tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88584212634656450522024-03-05T21:44:06.262-08:00Sixth Grade EnglishDescriptive writing and advanced reading skills as taught by Debbie Suttles at Roberson Middle School.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-87740212526411526182011-03-20T08:20:00.000-07:002011-03-20T08:27:34.691-07:00Happy Spring Break<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvNW-d_Yunoli9SCO7dhSNnUsBZ0bm_aeJPejGyNyRXxd8wrxJSFzBdpHbohN-i_22wTlY_VYeXPAQSwyEm0ovbFJjh94CcqlHIQ3Ml15o2K8nIjRUSPnW0boSLvklv8FrmHRorZeieoR/s1600/PrimrosePath-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvNW-d_Yunoli9SCO7dhSNnUsBZ0bm_aeJPejGyNyRXxd8wrxJSFzBdpHbohN-i_22wTlY_VYeXPAQSwyEm0ovbFJjh94CcqlHIQ3Ml15o2K8nIjRUSPnW0boSLvklv8FrmHRorZeieoR/s320/PrimrosePath-lg.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Have a happy and safe Spring Break.<br />
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Spring is a good time to visit the <a href="http://www.hcp4.net/mercer/index.htm">Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens</a>, an oasis of serenity and natural beauty along Cypress Creek. The park contains over 300 acres of East Texas Piney Woods and showcases the area’s largest collection of native and cultivated plants.<br />
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The arboretum and botanic gardens are divided by Aldine Westfield Road.<br />
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The east side contains the botanic gardens with over 20 acres of annual and perennial flower beds, endangered species, a lily pond and other water features, ferns, bamboo, gingers, herbs, tropicals, among others. At the back of the gardens is a walking trail that takes the visitor though the Piney Woods. <br />
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The west side of Aldine Westfield features playgrounds and a picnic area. A rustic path meanders past a hickory bog, cypress swamp, maple collection and though ancient woodlands.<br />
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Have a great time. <br />
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The image is the <a href="http://www.hcp4.net/mercer/inbloom/march/index.htm">Primrose Path</a> that greets visitors when they enter the park. Photo by Suzzanne Chapman is used for educational purposes only.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-25244805949444387932011-01-29T08:28:00.000-08:002011-01-29T08:54:03.939-08:00Good News Academics<a href="http://www.edline.net/pages/Boston_Arts_Academy"><b>Boston Arts Academy </b></a><br />
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Imagine an urban school where 94% of its students get into college. This happens at the <a href="http://www.edline.net/pages/Boston_Arts_Academy">Boston Arts Academy</a>, a school located outside Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. More amazing is that the school never looks at grades or test scores to determine entrance into the school. How can it be?<br />
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Listen to Linda Nathan, the school's administrator and author of the book, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=vd1zY8ywGh4C&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=the+hardest+questions+are+not+on+the+test&source=bl&ots=gST9U6E5bp&sig=ET-35EkaCxoamz6RqVAxctaCMa8&hl=en&ei=o0FETdiSNpTrgQeGyNCcAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=the%20hardest%20questions%20are%20not%20on%20the%20test&f=false"><i>The Hardest Questions aren't on the Test</i></a> on the <a href="http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1739117">Best of Our Knowledge #1061</a> and learn a little more.<br />
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Lest you think that the school is all about the arts, you'll hear that there are also lessons in humanities, foreign languages, and writing. Creativity is encouraged by a flexible teaching schedule and volunteerism that brings into the schools ideas from the real world. Take care of the teachers and you will take care of the students.<br />
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You can <a href="http://lindanathan.com/">follow Linda on her blog</a>. You can also read online a portion of Linda Nathan's book, <i><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=vd1zY8ywGh4C&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=the+hardest+questions+are+not+on+the+test&source=bl&ots=gST9U6E5bp&sig=ET-35EkaCxoamz6RqVAxctaCMa8&hl=en&ei=o0FETdiSNpTrgQeGyNCcAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=the%20hardest%20questions%20are%20not%20on%20the%20test&f=false">The Hardest Questions aren't on the Test</a>. </i> A quick reading will demonstrate that asking questions is the best way to finding an answer. That is good news.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-37791266603748262722011-01-16T06:28:00.000-08:002011-01-16T06:43:00.580-08:00Remarkable PeopleThe news has a habit of telling just the bad stories.<br />
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Listening to these stories day after day can get you down. So to try and balance the storyline a little, here is a good news story. It just goes to show that America is full of interesting people who do good. You just have to look for them.<br />
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Widley Coulanges, Son of Haitian immigrants bound for Ivy League.<br />
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Marietta, Georgia is the home of South Cobb High School. A recent graduate Widley Coulanges scored 2250 out of a possible 2400 on the SAT. He also achieved a 4.57 grade point average at South Cobb (he did so by taking college level courses), played varsity lacrosse, and participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, National Honor Society, Health Occupations Students of America Club, Beta Club, and the Leadership Experience Opportunity Club. He was also a Georgia Governor's Honor Program finalist. And he has spent three summers as a volunteer at WellStar Cobb Hospital.<br />
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Widley was accepted to numerous colleges and offered scholarships to three Ivy League schools. He choose Harvard because he hopes to study medicine some day. Widley has a remarkable family - a thirteen year old sister Edwine who also shares a passion for learning, and remarkable parents Wilfrid and Edline. Edline is a respected nurse at a local hospital in Marietta and Wilfrid, when not driving a cab, is studying to get a license as a physical therapist. The parents emigrated from Haiti years ago. They have raised their children with love and understanding, instilling in them a passion to succeed and to help others.<br />
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Doesn't this story make you feel a little better?<br />
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Read more: <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story/7484636/article-Son-of-Haitian-immigrants-bound-for-Ivy-League#cb_post_comment_7484636%22%3ERead%20more:%20The%20Marietta%20Daily%20Journal%20-%20Son%20of%20Haitian%20immigrants%20bound%20for%20Ivy%20League%3C/a%3E">The Marietta Daily Journal - Son of Haitian immigrants bound for Ivy League</a><br />
