Should cities offer free Wi-Fi

    Should cities offer free Wi-Fi? Well, I think so. Wi-Fi is very important to our every day lives. I homeschool and I do computer school. If we had to pay for Wi-Fi, then I would probably still be doing paces. 

    We use Wi-Fi all the time. My mother uses it every single day. If we had to pay for it, then I don't know if we would be using it at all! I am so glad that Wi-Fi is free and we don't have to pay for it.

Why I Live in the Best City in the World

     Maybe you thought of moving to another city. A city that has great churches to worship God in. A city that has great stores to grocery shop in. Maybe even a city to raise your family in. If you are then I bet your thinking " What is he you talking about. What city could ever be that good?"

    Well look no further because we've got it all right here in Fairveiw Heights Illinos. We have great churches and great stores. We even have great homes to raise your family in. We also have great restaurants and so  much more. Yes, Fairview Heights has it all.    

Dry Cleaning as a Substitute for Doing Your Own Laundry

     You will not believe what I saw on the internet. A $20,000 washing machine! That is so much money. Now, the average American household does not own a $20,000 washing machine, but they are still pretty expensive. The average cost of a washing machine and dryer combo is between 2,000 and 3,000 dollars.

    Now, would you be willing to pay that much money? If you are, then think about how much money you would be spending if you were spending it on your washing machine, water, detergent, and a lot more. Just going to dry cleaning is so much easier. They clean, wash, and iron your clothes for you. That's still a lot of money for anybody.

Why Thunderstorms are Dangerous

     2,000 people die every year from thunderstorms. Many people die from getting hit by thunder bolts. 3 weeks ago, six people died because of a forest fire caused by a thunderstorm. There are so many people who die because of thunderstorms.  2 weeks ago, a man was killed in his car by a tree falling on it because of a lightning bolt striking the tree.

    Thunderstorms also cause flash flooding because of heavy rain. Many people die because of flash flooding. Several people died because of drowning in floods caused by thunderstorms. Thunderstorms even cause high winds which can kill you if you are not paying attention. You've got to be careful during a thunderstorm or you'll end up like one of the people who died because of a thunderstorm.

      

Good things that became of John Lehrer's heart attack

    In an autobiography called A Bus of My Own written by John Lehrer, Lehrer had a heart attack. However, thankfully, he survived the attack and started to make a list of changes he would make in his life. The heart attack was actually good for him. Before the heart attack he was doing a lot of bad things, like smoking and eating badly. Having a heart attack changed his beliefs about all of the bad things he has been doing. 

    Before his heart attack he smoked all the time. He wrote that instead of throwing away the butts of the cigarettes he smoked, he kept them in a shoe box in case he wanted to smoke the rest out of the cigarettes he kept. He even smoked his way to the hospital in an ambulance with his pipe. That just shows how dedicated he was to smoking. 

    He wrote down that he would change his diet. This is what he said. "There was the food problem. The eating thing. I had had the eating habits of a pimply-faced fifteen-year-old. My daily preferred diet was drawn from a preferred option list of fritos, cheez Whiz, chili, pepperoni pizza, Milky Ways, Butterfinger chips, peanut butter (chunky); hamburgers with fries, tuna-salad sandwiches with fries, bacon-lettuce-and-tomato sandwiches with fries, fried chicken with fries, barbecue ribs, beef and/or sausage with fries; Dr. Peppers, chocolate chip ice cream, butter brickle ice cream, real potato chips, cottage-fried potatoes; scrambled egg with melted cheese, green peppers and onions; chocolate milk shakes, corn dogs, chilli dogs; biscuits with butter, waffles with hot maple syrup and butter, pancakes with hot maple syrup and butter; salt, fudge, black coffee, and pastrami sandwiches with mayonnaise." Instead of those bad foods he decided to eat good foods. This is what he said. "Carrot and celery sticks with a  nonfat yogurt dip. Melba toast. Vegetarian baked beans. Cute little cups of raspberries and strawberries and blueberries. Apples. Great glasses of orange juice. Decaf coffee. Water cornbread. Green beans. Peas. Peas! Spinach casseroles. Caffeine-free diet soda pop. Unbuttered, unsalted popcorn. Toasted pita bread. Oatmeal. Oatmeal!"

    He also said that he would exercise a lot. In the hospital workout room every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at seven he workout to get his heart back in shape. He also wrote down that he would take a nap every single day. Those two things did help get his heart back in shape. He even said that he will  never again get angry. He also made a list of bus signs he would then go after. Here is the list. Overland Greyhound, Bowen Motor Coaches, Southeastern Stages, American Buslines, and Dixie-Sunshine Trailways. There were even two men there that helped him rebuild his soul. Charlie Berman and Harry Smith. Lehrer was actually a really good person. After his heart attack, Lehrer was a completely changed man. Lehrer died in the year 2020, the year I wrote this essay!

                    

Why school is necessary

 School is necessary for tons of reasons.Like to teach you things about math and history. School is very important for you if you want to get a good job and live a good life. And it's not only school it teaches you.It Also teaches you life lessons like discipline and diligence and obedience. So try hard to learn your school next time you are doing school.

Have you ever hated school or had trouble with your school? I know I have. But school really is not that bad. All it is is learning things that you will need in the future. It also teaches you discipline, diligence, and obedience. Those are very important character traits. So next time you do your school,do it diligently and with obedience.

Imagine yourself doing your school obediently and diligently and happily. Now, you may not like your school. You may even hate it. But, school is important for you whether you like it or not. It also builds up important character traits like diligence, discipline, and obedience. So next time you do your school, do it diligently and with obedience.

The War of the Worlds Chapter 11.5 The War in the Pacific

    Now, there was an American Army Fleet on patrol about ten miles from the nearest land. Suddenly, there was a crackle on the radio." What is it ?" asked the captain. "I don't know ", said the sergeant. "I've never heard anything like it before." "Replay it please," said the captain. The sergeant replayed the sound on the radio."Sergeant" said the captain "I'd like to see you and the lieutenant in my quarters in five minutes."

