Book review by Eugenio
R.A.F.T. by Haylie Dec. 6th, 1352
Dear Friend, My name is Emma and I am writing to you about all of the new and exciting changes in our time. I am the daughter of one of the nobles of my country. Recently I ran away from the manor I live at with my friend Ava to the town where her family lives. Her father is a merchant, so her family is getting rich very quickly. While on my trip, I learned a little bit about town life. Before I was born the towns where not as populated. Instead, most of the populations were farmers, according to my grandfather. When I went to the town, I found the streets very narrow and there was garbage and human waste everywhere on the sides of the streets. What I also learned about were the guilds. Guilds apparently are groups of workers that are very good at the same craft. Guilds only allowed the best workers into their group, and they can control how many products are produced and how much they cost by themselves. The only bad thing was that fire was the main danger. All what needed to happen was for someone to knock down a candle or something and then the whole town would ignite and catch on fire. Other than that, towns are very delightful. I have recently started to feel bad for the peasants. They have to all sorts of disgusting jobs for barely anything. I have been seeing Father start to order some of the peasants that work on our manor grounds to collect leeches. I had heard that doctors have been using leeches for anything but I didn't get why Father ordered the peasants to collect them, but I later discovered that the doctors bought leeches to use. Curious I followed one of the peasants Father ordered to collect leeches, but what I ended up seeing was the worst thing I have ever seen in my life. How the peasants collected the leeches wasn't how I expected it at all. Instead of just getting buckets of water from the pond and picking out the leeches like I thought, the peasants had to go into the water and once they felt a leech start to drink their blood, they would take them off of their bodies and put them into a little sack on their so called "belts". One of the last big changes that has recently occurred is the Black Plague. I heard that in your country, the Black Plague killed millions jut like in Europe. My mother died in the time of the Black Plague. She first started showing symptoms about a week before she died. My father brought a plague doctor to the manor to treat mother, but his remedies only made her suffer even more. What he did to her was so horrible, that I don't even want to describe it. Almost every day now since she died on March 5, in 1850, just to see if I can still feel the warmth of her love and life, but I never can. It is like there is a big hole inside of me. Even though the Black Plague didn't strike me, it still has been destroying me little by little. I have been going to her grave less and less, because I am starting to relies, even though I don't want to believe it, she is gone and is not going to come back for the rest of eternity. Ever since Mother died, my father has been acting very weird around me. Then he told me I was to be married. Girls getting married at my age of ten is very common, but I never thought it would happen to me. I am to be married to one of the other noble's sons who is one year older than me. Life here is just not fair. Maybe can you tell me about what your life is like? Sincerely, Emma Reflective post by Eugenio (written as an SMS conversation)
Video tutorial by Nidhi and Eugenio Video tutorial by Sofi and Haylie 100 Word Challenges from the 10YOC. Click on a dot to open. Episodic narrative by Emil Episode One: Gray Tractor
Just as my grandpa thought I’d started liking it I screeched out loud as a black lagoon, my grandpa talked gently to me trying to calm me down, but as I started pulling his white long beard it was obvious to everyone I did NOT like riding the gray tractor… I continued jumping up and down like a kangaroo in his lap pulling and screaming. But he was furious to get me used to it…..he just didn’t understand that I was frightened of the roaring engine and front lights which to me looked like evil eyes… Episode Two: Playing in the Hay I thought I was the happiest child on the planet as I leaped and frolicked in the dry, golden, colored hay. My grandma was standing on the side watching me have fun, suddenly as I jumped from the highest plank in the barn I slipped under the hay like a rock thrown to the ocean…. Apparently somebody had built a tunnel under the tons of hay appearing above me. I had been swallowed by one. I saw blue light on the other side so I decided to follow it… I’d been crawling for what seemed like eternity for my little muscles, my knees were sore after dragging them through the sharp pieces