Being a Writer Student Writing Handbook Grade 5
Transcription
Being a Writer Student Writing Handbook Grade 5
Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: THE HIPPOPOTAMUSHROOMS from Scranimals by Jack Prelutsky Poetry The HIPPOPOTAMUSHROOMS Cannot wander very far. How fortunate they’re satisfied Precisely where they are. They feel no need to travel, They’re forever at their ease, Relaxing on the forest floor Beneath the shady trees. The HIPPOPOTAMUSHROOMS Suffer from deficient grace, And their tubby, blobby bodies Tend to take up too much space. But they compensate with manners For the things they lack in style… They are models of politeness, And they always wear a smile. “The Hippopotamushrooms” © 1999 Jack Prelutsky from Scranimals: Mixed Up Animal Poems by Jack Prelutsky, used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers. 2 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Unit 1 Week 3 Day 3 Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Poetry OH SLEEK BANANACONDA from Scranimals by Jack Prelutsky Oh sleek Bananaconda, You longest long long fellow, How sinuous and sly you are, How slippery, how yellow. You slither on your belly, And you slither on your chin. You’re only unappealing As you shed your slinky skin. “Oh Sleek Bananaconda” © 1999 Jack Prelutsky from Scranimals: Mixed Up Animal Poems by Jack Prelutsky, used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers. Unit 1 Week 3 Day 3 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 3 Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Lemonade by Rebecca Kai Dotlich Poetry We pour its liquid sweetness from a tall glass pitcher, splashing sunshine on frosty squares of ice, lemon light and slightly tart, we gulp its gold— licking our lips with summer. “Lemonade” from Lemonade Sun and Other Summer Poems by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. (Wordsong, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, 1998.) Reprinted with the permission of Boyds Mills Press, Inc. Text copyright © 1998 by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. 4 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Unit 1 Week 3 Day 4 Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Poetry Backyard Bubbles by Rebecca Kai Dotlich One bubble shimmies from the wand to waltz around the backyard lawn. One fragile globe of soapy skin— a glimmering of breath within a perfect pearl, I blow again! One more bubble squeezes through, one blushing bead of water-blue; and then another rinsed in pink (shivering with pastel ink) dances on a summer sigh, shimmering with shades of sky, s-l-o-w-l-y slides right out of sight; backyard bubbles taking flight. “Backyard Bubbles” from Lemonade Sun and Other Summer Poems by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. (Wordsong, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, 1998.) Reprinted with the permission of Boyds Mills Press, Inc. Text copyright © 1998 by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Unit 1 Week 3 Day 4 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 5 Print Unit Print Day Print All Units Name: from Knots in My Yo-yo String by Jerry Spinelli Excerpt In the warmer months of the year the hokey-pokey man roamed the streets of the town, pushing before him a white wooden cart. The bed of the cart was occupied by a block of ice covered with a dishtowel. Flanking the ice were two rows of bottles containing flavored liquids in a variety of colors that always reminded me of a barbershop shelf. The hokey-pokey man knew kids. He knew our ways better than we did. As we got older and our routes about town changed, he was always there, ahead of us, waiting: at the dead-end barrier, outside the school, clattering along a random street. Coming upon him, we crowded around the cart. He went into action. He flipped off the dishtowel, grabbed the ice shaver, clacked it like a castanet, and scraped ice until the scoop was full. He deposited a white snowball into a paper cone and awaited the first order. “Lime!” He snatched the lime bottle, shook it, and—presto—bright green snowball. “Grape!” “Orange!” “Lemon!” I waited till last, thinking about the flavors. I always decided on root beer. We took off then, relishing the winter on our tongues, giving no thought to the hokey-pokey man. For he was not someone to think about. He was simply there. Where we were. continues 6 Being a Writer ™ “Mrs. Seeton’s Whistle” from Knots in My Yo-yo String by Jerry Spinelli, copyright © 1998 by Jerry Spinelli. Cover photograph copyright © 1998 by Penny Gentieu. Map copyright © 1998 by Jennifer Pavlovitz. Used by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc. © Developmental Studies Center Personal Narrative Week 1 Day 4 Print Unit Print Day Print All Units Name: Excerpt from Knots in My Yo-yo String continued And then, in time, he wasn’t. Though still, on a summer’s day, when heat waves dance above the street, I sometimes imagine I see him in the distance, waiting where I have yet to arrive. “Mrs. Seeton’s Whistle” from Knots in My Yo-yo String by Jerry Spinelli, copyright © 1998 by Jerry Spinelli. Cover photograph copyright © 1998 by Penny Gentieu. Map copyright © 1998 by Jennifer Pavlovitz. Used by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Personal Narrative Week 1 Day 4 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 7 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: “On Respect: What I Learned from Carl” by Nick Maney, age 17 Essay My mind seems always to return to the day that I met Carl. The city bus, with its mechanical hiss and its slightly dizzying engine-exhaust fumes, stopped at the corner of 31st and Centennial Drive to pick up the daily commuters, a group in which I was included. Boarding the bus, I looked, seemingly in vain, for a place to sit, because I hated standing in the aisle and being subjected to the rocking of the bus. At last, I spotted a place to sit near the back. The occupant of the seat next to the one I was going for was an older man in a grey suit, well-worn dress shoes, and a black hat like I always pictured reporters wearing, but without the little press card. Sliding into the seat next to the man, I began to read the book I’d been carrying, which was Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. The man in the seat next to me introduced himself by asking if I’d read any other books like the one I was currently holding, books from the same era. When I told him I had, he seemed to become interested, and, to tell the truth, so did I. He introduced himself as Carl. He told me about how he used to play the trumpet back in the fifties jazz clubs. He asked if I like jazz, and I told him that I didn’t really listen to it, that I liked punk music. Waiting for Carl to tell me that I should listen to “real music” I was shocked when he just smiled and nodded. He said, “you remind me of myself when I was your age. I remember how my parents hated jazz, how they couldn’t see how I could listen to ‘that awful noise.’ I bet your parents say the same thing, don’t they?” Now it was my turn to smile, amused with how right he was. continues Excerpt “On Respect: What I Learned from Carl,” by Nick Maney from Writing from the Heart, edited by Peggy Veljkovic and Arthur Schwartz, 2001. Reprinted with the permission of Templeton Foundation Press, Philadelphia, PA. 8 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Personal Narrative Week 2 Day 3 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Essay “On Respect: What I Learned from Carl” continued As the bus ferried us from one side of the city to the other, Carl and I talked about a lot of different things. The more we talked, the more amazed I became at how much the two of us really had in common, despite the age difference. Finally, Carl got off at his stop, and mine was soon after. I haven’t seen him since then, but the thought of our connection that day rarely leaves my mind. Carl really made me think about how much we can learn from each other if we just break through the barriers we’ve got. I mean, I would have never thought before that day that I could have anything in common with someone so much old than I, just because of age. But Carl taught me that no matter what, we’re all just people, and that we should make an extra effort to try and get to know our neighbors and people we see every day, regardless of age, or of race, religion, sex, or anything else. If we all took the time to attempt to understand each other, I think that the world would be a much better place that we could share together, as humans. Excerpt “On Respect: What I Learned from Carl,” by Nick Maney from Writing from the Heart, edited by Peggy Veljkovic and Arthur Schwartz, 2001. Reprinted with the permission of Templeton Foundation Press, Philadelphia, PA. Personal Narrative Week 2 Day 3 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 9 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: “On Helping Others: Learning a Valuable Lesson” By Laia Mitchell, age 19 Essay From my seat in the van, the rows of tomato plants looked like neatly laid pick-up-sticks. It was harvest time near Quincy, Florida, picking season for hundreds of migrant workers. With a team of youth, I was ready to spend a week renovating an old church and community center. Yet after that week of labor, my most valuable lesson came not from my own efforts, but from spending time with the church community. One kind family invited us to come with them to the tomato fields. Early in the morning we rose, dressed in long sleeves for protection, and went to meet the family. They smiled, slowing their routine to be patient with us. I met their daughter, who was almost my age. She and her brother taught me how to pick the best tomatoes, those of good size and color. In the hot sun, they showed us where they kept water, and laughed with us when we took breaks. I realized how much I had in common with the girl, two young people with hopes and dreams, separated only by space and culture. I learned what it is to understand, to be open to new people and ways of life. That Sunday, I met the girl and her brother again. They came to the church bringing tomatoes and fresh watermelon to share. This family, whose life depended on filling baskets with tomatoes, took precious time to share their profits with us, with me. They understood the joy and goodness of life far better than any of us, teenagers from the city. We were the ones who seemed to have everything, yet it was I who had so much to learn. From their warm and open kindness, I saw continues Excerpt “On Helping Others: Learning a Valuable Lesson,” by Laia Mitchell from Writing from the Heart, edited by Peggy Veljkovic and Arthur Schwartz, 2001. Reprinted with the permission of Templeton Foundation Press, Philadelphia, PA. 10 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Personal Narrative Week 2 Day 4 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Essay “On Helping Others: Learning a Valuable Lesson” continued the beauty of sharing with others. They, who had little, truly understood the value of giving. I think often of the girl and her family, where they moved, and how they are living. Her family sparked my belief in the necessity of caring, compassionate respect for others. The migrant people showed me that I, one with so much, have a responsibility to share with those who have little. I went to spend a week giving and ended up receiving so much more. I believe that by giving, with honest respect and cooperation, we can truly be part of the human family. Excerpt “On Helping Others: Learning a Valuable Lesson,” by Laia Mitchell from Writing from the Heart, edited by Peggy Veljkovic and Arthur Schwartz, 2001. Reprinted with the permission of Templeton Foundation Press, Philadelphia, PA. Personal Narrative Week 2 Day 4 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 11 Print Unit Print Day Print All Units Name: Opening Sentences from Three Personal Narratives Excerpts In a green metal box in a bedroom closet, tucked into a fuzzy gray cotton pouch, lies the most cherished memento of my grade-school days. It is a gold-plated medal no bigger than a postage stamp. — from “Never the Monkey” My mind seems always to return to the day that I met Carl. The city bus, with its mechanical hiss and slightly dizzying engine-exhaust fumes, stopped at the corner of 31st and Centennial Drive to pick up the daily commuters, a group in which I was included. — from “On Respect: What I Learned from Carl” From my seat in the van, the rows of tomato plants looked like neatly laid pick-up sticks. — from “On Helping Others: Learning a Valuable Lesson” 12 Being a Writer ™ “Never the Monkey” from Knots in My Yo-yo String by Jerry Spinelli, copyright © 1998 by Jerry Spinelli. Cover photograph copyright © 1998 by Penny Gentieu. Map copyright © 1998 by Jennifer Pavlovitz. Used by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Excerpt “On Respect: What I Learned from Carl,” by Nick Maney from Writing from