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.