What are you interested in learning more about? What topic or idea are you willing to spend time to explore?  What draws you to this?  How do you think you will go about researching?  What materials might you need?  And...how would you like to share your learning?  Is this something you would like to explore alone, or do you think working with a partner might be best? How can I help you with your study?

WOW...That's a lot of questions!!  Be thinking about where your curiosity might take you over the next 5-6 weeks.  I can't wait to see what we learn from each other.

As we work on narrative writing, make sure to use meaningful tags to your dialogue.  You can try out some dialogue on this post...have fun creating a character's mood using these tags.  Make sure you add some description with your dialogue.  

For example... Jill sobbed, "I want to go home!" as the train pulled away from the only place she'd known.  She was going to miss this place..

After Today, Simile's are Like a Walk in the Park!

Similes are lively comparisons used to enrich descriptions of people, places, things, emotions, actions.  A simile links two different elements by comparing one with the other in a way that shows how they are actually alike.  A simile contains the word LIKE or AS.

Mary had a little lamb,
I'ts fleece was white as snow  -- compares the lamb's fleece to the whiteness of snow.

As quick as a wink, he grabbed...  -- compares quickness with the speed of a wink

She works as hard as a horse - compares how hard she works with the strength of a horse.

Now you try some! OR as you're reading and find a good simile, write it down (and the title and author) and post it to our blog.  Have fun finding lively similes!

Sarah Hale used the power of writing to support a cause and create a national holiday.  How would you use writing to change our world?  Write what you think could be done to promote change.  Justify your answer with examples, details, or facts.  Use the magic rule of three.
Example:

I would like to propose a national holiday to honor the oldest child in families across the United States.  Oldest children often have to take over chores at an early age.  They often have to babysit little brothers and sisters.  This can be such a pain because younger siblings often don't behave and are quite messy.  Oldest children also have to set an example for their younger brothers and sisters, too.  They rarely get to misbehave, and that should be a part of growing up.  It's a lot of pressure to be good all the time.  Finally, oldest children are the guinea pigs for their parents.  Parents learn how to be parents using their oldest children to try out new parenting skills.  Sometimes parents make mistakes, and oldest children are the ones to suffer because of them.  So I propose a holiday to honor oldest children all across our nation in honor of all the hardships they face on a daily basis!

Questions

We are full of questions!  What are some of your most pressing questions?  Many authors get writing ideas simply by wondering - Hmmm, what's on your mind?

Coach John Wooden

We will be studying quotes from Coach John Wooden all week.  Watch this video and think about the quotes we read.  What kind of person do you think Coach Wooden was?  How do you think he viewed life? What messages do you think he has for you today?  Do you have a favorite quote?

Block Three Responses

We have read and responded to many quotes the past few weeks.  Type your favorite quote, the author, and your response.