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Learn about <a href="http://www.southcobbhs.org/">South Cobb High School</a> and what they are doing to achieve academic excellence.<br />
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Read about <a href="http://www.cobbk12.org/">Cobb County School District.</a> Learn how even Middle Schoolers are groomed for college.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-22114880020815673702011-01-11T07:24:00.000-08:002011-01-11T08:20:41.155-08:00The Giver - Lois Lowry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0ShYsnXMe6snXa3dIMhKnWRU6HhBoXDqx8QZ0vU0pzlVyMDLwJDJ2Ywo_Ni8kNYcBPuEk8Edmr6usMLusgteyKH8wzHl6hRyeV0TqZfWCu75uOY6YI7MLLaYpZ1FIl6OU7dqq3dDSUvR/s1600/the+giver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0ShYsnXMe6snXa3dIMhKnWRU6HhBoXDqx8QZ0vU0pzlVyMDLwJDJ2Ywo_Ni8kNYcBPuEk8Edmr6usMLusgteyKH8wzHl6hRyeV0TqZfWCu75uOY6YI7MLLaYpZ1FIl6OU7dqq3dDSUvR/s320/the+giver.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>Is ignorance bliss?<br />
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Imagine a future world that has eliminated pain and strife by converting everyone to "sameness". A world of politeness and manners where all violence, prejudice, and poverty are eliminated, but also a world where the past must remain hidden. A world where ignorance of the past is bliss.<br />
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Only one person The Giver possesses memories of the time before, so that he or she may draw upon these memories in case they are needed. When Jonas turns 12, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver, and the knowledge that there is perhaps something more to life.<br />
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Lois Lowry, the author, describes the story as follows:<br />
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<blockquote>"I tried to make Jonas's world seem familiar, comfortable, and safe, and I tried to seduce the reader. I seduced myself along the way. It did feel good, that world. I got rid of all the things I fear and dislike; all the violence, poverty, prejudice and injustice, and I even threw in good manners as a way of life because I liked the idea of it. One child has pointed out, in a letter, that the people in Jonas's world didn't even have to do dishes. It was very, very tempting to leave it at that."</blockquote><br />
Now, it’s time for Jonas to receive the truth. But what is the truth? For Jonas, there is no turning back.What choice will he make? And must he make that choice for others? <br />
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What choice would you make?you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-45099429131698594332011-01-04T09:40:00.000-08:002011-01-11T08:17:27.258-08:00Education"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" - George Santayana (born Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás)<br />
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I love history and often quote Santayana, a Spanish-American novelist and philosopher, who is said to have remarked that we either learn from history or we repeat it. Those are my words, Santayana's exact words, more harshly spoken, are quoted above.<br />
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The current debate on education suggests that America is falling behind the world in educating its young. iIn many large American cities including Detroit, Baltimore, New York, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Denver and Houston, students have less than a 50-50 chance of graduating from high school. Employers grumble about an uneducated work force, colleges set up remedial education classes to teach students what they should have learned in high school, and the army warns that over thirty per cent of possible recruits can't pass the basic entrance examination.<br />
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The causes of this crisis in education are many. Suggestions on how to improve the situation just as plentiful. I don't want to get into either cause or solution at this point. No, what interests me is a book that I came across in an antique store. The rather dry title is the <i>Twenty-fifth Biennial Report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture</i>, Volume 30, 1925 -1926.<br />
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Have I lost you already? Well, that proves Santayana's remark - history is so dry and boring that its lessons are lost to us. And, so we are back where we were.<br />
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Anyway, I will labor on. <i>The Twenty-Fifth Biennial Report</i> contains 702 pages. Amidst the reports on population, farm products and animal husbandry, is an article on <i>Rural Life and Community Problems </i>by Edgar Mendenhall, of Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg. The point of Mendenhall's article is his claim that students of rural life are gravely confronted with a lack of quality education. The result is a brain-drain, and exodus of rural students to the cities where the quality of education is far superior. Funny, how the tide of human affairs ebbs and flows. Today's students flee the cities for the suburbs.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGR7PT-kD8UG698BD9Wri2hyZUbQvay0waoyXB7QPH9R3AHwHHNiPWMO0LLQpb_JJ4nwYlHr6wNsnJfRW-l4JmlVeklreAmTQzj5XjqEAFbvrzrOUvwo9SsXKCSpYBuWRhTPN1gvlWuBn1/s1600/oneRoomSchool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGR7PT-kD8UG698BD9Wri2hyZUbQvay0waoyXB7QPH9R3AHwHHNiPWMO0LLQpb_JJ4nwYlHr6wNsnJfRW-l4JmlVeklreAmTQzj5XjqEAFbvrzrOUvwo9SsXKCSpYBuWRhTPN1gvlWuBn1/s200/oneRoomSchool.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Kansas in 1925 and 1926 was a system of one-teacher schools in the country and the graded schools in the city. Citing a study by Dr. F.P.O'Brien of the State Teachers College of Emporia, Mendenhall notes that three quarters of all one-teacher schools had teachers who held their jobs less than one year. Another one-fifth of the teachers had been in the school house for one year. This meant that roughly one in twenty teachers had taught for two years.The obvious reasons for the extremely short duration were uncertainty of tenure, salary, conditions, and opportunity.<br />
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And, so it was no great surprise that when standardized tests were given to the country student and the city student that a sizable gap in reading ability existed.And the same gap existed when the same arithmetic tests were administered.<br />
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I have always been a skeptic of statistics. Isolated statistics often produce skewed results. For instance, if the pairs of country and city students had been measure on the yard stick of animal husbandry or agronomy, I imagine the city student would have come up a little short. <br />
