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Sensational Sixth Graders!
Scroll down to see sensational 6th grade work.  You can also click the link for the syllabus page.
6th grade syllabus


2015-2016 Sixth Graders


Funny Fractured Fairy Tales:

Rory D.                                                                                       Christian R.

Matthew P.                                                                                                    Nora C.

​Very Persuasive Letters:


Jake S.                                                                    Emma S.                      Sailor S.
Charlie R.                                                  Amanda M.                                           Will M.

​Amazing Farm Animal reports:


Ellen J.
Owen S.

​Writing stories from pictures:
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Colin G. and Drew O.                                                                                             Rachel E.

Delightful Dialogue Stories:  Students practiced using correct dialogue format while writing on the topic of sibling rivalry.

Colin G.                                                                                      Sara M.

​Original Narrative Stories:
Students used the theme from "The Lion and the Shepherd" story but changed the characters and the setting to create an original piece of writing.

Sarah E.                                                                                     Ellen J.                                    Ava T.
              Will M.

​"The Lion and the Shepherd" Summaries:
Students increased the number of "dress-ups" and sentence openers in these stories, and also added "decorations" (such as alliteration, similes, and metaphors) to their own version of this familiar story.

Bela F.                                                        Owen S.                                                  John R.                   Drew O.

​Fabulous Fable Summaries:
Students summarized well-known fables and then added various kinds of sentence openers and "dress-ups", such as strong verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

Adam D.                                                                  Amanda M.                  Ben M.                         Sailor S.


2014-2015 Sixth Graders

Very persuasive letters
Clare C., Kayla F., Evan F., Andrew H., Quinn K., Brendan M., Maddie O., Carson S., Jackson V., Sabrina Y.

Terrific animal research reports:
Hugh C.                                                                                     Trucy T.
Thomas S.                                                                                                     Andrew W.
Eleanor W.                                               Madison K.                                            Tommy B.

Fractured Fairy Tales:
Nicki H.                                                                                     Andrew H.
Mary L.                                                                                                          Abbey B.

Writing stories from pictures:
Tommy B. & Hugh C.                              Maddie O.                                             Donovan P. & Evan F.
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Jacob M. & Sam S.                                                                                                    Nicki H.

Delightful Dialogue Stories:  Students practiced using correct dialogue format while writing on the topic of sibling rivalry.

Brieanna A.                              Isabelle G.                                                                                Lauren S.
Noel S.                                                                                         Jackson V.                             Nikayla E.

"The Lion and the Shepherd" and Original Narrative Summaries: Students increased the number of "dress-ups" and sentence openers in these stories, and also added "decorations" (such as alliteration, similes, and metaphors) to their writing.

Mary Elizabeth L.                    Emily G.                                                                                   Madison K.

Fabulous Fable Summaries: Students summarized well-known fables and then added various kinds of sentence openers and "dress-ups", such as strong verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

Eleanor W.                                                                                                                  Trucy T.


2013-2014 Sixth Graders

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6h--1st hour, rise and shine!
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6g--What a bunch of goofballs!


Writing stories from pictures:
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Charlie B.                                                                   Nathan W.                                                            Noah J.        

Delightful Dialogue Stories:

Tucker T.                                                                 Christine A.                       Eli M.                         Maddy J.

Stupendous "Lion and Shepherd" summaries and Original Narrative stories:

  Hailee B.                                                               Dylan D.                                                              William L.
    Sam E.                                                                 Hannah H.

Fabulous Narrative Summaries--Students summarized well-known fables and Bible stories and then added various kinds of sentence openers and "dress-ups", such as strong verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

                      Gina M.                                                Adeline H.                                             Olivia H.

2012-2013 Sixth Graders

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Good morning, 6h!
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Goofy 6g!


Very Persuasive Letters:

Madeleine R.                                           Laney N.                                                  Lexa B.
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Abby L.                                                    Andrew H.
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Cameron M.
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Amazing Animal Research Reports:

Drew S.
                                                                 Pigs, Smart and Cute Animals

            Don’t just think bacon when you see a pig. These large, curious animals are used for more than just food. They don’t tumble in mud just to get dirty. These brainy animals even save lives! So, take your pig and snort along!!!!


