Graciela's Buzzin' Weblog

What I'll Miss About J.H.House.

   Today we are posting about how our years here at J.H.House have been to us. For me it has been wonderful! Every year here at J.H. House has been different. But each year is special because we’ll never know what knew surprises we’ll have to face. Also each teacher I’ve had is very special.

   My teacher in Kindergarten was Miss Dineen. Kindergarten was a lot of fun. We did so many amazing activities. I loved how we went on field trips and we used to walk into the woods behind our school and look at many wonderful things. Kindergarten was a wonderful year, and I wish I could go back in time and repeat all the fun things I did in Kindergarten.

  My teacher in 1^st grade was ok. 1^st grade was the year I finally started taking tests and getting grades.

  2^nd grade was also a lot of fun. My teacher Mrs. Gerlach did a lot of things teachers don’t normally do. She will always be important to me. Oh and 2^nd grade is the year we get to learn how to write in cursive.

  3^rd grade was strange. Well, it was strange because we had to write in cursive! I don’t enjoy writing in cursive. At least I made more friends.

   In 4^th grade there were many sad moments. One of them was because our loving teacher Mrs. Barajas had to leave for “family” problems. The second reason was because a great friend of the girls, Jacqueline had to leave to another school. Once again I made many friends.

   Ok now I will talk a lot about 5^th grade. This year has been the best! It has been the most excellent because the 5^th grade teachers have prepared us all year for The Last Day of School. The Last day of School is very special to me because it is the last day I will probably see J.H.House. I think I will see J.H.House again. I hope so. Well, I hope many 4^th graders next year realize how important the 5^th grade teachers are. I know that they are the most special 5^th grade teachers in the world. That’s why I try very hard to come to school to and see what new activities our teachers have waiting for us. If I pass 5^th grade, I’ll now I passed because of how wonderful our teachers here at J.H.House teach us.

   Fourth Graders, I would like to give you some great advice on how to survive 5^th grade.

Advice 1-On the 1^st day of school don’t get worried if people make fun of you or say that they don’t want to be your friends. Because the best friend you can have is YOURSELF!

Advice 2-If you have problems with any subject, and then tell your teacher you don’t understand. Hopefully he/she will try very hard to find your weak areas in any subjects.

Advice 3-Like I said in Advice 1, don’t worry if people make fun of you. Well, if they keep on bothering you in any way that really disturbs you, then talk to a counselor.

Advice 4- If you can’t make any friends then you should ask a counselor if she/he can help you make friends.

Advice 5- REMEMBER that friends are not the only options to make your school year happy!

If you don’t like my advice, then send me a comment about what you are worried about when you get to 4^th grade. Did this post make sense?

Introducing "The Six Traits of Writing"

   

   Last week we showed you great examples of “The Six Traits of Writing”. Some of us chose to write about people, food, bedrooms et cetera. Well, this week we are writing about “The Six Traits of Writing” again.

   Do you like plays? Well, you’re in luck because “The Six Traits of Writing will perform in a wonderful play! So I suggest you to sit down, relax, and enjoy reading the play that many people have waiting for to read. Remember this is a great chance to learn all about “The Six Traits of Writing”.

                  Lights, Camera, Action!

   

  Ideas and Content- Why hello Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions.

  Organization- Why hi, how do you do Ideas and Content?

  Ideas and Content- I’m ok.

  Conventions- My goodness I’m so hungry I can eat a whole cow!

  Sentence Fluency- There, there Conventions, don’t worry, Voice brought many appetizing treats.

  Conventions- Oh, okay.

  Voice- Word Choice, why do you like so sad? Are you okay? Did something happen? Are you hungry? Are you tired? Are you bored? Will you tell me what’s wrong? Is your kitty, puppy, turtle, pony, fish, ferret, guinea pig, hamster, ch-

  Ideas and Content- Voice, please can’t you see Word choice is trying to think? You know she is very quite and doesn’t talk when she is trying to think, please if you think she is sad, than you are wrong.

Word Choice- I’m ok. I was just thinking about what our appreciative, beautiful, creative, delightful, enthusiastic, fantastic, good, helpful, jumpy, k-

  Organization- How can we be jumpy?