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We learn what is taught to us and we learn what is relevant.This is the message of the 1970's movie <i>To Sir with Love</i> starring Sidney Poitier. Sidney Poitier plays a teacher in a inner-city London school. He is black and educated. The high school students are white and working class. he gets through to them by relating literature and math to their lives. For instance he teaches math by explaining the different weight classes in boxing to the testosterone-prone young males.<br />
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Getting back to 1925 and 1926, Mendenhall proposes all sorts of measures including the application of business principles to the management of the rural schools. The idea is to focus on the rural school board and provide a measuring stick of 40 points that board members should be measured by. The categories of measurement include personal traits of the school board. Are they fair-minded, honest, straightforward, etc, or reactionary and prejudiced? What is their training, how do they act as board members, are they involved in the community, do they relate to the superintendent and teachers in a positive way?<br />
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This interesting approach to education suggests that learning flows downhill from board member to board, to superintendent, to teacher and then to student. The important principle is that if we expect students to be responsible for their education, then board members should also be responsible for setting standards and establishing the means to achieve those standards.<br />
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Mr. Mendenhall concludes his article with a portion of a poem by James Russell Lowell -<b> </b>A Glance Behind The Curtain.<br />
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New times demand new measures and new men;<br />
The world advances and in time outgrows<br />
The laws that in our fathers' day were best;<br />
And doubtless, after us some purer scheme<br />
Will be shaped by wiser men than we.<br />
Made wiser by the steady growth of truth... </blockquote>Mr. Mendenhall suggests that there can be no more "dillydally" about the matter. That educators must learn by yielding some of our old ideas and surrender old prejudices; that is, if we wish to protect the interests of those we hold most dear, the students of public education.<br />
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This article is buried in an old book that dates to 1925 and 1926. I doubt that it has been read in more than four score and five years since its publication by more than a handful of people.<br />
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I wonder if Santayana was not right.<br />
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Read what Houston schools are doing on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Official-Project-GRAD-Houston/106796302700811">Facebook</a> or read about the <a href="http://www.projectgradhouston.org/">Project Houston Grad</a>, a project to increase graduation rates. <br />
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Image from <a href="http://www.kansasheritage.org/orsh/gallery/">http://www.kansasheritage.org/orsh/gallery/</a> . Click to see more images of one room schoolhouses in Kansas.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-52948205907793596652011-01-03T08:30:00.001-08:002011-01-03T08:54:25.111-08:00The meaning of Auld Lang Syne<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LV6NPopqYkF8nzZisG0TH4ixJXf7xgKVhhc0jlz-sE24_IBzhlX4xjKZ6bBaFm3vctJPRd7hhQFhg0aOVL3EGAsuvS1JyJ3uzNVh_RbCY_SHXYPmRZGyCh9iitapNsXizZ8vlWFAty-7/s1600/230px-Robert_burns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LV6NPopqYkF8nzZisG0TH4ixJXf7xgKVhhc0jlz-sE24_IBzhlX4xjKZ6bBaFm3vctJPRd7hhQFhg0aOVL3EGAsuvS1JyJ3uzNVh_RbCY_SHXYPmRZGyCh9iitapNsXizZ8vlWFAty-7/s200/230px-Robert_burns.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<b>Auld Lang Syne</b><br />
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Should auld acquaintance be forgot,<br />
and never brought to mind?<br />
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,<br />
and auld lang syne?<br />
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(Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796) transcribed this now traditional New Years Day verse, having heard an old Scottish gentleman recite the lines. Burns admits to adding two lines to the poem. They are the third and fourth stanzas that reference time spent upon the braes and in the burns, or, as we would say, hillsides and streams.)<br />
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Chorus:<br />
For auld lang syne, my dear,<br />
for auld lang syne,<br />
we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,<br />
for auld lang syne.<br />
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(It is for the reader to decide who is drinking, childhood sweethearts or bosom buddies? These days it doesn't matter for friendship knows no gender.<br />
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If you didn't already know it, a 'cup o' kindness' is a drink. ) <br />
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And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp!<br />
And surely I’ll be mine!<br />
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,<br />
for auld lang syne.<br />
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(In a Scottish pub, drinks were poured from kegs with pint tankards the standard measure of drink. The stowp was another name for a tankard, or what we might call a 'mug'. Here, each friend buys ('be', the 'e' is long and rhymes with 'ye') their own pint and toasts with a 'cup of kindness'.<br />
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This line is the most enigmatic of the poem, for traditional hospitality demands that a friend buy the others drink. My take on this is that the poet suggests that real friends do everything 'even-steven'. True friendship is not a debt of gratitude, but a bonding of souls.)<br />
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We twa hae run about the braes,<br />
and pu’d the gowans fine;<br />
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,<br />
sin’ auld lang syne.<br />
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(A gowan is a wild flower. 'Pu’d the gowans fine' romantically suggests 'plucking' or more appropriately 'courting' the fine young ladies upon the Scottish hillsides. Of course, it may also mean that the two were picking flowers.)<br />
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We twa hae paidl’d in the burn,<br />
frae morning sun till dine;<br />
But seas between us braid hae roar’d<br />
sin’ auld lang syne.<br />
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('Paidl’d in the burn' translates as paddling in the stream, something, as a youth, was playfully done from early morning til the setting of the sun. Time and the broad seas have risen and roared, separating childhood friends. Interestingly, Robert Burns himself once thought crossing the 'braid' sea and emigrating to America.)<br />
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And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!<br />
