NewsQuest

Fifth Graders Reflections on Weblogging

Mrs. Mateling came to class and thoroughly enjoyed having her students share their simulated interviews. These fifth graders really know their teacher!  She was amazed at their anwers. Last week Mrs. Barandiaran marveled over how well her fourth graders knew her. Fifth graders wrote their reflections on our weblog learning.  What a great way to end the year - good writing, good fellowship, and good reflections!  What more could we want? You'll want to read each and everyone of these end-of-the year reflections.....lots of good thinking going on here!

Ben's Reflections

Brianna's Reflections

Dane's Reflections

Jacqueline's Reflections

Kayla's Reflections

Lindsay's Reflections

Lucy's Reflections

Melanie's Reflections

Fourth Graders Reflect on our Weblog Learning

Fifth graders were off on a field trip, so my fourth graders got some special attention today.  Jennifer, Derrick, and Emily - I want you to know how proud I am of you.  Your reflections on weblogs was outstanding!  I know lots of other educators will enjoy receiving your input. Here are their reflections:

Emily's Reflections

Derrick's Reflections

Jennifer's Reflections

We spent time discussing how we can extend our learning throughout the summer.  I'm thinking of making a weblog just for the students so they can send questions, thoughts, etc to me as we won't be meeting as a group during the summer.  I want them to still be able to post news stories throughout the summer, if they are interested!  All 3 of my fourth graders were very interested! I'll check with the fifth graders next week.

A Simulated Interview with Our Teachers

Well done, students! I think you had a great session! You made excellent choices for your guests and I believe they really enjoyed their visit! They were in awe of all you had accomplished.

What a great variety of questions you came up with. I truly wish we had the time to actually go out and do the interviews. That will be another time someday, hopefully.

I continue to see improvement in how you are able to stand and give a quick review and synopsis of our previous session. Lindsay, you did an exceptionally good job in that area today.

Emily was quick to grasp the concept of disclaimers. She told us that she had read many of them. Remember to keep that up - always a good habit to develop!

Jennifer, as always, quietly and efficiently, goes about her work.

Even though Brianna was out, you quickly caught up and created a good interview.

Derrick persevered on his interview today. I am impressed with that.

Kayla did a good job explaining things to her guest as did Jacqueline, Lucy, Melanie, Ben, and Dane!

The brief and speedy lesson on stories seemed to be understood by most of you. If you need a quick review next week, let me know.

In closing, tell our guests how much we enjoyed their presence today. They added a lot to our class. Keep up the good work!

I enjoyed looking at and signing your yearbooks today. They are impressive!

Remember your homework on the weblog evaluation questions. You're probably all going to develop some more brain wrinkles on that assignment. I know you will rise to the occasion.

Recognizing Dane

Dane surely should be recognized, along with his classmate, Zakkiyya for being chosen to be the art reporters for the school.  What an accomplishment and one we want to celebrate!  Here is Dane's story: I was chosen by our art teacher to be the art reporter of our school along with one other student, Zakkiyya. Zakkiyya and I were honored to take the responsibility. Here is our report so far:  

The Art of Masks

BY:DANE AND ZAKKIYYA Over the past couple of weeks the fifth grade of J.H.House has been learning the technique of mask making. This unique art has been around for centuries. Back then, the masks were used for cerimonies and other rituals. Today, they are for fun and shows. Here are the steps the fifth graders took to make our artwork. Mask making can be challenging, but it can also be fun! Here are the steps  to make the cultural masks. Grab your materials, aluminum foil, craft sticks, newspaper print, permanent markers, pencil, and tape. On  the news print draw the craziest masks you can possibly drem up. Note* Make sure the face covers up most of your paper.        Take the foil and bear down on the foil, enough to make your face show up on the foil. Now do designs on the opposite side of the face. BE CREATIVE!! 5. Turn over your mask,color, and add your final touches. Dane's Mask                         Zakkiyya's Mask

A Picture Worth a Thousand Words by Lindsay

Your writing was really good this week.  I'm sorry we did not have time last week to read them all out loud.  We'll do that this week.  Meanwhile I just had to spotlight Lindsay's.....

A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

   What if a picture was worth a thousand words? The picture I just saw from U.S. News and World Report  shows two dead Iraqi soldiers lying in a trench with a white flag next to them. What thousand words does this picture tell? The caption said "Dead Iraqi troops in a trench that was overrun by British Marines as they took control of the Al Faw Peninsula".         What was the white flag for!? The white flag is a symbol of surrender.People displaying a white flag should not be fired upon or attacked.          In Iraq the caption could have easily said, "This was murder under a flag of truce. The soldiers were trying to surrender but were killed anyway." In the U.S. the caption might say, "White flag used as bit to draw troops close enought to kill. " Or after a heavy artillery raid and two fellow soldiers were killed and the rest of the men gave up with the white flag. Another possibility could be that they were ready to give up to the first American troops, but they were shelled before they had a chance to even see somone to surrender to.           This war is showing us more pictures than any other war in history , but from whose point of view???? Each picture tells a story ,it's the one taking the picture that starts the story. The other 999 words are from those who see it.

