A Fable

The World in the Center of the Universe

Three million years ago, there was a talking animal world in the center of the universe. There were zebras, spotted chameleons, tropical birds, owls and tigers. Long ago, one of each animal ran into a magic circle and became one being. This new animal was called the creator. His black and white zebra horns Stood on his head like a king’s crown and his zebra eyes were gentle and wise. He had a rainbow face with pretty feathers and colorful scales. Two chameleons’ tails made his nose. His mustache was the soft plumage of an owl which partially covered his fanged tiger mouth. The creator and all the animals lived together in love and harmony.

The world in the center of the universe had a sun. The sun shone on the world and gave it warmth. It had so much fun watching the animals play. The sun was happy to be a part of the animal world. Then one day, the sun saw another sun off in the distance. She was beautiful and golden and he fell in love. The sun thought that to win her heart he must have more love to give, so he started absorbing the love from his world. He saw the zebra children playing and he took their love. Then he took the love from the happy tiger couples. Next, he took the love from the chameleons. Finally, he saw the birds and owls and he took their love of flying. After he was done, the sun left with the golden sun leaving his animal world in darkness and despair.

Without the sun and all the love, the world was pitch black and icy cold. The animals started fighting with each other. They yelled and clawed. The birds were so sad, they didn’t fly. Chameleons cried in the trees. The tigers layed sadly in the grass. The zebras walked with their heads down. Mom and dad animals didn’t care about their baby animals. Some others just criedbecause all the love was gone. They were all upset except for one, the animal with love still in his heart, the creator.

The creator went to visit the animal sun. He begged with his whole heart for the sun to give the love back. The sun said that he wanted the love to give to the golden sun, but the golden sun heard the entire conversation. She told the animal world sun that she would not stay with him unless he returned the love to the animals. She told him that she loved him even more when he was just being himself. Since the animal sun cared about her so much, he used all his strength to return the love. The flowers bloomed and the black grass turned green. Fighting turned to playing. A colorful rainbow filled the sky and the birds sang and soared. The chameleons didn’t cry anymore. Tigers ran and wrestled playfully again. Zebras walked with their heads high. It was the happiest day ever. The animal sun learned his lesson. You can’t steal love. It has to come from your heart. And they all lived happily ever after.

THE END

When They Were Ten

When They Were Ten

I would like to know what life was like when my grandparents were my age. What about my aunts and uncles? I want to know their hobbies, what favorite movie, radio or TV show they liked and where they lived. I’m going to interview three members of my family and see what I can learn.

First I called my Grandma Helen. After I said hi, I asked her what hobby she liked when she was my age. My grandma liked to read books. She also played with her orange cat Carrots and her dolls Judy and Dolores. Next, I asked her where she lived when she was my age. She lived in Corry, Pennsylvania. It was a small town with only about ten-thousand people. Her dad worked in a factory that made office furniture and he was the manager. Finally, I asked my grandma what TV, movie or radio show she liked when she was my age. She said she watched Snow White and Bambi, but that’s when she was younger. She didn’t listen to the radio and they didn’t have TV. I’ve never imagined a ten year old life like grandma’s.

After I called my Grandma Helen, I emailed my Grandpa Gary. He gave a lot of information about his younger days. The hobby he liked was building model airplanes and this interest influenced him to become a NASA engineer. He lived on a farm 15 miles north from Sublette, Kansas. He liked growing up there. He worked hard. His favorite movie was Tarzan of the Apes. He went to any Tarzan movie that came to Sublette. He thought it would be fun to live in jungles and be strong like Tarzan. He also watched western movies like Roy Rogers. His horse’s name was Trigger and Grandpa’s horse’s name was Dixie. He listened to radio shows such as Sky King, Cisco Kid, Straight Arrow, Inner Sanctum and Fibber McGhee and Molly. Grandpa’s childhood wasn’t like mine, but it sounds fun.

After talking to Grandpa Gary, Mom and I sent a face book message to Uncle Scott. Uncle Scott’s hobbies were reading, board games and computers. He lived in Niceville, Florida. He had a magnolia tree in his front yard. I even looked it up online and saw it on Google Earth. He had lots of friends and he was a happy kid. He didn’t watch a lot of TV, but he watched the saturday morning cartoons specifically Looney Tunes. Uncle Scott’s childhood seems like it was great because he made lots of friends and had cool hobbies.

Now I have a good idea of what life was like when my relatives were my age. Grandma’s life was different from mine because she played with dolls and didn’t have television. Grandpa’s life was fun because he worked on the farm and watched a lot of Tarzan movies. Uncle Scott’s life was like mine because he played on the computer and watched saturday morning cartoons like I use to. I learned a lot and I’m glad I know what life was like when they were ten.