And gies a hand o’ thine!<br />
And we’ll tak a right gude-willie-waught,<br />
for auld lang syne.<br />
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(The word 'fiere' comes by way of the French, suggesting a brave and proud compatriot. So, give me a hand my trusty friend and together we'll take a good drought of ale for the sake of olden times.)<br />
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Robert Burns is considered the national poet of Scotland. You can read his complete works by going to <a href="http://www.robertburns.org/works/">Robert Burns Country</a>.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-51386423362178978062010-05-14T17:29:00.000-07:002010-05-14T17:32:54.900-07:00The land of the free and the home of the brave.It is cute when we all work together.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1652047/star_spangled_spangled_banner/">Star Spangled Banner</a> as sung by our past Presidents.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-43305091464295200432010-05-06T06:50:00.000-07:002010-05-06T06:56:01.451-07:00The World is Made New EverydayAuthor Anna Quindlan spoke on the Walt Bodine radio program on May 5, 2010. This inspirational conversation is directed to young girls and women of all ages. Her mother died at age 19. She married and raised three children, meanwhile writing a daily column for the New York Times, and writing best sellers in fiction, non-fiction, and self-help. Anna discusses her need to express herself in writing, the influence of teachers, and the trials and tribulations of life.<br />
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Anna quotes the New York Times motto that, "The World is Made New Everyday". Her approach to life is one of curiosity at the challenges that are thrown at us in life. We humans like drama despite the fact that real life is often the mundane.<br />
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You can listen to this conversation by clicking on the following link. <a href="http://www.kcur.org/WaltBodineArchive.html">Anna Quindlan on Walt Bodine</a>.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-89320429060934853582010-04-11T07:02:00.000-07:002010-04-11T07:06:00.792-07:00Graffigny-Chemin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TFxeDw_CXj_DdplY5KglCWcM5u8iBavRsWL8p3OzhZE2YaHix6nHwRRkf8JTOiaCHeH1mzKSbYVhZDjWvUtekHPY6fyrF3kneLIPJ897BU-MTHpxl0HtdbL3DSD8y8wpb3bdQQTstRc5/s1600/churchStamps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TFxeDw_CXj_DdplY5KglCWcM5u8iBavRsWL8p3OzhZE2YaHix6nHwRRkf8JTOiaCHeH1mzKSbYVhZDjWvUtekHPY6fyrF3kneLIPJ897BU-MTHpxl0HtdbL3DSD8y8wpb3bdQQTstRc5/s400/churchStamps.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>My grandmother Marguerite Chevallier grew up in the village of Graffigny-Chemin, France. The house where she grew up is across the street from the church in this 1905 postcard. <br />
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Notice the clothing of the children in the image. Children today are more casual in their dress.<br />
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The internet is a useful tool to research family histories. This postcard, for instance, was found by googling French postcards. The website is delcampe.net.You too can search for old images by selecting keywords and letting Google do the work.<br />
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Another good source of family histories is the Mormon church's collection of records online.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-55062125610607450252010-03-21T12:46:00.000-07:002010-03-21T13:34:44.861-07:00Verb agreement<blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">There Was a Crooked Man</span><br /><br />There was a crooked man,<br />And he walked a crooked mile,<br />He found a crooked sixpence<br />Upon a crooked stile;<br /><br />He bought a crooked cat,<br />Which caught a crooked mouse,<br />And they all lived together<br />In a crooked little house.</blockquote><br /><br />One problem confronting writers is verb agreement. First, verbs should agree with the subject in number. <blockquote>Sue studies hard.</blockquote> The singular subject "Sue" agrees with the verb "studies". <blockquote>Sue and Bob (both) study hard.</blockquote> The plural subject "Sue and Bob" requires a change in verb form to "study". <blockquote>Everyone studies hard.</blockquote> Some subjects which contain more than one individual are singular because they constitute a group. "Everyone" is a group taking a singular verb. There are other words which seem plural but aren't and require a singular verb form. "Family", "all the world" are two examples which require a singular verb form. <blockquote>My family is big. All the world loves an Irishman on St. Patrick's Day. Is anyone going to go? The staff of the school loves teaching.<br /></blockquote><br /><br />A second problem with verb agreement is consistency in the paragraph and the paper as a whole. When we write, we use tenses that reflect when the action is taking place. Present tense for now, past tense for the past, and future for events that have yet to take place. There are also other verb forms such as the passive voice and active voice. Some mixing of tenses and voice are necessary both to reflect the time events take place, but also to make the writing more interesting. But, beware that jumping around too much is confusing to readers.<br /><br />The nursery rhyme above contains only verbs in the past tense. Suppose we mix it up a little.<br /><br /><blockquote> <div style="font-weight: bold;" id="one_language"><div id="songpage_song_title">There Is a Crooked Man</div></div> <div id="one_language" style="clear: both;"><div id="song_for_song_page"><br />There Is a crooked man,<br />And he walked a crooked mile,<br />He will find a crooked sixpence<br />Upon a crooked stile;<br /><br />He had bought a crooked cat,<br />Which can catch a crooked mouse,<br />And they all live together<br />In a crooked little house.<br /></div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div id="one_language" style="clear: both;"><div id="song_for_song_page"><br /><br /></div></div> </blockquote><br />Mixing up the verb forms brings the rhyme to a crashing halt. So, examine your paragraphs and stay consistent in the use of verb forms. But be careful. Sometimes the writer has to be a detective and match subject with verb. <blockquote>A long list of assignments, chores, tasks and duties intimidates me.</blockquote><br />The subject is "list" and not the several items.<br /><br />Good luck. Your readers will appreciate it.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-51053581124586830822010-03-08T09:42:00.000-08:002010-03-08T10:01:21.709-08:00Springtime in Texas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EfALD_GbjtrIg5Wf9wnYTXYQIyU6RRw8nEVxjwqFRLM2eyPUUTCfBvoo9cNie8IgcLJGRwki7tc6-ePI9NsZmmD5c-HiOn40QiLTDqkpiLA_1NEKjBkS0XLdX5qnM9Fn6hDsxsgVXWJa/s1600-h/bluebonnet+field+at+dusk+%28credit%3DLarry+Urqhart%29_med.