            Thick and broad describes a pig’s body which does not allow them to sweat. You probably thought that these animals roll in mud to get dirty or to get a soothing mud bath. They tumble in mud to cool off like we do when we get in a pool in the blazing hot summer. Swine also have very bristly hair. They weigh 300 to 500 pounds and are 4 to 6 feet long. Even full grown pigs are not very tall; they are only 2 to 3 feet. Pigs do not live as long as we do; they only live 9 to 15 years. The snout of the pig is actually very sensitive. Their smelling is ideal and they also use their snout to dig!!!


            Pigs are usually found on farms and pig pens but they also live in other places around the world. They, expectedly, live in muddy areas. They also live in forests! Except for Antarctica, pigs are found on every continent. Pastures are another place of living for the pig. Of course, they also live in the classic red barn.


            Corn and wheat are the main foods that pigs eat. Like all of us, pigs need to hydrate so they drink water, but also drink milk. Pigs also eat oats and a wide selection of grains. Soy beans are another food that pigs get fed which you probably didn’t know. Swine eat meat scraps to keep them muscular.


            Pigs are fat but they can actually run a 7 minute mile. They can also save lives. A pig named Priscilla saved an 11-year-old boy from drowning. A pig named Lulu saved her owner from a heart attack by standing in front of a car. The driver stopped and Lulu led the person to her house so he would call for help. Pigs can be fat, but Big Bill was the fattest of them all. Bill weighed 2,552 pounds. Pork is the most eaten meat in the whole world. They can also help the blind. Also, pigs can actually be better than seeing eye dogs.  A sow, which is a female pig, sings to her piglets and her mate.


            Pigs are affecting the economy right now. One of a pig’s products is glass. Thinking of glass, they help the business Hanson’s. Also, pig products help to make crayons and plastic which are sold at stores like Meijer and Payless. They are also made for weed killers which are also sold at stores. The biggest product is the food they make which is sold all around the world.


            Next time you go to the store think of the meal or snack you want. Some of the products pigs make are: pork chops, pork roast, bacon, ham, sausage, hot dogs, medicines, replacement heart valves for humans, insulin, chalk, weed killers, fertilizer, cosmetics, floor wax, crayons, antifreeze, glass, china, adhesives, plastics, shoes, paint, and chewing gum. As you can see, pigs are one of the smartest and most useful animals. Since pigs are so useful, they affect our economy by a lot. Because of the products of pigs, they help our everyday needs.



Alec B.
                                                          GOD’S AMAZING ANIMAL--THE HORSE

          Horses.  Amazing animals that symbolize pride and power.  With their sleek, majestic bodies and incredibly agile legs, horses come directly from the hands of God Himself.  Throughout history, horses have served many purposes.  In the times of knights in shining armor and King Arthur, horses were used for transportation, jousting, and self-defense.  In colonial times, horses were used for transportation and battle.  The Native Americans used horses to hunt buffalo and other wild animals.  Even today, horses are used for sports like Jumping, Racing, Eventing and just plain riding for fun.  Thus, over the course of time, horses have always been resourceful and served a purpose.  So it would be fair to say that, yes, horses are like heaven on wheels.  Or should I say, heaven on hooves?

          Race horses have many amazing features.  For one, the sleek, light body of a race horse is very fast and agile.  Another useful trait of a horse is that they have a long tail so they can swat flies.  Horses have many teeth!  They have twelve molars for grinding and six incisors for biting!  Other characteristics include their amazing hooves. The hoof provides traction and protection from the ground.  The hoof also helps pump blood and circulates blood throughout the entire body.  Different breeds are good at different things.  For example the Arabian, Thoroughbred and Quarter-horse are all racers, but the Quarter-horse is known for its speed while the Arabian is a long distance horse.  As you can see, horses are amazing animals!  This means we should give them amazing care.


          When caring for a horse, one must have a lot of extra space.  They need a stall or manger, either 10 x 10 or 12 x 12 feet.  It must have windows and a series of complicated locks. The locks provide extra insurance so your horse doesn't escape.  Kick bolts, a hook on the door, and some horse-proof bolts are some of the basic necessities.  Feed boxes and water buckets in the stable are a must.  In the field, dangerous things should be fenced off, like garbage or dangerous plants.  A field should be about an acre at the minimum.  Indoor and outdoor running arenas should be about a third of a football field.  The plus to an indoor arena is that it shields horses from harsh weather when they are running.  