Westen's Spooky Story

One Dark, Black Night

One dark, black night, a little boy named Andrew was walking through the woods alone. For an 8 year old, Andrew was small. His short, wavy, brown hair looked dark compared to his skin which was pale and thin like the skin of an onion. His striped shirt hung loosely from his shoulders and a pair of baggy jeans almost hid his new brown shoes. As he walked along the leaves crunched under his feet. He saw an old house with broken windows and a crooked front porch nearby, but Andrew didn’t want to go inside. Just then, a clap of lightning broke into the night. He raced for the door, even though he was scared.

When Andrew got to the door, he put his grip on the brass handle of the leopard door knocker and knocked. There was no answer. He turned the knob and the door opened with a creak. There was an eerie rattling and Andrew gasped. Suddenly, another clap of lightning forced him to go inside. Out of nowhere, bugs appeared and swarmed his face, but Andrew slapped them all off with his hands. Before he could find anything, he heard a spooky howl. Then, a rattlesnake slithered right past him. Andrew screamed and ran deeper into the house. There was another terrifying howl which left Andrew cowering in fear.

Trying to be brave, he stood up straight, put his shoulders back and swallowed the lump in his throat. He reached his hands out in the darkness and felt something mushy, wet and slimy. Andrew yanked his hands back, but the slimy thing grabbed him. His heart was pounding. Then another flash of lightning gave him enough light to see that it was a giant worm monster! Andrew struggled to get free and began punching the monster. The monster backed away from Andrew giving him the chance to escape. Andrew ran for his life and he didn’t look back.

-THE END-

Barkling ~ A Short Story

Barkling

This little brown dog is called Barkling. He loves chewing on his bone and he barks a whole lot. He likes food pellets that cats eat. Also, he loves his name because he loves barking all the time.

One day, Barkling is playing on the beach and runs right into a boat. He decides to climb aboard. Suddenly, a strong wind blows it out to sea. Then, a giant whale swallows the boat up making Barkling scared.

Barkling spied a purple fish who lived inside the whale. The fish swam out of a wooden box that the whale had swallowed. The fish hit the whale’s jaws with it’s tail which opened the whale’s mouth. Barkling quickly sailed out of the whale’s mouth before it closed. He made it just in time.

When Barkling wanted to go home, a magical bunny jumped out of the clouds and used it’s magical paws to carry the boat to shore. Once Barkling and the bunny reached the shore, the magical bunny bounced back into the clouds with Barkling on it’s back.

Barkling and the magical bunny got to the cloud top kingdom. That was the place where the bunny lived. Barkling loved the kingdom in the clouds. He wanted to stay forever. He and the bunny played and lived happily ever after.

Hangman's Tree

The Lost Treasure of
The Golden Hangman

My name is Westen and I’m a treasure hunter. I like being a treasure hunter because it’s full of adventure. Today, I’m in search of the Golden Hangman on Hangman’s Tree. Let me tell you the story of me finding the Golden Hangman.

I began my hunt at midnight. The first place I came to was a Spooky Cave. Once I walked into the cave, a friendly bat flew right toward me with a clue. The clue said that we have to go to Rock Peak next.

Once the bat and I got to Rock Peak, the dragon who lived at the peak flew out of nowhere. All of a sudden, a giant wind blew the dragon away, leaving the second clue behind followed by a baby dragon. The baby dragon gave us the clue and it said that the next place we have to go to is the bridge, but it’s broken.

When the bat, the dragon and I got to the broken bridge, we found a poor animal underneath it. It was a leech fish. We pulled it off of the broken bridge and found a tiny clue on its bottom. It said to go to Lucky Lagoon. On the way, it started to rain.

Once we got to the lagoon, a lucky sea snake jumped out of the water and transformed into a bridge. When we got across, the sea snake coughed out a clue that said to go to the Indian Camp.

Once we got to the Indians, an Indian bird, who had the next clue, was trapped in one of the teepees because it was mean. I told the Indians that I’d train it to be nice, so they set it free. After we went away from the Indian camp, the Indian bird gave us the clue.

It said to go to Frolic Forest. When we got there, there were a lot of wicked trees we had to get through first. After we got through them, we found a male monkey and a female monkey. The male monkey had the final clue and the female monkey had the key to the treasure.

The final clue said to go to Hangman’s Tree where The Golden Hangman lies. When we all got to where the treasure was, there were six hollow squares and a key hole. I put in all the clues, along with turning the lock which unlocked a secret door on Hangman’s Tree.

When all of the animals and I were about to walk through it, I woke up from my adventure. I felt so confused. I couldn’t believe it was all a dream! I will keep thinking about finding the treasure at Hangman’s Tree for the rest of my life.

Descriptive Writing Paragraph

Fortune Teller

We were at the Renaissance Festival. We stopped by this Gypsy Fortune Teller’s House. The Fortune Teller had red robes, blue eyes, and long dark blonde hair. She was very warm hearted and I felt comfortable. I never had my fortune told before. The Fortune Teller reminded me of the one in Scooby-Doo. It felt like she was seeing into my mind. She said that I would get married and have two kids and grow up to do something important. I was listening hard. I hope my fortune will come true.

