Perseverance

What does perseverance mean? Tell about a time you showed perseverance.

Mentor Texts

Who is your favorite author? What does this author do that makes his/her books so good? What would you like to do in your own writing that is similar to this author?

OR

What is your favorite book? Why is this book your favorite? What sticks out in your mind as you read this book? How could you make your own writing similar to this book?

Improve the Lead

Read the following story and write a new lead that draws the reader in. A good lead should have some of the following: action, dialogue, sound effects, description, feelings/thoughts, etc.

The Monster in the Barn

Bobby was preparing to go to bed late one evening when he heard a shrill screech coming from the barn outside. Bobby was unsure what was making such an eerie noise so late in the night. He had trouble falling asleep and tossed and turned all night dreaming about the haunting sounds emanating from the barn. When Bobby awakened the following morning, he hurried out to the barn to discover what was causing such a peculiar noise the night prior. He gathered his courage and entered the barn but left befuddled when he could not find what was making such noise. That evening after dinner as the sun was setting, Bobby grabbed a flashlight and set out for the barn.
"Where are you heading?" Bobby’s father asked.
"I am going to go find the monster that was making such a commotion last night," Bobby replied.
"If you are going to look for a monster, you might need some assistance," Bobby’s dad responded as he walked with Bobby out to the barn.
Bobby shined his flashlight into the barn, but he did not see anything. Bobby called out but only his echo returned. He walked into the barn but there was no monster.
"What did this monster sound like?" Bobby’s dad asked.
"It was a screeching noise," Bobby said, "and it was coming from the barn. I know it!"
Bobby’s dad began to chuckle and he took the flashlight from Bobby. Shining the flashlight up at the roof of the barn, Bobby and his dad saw a small brown owl in the rafters of the roof.
"It was only a barn owl that you heard last night," Bobby’s dad said. "They are nocturnal predators so that is why you only heard him at night. He must have been hunting for his dinner."
Bobby was elated that it wasn’t a monster and thanked his dad as they walked back to the house. Just then they heard a loud screech and looked up to see the barn owl flying away into the night sky.

Hubble Images

Leave a caption to go with the Hubble Image.

Fire Safety

What was your reaction to Ms. Moore's information about arson? What is arson? What did you learn about accidents and their results? Do you feel that the consequences for committing arson are reasonable? Explain.

If you found out a friend was making a decision that could result in arson, how would you handle it? What could happen if you stay with your friend and don't say or do anything?

Recommend a Book

Think of a good book that you've read lately; make sure it is appropriate for a 5th grader. Write down the title and author of this book and why you liked it. Include a summary of the book.

America's First Astronauts

Follow the link below and watch the video on Mrs. Claus' bog. Then post a comment on our blog to answer the following questions. How did the space race affect humans' exploration of space? What do you think would have happened if the Soviet Union had not put a man in space? How do you think the end of the space race affected our exploration of space?

Watch this video

What do you think is most important?

There are many things writers do to keep thier readers interested in what they are doing. For example, writers include a strong lead, a strong ending, include true, exact details, add feeling and emotions, etc. What do you think is the most important thing a writer should do when writing their story? Why is this the most important? How do you feel you are doing on this one thing?