          In addition to ample space, there are many other things that can make a horse happy.  Food is one of those things.  Basic feed is hay, water, course mix, alfalfa hay, rolled oats and salt-licks.  The hay has a six to seven mineral content, digestible protein and is a source of fibrous roughage.  Five gallons of water is essential to prevent dehydration.  Coarse mix is great for digestion.  A salt-lick provides sodium chloride which is an important nutrient not common in the average plant.  Alfalfa hay is basically hay, but is ninety to eighty percent alfalfa and about ten percent timothy or pasture grass.  Rolled oats provide energy, protein, fat and starches.  If you add succulent molasses, your steed’s tastebuds will be jumping for joy!  It's so tasty, your horse will feel like a dancing butterfly! 

          Did you know that horses shields each other from the wind?  Talk about brotherly love!  Another interesting fact about horses is that some plants that are safe to humans are dangerous to horses!  For example, yew, deadly night shade; bracken, ragwort and acorns (if eaten in large quantities) can really cause some serious problems for a horse.   Also microbes sometimes found in hay can be lethal to a horse.  This means that everything around a horse must be sterile at all times.  Other random interesting facts include that when a foal (baby horse) is born, it has no teeth.  After ten days, the foal’s incisors break through the gums.   Interestingly enough, horses communicate with other horses!  That is why horses, (like whales or wolves), are herd animals. 


          Horses are good for the economy.  They give jobs to the blacksmiths who make horseshoes, to the carpenters who make the stables, to the trainer who coaches the horse, to the jockeys who ride them and to the farmers who grow the food.  Horses also compete in different sports like Harness Racing, Eventing and Show Jumping.  All of these sporting events provide jobs to people who coordinate them and work at them.  So not only are horses a creature of beauty, but they also help humans earn a living.

  
          Horses.  Shaped by the hands of God and used by humans to make man’s lives easier.  These “blessings” are animals that are more than they appear.  Although they take up much space and food, they have contributed more than they have taken.  Man has used horses since they came into the world and man’s existence has been shaped forever because of them.  Not only has existence been affected by horses, but they have also shaped different cultures.  Thank you horses, for changing history for the better of mankind.

                                                                          BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barrone, Andrew.  Personal interview.  March. 2013.


“Caring for Horses.”  www.horseracing.com/caring-for-horses.  Paley Media, Inc. 1995-2013 page

          126:Web. 2/22/2013.

Edwards, Elwyn Hartley.  The Ultimate Horse Book.  London:  Dorling Kindersley Limited, 1991.  Print.

Vogel, Colin.  The Complete Horse Care Manual.  Dorling Kindersley Limited, 1995.   44Print.


Fractured Fairy Tales:

Grace H.                                                                                     Izzie B.
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Alec B.
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Lauren C.                                                                                    Abby L.
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Mikey S.                                                                                    Alysia D.
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Writing stories from pictures:

Joe H.
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Tino O. and Brian R.                                                 
                                                                            Bobʼs Failing Formula
          Bob was a C.I.A. agent. Tonight, he was secretly concocting a special formula with a main ingredient of chemical waste. “Of course, they picked me for the job,” Bob muttered as he filled the bathtub with chemical waste. Meanwhile, the rest of Traverse City busily hurried by his house getting ready for Christmas, for it was December 24.
          After filling the tub, Bob poured in the final ingredient, liquid stun darts, a C.I.A. classic. He was very excited. “Maybe it will actually work!” he thought. Bob emptied a hefty 245 and a half bottles of liquid stun darts into the tub. “Now it has to sit,” said Bob.
           As Bob made his way outside, a worm crawled out of the corner and wriggled into the bathtub. Because the chemical waste did not agree with the worm, everything exploded! Worm guts, chemical waste, and liquid stun darts flew everywhere! Just then, Bob walked back into the bathroom and slipped and fell. Bob was mad. He went ballistic! He was furious! Suddenly, because he was angry, he yelled like a banshee to
no one in particular, “Who exploded my formula? Dang it! How am I supposed to take a bath with my formula everywhere?”
          Later, someone from the C.I.A. came to check on Bob. “Looks like another one
of Bobʼs failing formulas!”