    Five minutes later, the captain, the sergeant, and the lieutenant are in the captain's quarters discussing what they have received over the radio. The captain started the discussion by saying "a little over five minutes ago, we received an unidentified radian signal. I called this meeting to discuss what it means and where it came from." "Maybe we caught a new enemy broadcasting signals," said the lieutenant. "No, that can't be," said the captain, this is new." The sergeant and lieutenant look at each other with scared expressions on their faces. "Please don't tell me what I think your thinking," said the sergeant. The captain looked at his desk and said"aliens." Just then a crewman came down and said"Sirs, you better come see this." The four of them went up to the deck. There was a large speck in the distance. The Captain looked through his telescope at the speck. What he saw was something that looked like an alien starship. Then little starships came out of the big one. "What is it?" asked the sergeant. "Just as I suspected," said the captain "aliens, battle stations everyone!" 

    All Martian ships had a metallic look. They both had two lasers, one on each wing. The ships had a torpedo look. The Martian ships their attack on the smallest ship and destroyed it. "Launch all jets!" commanded the captain. The aircraft carrier launched all jets as the captain had commanded. Soon, there was an aircraft war in the skies with half of the enemy's ships. The other half attacked the ships. "Focus all fire on the enemy starships!" commanded the captain. All battleships fired on the enemy starships as the captain had commanded. The enemy ships destroyed the aircraft carrier and two-thirds of the fleet and one-quarter of all the jets. "Sir, we have to retreat," said the sergeant. "Yes," said the captain, "get me the submarine. Five minutes later he was in the submarine headed away from the battle. The captain kept  thinking in the submarine, "Who or what can stop these horrible beasts?"

Three Favorite Places I Like to Visit (Mind Map/Outline)

Mind Map:

Outline:

1. Zoo
1. Why I like it
1. We see lots of animals
2. We get exercise
1. walking
2. running
2. Location
1. St. Louis
3. #1 Zoo in the whole country
2. Six Flags
1. Why I like it
1. It is a big place
2. It has so many rides and activities
1. Superman Tower of Power
2. Ring Toss
2. Location
1. Eureka, Missouri
3. Great place for family fun time
3. Church
1. Why I like it
1. We do Trail Life there
2. We do AWANA there
3. We get to learn about God
4. Good place to hang out with friends
2. Location
1. Fairview Heights, Illinois
3. Great place to learn about God

Three Family Members (Mind Map/Outline)

Mind Map:

Outline:

1. My Brother
1. Wyatt
2. 10 years old
3. Hobbies
1. Editing pictures
2. Puzzles
3. Coloring
4. Favorite Foods
1. Meatloaf
2. Salad
2. My Sister
1. Liberty
2. 4 years old
3. Hobbies
1. Play
2. Talk
4. Favorite Foods
1. Yogurt
2. Sugar
3. My cousin
1. Peydon
2. 11.5 years old
3. Hobbies
1. Hanging out with friends
2. Video Games
4. Favorite Foods
1. Spaghetti and Meatballs
2. Meat

Three Favorite Foods (Outline)

Three Favorite Foods (Mind Map)

My House

My house is very big. It consists of twelve rooms. first, the kitchen, where we cook, do dishes, compost, and trash. Then, the dining room where we eat and use the dining room table sometimes for a school table. Then, the living room, which is where we relax, watch TV, play games, and have tons of fun. Then, between the living room and dining room is the hallway, leading to every other room in the house. In the middle of the hallway in the ceiling is a ladder you can pull down which leads to the attic. By the kitchen is the laundry room and next to the laundry room is the garage. The hallway leads to three bedrooms and one bathroom, and one bedroom leads to another bathroom.

We have a lot of furniture in the house. We have a couch and a table in the living room, a table and chairs and a bench in the dining room, a refrigerator in the kitchen to keep the food cold, and in the bedrooms, there are desks, a bookshelf to keep books on, beds to sleep on at night, and some drawers to keep our clothes in.

We also have a lot of electronics like a TV to watch things on. We also have some phones and a tablet. In one bedroom, we have a computer to do school on. In the living room, we also have a lamp to see in the dark. In the dining room, we have a microwave to heat food up, and in the kitchen we have an oven to cook food. My dad also has a speaker he turns on to listen to a song on his phone and the speaker amplifies the noise to as loud as he wants it.

There were several materials used to make the house. The cement was used to build a firm, strong foundation. We also used wood to build the doors and the floor. We also used siding to build the big, strong walls to hold up the heavy roof. Roofing was used to build the roof to keep out the rain, the sun, and other stuff like that. We used paint to make the house look pretty. We even put some insulation in! Our house built on a strong, firm foundation.

Dodgeball (Mind Map)

Myself (Mind Map)

My House (Mind Map)

My Best Friend

My best friend is named Peydon. He lives with his brother, sisters, mom, and grandparent. My mom and his mom are sisters, so we are cousins! He either goes to a public or private school. He is only three days younger than me. His birthday is March 3rd. Peydon wears glasses and so do I. In fact, some people thought we were twins because we look so alike! He is a very good friend.

We also like to do a lot of things together. We usually like to watch moves together, and because he likes Star Wars so much, we usually watch Star Wars movies. We watch other movies too. We also like to play games. We prefer a game called Cameleon or  Forbidden Sky. Those are Peydon's favorite games, but we do not play them very much. He even has a Play Station 4, which we like to play most of the time. 

He is a very good friend and so is his brother, but Peydon is my best friend and a very good friend.