the Heart, edited by Peggy Veljkovic and Arthur Schwartz, 2001. Reprinted with the permission of Templeton Foundation Press, Philadelphia, PA. Excerpt “On Helping Others: Learning a Valuable Lesson,” by Laia Mitchell from Writing from the Heart, edited by Peggy Veljkovic and Arthur Schwartz, 2001. Reprinted with the permission of Templeton Foundation Press, Philadelphia, PA. © Developmental Studies Center Personal Narrative Week 4 Day 1 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Excerpt from The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg Monsieur Bibot, the dentist, was a very fussy man. He kept his small apartment as neat and clean as his office. If his dog, Marcel, jumped on the furniture, Bibot was sure to teach him a lesson. Except on Bastille Day, the poor animal was not even allowed to bark. One morning, Bibot met an old woman waiting at his office door. She had a toothache and begged the dentist to help. “But you have no appointment,” he told her. The woman moaned. Bibot looked at his watch. Perhaps there was time to make a few extra francs. He took her inside and looked in her mouth. “This tooth must come out,” he said with a smile. Excerpt from The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg. Copyright © 1993 by Chris Van Allsburg. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Fiction Week 2 Day 2 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 13 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Character-Plot-Setting Chart Character (someone) 14 Being a Writer ™ Plot (something happens) © Developmental Studies Center Setting (somewhere in time) Fiction Week 2 Day 4 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Excerpt from Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg As usual, Walter stopped at the bakery on his way home from school. He bought one large jelly-filled doughnut. He took the pastry from its bag, eating quickly as he walked along. He licked the red jelly from his fingers. Then he crumpled up the empty bag and threw it at a fire hydrant. At home Walter saw Rose, the little girl next door, watering a tree that had just been planted. “It’s my birthday present,” she said proudly. Walter couldn’t understand why anyone would want a tree for a present. His own birthday was just a few days away, “And I’m not getting some dumb plant,” he told Rose. Excerpt from Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg. Copyright © 1990 by Chris Van Allsburg. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Fiction Week 3 Day 2 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 15 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Character-Plot-Setting Chart Character (someone) 16 Being a Writer ™ Plot (something happens) © Developmental Studies Center Setting (somewhere in time) Fiction Week 3 Day 4 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Excerpts Point of View in Two Stories After Uncle Jed cut my daddy’s hair, he lathered a short brush with soap and spread it over my daddy’s face and shaved him. Then he started over on my granddaddy. I always asked Uncle Jed to cut my hair, but Mama wouldn’t let him. So he would run the clippers on the back of my neck and just pretend to cut my hair. He even spread lotion on my neck. I would smell wonderful all day. — from Uncle Jed’s Barbershop As usual, Walter stopped at the bakery on his way home from school. He bought one large jelly-filled doughnut. He took the pastry from its bag, eating quickly as he walked along. He licked the red jelly from his fingers. Then he crumpled up the empty bag and threw it at a fire hydrant. — from Just a Dream Excerpt from Uncle Jed’s Barbershop by Margaree King Mitchell. Text copyright © 1993 Margaree King Mitchell. Reprinted with the permission of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. Excerpt from Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg. Copyright © 1990 by Chris Van Allsburg. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Fiction Week 5 Day 2 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 17 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Excerpts Point of View in Two More Stories Every year my father and I plant a garden. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, marigolds, and zinnias grow in neat, straight rows. We pull the weeds that pop up, and we water, mulch, and tend it all through the summer—cutting the flowers to make bouquets for the kitchen table or to give to Mrs. Murowski, our neighbor who broke her hip last winter and has to walk with a cane. And every spring my father tells me about Mr. Bellavista and the summer my father was ten. — from The Summer My Father Was Ten Eva unwrapped a cinnamon Danish, opened her notebook, and stared helplessly at the wide, white pages. “Write about what you know,” her teacher, Mrs. DeMarco, had told her. So Eva sat high on the stoop and looked out over 90th Street waiting for something to happen. — from Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street 18 Being a Writer ™ Excerpt from The Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat Brisson (Caroline House, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, 1998). Reprinted with the permission of Boyds Mills Press, Inc. Text copyright © 1998 by Pat Brisson. Excerpt from Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street by Roni Schotter. Scholastic Inc./ Orchard Books. Copyright © 1997 by Roni Schotter. Reprinted by permission. © Developmental Studies Center Fiction Week 5 Day 3 Print Unit Print Day Print All Units Name: Excerpts Verb Tense in Two Stories Monsieur Bibot, the dentist, was a very fussy man. He kept his small apartment as neat and clean as his office. If his dog, Marcel, jumped on the furniture, Bibot was sure to teach him a lesson. Except on Bastille Day, the poor animal was not even allowed to bark. One morning, Bibot met an old woman waiting at his office door. She had a toothache and begged the dentist to help. “But you have no appointment,” he told her. The woman moaned. Bibot looked at his watch. Perhaps there was time to make a few extra francs. He took her inside and looked in her mouth. “This tooth must come out,” he said with a smile. — from The Sweetest Fig Every year my father and I plant a garden. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, marigolds, and zinnias grow in neat, straight rows. We pull the weeds that pop up, and we water, mulch, and tend it all through the summer—cutting the flowers to make bouquets for the kitchen table or to give to Mrs. Murowski, our neighbor who broke her hip last winter and has to walk with a cane. And every spring my father tells me about Mr. Bellavista and the summer my father was ten. — from The Summer My Father Was Ten Excerpt from The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg. Copyright © 1993 by Chris Van Allsburg. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Excerpt from The Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat Brisson (Caroline House, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, 1998). Reprinted with the permission of Boyds Mills Press, Inc. Text copyright © 1998 by Pat Brisson. Fiction Week 6 Day 1 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 19 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: from Life in the Rainforests by Lucy Baker continues Page Spread from Life in the Rain Forest by Lucy Baker copyright © 2000 by Lucy Baker. Used by permission of T&N Children’s Publishing. 20 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Expository Nonfiction Week 5 Day 1 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: from Life in the Rainforests continued Page Spread from Life in the Rain Forest by Lucy Baker copyright © 2000 by Lucy Baker. Used by permission of T&N Children’s Publishing. Expository Nonfiction Week 5 Day 1 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 21 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Excerpts Opening Sentences from Three Nonfiction Books “A raging wildfire is a frightening thing. Living trees burn as fast as cardboard boxes in a bonfire. Flames race through the treetops, sometimes faster than a person can run, burning at temperatures hot enough to melt steel.” — from Wildfires “The earth beneath our feet usually feels solid and firm. Yet a million times each year—an average of once every thirty seconds—somewhere around the world the ground shakes and sways.” — from Earthquakes “Imagine a forest unchanged for 60 million years, where giant trees reach up to the sky, their leafy branches blocking out light to the forest floor below.” — from Life in the Rain Forests 22 Being a Writer ™ Excerpt from Wildfires copyright © 1996 by Seymour Simon used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers. Excerpt from Earthquakes by Seymour Simon copyright © 1991 by Seymour Simon. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers. Page Spread from Life in the Rain Forest by Lucy Baker copyright © 2000 by Lucy Baker. Used by permission of T&N Children’s Publishing. © Developmental Studies Center Expository Nonfiction Week 5 Day 3 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Excerpts Passages about Sharks (1) Great whites do some strange things while they are hunting. They have been seen poking their heads out of the water, perhaps to look around for seals sunning themselves on rocks. Recently scientists have seen what fishermen have been telling them for years: great white sharks can leap nearly out of the water to pursue their prey. Off the coasts of California and South Africa, researchers have photographed great whites jumping straight out of the water. Usually the sharks were attacking their natural prey—seals or sea lions that may leap out of the water themselves to escape their enemies. Other times the sharks were chasing plastic decoys that researchers towed behind their boats. Excerpts from The Truth About Great White Sharks © 2000 by Mary M. Cerullo (text); Jeffrey L. Rottman (photographs). Used with permission of Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco. Visit chroniclebooks.com. Expository Nonfiction Week 6 Day 1 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 23 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Excerpts Passages about Sharks (2) Great whites visit the coasts of northern California, South Africa, and southern Australia when seals, sea lions, and elephant seals come onto land to give birth. Great whites roam the cool waters of the world’s oceans but they aren’t common anywhere. Although great whites will come together to feed on the same prey, they usually don’t travel in schools or even in pairs. Excerpts from The Truth About Great White Sharks © 2000 by Mary M. Cerullo (text); Jeffrey L. Rottman (photographs). Used with permission of Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco. Visit chroniclebooks.com. 24 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Expository Nonfiction Week 6 Day 1 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Some Transition Words After Although As long as Because Before But Earlier Even though Finally For example However Instead Later Next Otherwise Recently Resulting in Since Sometimes Unless Until Usually While Expository Nonfiction Week 6 Day 1 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 25 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Unpunctuated Nonfiction Paragraph A raging wildfire is a frightening thing living trees burn as fast as cardboard boxes in a bonfire flames race through the treetops sometimes faster than a person can run burning at temperatures hot enough to melt steel a wildfire can be a major disaster capable of destroying hundreds of homes and costing human lives. — from Wildfires Excerpt from Wildfires copyright © 1996 by Seymour Simon used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers. 26 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Expository Nonfiction Week 6 Day 2 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Essay Warning: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health adapted from www.tvturnoff.org More than four hours a day: that’s how much television Americans watch on average. As an abundance of evidence makes clear, our television habit has serious negative consequences. Excessive TV-watching cuts into family time, harms our kids’ ability to read and perform well in school, encourages violence, and promotes sedentary lifestyles and obesity. TV Undermines Family Time Many people feel that they do not have enough time to spend with their families…television plays a crucial role. In the average American household, the TV is on for 7 hours, 40 minutes a day, and 40 percent of Americans report always or often watching television while eating dinner. Families who watch little or no television often find that they have more time to spend with one another. TV Harms Reading and Academic Performance Excessive television-watching harms reading skills… researcher[s] [found] more than a decade ago that “reading