Delightful Dialogue stories on the topic of sibling rivalry:

Courtney B.
                                                                           Miserable Me

          Screaming for joy, “I’m so excited for our family vacation!” I hop in the car. Oh I forgot we have to double buckle. The worst part was I had to double buckle with my brother. I gathered up my ipod, books and DVD player. That would keep me distracted for a while. That didn’t last long.
          Before the first hour rolls around, my brother, Jake, kept asking me for my ipod. “Stop asking for my ipod! My answer won’t change!” I said.
          “I have nothing to do. You have books and I have none,” said Jake.
           I don’t care”, I said. It’s annoying when people ask you something over and over again.
          “Please. Please. Please,” Jake asked.
           My voice was so loud and deep it sounded a lion’s roar. “Gosh! I can’t wait until the first pit stop!”
           Finally we had the first pit stop. I stretched out. My dad took Jake to the restroom and that gave me some free time. Before I knew it, they were back and we were off again.
          “Can I use your ipod?”
          “No! I have no choice but to throw you out the window!” I said, being sarcastic, but he took it seriously. “I was being sarcastic,” I shouted from the back.
          “No talking to each for half an hour,” my dad said. I was thinking in my head “he’s a liar!” He had his DS. He was playing Mario Kart right in front of me. I had no choice. I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. I screamed, “Liar! Liar! Pants on fire! You lied! You just wanted to play temple run and listen to Black Eyed Peas!”
          When my dad said I couldn’t see Niagara Falls light up, I was balling my eyes out. It was the most miserable car ride ever!



Jason B.

                               Because of a Super, Spectacular, Awesomely Awesome, Laser Pen

          There it was, under the unwatchful eye of my sister. The juicy pen I just needed to get my hands on. It had a laser, a taser, and it could write. I finally gave into the temptation and snatched it. As I began my slow getaway I heard a shout.
          “Hey give it back!” It was my sister.

          “Give what back?” I challenged.
          “My PEN!” She shouted. You could tell she was very annoyed because she put emphasis on the “pen”.
          Then I slyly hid the pen behind the couch so I could pick it up later. Then I said, ever so innocently, “I don’t have it.” My sister searched everywhere but couldn’t find it. A few days later I swept past the couch and scooped it. I knew it would still be lonely sitting there, watching the people stroll by, including my sister who sadly (not) was just not as awesome as me and couldn’t manage the task of thoroughly searching for it, or searching for it at all for that matter. Then I stuck the pen in my desk, never to see daylight again (except maybe once or twice).


Ryan G.
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Fabulous "Lion and Shepherd" summaries and Original Narrative stories:

Josh R.
                                                                               Unlikely Allies

Once near the glorious city of Rome, there was a ravaging lion that carelessly stepped on a thorn, which tore through his tender flesh like a knife.  The wounded lion roared ferociously with pain and scared a nearby shepherd.  The great beast limped over to the frightened shepherd.  The quivering man gazed upon the lion and wondered, “How can I help this beast?”  Calming his shaky nerves the shepherd kindly pulled out the thorn.  The lion flinched.  He cautiously stepped.  He pranced away.

Later in time, the faithful shepherd was calmly walking along when he came upon a forbidding Roman soldier.  This stocky warrior asked the kind shepherd to renounce his faith.  When the shepherd declined to renounce his faith, the ruthless soldier had him callously thrown in jail.  While shivering in his cell, he listened to the heartless soldier tell him that he was to be fed to the hungry lions.

The next day the frightened shepherd awoke early to the sound of sliding bars.  He realized that it was his time to die.   He was led into the cool, chaotic coliseum and as he assumed his place, he cried out, “I will not deny God!”    As the gate opened, the frenzied lion charged out.  Looking through eyes clouded by fear, the shepherd realized this was not just any lion.  This was the wounded ion he had selflessly helped.  In mid charge, the lion abruptly stopped and strode to the terrified shepherd’s side.    The corpulent emperor called a halt to the proceedings and declared that the shepherd was to be released since the lion failed to attack him.  As the docile lion and the lowly shepherd walked out of the arena together towards the horizon, the emperor found himself wondering if the Christian god was in fact real.

Moral - God will always help you.