Poetry by Westen

Autobiographical

I am Westen

I like Majora's Mask

I hope I will beat it

I dislike the big task

I admire termina field

I fear not a thing

I need to get lots of items

I know about nothing

I wish I would know

I wonder where to go

Acrostic Poems

Moonlight in the sky

Often not an eye

Of the bright moon

Not sunny noon

Flowers are fluffy

Lovely and puffy

Often good plants

Without ants

Eager to grow

Rain not mow

Sunlight dance

Cinquains

Dad

Bald, caring

Plays Guitar Hero

Grateful, happy reading stories

Father

Elvis

Furry playful

Likes eating fast

Loves playing with toys

Cat

Haiku

The Blowing

The big blowing wind,

It blows things off to their side

It will never stop.

The Kangaroo

Jumps on hot deserts,

He wants to find his mommy

But he can't do it.

Westen's Book Report

Last quarter Westen's reading book was The Janitor's Boy by Andrew Cements. We began this quarter by writing a book report. I gave Wes a rubric in the form of a submarine sandwich to keep it fun, but make no mistake, this was a serious report which included setting, character descriptions, summary, climax, vocabulary words and art work. He made first drafts, went through the process of editing and then carefully wrote final drafts onto his sandwich pieces. He also presented his finished report orally which he enjoyed doing because he was very proud of his sub!

Westen's Fable

The Iguanas and Chameleons that Fight and Tease

Once upon a time, the sun woke up and the sun can't wait to see what good things are happening in the forest. Something was happening in the forest, but it wasn't good. The iguanas and chameleons were fighting and teasing about who got to go up the tallest tree first. The iguanas think they are more clever and the chameleons think they are more special. They were so noisy that they woke up the cobras from their morning nap. The cobras couldn't take it, so they hissed with all their might, but the enemies kept on fighting. Then the lizards can't take it, so they wapped their tails, but it didn't stop the fighting foes. Then the hippo roared! It finally got their attention. "If you guys do not stop fighting, no one can have the tree!" the hippo shouted. The iguanas and chameleons felt bad about not getting the tree and disturbing all the animals so they decided to take turns. That night, the sun went to bed feeling happy and pleased that the iguanas and chameleons finally solved their problem.

Week 4 (2009/2010)

It's the middle of our 4th week of the school year. Wes finished his paper on Prehistoric Peoples. He's still learning about introductions and conclusions, but it's his first real paper. It represents mind mapping, outlining, drafting, writing and editing.
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Prehistoric Peoples

by Westen

This paper is about prehistoric people. You’ll learn about eight different groups. It will go from Hominids to Civilization.

Hominids are the first people discovered. Hominids are primates that walk on two legs. They were three to five feet tall. Leaves, fruits, and dead animals are what they ate. All of them lived in Africa 3.5 million years ago.

The next people that have been discovered were Homo Habilis. They had larger brains than the Hominids. They were the first to create and use tools. They were the first handy people. Homo Habilis lived 2.5 million years ago.

Homo Erectus were the third people discovered. They’re people who stand erect. They were gatherers at first but then became hunters. They developed tools such as clubs to hunt. They lived in Europe, Asia, and Africa 1.5 million years ago.

Neanderthals were next. Neanderthals had strong and muscular bodies. They were five to six feet tall. They used tools for special purposes. They lived in Africa 200,000 years ago.

Homo Sapiens Sapiens are the fifth people discovered. They were the first modern humans. They started in Africa, and then they moved to Europe and Asia. They wiped out the Neanderthals. They lived 100,000 years ago.

Cromagnons were the next people discovered. They’re named after the location of their discovery in France, but they lived in Europe, Asia, and Africa too. Many Cromagnon fossils and artifacts have been found. They used sticks and berries to draw in caves. They had better tools than the Neanderthals.

The Cromagnons became Hunter Gatherers. They hunt, kill, and collect the food. They used arrows, clubs, and other kinds of tools to kill the food. A gatherer collects berries, leaves, and other kinds of food that grows. They lived 15,000 years ago in Asia.

People became civilized 5,000 years ago. Farming allowed people to build villages along rivers. They also domesticated animals to feed them. People lived together in houses and the population grew. The first village may have been in Mesopotamia.

We have just learned about prehistoric peoples. The eight different groups were Hominids, Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, Neanderthals, Homo Sapiens Sapiens, Cromagnons, Hunter Gatherers, and Civilization. These groups have changed over time by getting smarter.

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So now we have moved on and are beginning study on Native American Cultures beginning with the Mogollon. In Science we are still studying processes of the earth. We just covered Hurricanes and Earthquakes. In Vocab we just finished up Homographs and a review of the first section. Now we move on to prefixes. In math we are studying multi-digit multiplying with regrouping. We are on lesson 3 in our fluency studies and chapter six of our fiction reading. I guess that's it in a nutshell.