Last August, I was standing in a candy store in Spain looking for an interesting sweet for my students.  It was like standing inside of a sweetened rainbow; everywhere you looked, there were bins full of individual candies.  I didn’t just want anything that tasted great.  I wanted something that looked unusual, maybe even intimidating.  My Spanish friends recommended Pikotas.  Without even trying one, I scooped the entire bin into a bag and readied myself for this fun school assignment.

You can’t tell what a Pikota looks like from the outside.  The wrapper is cherry-red with “P!kotas” written  in white bubble letters on the outside.  Once you open it, it’s as if the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker just gave you a treat.  Pikotas sparkle and glimmer.  The crystallized sugar that coats the small, marble-sized ball isn’t white though; it’s the same dark, cherry-red color as the wrapper. 

When I put the Pikota up to my lips, the sugar coating felt like fine-grade sandpaper.  On my tongue, the candy bumped along it.  I was immediately struck by a sweet, fruity flavor similar to Hawaiian Punch.  During the first few moments the Pikota was in my mouth, I let the candy roll from side to side next to my teeth.  Then it happened—I bit down.  The grainy sugar coating split and cracked, revealing a soft center.  It reminded me of a jellybean, but with a rough, sugary coating.  My mouth was rewarded for its impatience.  That bite led to a burst of cherry flavor that exploded on my tongue.  It was like a firework that has a second blast of color.  Unfortunately, when it was over and the candy was  gone, I longed for another Pikota  to pop into my mouth.  Good thing I bought the store out of its Pikotas!

The Pikotas proved to be the perfect candy for my Unusual Foods assignment.  You can only get them in Spain—making them unusual.  Once you get past the rough exterior, you realize these intensely sweet cherry treats are truly tasterific.

Every day my language arts class works to improve their revision and editing skills by correcting poorly constructed sentences.  We call these Daily Oral Language sentences a clever name: DOL!  To be successful, we read each sentence several times looking for a different problem each time.  First we check for spelling mistakes, then for incorrect capitalization, punctuation problems, and finally grammar and usage errors.  We always do it in this order.  But, it can be difficult to remember each step.

 I want to make it easier to remember the order. Can you come up with a phrase to help our memory remember the steps?  This memory aid is called a mnemonic device.  Here are the rules:  1– submit a comment with your suggestion.  After we have a few, we’ll judge these as a class.  All entries will receive a prize, but a big prize will go to the winner.

Think hard.  Take a risk.  Have fun!

-Mrs. B

Well-done writing has a way of touching the soul and transporting us to another place.  Last Decemember, my students entered a writing contest describing how books they had read changed their lives.  This is not the first year I had them compete in the Library of Congress’s Letters about Literature contest.  It is the first year that one of my students won.

That’s the good news.  The bad news, at least for my students and me, is that the honor belongs to Carol Fisher.  You see… Carol just moved to Michigan.  No mind, though.  I called to let Carol know that she is one of two winners choosen to represent the best of 6th graders in Nebraska.  She was as thrilled as I was.

Carol and her mother are making the trip back to the Cornhusker State’s capital on Thursday,  March 14th to have a photo taken with the governor as he signs the National Library Week proclamation, receive her award, and have her letter archived (forever!) in the state’s official library.

Way to go, Carol!  Keep up the great writing; we’re all very proud of your accomplishment.

Here is Carol’s letter…

Dear Mr. Christopher Paolini:

I opened the story of Eragon, and flipped through the pages.  I was deciding on whether to read it or not.  I turned to the first page and I felt my mind being sucked out of reality and on to the back of Arya’s saddle.  As I got farther and farther into the adrenaline-pumping story, I found myself reading through the pages of Eragon and escaping the world I knew.  As soon as I would finish a chapter, I would turn the page thinking, “Just one more chapter then I’ll stop.”  When the day was done I would crawl up in my bed and stay up late reading to my heart’s content.  When I finished the book I thought is was the best one ever, and I’ve read a lot trust me.