Brianna's THANK YOU

Students, You all did such a good job thanking your New Jersey mentors and Mr. Richardson.  I was touched by all of them and extremely proud of your writing.  I just had to spotlight Brianna's thank you to Eric and Emily. Well done, Brianna!  Writing straight from the heart..... Dear Eric and Emily, THANK YOU so much for everything that you have done for me. There are hardly any words to describe how much I appreciate you, but I will try my hardest to present a good picture in your mind. This interaction has been extraordinary for me. It seems like we have only just begun this experience, and I never want it to end. At first all of this seemed to be a fairy tale, but I know it is real. It is not everyday that a bunch of 4th and 5th grade students get the chance to interact with high school students from New Jersey. In my heart I believe that you are great role models for me, and you have inspired me to become a journalist. Every word that I have said in this news post came from the heart. :( :( :( :( Brianna

Georgia is Stepping Up to the Plate

I just want all of you to know that I am very proud of your efforts! You are "really stepping up to the plate." In fact, we all celebrated today because one of our team members hit a home run! Congratulations, Emily! I was astounded with your writing today. I even shared it with the Mrs. Hooper (The very fine principal of J. H. House Elementary School!) I am going to showcase it here for all to read.

Smart is Back

"It's real, it's real. I can't begin to tell you how happy I am. What an absolute miracle." These were some of the words Elizabeth Smart's dad spoke when Elizabeth was found. Taken from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah at knifepoint on June 5, 2002, she is now safely home.

Brian David Mitchell took Elizabeth Smart. He is a 43-year-old handyman that begged for work off the street and worked one day at the Smart house. Also charged was Mitchell's wife, Wanda Barzee. Elizabeth is believed to have been taken to be one of Mitchell's wives in his plan to have 49 wives.

Now after nine months, Elizabeth is home safe and happy - playing her harp again. The family expressed their gratitude for the extensive media coverage and prayers to help find Elizabeth.

For all those who are still looking for loved ones, don't give up hope.

We will not live in fear.

We are watching.

We are united.

We are praying.

We will never ever give up.

We are all family.

www.elizabethsmart.com

This touched me. If you have a heart, you will be touched like I was.

Now, the important thing to remember is that, of course, we cannot hit a homerun every time. That's OK. Just continue to work at improving your writing, and most of all take time to enjoy the process. Good writing takes hard work, but you can feel so good about continuing to improve. I am proud of each and every one of you.

N.J. students, there was not enough time today in class for my students to respond to you in the way that they would have liked. Fifth graders were being tested today so our time was cut in half. We had to squeeze a lot into one hour - usually we have two hours! The faces on my students told a great story - they were taking all of your responses in and really thinking about it.... learning a lot. They are beginning to internalize some of the new things they are experiencing. I saw lots of smiles and heard some exclamations of joy as they shared comments.

It was a good day in Georgia........

New Jersey Leads!

The article about "Free Speech "in Time for Kids is a good one. Your New Jersey cohorts (tell me what that word means!) have given you some excellent help. In fact, let me share the email that I sent to Mr. Richardson (their teacher).

"Just have to tell you - your kids are AWESOME! Some of the responses are coming in and they are supportive and kind, and giving EXCELLENT feedback! The human touch plus constructive suggestions."

I'll get your thoughts tomorrow about the other posts they made to your sites where they gave you individual help.

Your mentors went through the article, just like Meredith and Kristen did on the article we discussed in class.(A great big thank you to them for creating such a great teaching tool!) We're going to focus on leads. I'm sure most of you have read the article already so here are the comments Mr. Richardson's students made:

"The lead is effective because the writer leaves the reader asking questions, but they get the point of the story. It is interesting enough that the reader wants to know more."

"This is a lead...it is affective because it is describing what is going on in the article, it is focusing on one person being in an incident that is taking place in the article."

"This lead does a good job of setting up the article so the reader knows what its going to be about. At the same time it tries to grab the reader's attention by describing the situation and including an arrest and police involvement. It does its job because everyone wants to know what happened to these people after they got arrested and what exactly they got in trouble for."

"This lead paints a picture for the reader that shows two regular people who are against the war with Iraq. It sets up the rest of the article because gives a story that relates to the topic without giving away exactly what the story is about. It works because it draws the reader into the story, and it is also something many Americans can probably relate to easily."

"The first four paragraphs are a lead. It is almost like a story within a story. It is descrbing a situation that takes place. This situation is something that the people do that relates to the story as a whole."

"This is called a feature story lead. It uses a particular story to start the aticle and give a specific example of whatever the topic may be. This particular lead use's the persons own feelings to convay the message properly."

"This is the lead of a feature story. It involves someone doing something somewhere. It's kind of like a story/introduction into the story. He wants to draw your attention to the story, and it makes you want to know more about what's going on because he doesn't want to give away too much information."