  Voice- Or interesting? Yes, I agree on the rest but-

  Ideas and Content- Organization and Voice, why didn’t you let Word Choice finish talking?

  Word Choice- Oh, its ok Ideas and Content, It doesn’t really matter. Besides, I’m really used to it.

  Conventions- Ideas and Content, Word Choice, Organization, Voice, and Sentence Fluency, I think we should stop all of this chitchat and get going to our meeting room, you know the room we have meetings in.

  Ideas and content- You’re right Conventions, we should get a move on.

  Sentence Fluency- Can we eat first? Can we? What’s the meeting about? How long will it last? Are you ready? Am I ready? Are all of you-

  Ideas and Content- Sentence Fluency, we are in this important meeting today because we have to discuss an awful Writing assignment that a teacher sent to us. She sent it to us because she wants us to check over one of her students’ paper. Just imagine, the girl is in 5^th grade! And she has never used US in her writing assignments.

  Word Choice- Well, that little 5^th grade girl should be ashamed of herself for not using us in any of her 5^th grade writing assignments!

  Sentence Fluency-Is her paper clear? Are her details in order? Did she state her opinion? Did she use exciting words? Did she have complete sentences? Did she have space between her words?

  Ideas and Content- That’s why we are here today to check her awful paper, and we will help the little girl get a good idea of how important we all are. We will write back a letter talking about how the 5^th grade girl can improve her writing.

  Conventions- I guess we should enter the meeting room. We have to start quickly. We’ve spent almost an hour out here.

  Ideas and content- Word Choice, do you have the folder that contains the girl’s writing assignment?

  Word choice- Yes, I do.

  Sentence Fluency- Ideas and Content, can you read the paper to us now that we are in the room?

  Ideas and Content- Of course I will, everybody please take notes on this, remember your jobs. The girls name is

Chelsea

. This is what she wrote.

                                 F-

                                    “My kitty and me

  My kiity is purty; my kitty is orange like

Garfield

. I have a dog named snuggles I went to Thu store and bought some shoes. I luv computers do you love computers I have 6 sisters and 7 bruthers I have a guinea pig they purty you purty. Bye, me got to go to the pet store and bought some shoes

The end

Sentence Fluency- Goodness this child wrights awful. No wonder she got an F-. We definitely need to write this girl a letter that clearly states how to improve her writing.

Dear Chelsea,

   My name is Ideas and Content. After I read your paper, I was a little bit confused. One reason was because you had many, many spelling errors. The 2^nd reason was because your topic didn’t make any sense at all. The 3^rd reason was because your topic had nothing to do with your title. I’m a little concerned about your writing. I would gladly appreciate it if you would right back and send us another writing assignment you have done in 5^th grade. I would also like it if you could ask the student in you class that has the best grades in writing to send us one of her/his writing assignments. Then we could compare both writing assignments. We will also grade your paper and the other child’s paper.

                                                        Sincerely,

                                                   Ideas and Content.

  Sentence Fluency- I guess we are finished with this meeting.

  Ideas and content- Actually we aren’t finished yet. As soon as

Chelsea

sends us-

  Word Choice- I think she’ll send us a letter later. Write now what we have to do is get some rest and some food to eat.

  Ideas and Content- you are right. Let’s go to sleep. Good night everybody.

Did you like the play? Would you like to write a letter to one of the members of “The Six Traits of writing?

 

 

" An Example of The Six Traits of Writing."

This week o                 This week our homework was to do an example of “The Six Traits of Writing”. For quite a while we have been posting about “The Six Traits of Writing.”  Some people think the traits are exasperating. Of course, I don’t think the traits are dreary. That’s why today our group of web loggers will show you great examples of the traits. If you don’t understand my example, then maybe you should go to the other web loggers and check out their examples. My example is about Cupcakes.

         

1. Idea                1. Ideas and Content- Cupcakes put neatly in trays.

                         2. Organization- How the cupcakes are organized.    

                         3. Word Choice-Designs or words make cupcake fun to read.

               4.       4. Conventions- The filling inside the cupcake is not shown.