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EfALD_GbjtrIg5Wf9wnYTXYQIyU6RRw8nEVxjwqFRLM2eyPUUTCfBvoo9cNie8IgcLJGRwki7tc6-ePI9NsZmmD5c-HiOn40QiLTDqkpiLA_1NEKjBkS0XLdX5qnM9Fn6hDsxsgVXWJa/s400/bluebonnet+field+at+dusk+%28credit%3DLarry+Urqhart%29_med.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446320236215649026" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A Shakespearean sonnet is made up of 14 lines, each line with ten syllables, and written in iambic pentameter. Iambic refers to a pattern of an unemphasized syllable follow by an emphasized syllable. The word "delight" is an example since the stress is on the syllable "-light".<br /><br />The rhyme scheme in a Shakespearean sonnet is <i>a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g</i>. The last two lines are a rhyming couplet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sonnet 98</span><br />by William Shakespeare (1609)<br /><br /><blockquote>From you have I been absent in the spring<br />When proud-pied April, dress’d in all his trim,<br />Hath put a spirit of youth in every thing,<br />That heavy Saturn laugh’d and leap’d with him.<br /><br />Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell<br />Of different flowers in odour and in hue,<br />Could make me any summer’s story tell,<br />Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew:<br /><br />Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white,<br />Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;<br />They were but sweet, but figures of delight,<br />Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.<br /><br />Yet seem’d it winter still, and you away,<br />As with your shadow I with these did play.</blockquote><br /><br />Bluebonnet image by Larry Urqhart<br /><br />See <a href="http://www.lone-star.net/wildflowers/flowers.htm">more Texas wildflowers</a>you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-61892533888873810012010-02-14T10:58:00.000-08:002010-02-14T11:24:05.420-08:00Just for laughs<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/S519ziFdcuk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/S519ziFdcuk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><h3>THE STRAY</h3> Monday, the old dog said that a crumb would do<br />Then On Tuesday the old dog asked me to make it two<br />Wednesday, the old dog said he'd prefer to have fish<br />And not on paper - he'd rather a dish!<br />On Thursday, the old dog said it was cold out there<br />So what about letting him sleep on a chair<br />By Friday the old dog made it perfectly clear<br />That he was planning to live in HERE<br />On Saturday night he took half my bed<br />And woke me up early to get himself fed<br />Today we'll have chicken because it is Sunday<br />I wonder what old dog will enjoy eating on Monday<br /><br /><p> <a href="http://www.old-dog-treats-and-rawhide.com/dog-poems.html"><i>Author Unknown Dog Poem</i></a><br />Public Domain Archives of Dog Poems</p><p><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Try adding your own lines. For instance:</span><br /></p><p><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Within a week, the old dog was sittin' at the table</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Eatin' more than he he was able</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">By next week, he has his eve on television and cable</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">I think I'm in for trouble.</span><br /></p><p><br /></p>you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-47295414255966740492010-01-29T06:02:00.000-08:002010-01-29T07:31:16.497-08:00the catcher in the ryeJ.D. Salinger, author of <span style="font-style: italic;">Catcher in the Rye</span> died Wednesday at his home in New Hampshire, where he lived in seclusion for more than 50 years. He was 91. The <span style="font-style: italic;">Catcher in the Rye</span> was Salinger's one published novel. At the time his book was published in 1951, Salinger was considered to be the most important American writer to emerge since World War II but who then shunned success, becoming the Garbo of letters, famous for not wanting to be famous.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">Catcher in the Rye's</span> narrator and main character, Holden Caulfield, is a teenager newly expelled from prep school, who then returns to New York City where he spends three days in drunkenness and lonliness. On his first night back in the city, he checks into a dilapidated hotel and has a platonic relationship with a prostitue. His escapades in the city include a visit to a natural history museum where he compares his life to the statues of eskimos on display. Later he sneaks into his parents' apartment while they are away and visits his younger sister, Phoebe. After leaving his parents' apartment, Holden spends the night at the apartment of his former English teacher, Mr. Antolini. Holden and Antolini reflect on the meaning of life. Later when Holden falls asleep, he awakes to find his teacher patting his head acting "flitty." The next day Holden returns to his sister and speaks to her of his desire to leave and go west, but when she demands that he take her with him he tells her he will no longer go. They spend the day at the Central Park zoo and Holden watches at a distance as his sister ride the carousel. On the whole, Holden concludes that the events of the past few days have been inconsequential. He will return to school in September.<br /><br />The term "catcher in the rye" refers to Robert Burns' <span style="font-style: italic;">Comin thro the Rye</span>* and Holden's idealistic fantasy of being the one who saves children who play in the field and come too close to the brink.<br /><br />Salinger's novel can be compared to several other novels and stories. <span style="font-style: italic;">Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn</span>, is the story of the drifting journey of Huck and his friend Jim a runaway slave, who raft down the Mississippi River on their way to Jim's freedom. In Stephen King's novella, <span style="font-style: italic;">Stand By Me</span>, four adolescents walk the train tracks on a summer day, searching for the dead body of a boy struck by a train. Finally, in <span>the film</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Ferris Bueller's Day Off</span>, three teenagers "jip" school and enjoy a day in the city of Chicago.<br /><br /><blockquote><br /><b>*Comin Thro the Rye</b><br /><br /><br />O, Jenny's a' weet, poor body,<br />Jenny's seldom dry;<br />She draigl't a' her petticoattie<br />Comin thro' the rye.<br /><br />Chorus:<br />Comin thro the rye, poor body,<br />Comin thro the rye,<br />She draigl't a'her petticoatie,<br />Comin thro the rye!<br /><br />Gin a body meet a body<br />Comin thro the rye,<br />Gin a body kiss a body,[r] Need a body cry?<br /><br />Gin a body meet a body<br />Comin thro the glen,<br />Gin a body kiss a body,<br />Need the warld ken?<!