scores diminished sharply for those students watching more than four hours a day.” Researchers such as Jane Healy of Harvard argue that watching TV instead of reading may actually [change] the physical structure of the brain as it develops, making learning and working in the schoolroom environment difficult. TV Encourages Violence The evidence is overwhelming: violence on TV promotes violent behavior in real life. Of more than 3,500 research studies continues Excerpts from Warning: Too Much TV is Hazardous to Your Health by Pete Egoscue. Copyright © 2004 from www.tvturnoff.org. Reprinted with permission by the Center for Screen-Time Awareness. Persuasive Nonfiction Week 1 Day 1 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 27 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Warning: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health Essay continued on the effects of media violence over the past 40 years, 99.5 percent have shown a positive correlation between watching violence on TV and committing acts of real-life violence. TV Promotes Sedentary Lifestyles and Obesity Americans, by and large, do not get enough physical exercise. We spend most of our free time watching television, which promotes obesity and its related illnesses. According to Dr. William Dietz at the Centers for Disease Control, “The easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set. Almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV.” Excerpts from Warning: Too Much TV is Hazardous to Your Health by Pete Egoscue. Copyright © 2004 from www.tvturnoff.org. Reprinted with permission by the Center for Screen-Time Awareness. 28 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Persuasive Nonfiction Week 1 Day 1 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Essay Television: The Most Disparaged Resource of the Information Age by Salmaan S., Westford, MA adapted from www.teenink.com Almost every day one can hear some mention of “The TV generation of the ’90s.” Many harshly label television as a “drug,” claiming that millions of children every day waste their time in front of this electronic altar. Well, I strongly disagree with the viewpoint that television is a waste of time. Today, there are many different ways to transfer thoughts and ideas. Of these, television, with its combination of audiovisual stimuli, is one of the quickest to present an idea clearly and completely. To say that television is not important is to say that learning about other cultures thousands of miles away by seeing and hearing is a waste of time. In this age of information, television is one of the most efficient means of mass communication available to man. Where else could billions of people have [seen] the horrors of the Tiananmen Square incident or witnessed firsthand man’s first steps on the moon? In what other way could people have simultaneously experienced the fall of the Berlin Wall or Vietnam? Television unites mankind because people separated by distance, skin color, language and wealth can all relate to some of the things they see on TV. No other appliance of the information age is as quick and widely used around the world as television. Failing to acknowledge the positive value of this resource to mankind is an enormous mistake. “Television: The Most Disparaged Resource Of The Information Age” reprinted by permission of Teen Ink magazine and TeenInk.com. Persuasive Nonfiction Week 1 Day 2 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 29 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Animal Experimentation Saves Lives by Giovanny P., San Gabriel, CA adapted from www.teenink.com Essay It may not be common knowledge, but animals save lives each and every day. Animal experimentation has existed since ancient times to contribute to human life and survival. These experiments became the building blocks of health and medicine, [including] research of diabetes, vaccines, cancer, AIDS/HIV and open-heart surgery. As a result, many people have been saved. The use of animal experimentation should be recognized and accepted as a tool in saving lives. In the 1940s and 1950s, a polio epidemic crippled and killed children and newborns. Without animal experimentation [to develop a polio vaccine], polio would still be claiming thousands of lives each year. Many would not be alive today without it. Louis Pasteur, a French chemist, helped save animals as well as humans when he developed a vaccine for rabies [using animal experimentation]. Today, animal-lovers everywhere do not have to put their pets “to sleep” if they [catch] rabies. Instead they can just go to their veterinarian and get this preventive vaccine. “Nobody I know of in biological research, who has to sacrifice animals, likes it,” Richard Jones, a biology professor at Colorado University. “It is a matter of priorities. You work for the greater good.” [Millions of] animals are used [in experiments], of which 90% are rodents. So it’s not as if scientists experiment on endangered species; they use animals with a fast reproduction rate that are abundant. continues “Animal Experimentation Saves Lives” reprinted by permission of Teen Ink magazine and TeenInk.com. 30 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Persuasive Nonfiction Week 1 Day 3 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Essay Animal Experimentation Saves Lives continued Humans have vast intelligence, and through this intelligence, they have a moral duty: to protect all living things and make sure they survive and flourish. Animal experimentation helps humans help themselves, as well as the animals around them. “Animal Experimentation Saves Lives” reprinted by permission of Teen Ink magazine and TeenInk.com. Persuasive Nonfiction Week 1 Day 3 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 31 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Animal Testing: Here Is the Truth by Emma H., New York, NY adapted from www.teenink.com Essay Almost every major company that sells detergents, body washes, or cosmetics tests their products on animals to assure the public that there will be no side effects when using their product. Even though animal testing is advantageous to humans, I believe humankind should not test products on animals. [It] is cruel and unnecessary. Every year thousands of animals are killed, tortured, or left with burns, broken bones, and other terrible conditions. According to the National Anti-Vivisection Society, these are some of the most common yet horrifying tests