Wor                   5. Word Choice- Color of cupcakes makes the cupcake look more appetizing.

6. Sentence F        6. Sentence Fluency - Big, small, long, short, tall, round, square, and triangle shaped cupcakes.

   Did you enjoy reading my example of the six traits of writing? I think that it is a bit easier this way to learn the six traits of writing. Do you agree? Do you think you could have done a more interesting example of the six traits, why?

Jokes of the day:

Q: How do bees get to school?

A: On the school buzz!

Q: In which school do you learn to make ice cream?

A: Sunday school!

Q: Why was Elmo's report card all wet?

A: Because his grades were all below "C" level!

"Do You Know the Six Traits of Writing?"

   

   Do you know “The Six Traits of Writing? Well, I do. Actually, all of the web loggers know them. If you want to make your writing be colorful, and very interesting you might want to keep on reading. Some people think it’s very boring to use “The Six Traits of Writing”. Well, we really care about using “The Six Traits of Writing”. If you didn’t use them your writing would be awful. If you don’t believe me then maybe you should read the example I’ve provided for you.

Before:

   I went to the store. I bought shoes. They were pink. They were mine. Next I went to the mall. I got some earrings. I put them on when I got home. My mom liked them. I went to sleep. I was dreaming.

.

After:

   One beautiful sunny April morning, I went to this fabulous store. I got some gorgeous pink shoes. Oh, how I love these shoes. And the best part was that they were mine, just mine. After that, I went to the Stonecrest Mall to buy some cute earrings. When I got home I went dashing to my room to put them on. My mom loved them. After that I went to sleep, only thinking about what I had bought on that day.

  What do you think about the two stories? Of course, the first one was boring, and the second one was very colorful, and filled with many details. I think you know understand what the “Six Traits of writing” are now. If you still don’t know, then maybe you should keep on reading.

   If you read “Podcasting: Part Two”, then I think It would be a waste of time to write the “Six Traits of Writing” again. So I think it would be better if I mixed it up a bit and explain the “Six traits of Writing” in a better way.

   Are you tired of words used over and over again? Well, if you have that problem maybe you would like to read the list of words I typed. All of these words are used up and boring. Some of these words you have tried to forget about. This is a pretty big list, so I think you should watch out for the words that you use a lot, and try to forget them.

1.     Cool- WOW

2.     Weird- Awkward

3.     Funny- Hilarious

4.     Pretty- Gorgeous

5.     Cold- Freezing

6.     Like- Adore

7.     Big- Tremendous

8.     Flower- Rose, Violet, Daisy etc.

9.     Gray- Silver

10.  New- Latest

                              What I Think

I think that if we lived in a world without the “Six Traits of Writing, the world would be plain and old and uninteresting. If we went to a store to buy a dress for a party, during the summer or spring and asked one of the employees for a pink dress. They might give you an old dress for winter. Then you might be very hot and sweaty if you wore it to the party.

   If you don’t understand what I wrote, then maybe you would prefer to read this paragraph. The point is that, when you write something for homework or whatever it is you have to write about, you will have to pack your writing with many, many details and colorful words. If you put too many then your story won’t make any sense.

   Now it’s up to you to make your writing very cheerful, exciting, outrageous and amusing. Remember: Every body can write in their own way, everybody’s writing can be interesting now matter what their topic is about.

Do you think you writing is interesting and fun to read, and why? Do you think my writing isn’t fun to read? You can comment to me, and tell me new ways to improve my writing.

"My Questions, Marisela's Answers."

    

   A few weeks ago I interviewed Marisela. We didn't have that much time to do a lot of questions. If you’d like, you can read the interview.

Graciela: What is your full name?

Marisela: Marisela.

Graciela: Do you have any sisters or brothers?

Marisela: Yes, Two brothers, four sisters.

Graciela: If you do have any siblings, from all of them, which one is your favorite?

Marisela: I really don’t have one, but if I had to choose it would be my oldest brother or sister.

Graciela: Where and when were you born?

Marisela: I was born in Rockdale Hospital, In August 2, 1995.

Graciela: If you could choose to be born somewhere else, where would that place be?

Marisela:

Chicago

,

Illinois

.