I believe authors’ posses a certain quality that others lack.  It may be there ability to bring words to life and make them dance in front of our eyes.  Or their ability to bring things to life we have not dreamed of even in our wildest dreams.  Some day I wish to become an author and have that special magic, but until then I need a lot of practice.  Authors are my heroes of all time; they captivate my mind and lend it wings, so it can soar to the heavens and beyond.

Since I have read Eragon, I believe I have changed.  Not necessarily on the outside, but on the inside.  I think it has affected me so much.   I have always thought that only the brave were courageous.  I was wrong;  Eragon showed me that anyone can be courageous.   Eragon has taught me to be a better person, child, friend, imaginer, sister, student, and much more.

As time wears on, the book becomes more and more meaningful to me.  No one can explain the magic of books (well at least I think they have magic).  I know some people who think it is torture to sit and read a book.  I feel sorry for them because they have not read a book that sweeps them away.  Personally Eragon was the first book I got “hooked” on.  It was the book that encouraged me to read and keep reading to this day.

I have one last thing to say to you, thank you for giving me my wings, letting my mind soar, and last, thank you for the best gift of all, reading.

Carol Fisher

Carol Fisher

Grade Six

  *This paper has been edited for mistakes.

As many of you know, I went to an educational conference yesterday.  As I was listening to ways to improve my teaching technique, I couldn’t help but wonder what you all would think.  We learned some unique ways to getchya’all thinking. Here’s a contemporary (curernt event) question for you.  Remember, there are no wrong answers.  All it takes is the guts to put your ideas out there.  Go for it.

How would the $700 billion Wall Street Bailout budget look to a middle school principal?  (In other words, what would Mr. Rhodes be able to do with a check that size?)

Think Hard.  Take Risks. Have Fun.

I wanted to get my students creating work on computers right away this year so they could have these skills to use all year long.  I like to do group projects using a digital story concept, but I changed things by having them truly collaborate using Google Docs.  (They can all work on the same project at the same time!  It’s cool.)  They were charged with writing a persuasive presentation about an issue of their interest in an ABC format.  Below you’ll see what they were able to produce.  

Vote for your favorite presentation AND leave any comments about anybody or everybody’s work.  Voting will be open until Saturday, Oct. 26th. 

This post was originally published March 2008.

 

Well-done writing has a way of touching the soul and transporting us to another place.  Last Decemember, my students entered a writing contest describing how books they had read changed their lives.  This is not the first year I had them compete in the Library of Congress’s Letters about Literature contest.  It is the first year that one of my students won.

That’s the good news.  The bad news, at least for my students and me, is that the honor belongs to Carol Fisher.  You see… Carol just moved to Michigan.  No mind, though.  I called to let Carol know that she is one of two winners choosen to represent the best of 6th graders in Nebraska.  She was as thrilled as I was.

Carol and her mother are making the trip back to the Cornhusker State’s capital on Thursday,  March 14th to have a photo taken with the governor as he signs the National Library Week proclamation, receive her award, and have her letter archived (forever!) in the state’s official library.

Way to go, Carol!  Keep up the great writing; we’re all very proud of your accomplishment.

Here is Carol’s letter…

Dear Mr. Christopher Paolini:

I opened the story of Eragon, and flipped through the pages.  I was deciding on whether to read it or not.  I turned to the first page and I felt my mind being sucked out of reality and on to the back of Arya’s saddle.  As I got farther and farther into the adrenaline-pumping story, I found myself reading through the pages of Eragon and escaping the world I knew.  As soon as I would finish a chapter, I would turn the page thinking, “Just one more chapter then I’ll stop.”  When the day was done I would crawl up in my bed and stay up late reading to my heart’s content.  When I finished the book I thought is was the best one ever, and I’ve read a lot trust me.

I believe authors’ posses a certain quality that others lack.  It may be their ability to bring words to life and make them dance in front of our eyes.  Or their ability to bring things to life we have not dreamed of even in our wildest dreams.  Some day I wish to become an author and have that special magic, but until then I need a lot of practice.  Authors are my heroes of all time; they captivate my mind and lend it wings, so it can soar to the heavens and beyond.