My Favorite Hobby (expanded)

My favorite hobby is reading. I like reading good stories. A good book must have interesting characters. My favorite books have extremely interesting characters. the books are "The Hardy Boys." There are two main characters. Their names are Frank and Joe. They are private teenage detectives. They have help from their friends and father. They are extremely good at solving mysteries and catching bad guys. It is a very good story. In last year's literature, I read a play by William Shakespeare that had very uninteresting characters. All they did was try to get someone's daughter to marry someone else, which is just boring. It is very short too. I like somewhat long stories.

A good book also has a good climax. The climax is when the problem reaches a dramatic height. In most Hardy Boys books, the climax is when at least one Hardy Boy is captured along with a friend or two. Older books like "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe and "White Fang" by Jack London barely have a climax at all. But "A Knight of the White Cross" by G.A. Henty and several other earlier books have an extremely interesting climax. 

I like reading books that are entertaining. I like reading fantasy, actions, science fiction, and many other genres, but I mainly like mystery storybooks like "The Hardy Boys". They are very entertaining. I also like the book "On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness" by Andrew Peterson. It is a fantasy story and has a very interesting climax.

I also like reading about herpetology. I am making a YouTube channel on herpetology, so I need to know everything I can. I can get a lot of herpetology books at the Fairview Heights Public Library. I also have a lot of herpetology books to read.

I also like entertaining books like "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne. It is extremely exciting. the characters go in a submarine and see several strange, amazing, and weird things and sights, like battling a gain octopus. It is also Science Fiction.

I really like reading because it is entertaining and also teaches you things. My favorite book of all time is the Bible. It is entertaining, plus it teaches you important things. I just love to read.

The Furthest I have Ever Been from Home

The furthest I have ever been from home is when my family and I went to Washington D.C. Some of our friends live there. My friend, Preston, his sisters, parents. and dog live there. It is about a 16-hour drive. We sometimes stop for bathroom breaks and purchase a meal, but other times we take our own food. Sometimes we even stop for gas. Sometimes we go to a hotel to spend the night.

When we get there, it is usually night time, so we say yellow, spread out our sleeping stuff, brush our teeth, and go to sleep. when we wake up, we usually eat breakfast, get dressed, get in the car, and drive to go see the sights. We usually stay for 5 days and don't stay long at the house because we want to see everything we can in those five days. We usually see the Washington monument and a whole lot of other monuments, and we get to look at things in a bunch of different museums. We even got to see the Original Constitution, Bill of Rights, Magna Carta, and the Declaration of Independence. After we leave, it is another 16-hour drive home. When we get home I think, "It is so good to be home."

My Favorite and Least Favorite School Subjects

My favorite school subject is Science, because it has so many different sections to learn from, like how to make YouTube videos and why science is important. I even got to make some YouTube videos! I also learned about robotics; how to make one, how they work, how to make them have a mind of their own, and other fun things. I even learned about health and fitness, how to get and stay healthy, the right kinds of food to eat, and other ways to stay healthy. Applied Science on Ron Paul Curriculum school is so cool.

My least favorite school subject is history, because; although I like learning about the past and how things began, I can not follow along that much. When I was learning about Rome, then I switched to Greece, then back to Rome, I was confused for a while. Plus, I don't like writing long essays. I know the long essays are so I can remember and write about the past week, but I wonder if instead of essays, some people do quizzes. Despite all this, I still like history.

My Favorite Hobby

My favorite hobby is reading. Reading is so much fun. It helps you pass the time, plus it can teach you about things like if you're reading an invention book, it teaches you about inventions. If you're reading an insect book, it teaches you about insects. If you're reading a robotics book, it teaches you about robotics and maybe even shows you how to build a robot. I like reading about herpetology, so I can be a herpetologist someday. I also like reading about mystery and fantasy and action books because they are entertaining.

My favorite books are "The Hardy Boys" and herpetology books. "The Hardy Boys books are mystery books. They have an entire series containing 66 books. I have 44 of the books. That means I have 22 more books to collect. I also like herpetology books and reptile and amphibian books. I want to learn more about them, so I can become a herpetologist someday. I also like learning about birds: how they fly, how their feathers work, and other things like that. I just love to read.

A Review of 7th Grade English

One of the things I liked this year was that I got to read a lot of fun books like "Robinson Crusoe" and "Treasure Island". Another thing I liked this year was I got to learn about vocabulary words like First, Second, and Third Person, Cast, Script, and a whole lot of others. I also liked learning about poetry because I didn't understand poetry until I took this class.

One of the things I didn't like this year was I had to write long essays and book reports and that took forever. Another thing I didn't like was short lessons. I would prefer longer lessons. 

If I were in charge of the Ron Paul Curriculum English Literature, I would make the lessons a little longer to explain things more, because I didn't really understand what he was talking about. I would also make the essays a little shorter and simpler because sometimes it is extremely stressful. 

I learned a whole lot this year in English Literature like how to write good papers. I also learned how to identify prose, poetry, and drama. I also learned how to read poetry in the way it was meant to be read. This year's English/Literature was a blast.

7th Grade English Term Paper (Final)

     This is an overview of what I learned this year in English Literature. There are three main types of literature, prose, poetry, and drama. Prose is writing that is not poetry. Poetry is the reading and writing of poems. Poems are "an arrangement of words, especially a rhythmical composition, sometimes rhymes, in a style more imaginative than ordinary speech or prose", according to Webster's Dictionary. Drama is "a composition in verse or prose intended to portray life or to tell a story usually involving conflict and emotions through action and dialogue and typically designed for theatrical performance", also according to Webster's Dictionary.

     Some examples of Prose writing are Robinson Crusoe, books by G.A, Henty, Little Men, 
Robin Hood, and A Christmas Carol. Examples of Poetry that I read are "Idylls of the King", "The Odessey", and "The Raven". Examples of drama pieces I read are "The Taming of the Shrew" and
"Macbeth". I enjoy watching movies and television shows that are dramas, but when I am reading, I prefer prose writing.

