Hello Classmates!

Persuasive Letter

Attention Hunters!

I am furtal the turtle and I'm writing to you because My family and I are living in fear. I know if you listen to me and hear my side of the story, you will understand and stop the hunting.

We recently just lost our father. He went out to eat and never came home. We were told by some other turtles that he was captured by humans. I know that you humans use our shells, eggs, and oils for your own personal use but cant you see what your doing to us in the process. Our numbers are reduced because of human activity, such as capturing or killing for food and the destruction and pollution of our nesting beaches. I'm not going to even mention ocean pollution and being caught up in fishing nets.

My family calls the warm waters of the ocean home. We have been in the ocean for about 230 million years - since before the dinosaurs. Please stop coming into our home and taking our loved ones. How would you like it if that were done to you? I know that we could all get along if we tried. I also know that you don't have to kill us in order to "get by". Your ancestors didn't hunt us so why do you? I really believe that we all can enjoy the ocean, and all of its great resource without all the killing.

We Sea Turtles are somewhat protected because we are classified as endangered! However, we need your help too! I know If you and your friends would just stop hunting us we would be taken off the endangered species list. I ask you to put yourself in my flippers. We really enjoy our way of life. Just like you enjoy yours. I have lost so many relatives because they were hunted and killed. I would also like to have my own little Furtal Jr. one day.

The mama turtles wanted me to also tell you that you need to clean up the beaches. They cant possibly lay their eggs on a polluted beach. They want their hatchlings to be born in a safe and clean environment. Just like you want for your children. I know that you wouldn't want your child being born in a dirty place.

I hope that you will hear my plea. Thank you so much for hearing me out. We turtles hope that we will be working and living together in harmony real soon. Thanks for you coopration in advance.

Yours truly,
Furtal

EDRG 3321 Literature for Public Schools

Hello again!

Well I'm getting some of these blogs knocked out today! I'm so proud of myself. I really do loves this class and I'm so mad at myself for falling behind with my blogs. However, I am making progress. Here is chapter nine.

Chapter 9 blog!
Nonfiction

This chapter was interesting. I learned a few things that I did not know before. Who knew that there was so much to learn about nonfiction. I enjoyed reading the teachers perspective. "Teachers who use nonfiction as supplements or alternatives to textbooks in science and social studies find that their students become much more enthusiastic about the content". I never looked at it that way before. I guess that would be true because of the bright pictures, clear captions, maps and diagrams. I only know that from reading over the power point.

I never liked nonfiction books. I think that's because it reminds me of homework. These are the types of books that you go to for information. I know that sounds horrible since my future profession is in teaching. However, now that I am older and have been in school for some time, I have become more appreciative of a good text book. A book where the pictures are helpful and the content is done in a clear and easy way to read and follow.

I also believe that a good nonfiction book makes teaching easier and learning more productive.
Nonfiction books play a huge role in our schools. We need them in the classroom and the children really do enjoy them. Now I have a new appreciation for them too. This was a great chapter.

Author

Author:
Margret Wise Brown

Website: http://www.margaretwisebrown.com/Her_books.html

The website was set up nicely. The author has written a lot of books. Some of books are even in Spanish. I noticed that most of the books are written about animals. The site included the authors back ground story, things for school, her manuscript and a point of contact. Over all the site was one of the nicer ones I have visited.

Books published:

Another Important Book
Animals in the Snow
Big Red Barn
Goodnight Moon
Bumble bee
A Child is Born
Bunny's Noisy Book
Nibble Nibble
Color Kittens
The Little Fir Tree
Give Yourself to the Rain
The Friendly Book
Friendly Tales
The Little Island
Little Fur Family
My World

(there are many more!)




The reason why I choose this next author is really because of the movie that just came out. I knew that "Where the Wild Things Are" was a big hit and I remember seeing the cover of the book. However, I never read the story. Well I finally did and I must say that I was not disappointed. The book really delivered as far as story telling goes and my son loved it as well. I will defiantly have to see the movie!

Authors:
Maurice Sendak

Website:
There was no real website to go to. I did go to Wiki and found out some interesting information on the author. Its worth taking a look at.

Books published:

Where the Wild Things Are
Outside Over There
In the Night Kitchen
Nutshell Libray
Higglety Pigglety Pop!
Kenny's Window (1956)
Very Far Away (1957)
The Sign On Rosie's Door (1960)
The Nutshell Library (1962)
Chicken Soup with Rice (A Book of Months)
Alligators All Around (An Alphabet)
One Was Johnny (A Counting Book)
Pierre (A Cautionary Tale)

Author:
Crockett Johnson

Website:
http://www.k-state.edu/english/nelp/purple/

This new web page was not that great to me at all. It was very plain and had lots of information. It wasn't really targeted towards kids. I know that my son would not enjoy this one as he would others that I came across. I picked the author because I remember hearing about this book from a friend. The books are older and the illustration it very "Old timey". These story's are meant for very small children.