--/gc--> </blockquote>you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-73583517492942958672009-12-17T07:20:00.000-08:002009-12-17T08:07:11.153-08:00the littlest angel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwe6Bcp-RKZxPvo-VlkfWrE4saf3pMIG_yEjAazJI2dBmwowKY0-8kppe3_iHhNcTnNRtf9MX8KKIV2qMiSSgZfmy93NEvwORRH1UsxJTqblYCfkiuqT1xSP5zk4I72Zxvd5zJahQ57F9s/s1600-h/littlest+angel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwe6Bcp-RKZxPvo-VlkfWrE4saf3pMIG_yEjAazJI2dBmwowKY0-8kppe3_iHhNcTnNRtf9MX8KKIV2qMiSSgZfmy93NEvwORRH1UsxJTqblYCfkiuqT1xSP5zk4I72Zxvd5zJahQ57F9s/s320/littlest+angel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416231183628344498" border="0" /></a><br />There are many moving Christmas stories. One of my favorites as a child was the story of "<span style="font-style: italic;">The Littlest Angel</span>" written by Charles Tazewell over 60 years ago and still in print because of its simple but beautiful message - love comes from the heart.<br /><br /><br /><br />Here is a shortened summary of the story from a blog called <a href="http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Littlest-Angel-by-Charles-Tazewell-Book-Review">Hubpages</a>.<br /><br /><blockquote><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Littlest Angel is a story of the youngest angel in heaven--a little boy who doesn't know how to act angelic. In fact, he acts just like the little boy he was on earth. But in ... [a perfectly] ordered heaven, the littlest angel struggles to find his place. His heart yearns for earth, where his boyish treasures lie. The littlest angel is messy, clumsy, always late, and he sings terribly off key. The other perfect angels in heaven don't quite know what to do with him.<br /><br /><p>"<em>However, owing to the regrettable fact that he always forgot to move his wings, the Littlest Angel always fell head over halo</em>!" -The Littlest Angel</p><p>Finally the littlest angel is sent to be "disciplined" by the Understanding Angel. The Littlest Angel sits on the lap of the Understanding Angel, and unburdens his troubled little heart, revealing just how homesick he is for earth. The Understanding Angel agrees to retrieve the boy's box of earthly treasures, which contains things that only a little boy could love.</p><p>When the birth of a Christ child is announced, all the angels excitedly gather to announce their gifts to the newborn king. The littlest angel only has his box of treasures, kept under his bed. It is all he ever had, and is the perfect gift of innocence. In a moment reminiscent of the story of the widow's mite from the New Testament, the Littlest Angel decides to give his box of treasures to the Christ child.<br /></p></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p>As he approaches the Christ Child, the littlest angel is stricken with fear that his gift is not good enough. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh are the gifts brought by the three wise men. How can the gift of a poor little angel compare with these expensive gifts? Soon, however, the hand of God rests on his shoulder and God declares that this simple gift is the greatest gift of all.<br /><p>What gifts were contained in the littlest angel's box? Why was the gift of the littlest angel treasured above those of the three wise men? As with the story of <span style="font-style: italic;">Rudoph the Red Nosed Reindeer</span>, Charles Tazewell creates a suprise ending. Try to imagine how the story might end. What treasures would you place in your box? Is it better to give gifts or to receive them?<br /></p><p>We all have something to be grateful for this season. I am grateful for my family first of all, but also for the wonderful opportunity of teaching all of you. Have a wonderful Holiday.</p><p>For the answer to the above questions, read <a href="http://childrensbooks.about.com/od/holidays/fr/littlestangel.htm">about.com's</a> description of the book.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p>you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-26552341418245516792009-12-15T16:21:00.000-08:002009-12-15T16:39:01.753-08:00my grandmother<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_kQ85gK6beY3VHil94GsVDIjgFoomYABaO9p4xJL_f9PhlCQJPSSJhdLcTVbMri6eXrzuM31ktb05OpmudrCGTE8QbABYLFBkYdWReofkWusEzlIb6co5-_1vRexXG6B2AUfUntTWtlW/s1600-h/graffignyhouse+left_side.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_kQ85gK6beY3VHil94GsVDIjgFoomYABaO9p4xJL_f9PhlCQJPSSJhdLcTVbMri6eXrzuM31ktb05OpmudrCGTE8QbABYLFBkYdWReofkWusEzlIb6co5-_1vRexXG6B2AUfUntTWtlW/s320/graffignyhouse+left_side.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415622658178528130" border="0" /></a>My grandmother was born in a small French village, Graffigny-Chemin. The village is located east of Paris in the ancient province of Lorraine. Today the province is renamed Haut-Marne. The village is close to the larger French town of Verdun and west of Germany and south of Belgium.<br /><br />My grandmother's maiden name was Marguerite Chevallier Meine. Her mother was Laura Chevallier. Her father was William Meine. William was a German businessman from Freiburg, Germany. Laura Chevallier was born and raised in Graffigny where she married my great grandfather and raised my grandmother and her sister. My great grandfather William died before World War I.<br /><br />My great grandmother Laura is the lady in the picture to the left of her house. The photograph came from my cousin George Campbell.<br /><br />There are many stories of my grandmother, but the one I love the best is how she met my grandfather James Madison Pearson. He was a young lieutenant who along with over a million other American soldiers arrived in France in 1917 to fight Germany during the First World War. The story goes that he was wounded in France and sent to a hospital in Graffigny where he met my grandmother. She nursed him back to health and as so often happens, they fell in love, married and came back to the United States.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-6506012841457070082009-12-08T06:32:00.000-08:002009-12-08T07:05:51.632-08:00geneology<span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RUOQt3I9k1c8GKtl2b0DI2uSlrxu3StZEPviXhMH6_7IVNcMLiGx3rjP5eTv_if11XnB5Q_sc0VcsD4DWDm4Hapn2Sbr0hykc6W7NOQr4nYCVM7759-QSfOaDIJZJGzFxaAWXZYX72SP/s1600-h/tree+branches_sm_blue.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RUOQt3I9k1c8GKtl2b0DI2uSlrxu3StZEPviXhMH6_7IVNcMLiGx3rjP5eTv_if11XnB5Q_sc0VcsD4DWDm4Hapn2Sbr0hykc6W7NOQr4nYCVM7759-QSfOaDIJZJGzFxaAWXZYX72SP/s320/tree+branches_sm_blue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412876526116673362" border="0" /></a><span target="_blank" style="font-family:arial;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Get started, discover your ancestry, and create your first family tree.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Visit About.com, </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://genealogy.about.com/od/make_family_tree/Genealogy_101_How_to_Begin_and_Create_a_Family_Tree.htm">How to create a family tree</a><span target="_blank" style="font-family:arial;">.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />1. Start with yourself. It may seem silly since you already know who you are, but you should always start your family history search by documenting your own life. Gather information about your birth, education, sports activities and interests, etc. A few photos and souvenirs will highlight what is important to you. Your children will really appreciate you some day!