     I learned about the elements of a good story. They are the characters, theme, and plot. One of my favorite books this year was A Knight of the White Cross, by G. A. Henty. The characters were brave, perseverent, and they were skillful in fighting. Some of the themes in A Knight of the White Cross are friendship, bravery, and adventure. A good plot makes a good story. A plot is the storyline of a book and is the most important part of a book. It introduces the character, themes, and other elements that make a good story. The plot of A Knight of the White Cross is that Gervaise leaves England to join the Knights of the White Cross and helps defend the Island of Rhodes from the invading Turks.

     A good book has five parts to the plot. First, the exposition, which is the beginning of a story in which the characters and the setting are introduced. Then the rising action, which is where the conflict is introduced. For example, the rising action in a mystery story happens when the characters are discovering clues and getting closer to solving the mystery. The climax follows the rising action and is when the problem reaches a dramatic height. Again, for example, in a mystery story, the climax is when the characters solve the mystery by catching the bad guys or when they find the missing object. The falling action happens next and is when the story slows down and the problem or problems are resolved. Lastly comes the resolution which is the ending of a story.

     Literature is often influenced by the author's worldview and by his or her own writing style. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word worldview as "a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world". Daniel Defoe was most likely a Christian because in his book Robinson Crusoe, Crusoe read his Bible and prayed every day while he was stranded on the island. Howard Pyle seemingly believed that all people should be free because in his book Robin Hood, he featured men and women who wanted to be free from taxation and oppressive government rule. Homer's works were influenced by early Greek and Roman culture. This was probably what influenced the writing of "The Odessey", a Greek mythological story. Greek mythology influenced many of Homer's writings. We know this because in his writings he included several mythological creatures like the Cyclops, Siren, Scylla, and Charybdis.

     Every author has a different writing style. G.A. Henty included numerous details in his books. He used historical facts and explained the elements of warfare to make his books informative, but also exciting! Mark Twain wrote his books in order to encourage young children to be brave and adventurous and to remind older people what is was like being a kid. William Shakespeare wrote plays, which are dramatic pieces performed on a stage. The Taming of the Shrew was a romantic comedy, but Macbeth was a tragedy. Poetry is another style of writing I read this year. Edgar Allen Poe put several dark elements into his poems, like "The Raven". "The Raven" alludes to Heaven, Hell, and the Devil, even though it is only a four to five page poem. "Idylls of the King" is another example of poetry. It is written in the form of blank verse, which is "verse without rhyme, especially that which uses iambic pentameter", according to Webster's Dictionary.

     Vocabulary words help analyze literature. To analyze something means to study it in greater detail. "Setting" is a vocabulary word that I learned. It tells me where the story is taking place. "Plot" is another vocabulary word I learned. This one is important because it is the "main event of a novel, play, movie, or similar work". The vocabulary word "Metaphor" is "A figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as if it were another". Vocabulary words are extremely helpful if you are trying to find the meaning of the book you are reading.

     I had the opportunity to read numerous famous works of literature. I had heard of some of these books, but I had never read them before. Two of my favorite books from this year are A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. They were both written by Mark Twain. Other works of literature I liked were The Taming of the Shrew and Macbeth, both written by William Shakespeare, who was an extremely famous literary author. "The Odessey" is an exceptionally famous work of literary art. It was written by Homer in the 8th century B.C. "The Odessey" has been alive for thousands of years!

     Another famous book I enjoyed reading was A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This book is ready by thousands of people, every year at Christmas time. It is one of my favorite books. Even though it was written over 150 years ago, it is a timeless tale. It teaches men, women, and children alike that there is more to life than making money. It teaches us to be compassionate and generous to the poor and needy. This is why it is a timeless tale.

     Journey to the Center of the Earth was a favorite of mine this year. It was written by Jules Verne. Jules Verne is sometimes called the "Father of science fiction". He even made subterranean fiction popular with his book Journey to the Center of the Earth. This book inspired a number of people to
begin using science fiction in their books and movies like, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and Star Wars and many others.

     Another book I read that I enjoyed reading was Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol. It is a children's classic and it is also a timeless tale. Boys and girls, young and old, have enjoyed reading this story for dozens of years. This book has been made into several motion pictures. Its first publication was 155 years ago, but it is a book still loved and read today. I am glad I was able to read so many fantastic books this year, and learn about the authors, and expand my knowledge and understanding of literature.  

   

   

Term Paper (Rough Draft)

There are three main types of literature: prose, poetry, and drama. Prose is "Writing that is not poetry." Poetry is "the reading and writing of poems." Poems are "an arrangement of words, esp a rhythmical composition, sometimes rhymed in a style more imaginative than ordinary speech or prose." Drama is "a literary composition to be performed by actors, play, esp. one that is not a comedy."

Examples of Prose are Robinson Crusoe, G. A. Henty books, Little Men, Robin Hood, and A Christmas Carol. Examples of Petry are Idylls of the King and The Raven. Examples of Drama are The Taming of the Shrew and Macbeth. I like drama because modern movies and TV shows are examples of drama, but when I am reading, I prefer prose.

Next are elements of a good story, for example, characters, theme, and plot. My favorite book this year was "A Knight of the White Cross." The characters were brave, perseverant, and they had skills. Next the themes. Some of the themes in "A Knight of the White Cross" are friendship, bravery, skill, and smart. Then the plot. A plot is the storyline of a book. The plot is the most important part of a book. It introduces the characters, themes, and other elements of a good story. A good book has five parts to the plot. First, the exposition, which is the beginning of a story in which the characters are usually introduced. Then the rising action, which is where the conflict is introduced. For example, the rising action in a mystery story is when the people are finding clues and getting close to their goal. Then the Climax which is when the problem reaches a dramatic height. For example, in a mystery story, the climax is when the people catch the bad guys or when they find thee missing thing. Then the falling action in which the story slows down and the problem is resolved. Then comes the Resolution which is the ending of a story.