Since I have read Eragon, I believe I have changed.  Not necessarily on the outside, but on the inside.  I think it has affected me so much.   I have always thought that only the brave were courageous.  I was wrong;  Eragon showed me that anyone can be courageous.   Eragon has taught me to be a better person, child, friend, imaginer, sister, student, and much more.

As time wears on, the book becomes more and more meaningful to me.  No one can explain the magic of books (well at least I think they have magic).  I know some people who think it is torture to sit and read a book.  I feel sorry for them because they have not read a book that sweeps them away.  Personally Eragon was the first book I got “hooked” on.  It was the book that encouraged me to read and keep reading to this day.

I have one last thing to say to you, thank you for giving me my wings, letting my mind soar, and last, thank you for the best gift of all, reading.

Carol Fisher

Carol Fisher

Grade Six

  *This paper has been edited for mistakes.

I know Christmas is a holiday grounded in religion, but I think its influence spreads even further than a church ritual.  I like Christmastime, not so much for the presents, but for the spirit it spreads throughout humanity.  It’s a hopeful time when I think of all the good that can come if we try to love each other.

My students have been working on 21^st century skills in English class.  Today we practiced with “text message lingo” by writing notes to each other using these abbreviated words and acronyms. 

I would like to share with you one of my favorite “letters” about Christmas.  It’s called “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa.”  It was written in 1897 by an 8-year-old girl named Virginia.  The New York Sun newspaper  printed it and the editor replied with what’s become one of the most published editorials of all time.

I’ve modernized this version.  See if you can decipher the text “code;” it’s like a riddle.  If you can’t figure it out, move your mouse over the word and the English version will pop up.  Have fun and enjoy this season of giving, reflection, and joy.

-Mrs. B

dEr of:

Im 8 yrs old. sum of my lil F? sA there’s no *<|:o)> Claus. Papa sEz, ‘If UC it n d SUN it’s so.’ plz tel me d truth; S der a *<|:o)> Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon

 115 West Ninety-Fifth st

Virginia,

yr lil F? r rong. they’ve bn afectd by d skepticism of a skeptical age. dey dnt bleev Xcpt [what] dey C. dey tnk dat Ø cn B wich aint comprehensible by their lil minds. ll minds, Virginia, whether dey B men’s or children’s, r lil. n dis gr8 univers of ours man S a mere insect, an ant, n hs intellect, as compared W d boundless wrld bout him, as measurd by d inteligenc kapbL of grasping d hol of truth n nolage.

Yes, Virginia, there’s a *<|:o)> Claus. He exists as certainly as lov n generosity n devotion Xist, +U knw dat dey abound n giv 2 yr lyf its hyest beauty n joy. Alas! hw dreary wd B d wrld f der wr no *<|:o)> Claus. It wd B as dreary asif der wr no Virginias. der wd B no childlike faith thN, no poetry, no romnce 2 mke tolerable dis XistenC. We shudve no njoyment, Xcpt n senZ n syt. d eternal lyt W wich childhood fills d wrld wd B xtinguishD.

nt bleev n *<|:o)> Claus! u myt as wel nt bleev n fairies! u myt gt yr papa 2 hire men 2 woch n ll d chimneys on xmas Eve 2 ctch *<|:o)> Claus, bt evn f dey ddnt C *<:-)> cmng dwn, w@ wd dat proove? nobdy sEz *<|:o)> Claus, bt dats no cYn dat there’s no *<|:o)> Claus. d most real fings n d wrld r doze dat neither kids nor men cn C. DdU evr C fairies danciN on d lawn? Of corZ nt, bt dats no proof dat thyre nt der. nobdy cn conceive or imagiN ll d 1ders der r unseen n unseeable n d wrld.

u may tear apart d baby’s rattle n C w@ maks d noyZ NcyD, bt there’s a veil covering d unseen wrld wich nt d strongst man, nor evn d united str of ll d strongst men dat evr livD, cUd tear apart. 1ly faith, fanC, poetry, lov, romnce, cn push aside dat curtain n vu n pic d supernal beauty n glory Byond. S it ll real? Ah, Virginia, n ll dis wrld there’s Ø Ls real n abiding.