Books published:
Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955)
Barks
Harold's
Harold's Fairy Tale
The Blue Ribbon Puppies (1958)
Merry Go Round
The Frowning Prince (1959)
Time for Spring (1957)
Who's Upside Down (1952)
Will Spring be Early? (1958)
Barnaby
Barnaby Mr O' Malley

EDRG 3321 LITERATURE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Chapter 8 blog!
Elements of Fiction

Hello Everyone!

Wow can you guys believe that we are almost at the end of the semester! I really need to get on the ball and get my !@## done!

Well I thought chapter eight was very informative. I learned a lot about what fiction was. I always thought that fiction was something that could happen but its something that someone somewhere made up. It could be reality but really its not because it wasn't based on any truth. I also know that it can be something that is totally fake or made up. Boy, did I learn a few things in this chapter!

Some of my own personal favorites are Contemporary fiction, Historical fiction and some fantasy.
I think that every good story must have conflict. I have yet read or seen a movie that has not had this in it. While looking over the power point I noticed that there are two types of conflict "internal" and " external". I think when you have a conflict with ones self, it makes for a better story. After all that's the worse kind of conflict there is. When you have a conflict with someone or something else its a lot easier to see where the line is drawn. Some of the best stories are the ones that make you feel what the character in the book is feeling. We have all had personal conflicts or our own demons that we have had to face.

I also, really like what the power point said "Fiction DOES NOT mean that a story is
"fake" or "untrue"; fiction is able to illuminate truth and cause us to reconsider what we perceive as reality". This aloud me to view fiction from a new perspective. I also really enjoyed hearing what other student thought about what fiction was to them. The whole lesson was full of information that I will take with me as a teacher and a as reader.

I know as a teacher I will have a choice on what types of books I have in my classroom. I know that I will have lots of fantasy books. I believe that these are the type of stories that grab you and make you use your imagination. I have to say that fantasy books where the gateway drug for me. Why did I want to read about things that where really happening. The whole idea of reading is to escape and relax. Why read about the real world! I live in it, and that's enough for me.

Authors

Author:
Judy Schachner

Website:
http://www.skippyjonjones.com/

This website was so much fun to visit! Its really bright and the animation is amazing! If you have small children you should let them navigate the site. Everything is set up so easy that a child really could navigate it with very little guidance. Which I thought was great, because after all it is a children book web page. The site offers many of the same things that all the site offer. however this on was more appealing to the eye than most of the others. The site offers a tour, information for teachers, games, videos, downloads and of course the list of books by the author.

Books published:

The stories are targeted for grades k-3rd, but really any age group would enjoy the stories. (There really was not that many from what I could see)

Skippyjon Jones
Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse

Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble
Skippyjon Jones and the Bog Bones

Author:
Beverly Clearly

Website:
http://www.beverlyclearly.com/index.html

The web page was done nice just like the others. It was fairly easy to navigate and it offered many different things like... fun games, books by the author, neighborhood map, information about Beverly Clearly, teacher resource and info about the characters in her stories! I really enjoyed the tour. I never read any of these books but you can read about the characters in her stories and already know what type of books theses are. It really does make you want to grab one of her books and read it.

Books Published:

The illustration is beautiful and the pictures are very colorful and bright. The stories are about a young girl adventures and the trouble that she gets in. Theses books would be great for 4th-5th grade!

Ellen Tebbits
Emily's Run Away Imagination
Mitch and Amy
Muggie and Maggie
Otis Spofford
Socks
Lucky Chuck
A Girl from Yamhill
My Own Two Feet

Author:
Jamie Lee Curtis

Website:
http://www.kidsread.com/reveiws/reviews-curtis-jamie-lee.asp0060287616

(There was no "real" website for her books). I found information about her through another web page (listed above).I heard that she was writing children's books a couple of years ago. I found her book great for younger children. The illustration was also very nice.

Books published:

I'm Gonna Like Me
Where do Balloons Go
When I was Little: A Four Year Old's Memory of Her Youth
Today I feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day
Tell Me Again: About the Night I was Born

EDRG 3344.351 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

Hello Everyone!

Star Trek

I love the movie that we saw in Mrs. Harris class Tuesday. I thought the Star Trek video was a great example of how language barriers effect the way people get along. It has happened in my own home and just like Mrs. Harris said in class it also happened on larger scales like world wars! I thought that the movie portrayed how people get caught up in their own points of view, and they really do not take the time to see things from a different perspective.

On the work sheet Mrs. Harris handed us, there was a question that asked "What do you think it would be like to go someplace where no one understood you". Later I really gave that question some thought, and that would really suck to say the least. I cant imagine what that would feel like just because most countries have English speakers as well (as long as you stay in the city). I try to think how I would feel if I was coming to America and I only spoke Japanese or Mandarin. What a scary experience that must be.

Well I know that I will always try to do my best and over come any language barriers I might face in the future with my students (and husband). It really is something that you have to keep in the front of your mind because you get so caught up in "life" and sometimes forget. That is why there have been wars in the world and also in my house! If everyone just tried to really think about what the other person was "trying" to say instead of how or what they said this world would be a much nicer place to live!