Literature is often influenced by the author's worldviews and his or her writing style. The Oxford dictionary defines the word worldview as a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world." Daniel Defo was probably a Christian because in his book "Robinson Crusoe", Crusoe read his Bible and prayed every day when he was on the island. Howard Pile probably believed that all people should be free, so in his book, "Robin Hood", he featured people who wanted to be free from taxation and government rule. Homer probably was influenced by Greek and Roman culture, so that's probably why he wrote The Odyssey (a Greek myth). Greek mythology influenced Homer's writings. We know this because in his writing, he puts a lot of mythological creatures like the Cyclops, Siren, Scylla, and Charybdis. 

Every author has a different writing style. G. A. Henty put a lot of details into his books. He also used historical facts and details to make his books informational, but also exciting! Mark Twain writes his books in order to encourage young kids to be brave and adventurous and to remind older people what it was like being a kid. William Shakespeare wrote plays. The Taming of the Shrew was a Romantic Comedy, but Macbeth was a tragedy type of play. Poetry is another type of style of writing read this year. Edgar Allen Poe put a lot of dark stuff into his poems, like "The Raven." "The Raven" represents Heaven, Hell, the Devil, and other dark stuff like that; although it's only a four or five-page poem. Idylls of the King is another example of poetry; however, it is blank verse, which is "verse without rhyme, especially that which uses iambic pentameter. I had the opportunity to read many famous works of literature. I had heard of some of these books, but I had never read them before. Two of my favorite works of literature are "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" and "Tom Sawyer", and they are both written by Mark Twain. More works of literature I liked were "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Macbeth", both written by William Shakespeare, and extremely famous literary author. "The Odyssey" is an extremely famous work of literary art. It was written by Homer in 8th century B.C., so "The Odyssey" has been alive for thousands of years. 

Vocabulary words help analyze literature. To analyze something means to study it in greater detail. 'Setting is a vocabulary word that I learned. It tells me where the story is taking place. Plot is another vocabulary word I learned. This one is important because it is the "main event of a novel, plan, movie, or similar work." Another important vocabulary word is Metaphor, which is "a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as if it were another." Vocabulary words are extremely helpful if you are trying to find the meaning of something.

Another famous book I read was "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. This book is probably read by thousands of people at Christmas time. It is one of my favorite books. Even though it was written over 150 years ago it still teaches people and it still has meaning for people today. It is a timeless tale. It teaches people that there is more to life than making money. It also teaches us to be compassionate and generous towards the poor and needy. It is a timeless tale. 

Another favorite of mine is "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne. Jules Verne is sometimes called the "Father of Science Fiction." He even made subterranean fiction popular with his book "Journey to the Center of the Earth." This book inspired many people to start using science fiction in books and movies like "The Hobbit" or "Star Trek" or "Star Wars" and many others.

Another book I read that I like was "Alice in Wonderland". It is a classic because it is also timeless tale, and boys and girls, you'd or old enjoyed it for many years. This book has been made into several movies. its first publication was 155 years ago, but it is a book I still like to read and listen to today.

A Day on the Farm

Dawn broke through the clouds in a pinkish color as the sun broke through the darkness to start a new day. I awoke from a deep sleep in my warm, comfy bed. I looked out my large window and it said good morning to the awakening farm. My dog whimpered against my leg, whimpering for food. It was 5:30 AM when I ran down the steps to do my early morning chores. First, I fed my dog, then I went to feed the chickens, horses, and cows. I milked all the cows, and when I was done, I got four filled buckets with milk! Then my dog and I headed the cows and horses out into the green field where they ate. I gathered the eggs and brought them inside for my mom to make breakfast. I found my mom making breakfast and gave her the egg to work with. When she was done, my dad, mom, older brother, and I ate a sweet, buttery, pancake breakfast.

My mom said, "Hurry, you don't want to be late for school." I got ready as quickly as I could. I put on school clothes, got my backpack, school books, and my pencil. When I got ready to leave, my dad reminded me that if I do good in school, we could go fishing. I headed out the door and walked to school.

When I got to school, I sat down in my chair and listened to my assignment. I was to write an essay on the seven continents. When I got home, I showed my parents my essay. I got an A+! "Well," said my dad, "I guess we're going fishing this afternoon." I was so excited.

Half an hour later, we went to the big blue lake. I could see so many fish. There were bluegill, sardines, and so much more. We got the fishing rods and put the worms on the hooks. We cast out the fishing lines and caught seven big, fat fish. We brought them home and gave two of them to mom to make dinner. The rest, we saved for another time. Then we took nice, warm showers. When we were done, the hot tuna fish dinner was ready.

After dinner, we had evening devotions. That night, it was Proverbs 24. Then we got ready for bed. I brushed my teeth until they were clean. Then, I got my P.J.s on. Then I kissed and hugged my parents goodnight. I needed all the sleep I could get. Tomorrow is another big day.

Camp (Poem)

It was rainy and wet

But for camp, I was all set

My mom said, "Hurry, get in the van quick

I really don't want you to get sick."

