Google Groups

Google Groups
Svitak, Adora

I've been playing around on Google and I've discovered a new feature called Google Groups. This allows you to create your own group online, like "Mary's Book Group" or "Everything Tech," post messages and pages, customize the look of your online group, etc. You also get your own group email. Our group for Seeds of Learning is called Literature and Fine Arts. Visit it at http://groups.google.com/group/literature-and-fine-arts?hl=en .

Characters Based on Vocab Words by the class

Scenario: All three characters are in the classroom. Edith Smith, the teacher, sits straightbacked in her hardbacked chair at the front of the classroom. Saya Nakamuro is stuffing her mouth with Kit-Kats and sushi rolls while leading an animated discussion with her deskmate, Wichita Rathbone, a tall, gaunt, Goth girl.

Edith Smith says in a monotonous voice: Class, proceed.

The chatter in the classroom dies down--all except for Desk 8, where Saya is chattering about anime to Wichita, who sits silently with a grim expression.

"Saya, Saya, your prattle is worsening my migraine. Desist, you pungent cretin," Wichita says.

"Clause 491 of the School Board's Forbidden Activities in the Classroom expressly forbids the consumption of any edible articles within classroom walls," Edith Smith drones.

Saya keeps eating.

"You're getting crumbs on my cloak, you pestilent rat." Wichita angrily twists away from Saya, who is chattering on about her plans for the evening.

"...I'm going to be getting thirty-two new manga books, twelve boxes of California rolls, seventeen boxes of Kit-Kats, and we're going to be expanding the dining room table so that all my friends can fit..." Saya plunges on.

"Do you ever close that fly trap?" Wichita Rathbone mutters.

"Clause 12 of the Forbidden Activities in Class, draft one by the School Board, expressly states that disturbing, distracting, or otherwise non-pertaining to class primary subjects must stop within no less than two seconds of acknowledgement by the teacher, superintendent, or otherwise authoritative figure in the classroom," Edith Smith intones.

Not a single person in the class hears her over the shrill sound of the school bell.

Web Copy About Monkeys from Two Perspectives by Katie

advertising-
In the world there are many animals for sale to be pets, but the best kind of animal to get is a Monkey. Our monkeys come in many different colors and sizes--their fur is nice and fluffy and cuddly. They are better than the immature monkeys that are offered by less professional organizations. Our monkeys are in a class of their own. They are all the people talk about. They will be potty trained before you buy them and they will be taught to cook, play with children, play any instrument, read, write, draw, feed themselves. They also will be taught to talk in any language that humans can speak and understand. Does this sound like the perfect pet for you and your family? Then go down to the store and pick one up now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Informative:
Many Monkeys are brown with black eyes. There are many different kinds of monkeys all over the world; they are mammals. They have their own language, and they live in the trees. They live in forest and jungles, and they run and play in trees. Oh, did you know that a monkey eats and sleeps in a tree? They make great pets if they are trained.

Two Perspectives on the first footage of the Gerboa, a rare rodent

Gerboa:
The world has so many things that sound so nice, but the one thing we hate to hear is the screech of a cat's meow. We are growing weak and there are growing few of us, but we have just found that there is now one more thing we must fend for our selves from; That is a cat, with its tall ears, their claws as sharp as a blade of a sword, their stealthy movements, and their tails that we can be trapped in and killed, then eaten for that cat's dinner before he was killed as well. We fear humans for their big hand that pick us up and stroke our fur; their hands are rough and big when they touch our fur. They smell nothing like us; all we can smell when they are around is canned foods and other animals so much bigger than us. If the humans didn't care about us, those brobdingnagian animals could eat us in one hole. So thanks to those who care and please try to make other people care so we don't get eaten in a mouthful.

Kid:
The first time I had ever been to the pet store, I saw the pet that I would ask my mom to get me; it was the Gerboa. I love that it had a long tail and that its ears were 1/3 the size of there its head; when my mom looked at the Gerboa, she shook her head in a disapproving way, she said "No no no no no no no no, I will never let that freaky animal in my house". She took my hand and made me look at the dogs. When we done looking I asked for the Gerboa, she shook her head, and we left. Now it has been 20 years, since that day and the Gerboas are growing thin and weak. I still go and see if I could get one, but they stopped selling them because they were going extinct, so I want everyone in the world to care and do something nice to save those small big eared little animals.

posted by Katie

Sample Online Activity Sheet:
Question: What are the origins of the modern house cat?