Graciela: Why do you choose that place?

Marisela: I just love

Chicago

.

Graciela: What would you like to be when you grow up?

Marisela: I would love to be a pediatrician.

Graciela: Why do you choose that job for your future career?

Marisela: Because there are a lot of children with diseases and I would love to help for them to be healthier and stronger.

Graciela: Do you like animals, if you do than why do you like them?

Marisela: Yes, because even though they don’t talk, they still understand us, and they can love us the same way we love them.

Graciela: What are your favorite subjects in school?

Marisela: Math and Social Studies.

Graciela: Why do you like these subjects?

Marisela: I just think it is fun. And in Math, you will use your whole life.

Graciela: Do you have any favorite presidents?

Marisela: No. Actually yes, the dude named John Kerry

Graciela: What kind of music do you like?

Marisela: No. Yes. No. Yes. No.  I mean Yes, I like R&B.

Graciela: What are your favorite kinds of foods?

Marisela: I love seafood. Salmon, lobster, etc.

Graciela: Do you have any friends?

Marisela: Yes, Graciela, Maria, Lisa, Marixa, Maira, Diana, Alondra, Rocio, Jenny, and Shelby, etc.

Graciela: What is your favorite color?

Marisela: My favorite color is this Pink.

Graciela: If you won $999, 999, 999, 999, 999, what would you use the money for.

Marisela: I would give some to charity, and use it for other important uses and things.

Graciela: What do you think about the marches the immigrants are doing?

Marisela: I think it is necessary, because Bush has been president for many years, and he is just doing it now, because of complaints.

   

  I really enjoyed interviewing one of my best friends. I already know a lot about her, but now I got to get closer to what she thinks. I think she did great, on answering a lot of questions. I really hope many people will look at her interview.

What do you think about the interview? What questions would you ask Marisela?

   

"Podcasting: Part two"

   

  Last week, Mrs. Anne Davis who used to be a web logger here at J.H.House, came and pod casted us again. But this time we had to do a HUGE comment to some of Miss Neville's web logging students. I commented to two of her students, Mimi and Brittany I didn't just comment to her but I told her the comment by pod casting to her. I also got nervous like last time. But this time I felt confident.

  The reason I felt better this time is because I knew that the pod casts had many details and tips so that both Mimi and Brittany could feel confident and motivated to be better writers, along with being a web logger. I really think that my comment will make them feel good and great to have their names be called out in a pod cast. I was so glad to be able to speak to someone who is so far away and give them great advice.

   If you aren't a web logger or very good at writing great stories maybe you should read the followings questions you should ask yourself to make your writing pop out.

Ideas and Content

·       What is my topic?

·       Is my paper clear?

·       Did I try to make my writing come alive?

·       Do I have enough details?

·       Do I have a good beginning, middle, and end?

·       Does my reader understand what I'm trying to say?

·       Have I included any dialog?

·       What about writing my ideas down and choosing the best one?

·       Do I have an organization?

·       Do I have enough ideas?

Organization

·       How does my topic start?

·       Are the details in order?

·       Is my paper easy to read?

·       Is my paper in time order?

·       Does my writing have a good beginning?

·       Are all the details in the correct sequence?

·       Do my links go with my message?

·       How does my topic end?

Voice

·       Is this interesting to me?

·       Did I give my opinion?

·       Did I say everything I wanted to say?

·       What did I like the most?

·       Did the readers feel like they heard my voice?

·       Do I like what I wrote?

·       Am I comfortable with what I wrote?

·       Does the story match my attitude?

·       How do I want my readers to feel?

Word choice

·       Does your writing flow?

·       Have I used any exciting words?

·       Did you use vivid vocabulary?

·       Did I use interesting words?

·       Do I have descriptive words?

·       Did I grab my reader's attention with my words?

Sentence Fluency

·         Did I use a lot of sentences?

·         Did I use complete sentences?

·         Did I use correct sentences?

·         Did my sentence beginnings have big and different ideas?

·         Do my sentences make sense?

·         Does my story sound real?

·         Did I complete what I was trying to say?

·         Did I use the same starting words?

·         Does my paper sound smooth when I read it aloud?

·