For breakfast we had Chick-fil-A

Thankfully there were no more delays

When I got to the church I got checked in

Then I said good-bye to my kin

Finally, it was time to get on the bus

I was nervous, but in Jesus I did trust

When I got to camp, I found my cabin

I chose a bed and that's what I slept in

In the cafeteria, we ate our meals

It made my belly have good feels in the afternoon the teams played games

I learned a lot of new names

My team was very dandy

My team leader was Mr. Randy

After games, we went for a swim in the pool

The water was nice and cool

Twice a day we had church in the chapel

For a snack, we had an apple

We had quizzing practice every day

Then every night we did pray

At last, my week of camp was through

I hope I didn't forget a shoe

The Odyssey: Odysseus' Return Home

After the Trojan War, Odysseus wanted to return home immediately to get to his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus. On his way home, he finds an island. He went to explore, taking a few of his men with him. He finds a cave and decides to meet whoever lives there. A little while later, a cyclops walks in. Cyclopses are one-eyed giants. The cyclops builds a fire and finds Odysseus and his men. The cyclops is surprised and demands to know who they are. Odysseus tells the cyclops they are Greeks returning home from war. When Odysseus mentioned Zeus, a Greek god, the cyclops became immediately angry because he hated the gods. He pounced on two of Odysseus' men, killed them, and devoured them. Then he went to sleep. The next day, the cyclops woke up, ate two more men, then he went to tend his flock of sheep and goats. Odysseus found the cyclops' walking stick. It was the size of a tree! He sharpened it and put it under the dirt to hide it. That afternoon, the cyclops returned, ate two more men, and drank some of Odysseus' wine. Then he fell asleep. Odysseus and his men picked up the spear, put it into the fire till it glowed red, and thrust it into the cyclops' eye. The cyclops screamed and called his fellow cyclops. They came and asked him what the matter was. While the cyclops were busy talking, Odysseus and his men got away.

They sailed onward towards home until they came to the island Aeolia. There lived the king of the winds, Aeolus and his family greeted Odysseus and his men extremely sweetly. Odysseus asked a favor of Aeolus. He asked Aeolus if he could make the west wind blow them home. Aeolus agrees and tells the North, South, and East winds to come to him and they did so. He also called the west wind to blow them back home. Aeolus gave the sack to Odysseus and they continued their journey home. When they were a little way off from Odysseus' home island, Ithaca. One night, the crew through there was gold in the sack, so they opened it, and the north, south, and east winds rushed out and blew them back to Aeolia. Aeolus was outraged and demanded that they leave his island, so Odysseus and his crew left for home.

Later, they came to another island, so Odysseus sent three men to investigate. The three men found a girl fetching water. She said to the three men to go to the king and they will be greeted sweetly. They went and eventually found out that the king and his people were cannibals! The king jumped on the men and began to eat one, alive! The other two ran back to warn Odysseus. The cannibals started throwing boulders at the ships. The ships were crushed except the one Odysseus commanded.

The last ship then came to the island of Aedea. Odysseus sent 23 men to investigate. They came to a castle and a woman named Circe came out and offered them some food. The men ate like hogs, so Circe, an enchantress, turned them into hogs. Only one man got away and told Odysseus. Odysseus went to Circe's castle, but on the way, he met a god. The god gave him a herb to eat, so he ate the herb. When he got to the castle, Circe tried to turn him into a pig, but the herb protected him. He didn't turn into a pit. Odysseus forced Circe to free his men, and she did. Meanwhile, Penelope and Telemachus did not forget Odysseus. Many people were trying to force Penelope to marry them, but she would not. She waited for Odysseus to return home.

Circe gave Odysseus advice on how to reach home. They must go to a river and make a blood sacrifice. Then a ghost will tell him how to reach home. Odysseus did so and a ghost gave him warnings and directions. Then Odysseus left. Then they cam close to the island of the Sirens (half women, half-bird). Those who are drawn to their beautiful singing, die, so the crew put beeswax earplugs in their ears, sailed past the island, and survived.

Then they sailed past a giant cave and out came a six=headed sea monster. It ate six men, but the rest escaped. when they came to the sun god's island, the crew, but no Odysseus, ate two of the sun god's cattle. This made Zeus throw a lightning bolt at the ship, and smashed it to pieces. Only Odysseus escaped. He landed on an island, built a raft, and set out for home. There was a storm, so he crash-landed on another island. Some people lived there and they gave him a ship and a crew to go home.

When he got to his home island, he disguised himself as a beggar and went to his home. When he got home, he started a battle with the suitors, killing every last one. When the battle was done, Odysseus revealed himself to his family and they were as happy as an be.

David's Adventures (Poem)

David was the youngest of them all
His brothers fought in battles. He took care of sheep.
A lion and bear he fought with a sling.
By Samuel, he was anointed as king.

A battle, his brothers traveled to one day.
Goliath was a giant and a Philistine.
He cursed God and King Saul's army when he came.
David brought his brothers' food one day.
He heard Goliath and decided to fight him.
He picked up five smooth stones from a stream.
He went to face Goliath on the battlefield.
Into his weapon, a sling, a sone he put.
David swung his sling with all his might.
The stone hit Goliath in the forehead.
He fell and David cut Goliath's head off.
David was victorious and rewarded.
He got to marry King Saul's daughter.

Saul was jealous of David, God's chosen one.
God's spirit left Saul because of his sin.
Saul tried to kill David numerous times.

A fugitive, David now must be.
In mountain caves, he was forced to hide.
Saul's son, Johnathan, was David's best friend.
He trusted God's plan for David to be king.
Even though he was the oldest and next in line.
Johnathon gave David his sword and bow.
David was on the run for several years.

Again, Saul was fighting the Philistines.
This battle, Saul and his men were losing.
Saul asked his armor-bearer, "Please kill me.
Do not let the uncircumcised kill me."
But his man would not kill God's anointed.
So instead, Saul fell upon his own sword.
Johnathan and his brothers died as well.
David mourned, wept, and fasted for the death of his king and friend
David was anointed king of Israel.
The people of the land rejoiced for their new king.

Lancelot and the Dragon

Terror arose when the dragon came into the village just outside the castle and burnt it. The dragon took all the livestock it could carry and flew back to its cave in the mountains. King Aurthur held a meeting at the round table just as the dragon left. "No good can come of this," he said. "Someone must go vanquish that creature."

"Yes, someone with enough courage and bravery to destroy that beast, once and for all," said a knight.

"Yes, but who will go?" said another.

