Happy and Me

     You know how a man's best friend is a dog? Well, I agree because I have a dog. Just like a best friend, we sometimes disagree. He does not like the way I tell him to sit or stay. He also does not like me going to Boy Scouts.

     Well, I'm going to be in Boy Scouts. I do not want to go. I want to spend more time with Happy. He's my dog. People say Happy is a bad or funny name. Well, I have to give my dog away because he bit my brother. I'm trying to stop my mom and dad from finding a new home for Happy. I want him to stay here with me and play forever. My dad said he would be alive until I'm in high school. Trust stopping my parents will be some hard work. My mom and dad are looking up where to give him away.

     So, I thought it was all covered. Last night I cried for a long time. My mom said, "No need to cry. He's still here." 

     "But I love him," I said.

     "Haa,"she said. "I tell you what. How about we play with Happy for a whole day? You decide what we do, OK?"

     Well, you know how you have a best friend just walking down and a silent time and you and your very best friend throwing a stick and wonder what it is? Just you and your best friend. Well, that was my experience. Happy was a true dog. He was the happiest dog you can think of. I manged to get him to stay for a whole year. I had no best friend like him he was a big pale. "Hey," I said as Happy was chewing on the leash. 

     It was one month left until Happy was going. I was doing OK. I asked mom if I could skip school for a month. "What! A month! Blah, blah, blah." 

     "Just for a month, so I can play with Happy." 

     "OK, but for only playing with Happy."

     "OK," I said. "OK."

Five weeks later.......

It was time to give him away. I cried. And I could tell he was sad, too. I said, "I love you. Don't forget me." Happy watched as the car pulled out. The new owner hugged Happy.

--Ayize Gwebu

EXnomia

EXnomia

    I look over the cliff that edges one side of my home, the breeze blowing my face. I have orange caramel colored hair, the same color as my dress. If you looked behind me you would see snake province. In front of me and to the right is the edge of the cliff, and to the left is wilderness. We’re on planet called Dun-dun-dun. Say it. No, not like that! Dun-dun-dun. Ok, you need some practice... but great. There is a planet next to us called Du-du-di-du- PA! No, no. Practice the other one first, you need to learn to say ours, the easy one. I am head spy for snake province.

You want information? How do I know you’re not from an enemy planet? You’re from Earth! That far away! I need to know where that is and why you’re here. Wow, you came all the way from space! It’s less than once in a lifetime to meet someone from there! You’re doing a documentary on surrounding planets. Oh, ok, you must be from Earth. You want to know about Du-di-di-du-PA!? Ok.

So, I just discovered yesterday they were planning an attack on us. It should be any minute now. What, you have to go? Why? Oh, you’re afraid of getting hit by the attack? Ok, bye! What? Your spaceships broken?!?! It’s ok, we’ll fix it. I’ll show you snake province. Suddenly, the air smelled like ketchup. I think the attack is happening now. It’s ok, don’t panic, we’ll be safer here. It’s probably on Jaguar province, those houses in the distance. Yes, that’s Jaguar Provence. Right over there is Cheetah province and Gorilla province, those are some of the biggest provinces. The richest too. Believe it or not, we are one of the smallest ones, easy to tell we’re poor, not much that we’re small. Mustered lightning crackled in the distance. Actually, the attack is closer than I thought. Come under this tarp, it will be safer here.

Exploding hamburgers rained from the sky.

By,

    Garnet. Sequel coming soon.

doooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmm!!!

One day their was a potato salad that was a general of a potato salad
army. A potato salad's weakness is tacks.

war 1: taking over the fridge. in 1906 the potato salads  ate the ruins of
 sanfrancisco.

In 2000 the potato salads had a war with the devil dogs for fridges. they won
$400053625463828946342546778597980968576753424.war2:

in1000 BC in ancient Egypt the potato salads had a battle with the Pharaoh but the smiley faces were attacking the potato salad's fridge.when they got back the smiley faces had killed all of the potato salads...





smiley faces wwwwwiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!




(book two smiley vs sad )

Aristotle's Poetics in the 4-6 grade fiction unit

The man himself-- a bust of the man himself, rather.

Aristotle's Poetics, written 350 B.C.E., is the earliest surviving work on dramatic theory, but it's also a very accessible guide for Peregrine's 4-6 graders to learn to think about storytelling and about how to create their own original narratives.

Early in this semester, in relation to our major theme of human community and survival, we posed the question: Is storytelling essential to human survival? After all, we see narratives in all human civilizations, right along with food, shelter, fuel, etc. So, is our instinct to create narratives (or poetry, as Aristotle has it) as innate as these other biological necessities?

In Poetics, Aristotle says:

Poetry in general seems to have sprung from two causes, each of them lying deep in our nature. First, the instinct of imitation is implanted in man from childhood, one difference between him and other animals being that he is the most imitative of living creatures, and through imitation learns his earliest lessons; and no less universal is the pleasure felt in things imitated. 

