"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain

Let Mark Twain inspire you to write 3 goals in your journal this week. What would you like to explore, dream, discover? Your goals should be significant - things that will be challenging to attain, yet attainable by the end of this school year.

Your goals could focus on skills, knowledge, or attributes that you would like to improve/develop. You could think of things that you would like to do to make the world a better place. You could think of some thing(s) that you could do for someone else.

You'll be evaluating yourself on how well you achieve these goals in one of your end of the year journal entries, so put a lot of thought into the goals that you select. Let us know what we can do to help you to reach your goals.

All About Me

Everyone has unique interests, talents, and personality traits. Think of 10 words that describe your interests (hobbies, what you do in your free time, after school activities, favorite classes, favorite animals, etc.), your talents (awards, special recognition, thing that people always notice about you, etc.), and/or your personality (kind, generous, funny, intellectual, etc.).

Narrow your list down to 3 to 5 of your traits. Write about these traits in your journal this week. Be sure to identify each trait one by one. Give examples/details from your life to help explain why you picked each trait.

We'll be using this essay as an inspiration for the design of your original coat of arms, so have fun thinking of words that describe your personality.

My 'Top Ten' Lists

It has been great getting to know each other during the past few weeks. Let's use this week's journal time to find out even more about each other.

Let's select a topic a day and develop our individualized lists to go with each topic. We'll play a game with the results on Friday.

• Monday's topic is:
• Tuesday's topic is:
• Wednesday's topic is:
• Thursday's topic is:
• Friday's topic is:

My Favorite Room

Authors paint pictures with words. Paint a picture of your favorite room in your house. Use a variety of imagery (5 senses) to help describe your favorite spot.

Organize your essay with an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Your introduction should help us imagine who you are, help us to imagine arriving at your favorite room, and leave us wanting to learn more about your special spot. Each of your 3 body paragraphs should focus on one point/thing you like about your room. Your points could be about how your room makes you feel, your favorite furniture in the room, the colors in your room, what you like to do in your room, etc. Use details/examples to help us understand your main points. Finish your essay with a concluding paragraph that summarizes the points you made about your favorite room and inspire us to reflect about our own favorite room.

My Favorite Season

I love fall! The crunch of the leaves as I walk to school, the juicy apples I eat at lunchtime, the crisp cold morning air, the blaze of colors on the ridges, the slight scent of wood fires burning, fall is truly a delight for the senses. Just give me a chance and I'll persuade you that fall is the best season of the year!

What season is your favorite? Why? Write an essay describing your favorite season. Try to convince me to change my mind about what my favorite season is (or try to convince me that I'm right about fall).

Organize your essay with an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Your introduction should lead up to your topic (your favorite season). Each of your body paragraphs should focus on one aspect of your season (holidays, common activities, etc.). Be sure to include examples/details to support each of your 3 main points. Wrap up your essay with a conclusion that summarizes your points and inspires others to choose your season as their favorite, too.

A Wish That Came True

You've just had one of the most grueling days of your life when you stumble upon a wishing well. It's a special wishing well that will change something at school. While you don't typically believe in such things, you toss a penny down the well and make a wish. Lo and behold, it comes true.

Write a story in your journal about your tough day, how you discovered the well, what you wished for, why you wished for it, and what happened.

Town and Gown Contest

"Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something."
- Plato

Select your own topic to write about this week. You are wise. You have something to say. I'm happy to read/listen :D.

Will This Story be a Trick or Treat?

What a great week - my birthday's on Thursday and Halloween's on Friday. Let's celebrate this fun week by writing a story together.

The way this will work is each person will add one sentence to help further the story. There is one catch: You must start your sentence with the alphabet letter that follows the one that started the prior sentence. For example, if the last sentence is "The sun was shining bright that morning," the first word of your sentence must start with a "U." (When it gets to "Z," start back again with "A.").

Hail to the Chief

Who will be the next President of the US? Why you are of course!

It's at least 25 years into the future. You've just been elected to be the President of the United States. Your journal entry this week should tell us all about you. Why did you decide to run for the office of President of the United States? What issues did you campaign about? What things will you keep the same? What things will you change? Who will work with you as your Vice President and/or cabinet members?

What would it really be like to move into the White House and make your mark as President?  Click here to find out (and see how the press reacts to the decisions you make)!

What if...

• What would happen if you could fly whenever you wanted?
• What if cows gave root beer instead of milk?
• What would happen if it really did rain cats and dogs?
• What would happen if animals could talk?
• What if you could walk up walls and across ceilings?
• What would happen if children ruled the world?

Write a journal entry describing your alternate world, a world in which something has changed. Use the ideas listed above or come up with your own ideas about the unique attributes of this alternate reality.  Write about what caused this change to our current reality. How have people adapted to this alternate reality? How is your life different there? What's a typical day like? Will this reality continue? be replaced? shift back to our reality?

