New Rules

Imagine you are stranded on a tropical island with your classmates. You have no supervision, no rules, no leader, no McDonald's etc... How would you choose a leader? What jobs would you need? What rules would you have? What if someone broke the rules?

Mysterious

You hear a knock on the door. You answer. No one is there, but on the ground you see three items: a paper bag with something in it, a key, and a phone number written on the back of a business card. Who left them and why?

Job of Your Dreams

If you could be anything you wanted to when you grow up, what would your dream job be? Be sure to explain the job and tell why you would want to do that.

Christmas Traditions

Share a special Christmas tradition that your family does every year. Be sure to give lots of details! (For example, maybe your family goes out into the woods and cuts down a tree with all of your cousins, aunts, and uncles.)

Freedom

With our Veteran's Day celebration last Tuesday and the letter that Mr. Riederer read in chapel from a member of our church in the military, we were reminded of the sacrifice made for our freedoms. Many men and women have died in the last 250 years to keep America a great country with many freedoms and rights. Write a letter to any serviceman or woman (you can make up a name) and thank him or her for the sacrifice made for our freedoms. Your letter can be specific to a veteran of a particular war (The Revolutionary War, The Civil War, WWI, WWII, The Vietnam War, The War in Iraq, etc...) or it can just be a letter thanking the veteran for all of the freedoms you have. Be specific when you thank him/her and tell him/her the rights and freedoms you are most grateful for and why(the freedom of religion, speech, the freedom from slavery, etc...).

Here is a poem to inspire you:

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher,who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the courtswho has given us the right to keep and bear arms

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet,who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer,who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician,Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN, who salutes the Flag, and serves under it.

For 2nd Hour L.A. Only

This blog is an additional blog for 2nd hour only (from Miss Schlichtmann). All students still need to respond to the "Thankful" blog below this one.

Respond in 100 or more words to the following questions:

After eating a particularly interesting piece of food that was left in the corner of the refrigerator, you find that you have acquired a superpower. Describe what power you have acquired, how you would use your power, and what your costume would look like."

Thankful

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, make a list of 50 things you are thankful for. Try not to simply list ridiculous items, but rather think about some things that you really would want to thank God for.

(This post does not need to be 100 words, but rather a list of 50 things-please number your list.)

Here is a sample of mine:

1. Jesus' death on the cross for my sins
2. my parents
3. my sister and her family
4. amazing Christian friends
5. down comforters
6. dryer sheets
7. music
8. mashed potatoes
9. a great job
10. movie theaters
11. i-pods
12. leaves falling from trees
13. game nights with friends
14. bonfires
15. strawberries
16. sharpies
17. the USA and all our freedoms
18. warm sweaters
19. swimming pools
20. lakes
21. scrapbooking
22. a home to live in

Ad Slogan

Your job is to be a marketing executive. Pick any product (i.e. Mountain Dew, X-Box, a bike, i-phone, a basketball, earrings) and write a convincing advertisement where you explain why someone should buy that product. On the first line of your blog, write the item you are trying to market. Make sure your advertisement is at least 100 words!

Complete this story

Write the ending to this story starter:

Landon felt the enormous weight of the mountain lion upon his chest and was pretty sure this may be one of his last breaths . "How did I get to be in this place where life and death hinged so close together?" he thought. Just minutes earlier he had been hiking with his friends Emily and Jared in the San Gorgonion mountains of California and now he was fighting for his life.

Time Traveler

If you could go back to any time in history (from 20 years ago to the beginning of time-about 6,000 years ago) what time period and group of people would you go back to and why? What would your life be like? As you consider this question, remember that you would have to live the way the people lived back then; you couldn't bring modern conveniences with you.

Pet Peeves

We all have things that drive us bonkers at times. What are some of your "pet peeves" and why? Be sure to "guard your mouth" (watch what you say) so that you do not offend anyone. In other words, do not talk about anyone who may annoy you. This is a chance to talk about the things that annoy you.

Here are some examples of my "pet peeves": Finger nails scratching on a chalkboard, when my sister calls me before 8:00 am on Saturday mornings, when people say innappropriate words that are not glorifying to God in my class.

