a royal, as well. 

The Snake Show

by Hannah Hofacre

I usually move sluggishly in the mornings, especially on Sundays. On the second Sunday of the month, I wake up a little bit early, because I don’t want to miss the snake show.

On the second Sunday of the month, we go to the Cin City Reptile Show, at Kings Island Inn in Mason. I call it the “Snake Show.”  

“Mom, the snake show starts at 10:00 and ends at 4:00. May we please go to the snake show?” I asked kindly.

“Hannah, we try to make the ‘Snake Show’ every time it comes,” my mom replied. “But first, we need to go to church, have lunch, and then we can go to the ‘Snake Show.’”

 After we went to church and had lunch, we finally went to the “Snake Show.” When we arrived at Kings Island Inn, my mom went to the Ticket Seller and said, “3 tickets please.”

The seller said, “15 dollars, please.”

“Here you go,” my mom said.

We had our hands stamped and we went inside the “Snake Show.” Soon we started to ask questions about snakes.

“How can you tell if the snake is a girl or boy?” I asked the snake vendor.

“You can tell by feeling for the penis. If you feel it, it’s a boy and if you don’t, it’s a girl,” the vendor said.

Nicole asked, “May I hold a snake, please?”

The snake vendor said, “Yes,” and the biggest smile went across Nicole’s face.

“Esther, do you want to hold a snake?” my mom asked.

“No!” Esther said.

I held many different snakes, at the “Snake Show.” My favorite snake that I held was the corn snake. I got bit by a snake at the “Snake Show,” it’s a long story and I’ll tell it sometime.

When we left, I was sad, but I know we can come another time.

My Memory of Washington, D.C.

My Memory of Washington, D.C.

 by Esther

                When I was nine, my mom told me that we were going to Washington, D.C., to visit the monuments, the White House, and the Smithsonian. How awesome is that?      

                When we first got to Washington D.C., it was wet and cold, about 50 degrees or less or that’s what I thought. First, we stopped at the White House, but it was closed to visitors, because the egg roll was happening on the White House lawn. Weren’t we the lucky ones?

                Next, we went to the Washington Monument. It was still under construction from the earthquake that had happened in 2012. But, there was a white dome appearing over the treetops. It was the top of the Jefferson Memorial. Then, we went to the Smithsonian Natural History where we were able to wonder all the exhibit halls. My favorite hall was the dinosaurs. Mom and Dad let us wonder around for hours.

                We rode the Metro a lot on this tour, because parking was so horrible, we wouldn’t have been able to park a car. Riding the Metro, was lots of fun. Have you ever been on a Metro? It is a like a subway and a train put together. It goes part of the time underground and part of the time above ground. Mom and Dad said that taking the Metro is only economical when we go to the Smithsonian Zoo, because parking is so expensive, but parking in Washington, DC can be okay. You just have to know where the good spots are and are willing to walk, a lot.

                Well that was a good time there, but there will be more times that would make you laugh. But,  how many stairs are in the Washington Monument? 897 steps and 50 landings are in the Washington Monument. 

Trickster Tales, Compare and Contrast

Trickster Tales, Compare and Contrast

 by Nicole

                A trickster is somebody that tricks people into doing stuff in return for something they’re not going to give to the person. I’m going to discuss Brer Rabbit and the fox.

Brer Rabbit tricked Brer Fox by helping nail shingles to the roof for the winter and on purpose nailed Brer Fox’s tail to the roof, so Brer Rabbit could steal Brer Fox’s food.

              The fox was jealous of the bear’s long tail, because the bear waved his tail in the air, because he was very proud of his long tail. So, the fox tricks the bear into sticking his long tail into shallow water for the fish and the bear stayed there all night waiting for the fox to say, “now.” In the morning the fox said, “Now,” and bear saw his long tail frozen in the shallow water.

                Brer Rabbit and the fox are both animals and good tricksters; they both trick other animals with long tails. Brer rabbit has a short tail and tricks Brer Fox by using a nail and a hammer, to trap Brer Fox on the roof. The fox has a long tail and fishes with it and tricked the bear into fishing with his tail and froze off the bear’s long tail in the shallow water.