of hay. A tear had started running down the side of my face and had almost reached my mouth when I felt a warm soft hand stroke it away and there was my grandma with a smile stretching from ear to ear…. She had found me…. Episode Three: Berries Clusch! Clusch! It went as I pounded the red berries onto my face… I and my grandpa were out picking berries but I was having much more fun than him! My face was red and it looked like I’d stuck it in a Ketchup-mixed-with-water bucket, I picked up another handful berries which got crushed in my hand and then I sent them on a journey towards my face. My grandpa stopped me and laughed tremendously with his Santa-Clause-like voice “Ho, Ho, Ho,Ha,Ha were going to make juice out of these! Emil” but luckily I was old enough to say”nj,nj,NO!” but for whichever reason I did not understand it just made him laugh even more. Episode Four: Mowing Vroomm! Vroooom! Mrrroooom! Went the lawnmower as my grandpa Jostled it around it around the field I’d been obsessed with the machine ever since I saw him do it the first time… But suddenly before anyone could react I stumbled across the field with my little feet going bambambambambam!! Hitting the green, fresh grass pieces just cut... It was impossible for anyone to catch me before I slammed my hand onto the side of what appeared to me like a gigantic monster now that I was up close, as my hand was touching I felt it getting HOT! And it reflected of. Luckily my grandpa was there to get my hand in a cup of cold water, and then my grandma suggested we played a game so she got out a big, blue, box with yellow stripes on it… And as soon as I saw her take that box out I felt much better because I knew what was inside. Episode Five: Building a Train Model My grandpa held up the last silver like piece of train track and put it down in its place. I cheered and immediately put my blue train down on the tracks and pushed it so hard it hit my grandpa’s green train standing on the track all the way in the back of the room then I laughed my usual cute, little laughter and of course my grandpa laughed as well… I stood up and ran over to get my train… but sadly when I picked it up I discovered its wheel had fallen of. I could feel a tear skiing down the left side of my face and into my face I tasted the salty tear and started stumbling over to my grandpa. He gently took it out of my hand and got a small tube with the letters G,L,U, and E on it… Reflection post by Emil Pheeeeeeeeeeewwww!! This week was a week of exhaustion Mr. Macmillan made us do 7-8th grade writing called Episodic writing you should keep coming to my blog because I’m going to publish it on here pretty soon. In reading this week we practiced one of the most important reader’s skills. ASKING QUESTIONS, at first many people in my class (including me) didn’t want to ask questions because they were afraid people were going to make fun of them and think they were dumb. But that SO false “the best learners, “ask the best questions” So when you read… DO NOT be afraid of asking questions her please enjoy some questions I asked while watching a powerful video. Asking Questions
Episodic Narrative WritingThis video is episodic because if you look closely at the background you can see that every time an new episode starts, the background changes there are seven episodes and I did an organizer on all of them. Look below to see episode and my organizer.
Episode 1. Birth Mom kisses her baby and rocks her baby in a cradle. Episode 2. Growth He learns to walk and celebrates his first birthday. Episode 3. Graduating He graduates and moves away from home. Episode 4. Love The man gets married to a lady. Episode 5. Travelling He travels around the world with his wife. Episode 6. Tragedy He gets phone call saying his mom is in hospital and he drives to the hospital to see his mom. Episode 7. Death His mom dies and floats to heaven. He is very sad is wife comes to him and she is pregnant. 100 Word Challenge by Haylie CRUNCH! SNAP! CRACKLE! That is what is spoken softly. Most people don’t listen, because they decide to ignore the message within. Listen closely, only one with a quiet mouth and a open heart can hear the sweet message. The people who ignore the sweet message are the ones who have a loud mouth and a heart locked tight. If you listen with your heart the message will appear, but if you reject them, you will end up in the lake. The Lake of Legs. This lake shows no mercy. It will tear you apart and keep your legs for decoration. |
AuthorsAn amazing group of young learners, the 11YO class of QSI International School of Ljubljana. Categories
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VisitorsBlogRollMrs. varvel's 10YOCMayflower Primary School5SK North QLDSt. Joseph's
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