Soon all the knights started arguing about who should go. It seemed like forever when finally Lancelot shot up out of his chair and declared that he would go defeat the dragon. When he said that, all thee knights stopped arguing and listened to Lancelot. After Lancelot finished, all the knights were extremely happy and helped him get ready.

When Lancelot was ready, the next day, he set out for the mountains to slay the dragon. It was a dark, cold night in the mountains when Lancelot got to the dragon's cave. He decided to camp out just a few feet from the mouth of the cave. In the morning, Lancelot stepped inside the cave and found the dragon sleeping near a big pile of bones. Lancelot crept over to the dragon and was about to slay it until he accidentally stepped on a bone and broke it which awoke the dragon. It roared at Lancelot and swung its tail at him. It hit Lancelot and knocked him to the ground. As the dragon chomped at Lancelot, he chopped off the dragon's head.

He returned to the village, victorious with the dragon's head. Everyone was extremely happy to see him with the dragon's head. They were so happy, in fact, that they held a feast in his honor. The village and the kingdom were forever peaceful.

Macbeth

Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare. The play begins when Macbeth is returning home from a battle in which he defeated an army of Norwegians, plus some Scottish rebels. Three witches want to greet Macbeth on his way home from war. Macbeth was traveling home with a general named Banquo when they were greeted by the three witches. They told Macbeth a prophecy that says he will become king. When Macbeth returns home, two men, Ross and Angus, were waiting for him, and soon enough, Ross and Angus named Macbeth with "the title of Candor," which extremely excited Macbeth.

In his impatience and envy, Macbeth planned a plot to kill Duncan, the current king. His wife, Lady Macbeth, helped him plan the plot. Under some circumstances, Macbeth wants to change his mind; however, Lady Macbeth encourages him to carry out the plot. They eventually murder Duncan and make it seem like the servants did it. Well, soon after that, a quiet man named Macduff arrives at the castle. He finds Ross and both find out that Macbeth has become king after the king's sons, Malcolm and Donallain, flee because many people thought they killed their father.

Macbeth is worried about his fate when he sees Banquo's ghost, so he decides to go see the three witches about it. They tell Macbeth that "he should fear Macduff and Macbeth will not be vanquished until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane."

When Macbeth finds out Macduff fled to England, he prepares a plot to kill Macduff's family. Meanwhile, Macduff arranges a meeting with Malcolm about a battle and combining their forces plus some English aid. While they are planning for the battle, Ross arrives and tells Macduff about the death of his family. In Scotland, Lady Macbeth is murdered in her sleep because a doctor found out she and Macbeth murdered Duncan.

Disguised as Birnam Wood, Malcolm's men attack the castle. When Macbeth figures out Lady Macbeth has died, he continues to fight the attacking army. Macbeth kills Young Seyward, the son of an English general. After this, Macbeth remembers Macduff being born of Caesarians. Macduff kills Macbeth, giving Malcolm the throne. The play, Macbeth, is a tragedy type of story and has a very sad ending. Shakespeare wrote this play specifically for the king during his time.

The Taming of the Shrew

"The Taming of the Shrew" is a play written by William Shakespeare. It is about a father who has two daughters, the older sister was Katherina, the shrew, and the younger sister was Bianca, a beautiful, young lady. The play is set in Italy. It starts when Baptista Minola, the sisters' father, says that no one shall marry Bianca until he finds a husband for Katherina, the shrew. Three suitors are fighting over who should marry the kind and beautiful Bianca. One f the men, Lucentio, swaps clothes with his servant, Tranio, so he could court Bianca in disguise. A little while later, a rich man named Petruchio came to Baptista's house and told Baptista he wanted to marry Katherina, and Baptista gladly accepts his offer.

Even though Kathrinia was mean, lost her temper often, and was ugly, Petruchio still tried many times to convince Katrina to marry him. The three suitors were still competing to get Bionca to marry them. Bionca was impressed by Tranio's creativeness. Not only was Kathrina mean to men, but she was also mean to her sister, Bionca.

The day of the wedding arrived. Everyone was ready, except for Petruchio who was late. When he did arrive, he was dressed in extremely sloppy clothing. Petruchio rushed the wedding because Kate's dad changed his mind about Petruio marrying Kate, because Petruio tricked the people into thinking he was rich, but he was actually poor.

When they get home, a servant of Petrutio named Grumio explains to the other servants how they shall act when Kathrina shows up. When Kathrina and Petrutio do arrive, Kathrina goes to bed while Petrutio reveals his idea for taming her. After Bionca's agreement to marry a suitor, Lucentio, another suitor, Hortensio, promises to marry an extremely rich widow. Petruchio and Grumiotry to tame Kathrina until she obeys whatever Petruchio says. A merchant outlines Lucentio's and Bionca's wedding while Lucentio made the plans to get married in secret. After the wedding, Petruchio decides to take his new bride, Kathrina, to his home town of Padua. On the way, they meet Lucentio's father, Vincentio.

Vincentio, Kathrina, and Petruchio all return to Petrucio's home city, Padua. Meanwhile, like they planned, Bionca and Lucentio get married in secret. Hortensio and the widow also get married. The married couples of Petruchio and Kathrina, Lucentio and Bionca, and Hortensio and the widow all have a conversation after their dinner. In the conversation, the husbands bet on their wives to see whose can be the most obedient, which tames Kathrina, the shrew. Kathrina was no longer a shrew, but a kind, loving wife.

Christmas Break

Christmas break started a couple weeks before Christmas and ended the week after new year's eve. It was so fun. We went to The Way of Lights, which is someplace you can go where you can drive around in your car and look at a lot of lights. Also, when you look at the lights there are billions all along the way which tell you about the birth of Jesus Christ.

I also got to go to both of my grandparent's houses with my family to spend Christmas together and open presents and have a fun time, and my uncle was going to marry my new aunt on new year's eve, and all the cousins were going to be in it, and I got to go see one of my favorite movies in the theater with all the cousins. It is called "Star Wars 9". One night my cousin, Peydon, came to spend the night. We stayed up really late. We played a lot of games, and we played with legos.