used on animals: In the D test, solutions are dropped directly into the eyes of rabbits and in seven days of testing, the rabbits experience excruciating pain and most are blinded. Then there is the LD50 test [which forces animals to inhale, swallow, and digest chemicals]. In this test, 50% of the animals die. What will scientists test products on if not animals? With modern technology, many alternatives have been found by caring scientists [including computer tests and tests on cloned human cells]. These are only a few of the alternatives, but they show that animals are not the only choice for experimentation. The Food and Drug Administration [urges] companies to conduct tests to ensure the safety of their products. As a result, animals continue to be the victims of harsh treatment and risk death. There are many alternatives to know if a product is safe. Animal testing is immoral and wrong. “Animal Testing: Here is the Truth” reprinted by permission of Teen Ink magazine and TeenInk.com. 32 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Persuasive Nonfiction Week 1 Day 4 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Essay School Uniforms by Akinyi R., Westford, MA adapted from www.teenink.com Are school uniforms appropriate for public school students? Yes, and I believe students in public school should be required to wear them. Uniforms eliminate the distractions of designer clothes so students can focus on their studies. Uniforms also create an environment in which children will be judged on personality rather than style. Finally, uniforms save time and money. While attending a parochial school, I experienced the luxury of wearing uniforms. At my school, students came from diverse backgrounds. Inside the building, however, our economic advantages or disadvantages were no longer obvious. My friends and I were able to focus on academics and concern for others rather than the latest fashions. Since we looked similar, we remained attentive to the teacher and our work. I learned that my effort, attitude and aptitude were more important than my clothes. Wearing uniforms helped me realize I don’t need to impress anyone by the clothes I wear. School uniforms helped children who did not have “stylish” clothes to be treated fairly. I was judged by my character, not the price of my jeans. I had a chance to show my personality without worry that I was out of style. This set the tone in the school system that all individuals were to be treated as equals. I never had to waste time deciding what to wear before school. A clean uniform was easy to maintain. My parents saved a lot of money, too. I did not need a variety of colors, styles and designer fashions in my wardrobe. Wearing uniforms helped continues “School Uniforms” reprinted by permission of Teen Ink magazine and TeenInk.com. Persuasive Nonfiction Week 2 Day 1 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 33 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: School Uniforms Essay continued me learn I did not always have to buy clothes I wanted when I wanted them. When I wore a uniform, I started my day worry-free, focused on my schoolwork and felt judged by who I was on the inside. My family and I saved time and money. I believe children should be required to wear uniforms in public schools. “School Uniforms” reprinted by permission of Teen Ink magazine and TeenInk.com. 34 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Persuasive Nonfiction Week 2 Day 2 Print Unit Print Day Print All Units Name: Unpunctuated Passage from a Persuasive Essay TV promotes sedentary lifestyles and obesity Americans by and large do not get enough physical exercise we spend most of our free time watching television which promotes obesity and its related illnesses according to Dr William Dietz at the centers for disease control the easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV. — from “WARNING: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health” Excerpts from Warning: Too Much TV is Hazardous to Your Health by Pete Egoscue. Copyright © 2004 from www.tvturnoff.org. Reprinted with permission by the Center for Screen-Time Awareness. Persuasive Nonfiction Week 3 Day 2 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 35 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: September by John Updike Poetry The breezes taste Of apple peel. The air is full Of smells to feel— Ripe fruit, old footballs, Burning brush, New books, erasers, Chalk, and such. The bee, his hive Well-honeyed, hums, And Mother cuts Chrysanthemums. Like plates washed clean With suds, the days Are polished with A morning haze. “September” copyright © 1965, 1999 by John Updike. All rights reserved. Reprinted from A Child’s Calendar by arrangement with Holiday House, Inc. 36 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Poetry Week 1 Day 1 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Poetry umbrella by Valerie Worth Slack wings Folded, it Hangs by a Claw in The closet, Sleeping, Or moping, Or quietly Hatching A plot To flap out And escape On the furious Sweep of The storm. “umbrella” from Peacock and Other Poems by Valerie Worth, pictures by Natalie Babbitt. Copyright © 2002 by George Bahlke. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. Poetry Week 1 Day 2 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 37 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: safety pin by Valerie Worth Poetry Closed, it sleeps On its side Quietly, The silver Image Of some Small fish; Opened, it snaps Its tail out Like a thin Shrimp, and looks At the sharp Point with a Surprised eye. “chairs,” “cow,” “crickets,” “flamingo,” “fireworks,” “lawnmower,” and “safety pin” from All the Small Poems and Fourteen More by Valerie Worth, pictures by Natalie Babbitt. Copyright © 1987, 1994 by Valerie Worth. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. 38 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Poetry Week 1 Day 2 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Poetry Child Frightened by a Thunderstorm by Ted Kooser Thunder has nested in the grass all night and rumpled it, and with its outstretched wings has crushed the peonies. Its beak was bright, sharper than garden shears and, clattering, it snipped bouquets of branches for its bed. I could not sleep. The thunder’s eyes were red. “Child Frightened by a Thunderstorm” from Official Entry Blank, University of Nebraska Press, © 1969. Reprinted by permission of Ted Kooser. Poetry Week 1 Day 3 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 39 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: fireworks by Valerie Worth Poetry First A far thud, Then the rocket Climbs the air, A dull red flare, To hang, a moment, Invisible, before Its shut black shell cracks And claps against the ears, Breaks and billows into bloom, Spilling down clear green sparks, gold spears, Silent sliding silver waterfalls and stars. “chairs,” “cow,” “crickets,” “flamingo,” “fireworks,” “lawnmower,” and “safety pin” from All the Small Poems and Fourteen More by Valerie Worth, pictures by Natalie Babbitt. Copyright © 1987, 1994 by Valerie Worth. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. 40 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Poetry Week 1 Day 4 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Poetry flamingo by Valerie Worth The Flamingo Lingers A Long Time Over One Pink Leg; Later He Ponders Upon The Other For A While Instead. “chairs,” “cow,” “crickets,” “flamingo,” “fireworks,” “lawnmower,” and “safety pin” from All the Small Poems and Fourteen More by Valerie Worth, pictures by Natalie Babbitt. Copyright © 1987, 1994 by Valerie Worth. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. Poetry Week 2 Day 1 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 41 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: crickets by Valerie Worth Poetry Crickets Talk In the tall Grass All Late summer Long. When Summer Is gone, The dry Grass Whispers Alone. “chairs,” “cow,” “crickets,” “flamingo,” “fireworks,” “lawnmower,” and “safety pin” from All the Small Poems and Fourteen More by Valerie Worth, pictures by Natalie Babbitt. Copyright © 1987, 1994 by Valerie Worth. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. 42 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Poetry Week 2 Day 1 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Poetry Windshield Wiper by Eve Merriam fog smog fog smog tissue paper tissue paper clear the blear clear the smear fog more splat splat rubber scraper overshoes bumbershoot slosh through fog more downpour rubber scraper macintosh muddle on slosh through drying up drying up sky lighter sky lighter nearly clear nearly clear clearing clearing veer clear here clear “Windshield Wiper” from Chortles by Eve Merriam. Copyright © 1962, 1964, 1973, 1976, 1989 by Eve Merriam. Used by permission of Marian Reiner. Poetry Week 2 Day 2 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 43 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: from The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe Poetry Hear the sledges with the bells — Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night! While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens seems to twinkle With a crystalline delight; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells From the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells — From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells. “The Bells” by Edgar Allen Poe appears in Winter Poems selected by Barbara Rogasky published by Scholastic, Inc. 44 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Poetry Week 2 Day 3 Print Unit Print Week Print Day Print All Units Name: Poetry I Love the Look of Words by Maya Angelou Popcorn leaps, popping from the floor of a hot black skillet and into my mouth. Black words leap snapping from the white page. Rushing into my eyes. Sliding into my brain which gobbles them the way my tongue and teeth chomp the buttered popcorn. When I have stopped reading, ideas from the words stay stuck in my mind, like the sweet smell of butter perfuming my fingers long after the popcorn is finished. I love the book and the look of words the weight of ideas that popped into my mind I love the tracks of new thinking in my mind. “I Love the Look of Words (text)” by Maya Angelou, copyright © 1993 by Maya Angelou, from Soul Looks Back in Wonder by Tom Feelings. Used by permission of Dial Books for Young Readers, A Division of Penguin Young Readers Group, A Member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 345 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014. All rights reserved. Poetry Week 2 Day 4 © Developmental Studies Center Being a Writer™ 45 Print Unit Print Day Print All Units Name: Excerpts Poet Quotes: What Is Poetry? “Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” — William Wordsworth “Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful.” — Rita Dove “Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful [what] is distorted.” — Percy Bysshe Shelley “Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance.” — Carl Sandburg “Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads.” — Marianne Moore 46 Being a Writer ™ © Developmental Studies Center Poetry Week 3 Day 4 A Print Page Print Word Bank Name: able American about among above an across and act angry action animal add another afraid answer after any again anyone against anything age apart ago appear ahead are air area alive arms all army almost around alone as along asked already at also ate although away always am Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank A Being a Writer™ B Print Page Print Word Bank Name: baby below breath back beneath bright bad beside bring bag best brought ball better build band between built bank beyond bus base big business baseball bird busy be black but bear blood buy beat blue by beautiful boat became body because book become born bed both been bottle before bottom began bought begin box beginning boy behind bread being break believe breakfast Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank B Being a Writer™ C Print Page Print Word Bank Name: cabin chief cool call child copy came children corn camp choose corner can circle correct can’t city cost capital class cotton car clean could care clear couldn’t carefully close count carry cloth country case coal course cat coast cover catch coat cross cattle cold crowd caught color cry cause column current cent come cut center common certain company chair compare chance complete change consider chart contain check control Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank C Being a Writer™ D Print Page Print Word Bank Name: dance doesn’t danger dog dark done day don’t dead door deal double dear down decided draw deep dress describe drink desert drive desk drop develop drove did dry didn’t during die dust different difficult dinner direction discovered distance do doctor does Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank D Being a Writer™ E Print Page Print Word Bank Name: each ever early every earth everybody easily everyone east everything easy everywhere eat exactly edge example effect except eggs exercise eight expect either experience electric explain else express empty eye end energy engine enjoy enough entire equal especially even evening Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank E Being a Writer™ F Print Page Print Word Bank Name: face fine fourth fact finger free fall finish French family fire friend famous first from far fish front farm fit fruit farther five full fast flat fun father flew further fear floor future feed flowers feel fly feet follow fell food felt foot fence for few force field fore fight forest figure form fill forth final forward finally found find four Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank F Being a Writer™ G Print Page Print Word Bank Name: game grown garden guess gas guide gave gun general get girl give glad glass gloves go gold gone good got government grass gray great green grew ground group grow Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank G Being a Writer™ H Print Page Print Word Bank Name: had himself hair his half history hand hit happen hold happy home hard horse has hot hat hour have house he how head however hear huge heard human heart hundred heat hungry heavy hurt held help her here he’s high hill him Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank H Being a Writer™ I Print Page Print Word Bank Name: ice it I’d its idea it’s if itself I’ll I’ve I’m imagine important in inch include indeed industry information inside instead interesting into iron is island isn’t Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank I Being a Writer™ Print Page J, K Print Word Bank Name: job keep join kept jump key just kind king kitchen knew know knowledge known Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank J, K Being a Writer™ L Print Page Print Word Bank Name: lady light laid like lake line land liquid language list large listen last little late live law long lay look lead lost learn lot least loud leave love led low left lower leg length less let let’s letter level lie life Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank L Being a Writer™ M Print Page Print Word Bank Name: machine mental Mrs. made met Ms. main method much major middle music make might must man mile my many milk myself map million mark mind market minute mass miss master modern match moment material money matter month may moon maybe more me morning mean most meant mother measure mountain meat mouth meet move member movement men Mr. Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank M Being a Writer™ N Print Page Print Word Bank Name: name nothing narrow notice nation noun natural now near number necessary neck need neither nest never new next nice night nine no noise none north nose not note Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank N Being a Writer™ O Print Page Print Word Bank Name: object outside ocean over of own off oxygen office often oh oil old on once one only open opposite or order original other our out Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank O Being a Writer™ P Print Page Print Word Bank Name: page please paid poem pair point paper poor paragraph popular part population particular position party possible pass power past practice path present pattern pressure pay probably people problem perhaps produce period proper person protect picture proud piece provide place public plain pull plan purpose plane push plant put play Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank P Being a Writer™ Q, R Print Page Print Word Bank Name: question race ride quick radio right quickly rain rise quiet raise river quite ran road range rock rate rode rather room reach root read rope ready rose real round really rubber reason rule record run red region regular remember report represent rest result return rich Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank Q, R Being a Writer™ S Print Page Print Word Bank Name: sad safe said salt same sand sat saw say scale school science scientist season seat second section see seem seen sell send sense sent sentence separate set seven several shape share sharp Being a Writer™ she sheep sheet ship shook shore short should shoulder show shown side sight sign silver similar simple since sing single sister sit six size skin sky sleep slowly small snow so soft soil sold solid solution solve some someone something sometimes son song soon sound south space speak special speech speed spend spent spoke spot spread spring square stage stand star start state stay steam steel step still stone stood stop store storm story straight strange stream street strength string strong study subject such suddenly summer sun supply suppose sure surface surprise symbol system © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank S Being a Writer™ T Print Page Print Word Bank Name: table thin town tail thing track take think trade talk third train tall this travel teacher those tree team though trip teeth thought trouble television thousand truck tell three true temperature through try ten throughout tube test thus turn than time twelve that tiny twenty that’s to twice the today two their together type them told themselves too then took there top these total they touch thick toward Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank T Being a Writer™ U, V Print Page Print Word Bank Name: under valley understand value unit variety United States various unless verb until very up village upon visit us voice use vowel usual usually Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank U, V Being a Writer™ W Print Page Print Word Bank Name: wagon when won’t wait where wood walk whether word wall which work want while world war white worth warm who would was whole wouldn’t wasn’t whose write watch why wrong water wide wrote way wild we will wear wind weather window week winter well wire we’ll wish went with were within we’re without west woman wet women what won wheel wonder Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank W Being a Writer™ X, Y, Z Print Page Print Word Bank Name: yard year yellow yes yet you you’ll young your you’re yourself Being a Writer™ © Developmental Studies Center Print Page Name: © Developmental Studies Center Print Word Bank X, Y, Z Being a Writer™ ✔ Rule Proofreading Notes Example Name: Notes © 2007 Developmental Studies Center Print Form © Developmental Studies Center