"This lead contains a great explanation of the story that they are trying to bring across. It describes the story but starts off sort of dry in getting the attention of the reader."

Think about what they wrote and we'll talk tomorrow. Can't wait to see you!

Practicing Leads

Leads have been posted so check them out on the student blogs. Give us feedback.

Your teachers attended a weblog workshop today and were most impressed with what you have been doing. You may be called on to help with some weblogging in your classrooms! What fun!

Breaking Down the News

Meredith and Kristen present.....

Breaking Down the News Story

Ashcroft: Al-Qaida Arrest a 'Severe Blow

The Associated Press
March 4, 2003, 1:12 PM EST

Washington -- Attorney General John Ashcroft told Congress Tuesday that a major al-Qaida arrest over the weekend is a severe blow to al-Qaida that could destabilize their terrorist network worldwide." This is a news lead, with the questions who, what, when, where, and why included.

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, was "the brain " of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida organization and bin Laden's "senior terrorist attack planner," Ashcroft told the Senate Judiciary Committee.In this nutgraph, the reporter explains the details of the story, as well as setting up the next quote with a source.

"Next to bin Laden, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was the FBI's most wanted terrorist" , Ashcroft said. A quote with source.

Ashcroft also announced the January arrests of a Yemeni cleric who officials said secretly raised money and recruited troops for al-Qaida and Hamas. A complaint unsealed Tuesday in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., charges Sheik Mohammed Ali Hasan al-Moayad with providing material support to a terrorist network.More information and a setup with source

"The FBI undercover operation developed information that al-Moayad personally handed Osama bin Laden $20 million from his terrorist fund-raising network," Ashcroft said. A quote with a source.

Al-Moayad, and his assistant, Mohammed Mohsen Yahya Zayed, were arrested Jan. 10 in a sting operation at a hotel near Frankfurt airport in Germany. U.S. authorities consider al-Moayad≠s arrest a blow to Muslim charities used as fronts to finance terrorism. A detail paragraph!

Intelligence officials over the weekend captured Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, operations chief for the al-Qaida terror network, in Pakistan. The Judiciary Committee was hearing about the developments Tuesday in testimony from Ashcroft, FBI Director Robert Mueller and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.More detail and a setup and source.

"The capture of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed by Pakistan authorities, in coordination with the CIA, is a severe blow to al-Qaida that could destabilize their terrorist network worldwide," Ashcroft told the committee. A quote and source.

Mueller said that while bin Laden is more internationally known, Mohammed "was the operational mastermind." Setup and source.

"His terrorist plots are believed to include the 1993 World Trade Center, the USS Cole bomb delivered by boat and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks delivered by air, having resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent people," Mueller said. Quote and source.

Law enforcement officials so far have stopped "well in excess" of 100 terrorist attacks around the world through their work, Mueller said. Setup and source.

"We also are looking with some anticipation to determine what information we may obtain from whatever was seized with Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in hopes of exploiting those materials with the expectation that we will be able to avert additional attacks," the FBI director said. Quote and source.

"The apprehension of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is just one more success in a string of successes by you and others in the law enforcement and intelligence community aimed at disrupting and eliminating al-Qaida from the face of this earth," Senate Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah said. Quote with a source. Most of the time there would be a setup in between, but there are acceptions to the rules when it makes sense.

But Democrats and some Republicans have become highly critical of administration efforts to ensure against new terror attacks and to round up al-Qaida operatives in the nearly 18 months since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. More info!

Just last week, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, all Judiciary Committee members, issued a report contending that the FBI and Justice Department had done a poor job with a law permitting broad new surveillance of suspected terrorists or foreign spies. Setup and info."Sept. 11 might well have been prevented,"

Specter said. "What are they doing now to prevent another 9/11? " Quote and source.

Leahy, Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and other Democrats say they≠ve been asking Justice officials for months for their ideas on expanding the anti-terrorism statutes but have been rebuffed. Leahy said a Justice official told one of his staffers that no new law was being crafted, less than a week before what appeared to be a leaked copy of a new draft anti-terrorism proposal was posted on the Internet by The Center for Public Integrity. Info and source, Setup.

"Somebody who reports directly to you lied to her and this is not a good thing," Leahy said.
"I think it shows a secretive process in developing this." Quote and source.

Ashcroft said he would respond later to Leahy's charge "that there are individuals in the Justice Department that have been lying." Source with information and a quote.

Ashcroft said earlier that no decisions have been made on a final proposal for an anti-terrorism expansion, although officials were working with "a full range of ideas." Closing!

Copyright © 2003, Newsday, Inc.
Posted by Meredith F. on 3/4/03; 8:12:15 PM from the General dept.
Discuss

From Mrs. D to all NewsQuest students......
Take a good look. What a super job on Meredith and Kristen's part. Hats off to two motivated and hard-working students.

We'll be discussing this tomorrow! It's going to be a great learning day! See ya in the morning. Remember to read, write, and reflect!