Here's a graphic organizer to help you plan your story (print it off and pencil in your ideas).

Thankfulness

Use your journal time this week to reflect on things you have to be thankful for. Family, friends, home, pet, school, sports, toys, world peace (we can always hope). Organize your entry with an introduction, one body paragraph per supporting topic, and a concluding paragraph. (By the way, we're thankful that you are on our team!)

If, as G. K. Chesterton suggests, there are no rules for fantasy architecture, should there be rules for anything? Consider: is it the rule breakers or the rule makers whom we admire most? Is it ever OK to break a rule?

Use this week's journal time as an opportunity to talk about all the rules you have to follow in your life. Are all of these rules necessary? Do you follow them? What happens if you do/don't? Do other people have to follow the same rules? What happens if they break the rules? Should we keep all these rules or change them? Use specific examples and defend your position on whether it is better to make and abide by rules, or to break them and go beyond the boundaries.

Hidden Meaning

• What does "Have your cake and eat it too" mean to you?
• What does "The early bird gets the worm" mean to you?
• What do we mean when we say, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence"?
• What does "You can't take it with you" mean?
• What do we mean when we say, "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar"?
• What do we mean when we say, "Hitch your wagon to a star"?
• What does "There are two sides to every coin" mean to you?

Use your journal time this week to explain one or more of these idioms. Write an introduction explaining what an idiom is. Then select one idiom and write 3 body paragraphs explaining its meaning or select 3 idioms and write 3 body paragraphs (1 paragraph for each idiom) explaining the meaning of each idiom. Wrap up your entry with a concluding paragraph that summarizes your main points.

"Anyone can steer the ship when the sea is calm."
- Pubilius Syrus

It can also be said, regarding the quote above, that some steer, and some follow. It does not mean that one is necessarily better than the other. Which one are you? Which do you prefer, and why?

Use your journal time this week to write about how you've worked with others during the school year. When have you been a good leader? a good follower? Hook us into your essay with an introductory paragraph. Then write at least three substantial paragraphs supporting your thesis. Use examples from group projects that you did this year. Discuss specific attributes (personality traits) and skills (taking turns, listening, supporting, etc.) that you used as a leader/follower. Finish up with a concluding paragraph that summarizes your views on being a leader or a follower.

Happy New Year

What are your New Year's resolutions for 2009? Are any of them the same as one of the goals that you set at the beginning of this school year?

Use your journal time to stop and think back about how the school year has been going. Write about what's going well and what's not so nifty (I'll try to keep the good stuff going and see what we can do about the things that aren't going so well). Organize your journal entry with an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Your introduction should hook us into your essay and make us want to learn more about your thoughts. Each body paragraph should focus on one main topic and include details/examples to help the reader understand what you are thinking/feeling. Wrap up your entry with a conclusion that summarizes your main points.

Do you agree that "character is higher than intellect"? Why or why not? What three character traits are more important than just being smart? Write a five paragraph essay and defend your position with an introductory paragraph, three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Your introduction should 'hook' us into your topic. Each paragraph should emphasize one main point that you are trying to make and include examples to back up your points. Your conclusion should 'wrap up' your essay by summarizing your points and inspiring us at the same time.

My Ideal Teacher

Do you have a favorite teacher? Can you imagine your ideal teacher? What traits should a good teacher have?

Write an essay about your ideal teacher. Organize your essay with an introduction, 3 body paragraphs and a concluding paragraph. Your introduction should hook us into wanting to read about your ideal teacher. Each body paragraph should focus on one topic (either a specific teacher or trait). Use examples/details to back up your main points. Wrap up your essay with a concluding paragraph that summarizes your main points and inspires us to agree with your point of view.

Bullying

Have you ever seen someone pick on someone else? How does that make you feel? What can you do when someone is getting bullied?

Write an essay about how to end the problem of bullying. Use your introduction to define what bullying is through examples of bullying behavior that you have seen or heard about. Then think of 3 solutions to bullying and/or ways to help out someone who is being bullied. Each solution should be presented with details/examples in 3 separate body paragraphs. Wrap up your essay with a concluding paragraph that summarizes your 4 main points and inspires us to all work towards ending bullying behavior.

Friendship

With Valentine's Day approaching, you're probably working on making cards for your friends. By the way, what do you think it takes to be a good friend? Loyalty, honesty, generosity? What makes a good friend? Reflect on the topic of friendship in your journal this week.

Organize your journal entry with an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Your introduction should 'hook' us into the topic of friendship. Each of your 3 body paragraphs should focus on a specific aspect of friendship or a specific friend. Include examples/details in each body paragraph that focus on the topic of that paragraph. Wrap up your entry with a conclusion that summarizes your 3 main points about friendship.