                They trick people into trouble (lots of trouble). They don’t keep promises and don’t give what they said they would do for them, if they got in trouble or did what they were told to do. 

Our Vacation

by Nicole

     We've been in the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia. We went to a grave site for soldiers in Washington, D.C. We also saw the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. We also saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was being guarded by a soldier. What I liked most about the trip, so far, is the Washington Monument. 

Cat Stories

by Hannah

Cat Stories

                All the authors show how cats go off and be by themselves and are autonomous. In “The Naming of Cats,” the author talks about how a cat has a name we will never know. In “The Cat Who Played Robinson Crusoe,” the author shows how the cat went off for his morning nap, away from the family, making it possible for him to be lost. In “Ode to Mi Gato,” the cat sits with him with a rumbling purr, is white as spilled milk, and at night, he goes outside to hunt. In “Rum Tum Tugger,” just goes off doing his own, alone. In “The Cat and The Moon,” the cat goes off doing things like hunting mice.  

All the authors love and care about their cats, even though they have different views of them. In “Ode to Mi Gato,” the author talks with great feeling about the good qualities of a cat. In the story, “How a Cat Played Robinson Crusoe,” the children were crying because they had lost their cat who was part of their family. From the story, “Rum Tum Tugger,” Rum Tum Tugger is described as curious and he’ll leap on your lap. In the story, “The Cat and the Moon,” the author was comparing his cat to the moon, like some people do when they love their cats. In the story, “The Naming of Cats,” the author wants to show how a cat can have three different names. 

The Bear Boy

by Nicole

The Bear Boy

The story I felt has the most important lesson is, “The Bear Boy.” The father of Kou-Haya didn’t love his son enough to teach him what he needed to know.  Kou-Haya got into trouble because he found a bear den in the canyons. The bears taught him how to wrestle and run and the mother bear treated Kou-Haya and the cubs with love.

The medicine man told the father, that he had not loved his son enough and that he must get his son back with love. The father went up to the cliffs to get his son back he saw how the mother bear treated Kou-Haya and the cubs with love. He took honey and placed it on the ground for the bears and took his son home and was friends with the bears. 

Learning to Write a Letter of Complaint

September 8, 2014                                                                                                                    Michelina                                                                                          

Consumers Affairs                                                                                                     

P.O Box 16630                                                                                                          

Duluth, MN 55816                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Dear Sir or Madam:                                                                                                                           

I buy your frozen meals, and one time I bought one of your pizza snacks and saw that it was open not closed.   

I would appreciate if you send me some coupons to buy some more meals. If you want me to send you some picture of the open meal, please let me know.                                  

Thank you so much for taking care of this. I know I will enjoy your meals.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Sincerely,                                                                                                                   

Esther

Corn Snakes

Corn Snakes
by Hannah

Corn snakes make good first pets for many children and the novice herpetologist. Corn snakes only have to be fed once a week. They can be fed pinkies, which are baby mice. Pinkies can be purchased fresh or frozen from a pet store or a snake show. You only have to remove the feces once a week, for cleaning the cage. They need to be kept warm and you can use a warming stone or a heat lamp, designed for snake cages. Corn snakes do not get very big and are constrictors, so they are non-venomous snakes. Corn snakes live for 23 years and they are very healthy. They are easy to breed and you can get them as a baby. They can come in many varieties of colors. If you are looking for a good pet, the corn snake is a good choice.

The Lesson Learned from "Salt and Bread"

by Esther

The lesson that the king from the story, “Salt and Bread,” learned is right here in this paragraph. The lesson that he learned, is to listen to his heart, not to others. The king loved his youngest daughter so much that it made the two older sisters mad. So they came up with a plot to get the king mad at the youngest. They started to say that the youngest daughter didn’t love him as much. The king was invited to a wedding of the youngest daughter and the hunting king. The king was mad when he didn’t see the salt and bread. When he heard the queen said that she loved him as much as salt and bread, it is an important part of the meal. The king begged for forgiveness and the older sister’s plot against the youngest was revealed. 