<br /><br />2. Next, do the same for your parents and grandparents. Scour your house for photographs, records, letters and journals, family Bibles, and even baby books. Sit down and talk to your parents and grandparents and ask questions. Everyone has a story waiting to be told. Be mindful that sometimes stories are painful or sad. A parent or grandparent may be reluctant to discuss part or all of the family history. In this case it may be best to ask about a particular photograph or record that deals with a sensitive issue. Or, simply ask a different family member. Have patience.<br /><br />Good luck.<br /><br /><br /></span></span>you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-83022662955552404332009-11-13T15:00:00.000-08:002009-11-13T15:53:00.128-08:00family historiesIt is a failing that we all possess, that we wait until it is too late - too late, we belatedly say, to ask our parents, grandparents and other family members about our family histories.<br /><br />Your task - write and publish your family history.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First</span>, write your family history. The internet is a great resource to learn about family histories. <a href="http://genealogy.about.com/od/writing_family_history/a/write.htm">Kimberly Powell from About.com</a> has written an excellent article on how to write a family history. In her article, Kimberly notes that a family history can take different forms including: a descriptive narrative, an album, or even a cookbook. You may have other ideas such as a family heirloom - a quilt, war medal, or anything else that is significant to your family. Whatever you choose, be creative and weave a story around the item that you choose.<br /><br />Kimberly suggests, "Thinking of your ancestors as characters in your family history story, what problems and obstacles did your ancestors face?" Organize your story of your family around a significant event in history. The selection of historical events is broad, but it includes immigration, up from slavery, education, farm life, and war.<br /><br />Do your research and ask questions of family members. Don't be surprised if family members don't want to talk. Most people are shy when it comes to talking about the past. A good way of getting around this natural shyness is to prepare ahead of time. Do some research. Know a little about the subject that you are talking about and interest your family member in what you are discussing. Be patient.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Second</span>, publish your family history. If you have a computer and an email, you can publish your family history. You can sign up for a free blog with Google's blogger or any other free blog publisher. Once you have signed up for an account, you can begin publishing your family history. Again, <a href="http://desktoppub.about.com/od/booksmanuals/ss/FamilyHistoryBk.htm">About.com has great tips</a> on how to publish your family history.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-75281650431858027992009-11-07T06:12:00.000-08:002009-11-07T07:44:48.268-08:00tips for an interesting compositionTechniques to make your writing come alive for your readers:<br /><ul type="disc"><li>Give vivid and specific details about a character's personality, interests, characteristics, and so on.<br /></li><li>Include some direct quotes.<br /></li><li>Place the most interesting points at the beginning or end of a sentence, where they stand out.</li></ul>Here is a short story from<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=crsRAAAAYAAJ&dq=Myths+and+Legends+of+California+,+by+Katharine+Berry+Judson%29&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=WReVC93bLC&sig=lhYocgQwTh5xk-9xLVlduJrI8-c&hl=en&ei=lYX1StbzAZbi8AbloOXzCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false"><i> Myths and Legends of California</i></a> , by Katharine Berry Judson. Read the story for enjoyment. Then, read the story to see what details Katherine Berry gives about the origins of the Apache people. What points does she make in this short story?<br /><br /><table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"><tbody><br /><br /><tr><td valign="top"><br /><h1 style="font-size: 18px;" align="center"></h1></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote><table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><h1 style="font-size: 18px;" align="center">Why the Apaches are Fierce</h1> </td> <td width="10%" valign="top"> <br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p> </p><center>Pima (Arizona)<br /></center> <p> </p><p> Elder Brother, Coyote, and Earth Doctor, after the flood vanished, began to create people and animals. Coyote made all the animals, Elder Brother made the people, and Earth Doctor made queer creatures which had only one leg, or immense ears, or many fingers, and some having flames of fire in their knees. </p><p> </p><p> Elder Brother divided his figures of people into four groups. One of the Apaches came to life first. He shivered and said, "Oh, it's very cold," and began to sway back and forth. Then Elder Brother said, "I didn't think you would be the first to awake," and he took all the Apaches up in his hand and threw them over the mountains. That made them angry, and that is why they have always been so fierce. </p></blockquote><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=crsRAAAAYAAJ&dq=Myths+and+Legends+of+California+,+by+Katharine+Berry+Judson%29&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=WReVC93bLC&sig=lhYocgQwTh5xk-9xLVlduJrI8-c&hl=en&ei=lYX1StbzAZbi8AbloOXzCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false"><i>Myths and Legends of California</i></a>, by Katharine Berry Judson can be read online. The story can also be accessed through <a href="http://www.rickwalton.com/folktale/calif62.htm">Rick Walton's Online Library</a>. Rick Walton has many stories that can read online. He also provides links to other resources for further online reading.<br /></p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Review</span><br /><br />Read your first draft for organization and flow. It is best if you and a classmate check each others' work. Check your final draft for spelling, punctuation, and grammar, especially your use of verbs. Examine your draft for logical flow. Is the sequence of time logical and correct? Then examine the descriptive elements of your composition. Can the reader form an image of the character? Is the image colorful and interesting?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Discussion</span><br /><br />What other authors can you think of who possess powerful skills at descriptive writing? In the field of science fiction, Stephen King immediately comes to mind. Another example from an earlier age is Mark Twain. Good descriptive writing is personal and immediate. Read for example <span style="font-style: italic;">The Diary of Anne Frank</span>. Other examples of personal writing are found in the works of Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, and Richard Wright.