Garrett D.
                                                                               FRIENEMIES
          Hi, my name is Black Lab.  I’m a very experienced dog.  Because of my mosey ear, I was able to listen to a conversation of two fellow dogs.  Since I’m a Black Lab, I was able to hear whining and strong yelling because of my super strong ears.  The bulldog who I found out was the one bullying the Chihuahua, is the meanest dog around.  He is like a beast, so big and cruel.  Since this bulling has been going on forever, I decided to put a stop to it,.
          Although I might not be as smart as some of the other dogs, I know how to make situations better, as if they never even happened.  I was able to meet up with Chihuahua who has a bigger than life personality.  “How long has bulldog been cruel to you?” I exclaimed.  “Well ever since me and him started doggy day care which I accidently embarrassed him,” said Chihuahua.  “Oh, I see.” I said.  “”Because of that incident he has always been mean to me.”  “Can you describe him?  “Yes, he has spots.  He is very mean.  He lives in dumpsters.”  “Ok then, very good, thank you for your time.  I will find him and talk to him.”
          So I went to find this bulldog and I ended up discovering him in a dumpster.  We talked a lot.  I calmly asked, “So why do you bully Chihuahua?”  He explained it was because he embarrassed me at stupid doggy day care.  “Oh, very well.  I see.  Carry on,” I insisted.  “Well he embarrassed me by spilling glue, then, wait for it, it’s even worse, glitter on glue that stuck to my think coats making me look like a fat disco ball with paws” he exclaimed.  “Geez, I’m sorry to hear that.” I said with sorrow.  “So Chihuahua asked me to ask you, how could he make it up to you so you can be his friend again?”  “Well one thing I suppose, he could put glitter and glue on himself that would work.”  So I met up with Chihuahua and he said he would do just that.  And he ended up just doing that right in doggy public.,
          “Will you be my friend again?” asked Chihuahua.  “Yeah, sure!” exclaimed bulldog.  “Bark, bark, bark,” yipped Chihuahua with joy knowing bulldog would be no loonger mean to him.  So I was able to solve a case that is really something to bark about.



Blake P.
                                                                              Library Time
         One day Casey Smith was working on a magnificent Language Arts project with a kid he barely knew, Riley Samson. They were half way through and nobody had talked. Then, the bell rang which meant it was math time. Which Casey thought was his worst subject. In math, Riley noticed that Casey was not excelling on his assignment. How would he finish? Riley thought he should help him. Bravely, he did. “ Hi Casey, it looked like you needed help on math so I’m here to happily help you.” “ Thank you Riley, I really appreciate it.” Pencils writing. Minds thinking. Pages turning. Together they finished math.
             After the impossible math assignment the two of them the went outside for recess. “Do you want to play football with us?” Casey asked Riley. “No I’ll pass, I think I’ll go to my true home, the library.” With that, he turned on his heel and strode to the library. Later during the game Casey’s team was on defense. Kids running. QB’s throwing. Players receiving. The game had begun. His friend Derek, who was the best quarterback, threw a really bad pass and Casey jumped up and….. Came down with the interception! He took off bolting down the field, he had many pursuers but he was faster. He ran it all the way down and scored. Then the buzzing bell rang and he had to go inside. Amazingly, his team had strangely won.    
           The next day, after math Casey once again asked Riley if he wanted to play. H thought about it for a while, then agreed. Thankfully they went outside and Riley got to be on Casey’s team. The first play, Casey beautifully bombed a pass deep and they got a touchdown. After the other team scored, Casey’s team got the ball. On the second play, Casey passed a short throw to Riley. Riley miraculously caught it and started sprinting down the field. Then the nastiest, biggest bully who was 5 foot 5  started to pursue Riley. How was Riley going to score? The massive bully caught up and intentionally dove for his legs. Riley toppled head over heel and hit the dirt hard. “ Hey!” Casey screamed. “You may be older, faster, stronger and taller than him, but that does NOT give you the right to nail him!” Then the bully ran away. “Riley are you ok?” As Casey kneeled next to him. “ Uhh I think so, thank you for standing up for me. “ No problem” Casey replied. As they walked inside Riley said “ I think I need some Library time.”



Brian R.
                                                                              Help Others
          One day, Aed was hunting for his dinner, when he heard a peculiar sound.  Suddenly, a wyvern with wickedly wild wings crashed through the bushes.  Following him were the local law enforcement officers. The barbaric officers were
dressed completely in ebony and scarlet.
          “Help!” yelled the wyvern telepathically. Aed ran. He jumped. He twisted in midair. Surprisingly, he landed on the wyvernʼs squamose back.
          “Fly!” yelled Aed. With a roar, the wyvern spread his gigantic wings and took to the skies. Aed, who was a hermit, directed him to a cave high in the mountains.
          ”You are safe now,” Aed told the wyvern. Soon they parted ways.
          Many days later, Aed again was out hunting when he heard a rustling sound and turned towards it. Trolls poured out of nowhere like water down a waterfall! They all had spiked clubs! They wanted to kill Aed because he was
invading their territory. Would Aed survive? As Aed stood frantically thinking, a shadow blotted out the sun. It was the wyvern!  He roared like a lion and swung his poisonous, barbed tail. He spit acid. He drove the trolls back. Aed and the

wyvern went and lived together in the wyvernʼs cave.  Always help someone who
has helped you.