No *<|:o)> Claus! Thank God! He lyfs, &he lyfs 4ever. A K yrs frm now, Virginia, nay, 10 x10 K yrs frm now, he wl contu 2 mke glad d hart of childhood.

 

Resources:

Read more about the story here: http://www.macysbelieve.com/?gclid=CPb2yu_HypcCFSYMDQodARnSTA#/YesVirginia

Learn to translate text yourself: www.lingo2word.com

I’ve liked Jeremy P.  ever since he stuck it out as the only boy to show up to at my daughter’s 8th birthday party. That was such a brave move that when school started this year, I told him he had an A in class before the first lesson was even handed out.  A joke of course, but today during PLUS class, Jeremy solidified his place on the “cool guys” list .

Jeremy has many hidden talents.  He’s funny, for sure, just sit near him in class.  But he doesn’t need me to promise him an automatic A; he’s a great writer on his own.  Back in October, I had the pleasure of reading a narrative essay about how he got his first guitar.  I love music, especially rock music, so my interest was piqued.  In passing, I asked him to invite me to a concert sometime– whenever that might be.  He said he’d play this week!  Before lunch, Jeremy showed off another skill for our class.  The boy can play guitar.  Check out his rendition of Nirvana’s “About a Girl.”

The next song Jeremy played was his own.  It was harder hitting but a huge crowd pleaser.

Jeremy ended the mini-gig with an all-time favorite… “Enter Sandman” made famous by Metalica.

Jeremy played solo today, but he’s definitely not alone.  He’s in a yet-to-be-named band with a few other guys from sixth grade: Christopher W., “Topher” S., & Ryan W.

Rockin' Out

We loved it today, Jeremy.  Thanks for the special performance!  We can’t wait  for the first official show.  Your new fan club will be there in force.

The "Yet to be Named" Fan Club

 

The guys want help picking out a name. Vote for your favorite:

“Beware of the Ides of March”

Have you ever heard this saying before?  It was written by a really famous guy about an even more famous guy. 

Find out and tell me more.  Best answer gets a candybar! 

You only have until March 15th to answer.

Period 3

County Limerick, Ireland is one of the most picturesque  places I have ever visited. Celebrating 10-years of marriage, my husband and I saved Adare Manor for our last night in Ireland.  It was green with a knot garden adorning its view and a river dividing the once grand home and the professional golf course.  It was truly a pampered stay.  Remembering County Limerick makes me proud to share my Irish experience and heritage with my class on this day, St. Patrick’s Day. 

While not descriptive and picture-painting, limerick poems hold their own special, lyrical magic.  Here are some of today’s creations.  In the spirit of true Gaelic craic (sounds like crack– Irish word that means to converse), share your own in the comments section below.

There once was a frog from China.

All the while he hoped to eat at a diner.

So he drove to the cove

Where he burned himself on a stove,

That crispy frog from China.

Period 4

I once met a monkey from Kentucky.

Everyday she was unlucky.

But whenever she would dance,

She would magically appear in France.

That unlucky, little monkey from Kentucky.

Period 6

There once was a penguin from New Zea-land

All the while he hoped to play tuba in a band.

He practiced all day

To stay awake he drank latte.

That hyper-piper penguin from New Zea-land!

Period 7

I once met a chihuahua from Alaska

Everyday he dreamt of Nebraska.

But whenever he slept,

The truth made him sad and he wept.

That weepy chihuahua from Alaska.

Period 8

There once was a nerd from Wal-mart

All the while he hoped to be smart.

So he went to college

And gotted more “nowledge.”

That “no”-it-all nerd from Wal-Mart.

 

Which class limerick do you like the best?