<br /><br />Can you give other examples of descriptive authors and their works? Can you broaden the list of authors by nationality, gender, age, and subject? What gives their work meaning and impact? How do these authors and their stories relate to your life? What stories do you have to tell?you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-4602186244334496232009-10-28T07:41:00.000-07:002009-10-28T08:21:36.124-07:00topicsEvery paper needs a topic. Every paragraph needs a topic sentence. But, what is a topic? Often, it is a name or two, or ideas placed together: middle school education, racism, sports and high schools, health care, swine flu prevention, women's rights in Moslem societies, in America, and so on.<br /><br />A topic is a place to start. If it is too broad, you are off and on your way to writing a book. If it is too narrow, you have painted yourself into a corner. Somewhere in the middle is a good place to start. A place where you as a writer can develop a discussion of the ideas that you want to convey.<br /><br />If you are passionate about a subject, often a topic will come to you in a flash. But, more often than not, a little reflection helps to create an interesting topic sentence. Ask yourself and others some questions: what current issues matter to you, what affects you the most, what do you not understand, how does this subject impact others?<br /><br />Teachers often frown on the use of google, but it is a great way of looking at a subject through the someone else's eyes. Google the words that frame your topic. See what others are saying about the subject. You'll be suprised at the diversity of facts and opinions on the topic that you have selected.<br /><br />Since topics can be broad, you will need to organize your thoughts into paragraphs that discuss central ideas on the topic subject you have chosen. Each paragraph will need a topic sentence that narrow the subject matter and starts the development of your ideas and thoughts. Paragraphs often begin with a topic sentence, but rules are made to be broken.<br /><br />The best paragraph and sentence ever written is said to be Charles Dickens opening paragraph in <span style="font-style: italic;">A Tale of Two Cities</span>:<br /><br /><dl><dt><br /></dt><blockquote><dt>It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.</dt><dd class="author"><b><a href="http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Charles_Dickens/">Charles Dickens</a></b>, <i>A Tale of Two Cities</i><br /><i>English novelist (1812 - 1870)</i></dd></blockquote><dd class="author"><i></i><br /></dd></dl><a href="http://www.readbookonline.net/read/688/10577/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Read the book online.</span></a><br /><br />What makes this an effective sentence and paragraph? What is the broad subject that Dickens is talking about? How does he narrow the subject? What central ideas does he discuss that further the discussion?<br /><br />Select your own examples of topics and the paragraphs that shape those topics. Discuss what makes for an effective topic and how sentences and paragraphs develop the topic and the writer's ideas.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-2343264391156173752009-10-27T14:41:00.000-07:002009-10-27T15:06:49.885-07:00OrganizationA major problem in writing is the organization of ideas. Ideas should progress logically through the writing. Typically, the progression is chronological, that is, from first to last, but this is not a hard and fast rule. In writing, one can reverse time or create flashbacks. Moreover, the organization of ideas can be tackled by way of importance, from least to most important. The important point is that the ideas which form your sentences should have a logical sequence. Students are probably familiar with this technique in television and movies. Ask them for their own examples of organization and examples of where this organization has been used or where it would be useful.<br /><br />Here is a great way to teach organization - write a series of related sentences and then cut the sentences into individual strips. Use multiple copies of the sentences and form groups of students. Groups help facilitate discussion and fun. Then, have each group organize the sentences into a composition and compare.<br /><br />See where <a href="http://www.englishcompanion.com/vignettes/teachingstrats.html">this has been done</a>. See the examples on hands on and modeling.<br /><br />A second method is to brainstorm. Start with a topic sentence, not too broad and not too narrow. The idea is to allow students to create sentences which support the topic. Students should be permitted to range far and wide so as to stimulate creativity. It is best to use a blackboard for this activity. Once the ideas supporting the topic have been written down have the students organize them into a composition.<br /><br />If you can remember taking the SAT's or if you have studied a foreign language, you may remember coming across examples where you are asked to organize ideas chronologically or by relevance. The learning tool is the same as the above examples. These activities allow students to work together in a competitive environment. It is stress free and fun.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-54553520109033920362009-10-01T09:00:00.000-07:002009-10-01T09:11:27.240-07:00Homework<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmkhe296VIi4SaLwRN4SflhqbUegnk0AKP8F3Bhqbu8s2GnUEfetUrsR5QX7mGVmOpRQNlpahmbWqJ62aYwXsDPVO07GkG2wv_w15kT17fSbsOMcRPIj4FTrePRVNQ7fn6NpVyvSnfeFs/s1600-h/answer-boy.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmkhe296VIi4SaLwRN4SflhqbUegnk0AKP8F3Bhqbu8s2GnUEfetUrsR5QX7mGVmOpRQNlpahmbWqJ62aYwXsDPVO07GkG2wv_w15kT17fSbsOMcRPIj4FTrePRVNQ7fn6NpVyvSnfeFs/s400/answer-boy.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387664777253560642" border="0" /></a><br />The first question always asked is: "What homework will my child have?"<br /><br />All students are expected to read at least 30 minutes each night. They may read a book, magazine, newspaper or even a comic book, ... just read. The benefits to your child from reading each and every night will pay off in the future with big dividends. Better readers make better writers. And better readers and writers have better opportunities in life!<br /><br />Vocabulary and grammar exercises will also be assigned to reinforce lesson concepts.you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8858421263465645052.post-20802908691073409932009-10-01T08:41:00.000-07:002009-10-01T08:48:26.709-07:00Welcome to Roberson<b>Welcome to 6th Grade Language Arts</b><br /><br />Welcome to Roberson Middle School and Sixth Grade Language Arts.<br /><br />Let me introduce myself. My name is Debbie Suttles and I have taught school for 28 years. I am excited to be your child's teacher this year. Together, the students and I will take an adventure in reading and writing to learn about the many different people and places in the world.<br /><br />There is no greater joy than to take a friend along ... so, Welcome Aboard!you are what you readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397887493073863245noreply@blogger.com0