I am Thankful

I am thankful for trees

Because I like to climb the ones I see.

I am thankful for clovers with leaves of four

Because they increase my luck more.

I am thankful for snow

because in winter it is were ever I go.

I am thankful for summer

Because it causes anticipation for emancipation form school.

I am thankful for inventions

Because it is fun to make Intentions.

I am thankful for stories I write

Because of the thought that they might get published.

I cannot think of a rhyme for

LEGO but I am thankful for them.

I am thankful for Books about wayside school

Because they are funny and cool.

I am thankful for home

Because I feel safe there.

I am thankful for family

Because they are good.

I am thankful for friends

Because they are nice.

I am thankful for Phineas and Ferb on TV

Because I think they are funny.

I am thankful for Calvin and Hobbes comics

Because they make me laugh.

We have been working on this poetry unit for a very long time and Spencer decided before writing this poem that he was done with poetry altogether. He absolutely opposed every part of the poem writing process for this one. (sigh) I am amazed at how much "wanting" to do something affects how well we get it done and how much we enjoy doing it!

Ryhme Sceme & Rythmic Foot

We have been talking about rhyme scheme and rhythmic foot in Language Arts and it has been so much fun! Spencer has a real gift for poetry. He can read and write it better than I can. Here are some of the poems we have come up with this week.

Cats
Rhyme Scheme: abab
Rhythmic Foot: trochaic

Cats are furry.
They're in a hurry.
They like to play.
All night and day.

The Music of Rhythmic Feet
Rhyme Scheme: aabb
Rhythmic Foot: dactylic

Like the beating of a drum,
Write dum-de-de, dum-de-de dum!
Like the strums of a gutiar
Write dar-de-de, dar-de-de, dar!

Passing Seasons
Rhyme Scheme: aabbcc
Rhythmic Foot: anapestic

Seasons come, seasons go.
Some are fast, some are slow.
Some are cold, some are hot.
Some are fun, some are not.
In the end all are good,
Ending just the way the should.

Diamante

A diamante poem is similar to a cinquain poem except it has 7 lines instead of 5 AND exactly half of the words refer to the topic and the other half to its antonym. Here are a few examples.

Lava
Hot & Deadly
Burning, Flaming, Smoking
Volcano, Eruption, Chemical, Experiment
Freezing, Clouding, Shattering
Cold & Deadly
Liquid Nitrogen
(by Spencer)

Day
Sunny & Bright
Waking, Working, Playing
Sun, Birds, Moon, Stars
Reading, Resting, Sleeping
Cool & Dark
Night.
(by Mom)

Cinquain

A cinquain is a poem with just 5 lines.
Here are a few examples we came up with today.

Lizards
Green and Small
Run, Hide, Climb
Very hard, though no impossible to catch
Lizards
(by Spencer)


Apples
Read & Crisp
Growing, Picking, Making Pie
Yum, apples are delicious!
Apples
(by Mom)

By reading these two examples can you tell what the pattern for a cinquain poem is? Do you think you could write your own?

Haiku

A Haiku is a poem that consists of 3 lines and 17 syllables (5,7,5). Haiku's are typically about nature and do not have to rhyme.
Here are a few Haiku's Spencer wrote today.

Fall is here, Oh my!
I see the fall colors and cry.
Fall is here, Oh, my!

Pitter, pat, pit, pat.
The rain is coming down,
making large puddles.

All cats have nine lives-
nine independent, long lives.
Cats are lucky, you know!

Do not play in dirt.
It may seem fun but it's not.
It means showering!

Metaphors

A metaphor is a sentence that compares two object by saying one object IS the other.
Here is Spencer first attempt at a metaphor.

The flapping blue paper in front of the fan was an ocean with waves before my eyes.

Personification

Personification in writing is giving nonhuman things the characteristics and feelings of human beings.
Here is an example of personification.

I am cold and tired and sad.
It is November now and that is bad.
My leaves are gone, my limbs are bare
soon the snow will be everywhere!

What nonhuman object am I writing about?

Similes

A simile is a sentence comparing two objects using the words is or like. Here are a few similes Spencer can up with this week.


The chair is as red as an apple.
(sight)

The chair is as squeaky as a door that needs oiling.
(sound)

The chair is as tasteless as a piece of cardboard.
(taste)

The chair is as fragrant as a candle.
(smell)

The chair is as soft as a pillow.
(touch)

The challenge was to create 5 similes comparing a single object to 5 different objects that appeal to each of the 5 sense. It was not an easy task but I think he did a great job.

Writing Poems

Well, it is that time of year again, time to study poetry. Spencer and I both really enjoying reading poetry but our favorite part about this unit is getting to try our hand at writing some of our own. This is Spencer's first poetry entry- I thought it is was quite clever.

I am trying to write a poem
but it is pretty hard.
I've been here for a while
but not thoughts have occurred.

It's pretty hard to write a poem,
when there's this much distraction.
My brain and hands have both turn off,
there's simple no reaction.

My train of thought keeps leaving
without letting me aboard
and that is why this page is blank
without a single word.

Limerick Lesson

Spencer had a lesson on writing Limericks today. Can you guess which limerick he wrote?

1. There once was a man named Jim,
who liked to live life on a whim.
He had so much fun,
said one day he was done,
Now his life is remarkably dim!

2. There once was a man from Bergeiling,
who got on the late bus to Eiling.
A sign on the door,
said don't spit on the floor.
So we jumped up and spat on the ceiling!

3. There once was a person named Sid,
who went to an auction to bid.
When the price got too high,
he said with a cry,
Good heaven, look what I did!

4. I once met a man in Pari
who walk right up and kissed me.
He breath was all fishy,
his lips wet and squishy.
Why, oh why did he have to kiss me!

Moving

It is almost moving time again- how do you feel about that? Are there any stories from the scriptures that can help you have courage and faith and patience during our move? What are they? How do they help?

I do not want to move.
I think the story of Nephi can help cause he didn't even take his stuff and and he had to walk and build his own ship and we get to take all our stuff and we get to drive and we get to ride a plane and we dont have to build the plane. it was probably harder for him. so we can probably do it.

Why Scripture Mastery?

Have you ever wondered why the leadership of the Church wants you to memorize the Scripture Mastery verses? Do you ever wonder how they choose which scriptures to use? How do you think knowing these specific scriptures can help you in your life?

Take a few minutes and think about these questions and then answer each one in a complete sentence.

Knowing these scriptures can help you feel the spirit and make you want to read the scriptures. Then you will learn a lot of things and want to do good.

Scripture Mastery Review

Before vacation we worked on memorizing and understanding some of the Scripture Mastery verses for the Book of Mormon. It has been a while since we have gone over them so lets take today to review.

1Nephi 3:7 Do you remember this one? Nephi has just been asked by his Father to go back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates. This verse is his response to Lehi. Do you remember now? Once you think you know how it goes- look it up in the scriptures. Then come read it to me and tell me why you think it is important today.

1 Nephi 19:23 is another great scripture- do you remember what it says? In this scripture Nephi is talking to the people explaining to them why the scripture are important and what we can do to get the most out of them. Do you remeber what he told them? Once you think you have it, look it up. Then read it to me and tell me what you think it means.

Getting back into the swing of things

It has been many weeks since we last had school. In that time we welcomed family, celebrated holidays, traveled to new places and did new things. Write a five sentence paragraph about one of your favorite memories from our vacation.

we visited Leonardo Da Vinci's house. there were 2 museums that showed his inventions. they were awesome. 1 museum was mostly about his new way to make a cannon. they showed it on a video.the other museum showed his inventions. it was very cool, but you weren't even allowed to touch them! but it was still cool.