The Lesson of Greed and Selfishness

by Hannah

The lesson is greed and selfishness will not stand without a punishment. I will choose “The Magic Prison” and the “The Story of Baba Abdalla.”

                In “The Magic Prison,” Prince  Harweda  was  greedy, selfish, and  didn’t care  much  for   anyone except  for  himself. Then, his  fairy  godmother  brings  to  a  house  that  she  made.  He  saw  many sweet  treats,  mirrors  and  windows  both  the  same  width.  Prince  Harweda  started  looking  at  himself  in the  mirrors  and  the  mirrors  started   growing  wider  and  windows  started  growing  narrower  until there was  no light.  Prince   Harweda   was   trapped   in   the   magic   prison   along with   a  little  bird.  So he started taking care of the little bird by giving it food, water, and freedom.  By then   Prince   Harweda   is   caring   for   others   and   selfless.                                                        

      In “The Story of Baba Abdalla,” Baba Abdalla was a great and powerful king who had money.  One day, Baba Abdalla met a merchant who asked for eighty camels, they each get forty camels.  Baba  Abdalla  wanted  more, so he  started  getting  more  camels,  but  still  wanted  more. So the merchant told Baba Abdalla a vase with special liquid.  If you dab the liquid in your left eye, you can see all the treasure in the world, but if you dab some in the right eye, you will become blind. Baba Abdalla did not heed the merchant’s  warning, so Baba Abdalla  dabbed  both eyes  with the  special liquid,  at  first  he could see ever treasure in the world,  then  he dabbed some  in the right eye and  became blind very fast,  now  he’s poor  and  asking to be box on the ear because of his greed  and  selfishness.                

       Both characters were greedy and selfish, so the reader can learn from the characters that greedy and selfish people will get punished. Their lesson is important because the reader greed and selfishness can be rewarded, but with a big punishment.

I like to cook

by Nicole

I like to cook and when I go to the library, I always want to get cook books. I go through them and mark pages that have something I want to try and make. In March of this year, my mom helped me enter a baking contest at the library. My sisters entered, also and my sister Esther won. She made cookies and I made brownies. My mom finds all kinds of recipes and saves them for us to make together. We made Ultimate Mac N Cheese from a book I borrowed from the library. Mom makes it now instead of box Mac N Cheese. She found a recipe for Chocolate Chocolate Veggie Pancakes and now makes that for us all the time for breakfast. My mom found a recipe for easy peanut butter fudge and I really like it.

Cobras

by Hannah
 
  Cobras very are dangerous. They have venom glands and hollow teeth. They inject the venom using the hallow teeth.The most dangerous cobra is the King Cobra. The Spitting Cobra spits its victim with venom. The King Cobra lives in India,so you don't have to worry about the King Cobra almost all the time,but if you go to India for summer you will have to worry a little bit. If you see a cobra,do not bother it and call a snake expert to deal with a cobra.

The Day We Got a Dog

by Esther


One day in June I woke up really early because today me and Hannah were going to basketball camp. My mom and my little sister were at the vet that put down one of my cats. My mom was asking about how much would it cost to get a dog from the pound and the shots. Nicole saw a poster that showed a dog that needed a home.


Me and Hannah were busy playing a basketball game at our church when mom and Nicole came, it was my team, the Nukes vs Hannahs team. It was at the end of camp to. My little sister told me that we were going to get a dog from the vet's.


We went home and got my dad and went to the vet and met Lily the dog that is with use as a hunting dog with 3 mixes so she was a mutt. When we saw her we all said yes and we got her.


We all went to a pet store to get all the stuff a dog would need. She got a dog bowl for her to eat out of. When we got home Lily was so happy to be in a new home one of the cats didn't like her yet. So she got hissed at, then all the cats loved her so much. That's the story of the time I got a dog.