Excellent narrative summary:

Natalie H.
                                                                             Mary Magdalene
          Mary of Magdalene was a very devoted follower of Jesus.  She was there when Jesus was crucified on the cross.  She also cried with Mary the Mother of Jesus when he died.  One day while she was going to Jesus’ tomb with some spices, which were to anoint Jesus, an angel surprisingly appeared to her.  The angel was radiant.  Suddenly, the angel said “do not be afraid, for I know you seek Jesus, who was crucified”.
“He is not here, for he is risen.  Come and see the place where he did lay”.  Mary went to the tomb where Jesus laid.  As she was going to tell everyone the good news, the Earth greatly quaked and Jesus amazingly appeared to her.  He said “Mary, tell my brothers I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and you’re God”.   Running happily, Mary went off to the Disciples because she has seen the Lord.

2011-2012 Sixth Graders

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Silly sixth graders of 6d
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Team spirit day for 6c
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Amazing Animal Reports


Hannah J.                                                                              
                                                                               Sleepy Sloths

          What animal grows algae on its fur and can have two or three toes? You guessed it -sloths! Sloths are animals of the rain forest and look kind of like monkeys, but are actually related to anteaters and armadillos. They got their name because they sleep a lot, about nine hours per day.
          Sloths have small heads and long legs that are great for hanging upside down. Sloths also have long claws that can tightly grip onto tree branches. Two toed sloths only have two toes and three toed sloths have three. Sloths spend most of their day hanging upside down or sitting in trees, in fact females even give birth upside down! Like other mammals, babies nurse from their mothers for the first two months of their lives. After that they slowly start to eat leaves, but still live on their mother’s stomach. A sloth’s fur grows toward its back instead of its stomach because this way water will drain off of it while hanging upside down. Males have two to orange stripes of fur on their backs.
          Sloths live in Central and South America. Two toed live in Central America and three toed live in South America. Ordinarily, all sloths live in mangrove trees on the edge of the rainforest and typically they eat twigs, leaves, and berries while in the wild. Two toed sloths will eat lettuce, boiled yams, and grapes when living in zoos but the three toed sloth will not. Three toed sloths mostly eat Cecropia trees, which are trees that are only found in rainforests and other tropical places. Therefore, only one zoo has ever had a three toed sloth.
          Sloths have many predators. One of the predators is people who cut down their rainforest home. Some other predators such as jaguars, ocelots, snakes, and eagles will try to eat them. Sloths stay away from most of these animals by living up in trees. The moss that grows on their fur serves as a camouflage that helps them to hide from eagles and other predators.
          Although sloths are sometimes sleepy and slow they can surprisingly move up to 100 feet per minute if needed. Sloths only poop once a week and cannot digest food when they are cold. Sloths also use their sharp claws and teeth for self-defense against any animal that tries to attack them.
          Long ago there were many more species of sloths. Sadly, many of these sluggish sloths have become extinct. Sloths are still in danger today because of people cutting down their rainforest home and the trees they need to survive. Only humans can help sloths by not destroying their homes.



Writing creatively from pictures
Lauren B. & Megan N.                                          Adam G. & Jack S.
(Click on a page of the story or the picture for a larger image.)

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Stupendous original narrative stories, based on the theme from "The Lion and the Shepherd":


Ethan O.
                                                                               Alive and Well

               Once in the year 2000, an airplane pilot was standing next to an airplane propeller talking to a flight attendant. The pilot, who was very young, careless, and half deaf, didn’t know that the propeller had silently started spinning, and had started moving toward him. An old lady was strolling through the airfield when she saw him in danger. Sprinting over, she shoved him out of harm’s way, because she was a very generous person. The pilot looked over his shoulder at what happened and immediately started thanking the lady. He said, “There is no way I can repay you.” “Oh really?” came the reply.
               About three months later, the old lady was flying home in a private jet when she found out who the pilot was: the same man she had willingly saved from the propeller. There were only two seats in the miniscule plane, so they sat beside each other at the controls. Soon into the flight, as she got bored, she started to watch how the pilot maneuvered the plane. Then a flashing red light came up on the dashboard. Underneath it, it said “MOTOR LOST.” Then, the plane stopped. Quickly, it plummeted downward. It was gaining speed. And a mile below was solid ground.
               The pilot reached into the back of the plane and grabbed a rather large parachute pack. He somehow pulled it on in the falling plane. He found the door latch, told the lady to hold on to him, opened the door and jumped, luckily at the right time. He deployed the parachute, and as they floated the remaining 500 feet down, the plane missed the Mackinac Bridge by a few feet and splashed into the water. They floated down onto the sand as graceful as a swan. As the parachute fell to the ground, they looked at each other and fully appreciated what they had done for each other. Quietly, they both gave thanks to God. But the real reason that these two were still alive and well is because they cared enough to help those in need.