1. Your mission is not to answer this question. Your mission is to decide, as quickly as possible, which of the following Web sites is most likely to contain information that will help you answer the question.
2. Look at the links. Which two sites do you think are most likely to contain the information you are looking for?
a)
b)
3. Log on to the Web and visit each of the sites below. Try not to spend more than a few minutes at each site.
4. If you think the site might contain an answer to the question, check yes in the box next to the site.
5. If you think the site will not contain an answer to your question, check no in the box next to the site.
Links-

Cats (musical) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cats is an award-winning musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and other poems by T. S. Eliot. ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cats_(musical) - 88k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this
Cats, Kittens - TerrificCats.com
Cats, Kittens - TerrificCats is a website you can find information on cat breeds, cat breeders, cat names and more.www.terrific-cats.com/ - 29k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this
Cats
This is a collection of pictures of cats found on random places on the internet. If you know of some reason they should not be here, or have pictures of ...www.acc.umu.se/~zqad/cats/ - 88k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this
Kittens for Sale Cats for Sale Cat Breeders
Pets 4 You provides information on all pets including kittens for sale, dogs for sale, dog breeders, kittens for sale, cat breeders, horses, reptiles, ...www.pets4you.com/cats.html - 82k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this
Orisinal.com - Cats
Ferry Halim - Orisinal arts collection. Simply relaxing experience for the soul. Soothing music and graphics, beautiful atmosphere.www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g3/cats.htm - 3k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Cat Fanciers Web Site
The Internet forum for the cat fancy since 1993. Comprehensive site with lots of original content. Articles and links on cat breeds, cat shows, cat care, ...www.fanciers.com/ - 5k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

National Geographic: Cats
Join the Project Cat design team as they hone the blueprints for the 'perfect predator' a mammal that can thrive in almost any habitat on earth.www.nationalgeographic.com/cats/ - 6k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

C.A.T.S.
Provides public transportation services to the Charlotte Metro Area, including service to Gastonia and Rock Hill. Mission statement, information on services ...
www.charmeck.org/Departments/CATS/

- 38k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this
News results for cats

NBC5i.com
Sachse Residents Worry About Big Cat Sightings - Dec 10, 2007
SACHSE, Texas - Residents of a north Texas neighborhood said they are concerned a big cat has been visiting their area. Several neighborhood animals have ...
MSNBC - 7 related articles »

Confidential Files on Charles Stahler

Confidential Files on Charles Stahler
Svitak, Adora

Our mission was to find information on Mr. Charles Stahler. Here we present our research findings.

Mr. Stahler is codirector of the Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG), which "provides information about and advocates vegetarian and vegan lifestyles." VRG publishes the Vegetarian Journal, a magazine which features, among other things, vegetarian and vegan recipes.

Mr. Stahler has co-written Meatless Meals for Working People with Debra Wasserman (according to Google Checkout, www.checkout.google.com ). Google Checkout has been extremely helpful on finding books by Mr. Stahler, as it carries links to websites like Barnes and Noble, http://www.alibris.com/, and http://www.al1books.com/ , which provide further information. Mr. Stahler has also written Vegetarianism for the Working Person and No Cholesterol Passover Meals, all of which are published by the Vegetarian Resource Group. These books are also co-written with Debra Wasserman.

We were unable to find Charles Stahler or the VRG on Wikipedia, the renowned online encyclopedia. Does this mean that Mr. Stahler and the Vegetarian Resource Group are too minor to catch Wikipedia's notice?

As for Mr. Stahler's personal background, he is married to Debra Wasserman, who, as you may have noticed, is a frequent collaborator with him on publications. Mr. Stahler has children and resides in Baltimore.

We advise our readers to keep low unless they want themselves profiled.

You could be next.

Note on investigating an author

Yesterday, I read a web article by Charles Stahler; I was to look him up and see what his background was, what other things he had written, and about his life. I had found many good strategies to find things out about him. I looked on wikipedia and found that there was no page on him, so what I did was went on Google and looked up things written by Charles Stahler. It took many sites to find what I wanted, but I found what I was looking for. I looked at many sites but I found that www.vegparadise.com , www.a1books.com , www.grist.org , www.alibris.com , and www.bn.com (barns and noble ) were the most useful. These sites gave me the best information the quickest, and they had it in a way that was really easy for me to understand. I found that Charles Stahler is codirector of vegetarian group (vrg), he writes with his wife Debra Wasserman. He is a father and he wrote the books Meatless maeals for Working People, and No Cholesterol Passover Recipies. Interested in more about Charles Stahler? Then go to www.vrg.org .
-posted by Katie

Good Learning Resource

Good Learning Resource
Svitak, Adora

Through the King County Library System's list of recommended sites, I've discovered www.bookrags.com, which has summaries, book guides, author info, etc. on (I think) every book on the planet. If you're writing a book report/review, etc., Book Rags provides a lot of great info.

Child Labor

I just came across Adrianna's excellent Write to Learn paragraph from our unit on child labor:

"I climb the steep blackened chimney, holding in my coughs and splutters. I am short of breath, so I inhale. I inhale black dust and charcoal, and my hollow coughs echo around the narrow tunnel. Tears sting my eyes, but I musn't cry. I have to work. I scrape the chimney sides that are black with dust. It's dark and lonesome, and hard to breath. All sorts of dust fills my lungs. I cry as I sweep the chimney."

I'd like to compliment Adrianna on her vivid use of imagery. Her empathy really shines through.

Investigating a Web Author

Let's play private eye and do a little investigative work on some Web authors.
First, read the following articles. Second, research the authors' backgrounds on the Web.
What are their credentials? What else have they written? What is their educational background?

http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue4/vj2006issue4poll.htm

http://newcats.blogspot.com/