Pride

You all have some amazing talents and gifts that God generously gave to you. Most of you have used those talents and gifts to do some incredible things. Write about the proudest moment you have had in your 11 or 12 years of life. Explain all of the details of that experience, why it made you proud, and exactly how you felt. Remember, this is not bragging because I am asking you to share, so be honest.

(Examples: Getting an A+ on a Science test that you studied really hard for, winning some sporting event, getting a compliment from someone you admired)

Dream Animal

God has just decided that it is time for a new animal, here on earth and He has selected you to be the "Master Craftsman". Design a new animal to roam the earth that is composed (made) from at least 2, but not more than 4, real animals that we already have. (For example, you could design an animal that is part skunk, tiger and lizard). Describe your animal completely and tell what it can and cannot do. Above all, be creative and make a stunning animal on behalf of God!

Losing your senses!

Just pretend that you were captured by an evil magician who gave you a choice between the two scenarios below. Which would you choose and why? What wouldn't you be able to do anymore? What things in your life might change?

1) You will lose all sense of sight (no vision at all)

2) You will lose all sense of sound (no hearing at all)

500 Miles

I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more-just to be the man who walked a thousand miles to.......

These are the first few lyrics to a popular song a few years ago. Some things in life are truly worth walking 500 miles for. Make a list of at least 15 things that you would walk 500 miles for. For example, maybe a Chocolate Factory Malt, the opportunity to play professional soccer, a chance to spend time with your hero, and a new car would be great reasons to walk 500 miles. (Note-this blog does not need to be 100 words, but it does need to list at least 15 items. Please number them!)

If I Had a Million Dollars....

A few years ago, there was a popular song in which the group had all kinds of wacky ideas of how they would spend a million dollars. How would you spend a million dollars?

Creative Juices

I know you all have great ideas in your heads because I get to hear them all day long. Now, get those creative juices going and write an ending to the following story starter. Be sure to use 100 words and check your spelling and grammar.

As Pete rounded the corner, he stood in shock when he saw.....

Welcome to 6th grade, Middle School, and a whole new adventure! Since many of you were a part of my first year (or two) of teaching, I'd love to hear what you remember about the early years. Whether you had me for a teacher or not, please answer the following question in 100 words or more:

What are some of your favorite memories from 1st or 2nd grade or what do you remember most from that time?

Summer Thoughts

Hi All 6th graders, who might possibly check the blog. How are your summers going? If you get a minute, jot a thought about summer and how you are doing. I hope you are soaking up the sun and enjoying staying up later and sleeping in longer! I sure am!

Advice

Write a top ten list, giving advice to the future 6th graders (current 5th graders). Be sure to include tips that would have been helpful to know, coming into 6th grade. Use your experiences to help them be successful. (You may not state anything that is cruel towards any person)

Dream House

Describe your dream house below. Be sure to not only describe the house, but also tell about the location. Would it be located in a big city? Which one? Would it be located in the countryside? Where? Would there be water, forests, mountains, desert, etc.. nearby?

What if.....?

Pick one of the following "what if" questions and answer it. Remember to use at least 100 words.

What would happen if animals could talk (in English)? What types of questions would you ask? What would you want to know?

What would happen if there were no cars, buses, trains, boats, or planes? How would this change your life?

Daedalus and Icarus

After reading the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus, you learned that they escaped the castle by building a set of wings using eagle feathers, wood, and wax. However, because Icarus flew too close to the sun, his wings melted and he fell to his death in the ocean.

Your job is to create an alternate ending to the myth. Write an ending which explains how they escaped from the castle. You can start your story at the part of the myth where Daedalus and Icarus had just been sentenced to life in the castle.

Make a Choice

Choose one of the following questions to answer:

If you could participate in an Olympic event, which one would you choose and why?


If you could break the Guiness Book of Records it would be for?

Looking Forward

Spring break is only 2 weeks or 9 school days away. What are you looking forward to over break? Do you have any specific plans or activities that you will be involved with?

Complete this story #3

Complete the following story starter:

I saw this amazing pair of shoes sitting next to my grungy sneakers and by chance, they just happened to be the perfect size. I decided to try them on. First I slipped on the left shoe and laced it up. As soon as the right shoe was on my foot I felt as if I was in a whirlwind and the next thing I knew, I was standing smack-dab in the middle of...................