PSSA Writing Exam for Grade 5

"The wisest mind has something yet to learn."
George Santayana

Imagine that something you own is found in the future, and considered a relic. Determine what object of yours has been found in a future archaeological dig, and how those future archaeologists will interpret your item - whether it's a tennis shoe, an ipod, or... ? Include information about who has found it, what the future society is like, etc.

"Every now and then go away, even briefly. Have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer, since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power."
- Leonardo da Vinci

No journal this week. Enjoy your spring vacation! Have a little relaxation - you deserve it!

PSSA Reading and Math Exams

- William Shedd

It's important to get out of your 'comfort zone' every now and then. Have you ever done something that was kind of scary, risky, or new? Have you ever put your ship to sail?

Write about a time(s) when you had to do something that you'd never done before. What was your challenge? How did you prepare to meet it? What happened? How did it make you feel after everything was over?

Take a chair. Oh, not just any kind of chair. This chair has a tale to tell. It can be old, new, middle aged, plastic, broken, painted, chipped, antique, an armchair, a wheelchair, a bus seat, a royal throne... You choose the chair, and you choose its history.

How did it come to be? Who has owned it? Has it been moved about from place to place? Was it made by an important designer? Stamped out in a factory? Belonging to an artist, or Marie Antoinette? Wherever your chair has been, or whoever has owned it, this chair has a tale to tell, and it has chosen you to tell it.

Write a story about the chair. Describe how it was made, what it looked like, who owned it, how it was used, things it saw, etc. Your story could be an autochairography, a mystery story, a sci fi story. Whatever!

Superhero!

Today is the day you've been waiting for it all your life! YOU have just attained superhero status!

So, what can you do? Are you able to become invisible? Climb buildings like Spiderman? Save damsels in distress like Clark Kent, aka Superman? What unique abilities would you have as a superhero, and how would you use them? You can either write a secret diary entry explaining who you are and what your talents are, or write a scenario where you show what they are in a mini-adventure.

Fortunately, Unfortunately

Have you ever played the game, "Fortunately, Unfortunately"? One player starts out by saying something that happened that was indeed fortunate. However, the next person must continue with an unfortunate consequence, and the sequence repeats itself.

This week, take one of the more memorable characters in a book you have read with our class this year or think of an original main character. Then give him or her something very fortunate, followed by, yes, something terribly unfortunate. Take this scenario back and forth for a few paragraphs, and see where it ultimately ends up leading your by-this-time-frazzled character!

- Immanuel Kant

Is it possible to act, all of the time, so that your actions at any given time could be held up as a model for the entire community? Is there any time we slip, being human? Or are we always able to be perfect in our actions?

Write a five paragraph, persuasive essay, taking one side or the other: can we act perfectly, or are we incapable of leading our lives without fault? Do we live in a 'black and white' world of absolutes? Should we allow 'gray' areas? Use examples from your life to back up your opinion.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Remember that 'moms' come into our lives in lots of ways. Some of us have a mom, some of us have a grandmom, and some of us have a special aunt who takes care of us. Since May 11th is Mother's Day, let's take this opportunity to thank the 'moms' in our lives.

Spend this week creating a book of poems, a story, a set of coupons, or other reflection to share with your mom, grandmom, or special aunt. She'll appreciate your love and thoughtfulness!

"Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it."
- Michel de Montaigne

How true is the quote above for you? Have you ever tried to forget something, and it was not as easy as you thought it might be? (And why is it always easier the opposite way - that you forget things you shouldn't forget!)

Write a short story about something that you tried to forget/or forgot. Use personal examples and/or make up your story. You could write a story that teaches a lesson or try to make it a light or even comedic piece.

Don't forget to turn in your journal entry by Friday :D.

End of Year Project

You're busy working on wrapping up the year, catching up on late work, editing your website, making plans for the summer.... You're busy, busy, busy! Yet, I've asked you to do one more thing. It's time to get started on your End of the Year Project!

Use this week's journal time to talk about your project. What's your topic? Why did you choose it? What kinds of things are you going to include in your presentation? What help do you need in order to get your presentation done? How are you going to present it to the team?

Have fun planning your presentation - it's going to be great!

Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.
- Chinese Proverb

Well, this is the week. It's time to wrap up your journal with your final entry. It's been a great year for all of us. We have all worked hard, learned a lot, had a lot of fun. We rock!

Use this week's journal entry to evaluate the goals that you set for yourself at the beginning of the year. How'd you do? Did you meet your goals? How'd you do that? Were there any challenges along the way? How'd you overcome them? Did you revise your goals along the way? Why? How'd you do on your new goals?

You may also use this journal as a chance to give me some feedback on the year. What did you like the best (that'll help me to know what to work into our projects for next year). If you're looping with us, what projects would you like to do next year (I'll do my best to work your ideas in). Write whatever else is on your mind as we wrap up this school year.

Once again, be proud of all you accomplished this year. You're an amazing person!