Over the last few days, we got to go to church, play with the thing we got from Christmas like puzzles, games, and books. we also got to play in the snow, play outside, play baseball, and a lot of other fun things like that. I love Christmas Break.

Liberty Belle

My sister, Liberty, is so cute. She is three years old and loves to talk. When she talks, she is so funny. She loves it when I lift her up on my shoulders and walk around with her. She loves to pretend to be a puppy. She also loves to play family. My brothers and I like playing with her. She loves playing with friends. She loves to pay Calico Critters. She likes everyone. She likes to hug and kiss people. She likes having girl time with mom. She likes to have snacks, especially fruit snacks. She is just the most adorable person on earth.

One day, my mom woke me up very early, then I remembered we were going to the zoo today. My parents told me to get ready and help them and soon I got in our car with my family and drove off. When we got to the zoo we got to pet the stingrays there. The zookeepers even let me and some other feed the stingrays and squids! My parents let me and my brothers and sister see what we wanted to see. We got to see a zookeeper feed the sessions. We even got to ride the carousel. We saw tigers, leopards, a serval, and a lot more big cats. We got to see a bunch of birds in the birdhouse. At a section of the zoo called "River's Edge," we saw elephants, rhinos, bears, etc. In another part of the zoo, we saw chimpanzees, orangutans, and apes! I had such a fun time at the zoo.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The three main characters in the book, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," are Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and Aunt Polly. Tom and Huck were the best of friends and got each other into all sorts of trouble. They were both very adventurous. One time they went searching for gold in a forest near the old shack without a map and it took all day. They never found anything, so they decided to come back that night to try again, but somebody else found the gold in the old shack before they did.

The two boys were also mischievous. One night they went to a graveyard with a dead cat to throw at a demon that they saw; however, there were no demons and accidentally threw the dead cat at a person and got into a lot of trouble. The boys were also lazy. When Aunt Polly told Tom to paint the fence, Tom found out a way to get his friends to do the work for him, and Aunt Polly never found out.

One day, Tom wanted some adventure, so he ran away from home with Huck and another one of his friends to become pirates. After a few days, the townspeople began wondering where they had gone. About two weeks after the boys disappeared, they began missing everyone and headed for home. That same day, the townspeople held a funeral for the boys because they thought the boys died, but in the middle of the funeral, the boys came into the church where the funeral was being held and everyone was amazed and happy to see them.

Despite their similarities, Tom and Huck had several differences. Tom did not have a mom or a dad, but he had his Aunt Polly who loved him and took care of him. Huck had a dad, but Huck's dad was not a kind or loving person who did not take care of Huck, so Huck had to take care of himself. Because Tom had a loving aunt who took care of him, he was able to go to church and school. Since Huck did not have a moving dad, he could not go to church or school. Sometimes Huck got Tom to follow him on some adventures while Huck led it.

Aunt Polly had some similarities and differences too. Aunt Polly loves Tom and took care of him. Tom also loves Aunt Polly. They also go to church together. Aunt Polly does lots of things because she loves him. Same for Tom, because he loves his Aunt.

Aunt Polly also has several differences like Tom and Huck. Aunt Polly is a grown-up. Tom and Huck are just kids. Aunt Polly is also hard working. Not Tome, he is lazy. One more is that Aunt Polly is responsible. Not so much as for the two boys. They are very mischievous. "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," is one of my favorite books.

Bear Safety

Bear safety is an extremely mindful technique that you can use if you are out in the backcountry and you're hiking or trekking in the woods Bears are very aggressive and could kill you, or tear up your campsite, or eat all your food. If bears find your campsite and are proceeding towards ou, you need to play dead, covering your neck, belly, etc. showing that you aren't a threat. If that doesn't work, fight back! Keeping your food at least two hundred feet away from your campsite s very important. It keeps the bear away from your location, however, the bear can get to the food so I recommend the bear canister or the bear bag. You just have to put the bear canister on the ground, but you have to hang the bear bag on a tree limb 10-12 feet above the ground, 6-8 feet away from the tree trunk, and at least 4 feet below the limb you are hanging the bag on. You have to put every scented thing in our campsite that will attract bears in your canister or the bag, for example: toothpaste, food, etc. Be safe!

Incident Command System (ICS)

"ICS is the model tool for command, control, and coordination of a response and provides a means to coordinate the efforts of individual agencies as they work toward the common goal of stabilizing the incident and protecting life, property, and the environment." ICS was organized to help people in big emergencies. Let's say that the place you live in is about to flood. The ICS contacts the navy, the army, etc. to get you out before the place floods.

The ICS is used for many different reasons. When hazardous materials get into the air, they have to kill the bacteria in the air to make it healthy to breathe again. The ICS is also contacted for specially planned events like parades, parties, meetings, etc. They are also contacted if a fire has taken place or if somebody is lost or if something occurs that has several casualties. If any of these occurs or more, the ICS can handle it.

Specialized Search and Rescue (SAR) Organizations

SAR was organized to help anyone who was lost or injured or in trouble. Specialized SAR Organizations were organized to help people who are in extreme danger like a building is about to collapse and people are still inside. The government calls in the Specialized SAR Organization and the people get in the building and get out quickly with the people who were inside before the building collapsed! Same thing in an avalanche. If you were about to get run over by an avalanche, the specialized SAR Organization would send in a helicopter and get you out of the way of the avalanche, pronto! There are also Specialized SAR canine dogs. Some need a trainer to guide them, but some canines don't need a trainer. They can do their work without them. How cool is that?! There are SAR organizations all around the world, so wherever you are: lost, injured, etc., the search and rescue organization will always be there.

What is a Reptile?

Intro to Herping with Owen