Movie Review

Pick a movie you have seen, that is rated PG or G, and write a movie review of it. You can tell what you did or didn't like about the movie or explain characters, plot, cinematography, etc...

Inventions and Gratitude

Think of an invention that you are incredibly grateful for (a dishwasher, a chair, a tv, toilet paper, blankets, lip gloss, footballs, elevators, etc...) and write a letter to the inventor thanking him or her and telling him or her how grateful you are. You may want to compare your life now to what it was like before the invention. Don't worry that you don't know who actually invented the item. Simply make up a name and write a letter of gratitude.

Example:

Dear John Maytag,

Thank you so much for all of your hardwork in creating the dishwasher. I absolutely love it! I am so pleased that I can put all of my dirty dishes into a tank, add some detergent, and within an hour have clean dishes with no effort on my part. You see, when I was growing up, my sister and I had dish nights. It worked out alright, despite the fact that we couldn't play or watch tv until the dishes were done. The unfortunate thing is that my sister was a terrible dish washer. So, she usually left food debris on the dishes and then my parents made me re-wash them. Although I no longer live at home with my parents and sister, I still have quite a few dishes because I like to cook. Now, I just load, add detergent and go. Thanks for saving me at least 30 minutes per day! You are the best!

Gratefully yours,
Miss Miller

Fill in the Rest!

Complete the story:

Use your imagination and creativity to complete this story starter. Don't forget to write 100 words or more!


I knew I should have never left the house that sunny Tuesday morning............

Stranded

If your plane crashed and you were stranded for a minimum of 1 year, would you choose to be stranded in the arctic or in the tropics. Explain your choice and a bit of what you might do to survive.

Poetic Forms

Welcome back from our hiatus (break) from blogging!

Metaphor mania has magically morphed into sizzling similes and I am now using amazing alliteration.

We have been talking all about poetic forms in Language Arts class. Rack your brain and give an example of each poetic form listed below. (This blog does not need to be 100 words)

Metaphor
Simile
Alliteration
Onomatopoeia

Here are my examples:

Metaphor: Theresa's irrate mother was a tornado whipping through the house and sending everyone into a frenzy.

Simile: The ice cream was like a drop of heaven on my tongue.

Alliteration: Tony tugged tirelessly at tiny twigs twined together with tinsel.

Onomatopoeia: Crash went the car as it banged into the light pole.

Reincarnation?

In Social Studies, we have been talking about other world religions (Buddhism and Hinduism). Since they believe in reincarnation (and we obviously do not), I want you to put yourselves in their shoes. If you were to be reincarnated tomorrow, what would you come back as? You could be a human, animal, or a plant. You could be from the United States, Germany, Honduras, China, Russia, Kenya, or wherever you want. You could be of any nationality you choose. Just pick something to come back as and tell us why.

What Do You Want on Your Tombstone?

The above phrase is a clever marketing tool for Tombstone Pizzas. However, it is a good question to ask yourself as well. Someday, when you die and are called to eternal life in Heaven, what do you want your tombstone to say? You can select one word and explain why that word would be on your tombstone, or you maybe could choose a favorite quote or Bible passage and explain why you would have that. If neither of those ideas seem appealing, you can write an entire paragraph that you would want printed on your tombstone. So, tell us, WHAT DO YOU WANT ON YOUR TOMBSTONE?

A Name of Fame

This week, we will experiment with poetry as you try writing your first acrostic poem. An acrostic poem takes a word, spelled out the long way, and then has a word or two coming from each letter of the original word (see below). Use your full name and write an acrostic poem. Then, pick another word (at least 5 letters long) and make an acrostic poem from that word as well. Try not to have more than 2 words coming from each letter. Don't worry about the 100 word rule this week. See my example:

M agically
I ntuitive
S miling on
S aturdays

M agnificent
I ntelligent
L oving
L ife in
E very
R ealm



another one word example:

P rickly
O ld
R ough
C reature
U nder
P iney
I ncredible
N eedles
E ek!

Reflections of Giving

Note: This blog is for extra credit only! Next week we will be back to our usual, assigned blog entry.

Reflect upon the experience of meeting the family our class sponsored for Christmas on the last day of school. Tell about what you saw and heard that was heart-warming or showed gratitude. How did you feel, being able to give all of the gifts to the family? What did you enjoy about meeting them?