Fabulous summaries of "The Lion and the Shepherd" (including some original ideas from each student):


Alex G.
                                                                     Just a Favor for a Friend

             Once in a big forest there was a lion that was roaming happily.  He got a thorn stuck in his paw. As he tried clumsily to get it out, it occurred to him that someone with smaller paws could get it out. If it were a human, he would have an easy lunch. Realizing this win-win situation, he set out to find a (preferably fat) human. When he found one, (who was, disappointingly, NOT fat) he had the thorn so far in his foot and was in so much pain, he didn’t care about lunch, he only wanted the thorn out. The human was a shepherd, who kindly took it out.  When it was out, the Lion was so happy that he forgot his wonderful plan and ran off.
             One day, the shepherd was walking by the coliseum. He hadn’t noticed that his crucifix he wore around his neck wasn’t tucked into his cloak. When he walked by the emperor, who was exiting the arena, the great man declared, “You wear a cross of the man you call Lord . Do you deny it? If you don’t, I shall have a feast for the freshly caught and hungry lions.” The man laughed cruelly, “So, peasant, do you deny that you follow Christ and not the many true Gods?” the shepherd raised his head, looked up at the man who called himself great, and said, “You are a foolish man. The one and only Lord is far greater than you shall ever be. You will see, the kingdom is coming, and you will wish that you had listened to me. ” the emperor’s face clouded over and he yelled, “How dare you call ME foolish? You are the one who will be sorry. I will be the one who will be worshiped by the many Gods.” Then turning to his guards, he ordered, “Take this man to the dungeon. For three days he shall have bread crusts and little water. After that, he shall be thrown to the newest and hungriest lion.” And with that, he let the shepherd be taken away by the guards.
             “Get out there, fool! We want some action!” the guard spat. The shepherd silently prayed. He stepped into the arena. Because it wasn’t a work day, all of Rome attended. The Lion stepped out into the wonderful sun. He imagined the day he got the thorn out of his paw, thinking of his debt in returning the favor. When he looked at his meal, he realized that he has a chance to return the favor. Right there, in front of him, was the human who did him the favor. Instead of eating the shepherd, he laid his head down on the shepherd’s lap. In the end, they both were set free and were friends for a long time, always helping and getting helped. 


A terrific narrative summary:


Heather P.

          Theseus is heroically honored in Greek Mythology. Curiously, he visited many spectacular cities a towns, and later on was declared King of Athens. Theseus finally decided to return to Athens when he reached adulthood. He was informed that the Athenians had to deliver 7 maidens and 7 youths to be devoured by the Minotaur. Theseus resolved to go cautiously exploring the labyrinth. He truthfully promised his father that he’d change the dull black sails of the ship to a bright white when he victoriously returned.
            The Athenians and Theseus were thrown to the King of Crete. Adriadne, who was the king’s daughter, became attracted to Theseus. She gave him a ball of thread to navigate through the confusing maze. Theseus and the Minotaur brutally dueled when they met. Theseus slaughtered the terrifying beast. Theseus, Adriadne, and the Athenians gratefully sailed off. Theseus paused at Naxos so the passengers and crew could sleep. Theseus was dreaming, and then Athene came to him demanding, “Leave Adriadne!” Theseus and the Athenians continued on course leaving poor Adriadne alone on the lonely island.
            As they were steadily approaching Athens the ship’s sails remained black. His father saw the sails. “Why Zeus,” he demanded. His father mournfully started to drown himself, because he believed Theseus was dead. Theseus was joyfully celebrating, not knowing his father was tragically committing suicide. Since he was his father’s only child, he was the heir to the throne. Theseus was awkwardly crowned king of Athens.  

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