(His other cause is human's affection for rhythm and harmony-- we also see music in human societies across the board.)

A couple things: On the first day of this unit, I asked the class if they liked to read and write stories and, if so, why. Many simply said, "It's fun!" It is fun to read and make up stories, and this isn't lost on our man Aristotle: "...no less universal is the pleasure felt in things imitated." The other important thing is, narrative is in fact part of our nature as humans, according to Aristotle. Clearly, we can't make the case that telling and writing stories is a biological necessity... but we can ask: Is there a difference between something that is a part of human nature and something we need to survive? As one student pointed out in our discussion: What are we eating, building shelters, and making fires for, if not to play music and share stories with each other? It's a great question!

So, we have been asking some enormous questions about narrative, but we also get practical advice from Poetics about plot construction, character, and style. We will continue to work with Poetics for the next few weeks, as our fiction unit progresses. As I say, it is a very readable, slim book and is even available online for free here .

I'm aware that this may be the first time that the kids have studied literature and their own writing "through the lens" of some philosopher, and I've been cautioning them about thinking that anyone-- even "The Big A," as we sometimes call him-- is The Final Word on reading and writing stories. We study him to clarify our own thoughts on the material.

"Aristotle was just a guy who had some good ideas," I tell them. "Any of you could probably have taken him in an arm wrestling contest."

--Chris

The Lego Starwars

Long, long, time ago, far away in the galaxy there was dark and good LOGO people. There were people who were sitting, playing, football and hopscotch and having fun. But they really did not know that they had dark upon them. The dark had lots and lots and lots of men and robots. The Jedi side and the leader was Master Yoda. And the other one was Dark Vader.

Dark Vader was planning something bigger than anything else, and Master Yoda said some of the Jedi had to go breach the Death Star and rescue the pretty princess. But they didn't know it was a trick, they fell into a deep dark hole, but it was a monster with big jaws opening. And that's when he met the weirdest person and he was called Luke Sky walker. Luke Sky walker had landed with his ship there. That is when he learned how to be a Jedi Knight by this weird looking green monster. While Luke was gone, the Jedi forces were having trouble defeating the dark side of Dark Vader.

Luke came back to Jupiter, and saved the day. He rescued the hostage who was named James. Until the bad guys found the secret base for Jedi forces. After all, Dark Vader got his son named Luke with his droids and said, "Come with me". So he followed his father, but, he didn't know who his father was at that time. So his father told him that he was his father, and he was confused and told him the story about his Mom. So he got to meet his boss, that led him to darkness when he was a Jedi Knight on the good side. Luke ran away, but his Dad chased him, and then they fought until their ship was being attacked. The good guys did not know that Luke was on that ship. So then Dark Vader' boss fought with Dark Vader. Dark Vader had said, "I am going to have to say I'm staying, and you have to go, son". But Luke said, "No". Dark Vader said, "Go now and fulfill your destiny". So he went and fulfilled his destiny, and the whole Death Star ship blew up. So he got onto a ship and the whole crowd cheered when he got to the city. Until this day good arrives and darkness stays low.

They lived happily ever after, except BebbyFeat.

THE END

--Ayize Gwebu

Minecraft Should Be Allowed at School: An Argument

Many people don't think you should play Minecraft at school, but  I've come to think it's important because it teaches kids to build things, and makes them more helpful. And it gets me experience new things.


First, playing minecraft can help kids learn to build stuff, and then they could build the real thing, like a fishing rod or a bed. They could use the stuff in Minecraft to help them camp so they survive.


Furthermore, playing Minecraft wouid make me more helpful to Chris at school. I would listen to what Chris is telling me, and I would help with organizing the stuff he needs extra help with. For an example, I could put some cups away at lunch or sweep the floors.


I realize that playing Minecraft should be allowed at school. It should not just be a reward. It helps kids learn to build certain stuff, makes kids more helpful, and helps with creativity.


--Ayize Gwebu

Rodrigo's persuasive essay

Thesis: I should be able to play computer on the weekdays
                                         
Once upon a time there was a boy named Rodrigo, who needed computer time every day to check his personal things, for example: E-mail, minecraftDL, minecrafttextures, and, minecraftmine.


      If I could play computer on the weekdays I would not get so mad if I had to get off on the weekend. Also I would be happier. And lastly I would like you allot more.

      If I could play computer on the weekdays I would be happier and more more exited and want to do more helpful more helpful things, like doing the dishes, doing the recycling, doing the laundry, etcetera.


     I also think I should play computer on the weekdays, because I would not obsess so much on playing on Monday/Thursday. Also I used not to be able to control my emotions, and I would get very  mad if I had to get off. Nowadays I can control my emotions, so, Now I do don't angry if I don't get to play on the weekdays.

I realize that when I play computer I feel more satisfied, happy, done, and especially, loving.  This is also important to me because when I play computer on the weekdays I will not get so mad when I have to get off on the weekends.This will help me get along with, you: mom, and dad