Daily Spark # 78

Spring Into It

Brainstorm a list of as anything that remind you of spring.  You have 3 minutes.  Count your total when you finish.

Fourth Quarter

You’ve finally reached the last nine weeks of school.  Reflect on what the first 3/4 have been like and consider what has gone well for you.  Make a list of positive things about your academic performance and a list of things you’d like to improve on in this last stretch. 

Spring Break

You have been nominated by your friends to plan a spring break party.  Think about what theme the party will have, the supplies you’ll need, the location, transportation, the time frame, and how many people will come.  Be sure to plan a dynamyte menu–your friends will be hungry!

Daily Spark # 77

Morning Routine

“I raised my weary head from the white fluffy cloud upon which it had rested.  Ah, to face another day!  My raven hair was strewn about my creased face like the wild feathers of a frightened bird.”

This is the very melodramatic beginning of a description of a morning routine.  In a similarly melodramatic tone, describe your morning routine.

Wanted: Great Employee

Write an ad pitching yourself to the employer of your choice.  Think about what your employer might be looking for in an employee, and portray your strength in the best possible light.  Attempt to use catchy phrases like figurative language and clever writing to advertise yourself. 

 Boys and Girls

Do you think men or women have an easier time of things?  Explain your thoughts with at least 3 supporting reasons.  Elaborate with specific examples to illustrate your point.

Daily Spark # 75

Quote of the Day

Write the quote of the day and what you think it means.

“He to whom the present is the only thing present, knows nothing of the which the age in which he lives. “–Oscar Wilde

Empathetic Erosion

We know that moving water erodes landforms. Describe what it would be like to be beaten by waves everyday.  Are you eroding?

Invertibrate Fairy Tale

I.   Choose a fairy tale. Your teacher has some fairy tale books available as references. Read the fairy tale in your group.
II.  Rewrite the fairy tale or write one of your own using an invertebrate animal as the “good” character and a vertebrate animal as the “bad” character. Your story can have more animals in it. Use the resource books or the internet to help you gather some information about your animal to include in your fairy tale. Information such as habitat, food, structure, predators will help you to create your story. Use the list below to help you think about the appropriate information.
III.  You can model your fairy tale after an existing story or create a fairy tale of your own.
IV. Illustrate your story.
V. We will do a carousel reading activity when they are all complete.

Complete this information for both the vertebrate and invertebrate. You may want to create a chart.

1. Organism
2. Character Name
3. Habitat
4. Structure
5. Predators
6. Prey
7. Adaptations/Survival
8. Skills

Daily Spark # 74

To Do List

Here’s a list of things I planned to do yesterday.  Now that the day is over rewrite the list in the past tense to show that these activities have been done.

1. Wake up       2. get dressed        3. walk the dog        4. shower        5. eat breakfast    6. drive to school       7. say good morning to co-workers and students   8. get the day started       9. complete Daily Spark    10. have fun       11. meet up with friends       12. gab        13. go out to eat       14. play with the dog          15. do homework          16. chat on the phone     17. watch American Idol          18. read         19. go to sleep     20. have sweet dreams

Our Own Dictionary

You have been hired to write a dictionary of common ELA terms used in the 5th grade. Brainstorm a few entries.

Here are your first terms    1. prefix    2.  root word    3.  conflict      4. resolution      5. figurative language      6.  metaphor      7. simile      8. alliteration      9. preposition       10. modifier    

Offend Nobody

“If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little ever printed.”– Benjamin Franklin

What do you think about censorship?  Citizens of the United States are guaranteed the right to free speech, but many Americans feel that this right sometimes comes under attack.  Have you seen evidence of this around you, even in your school?  If not, have you read about anything that could be construed as censorship occurring in the United States?  Write about what you know.

Computer Literacy

What do you think this means.  Think about what the driver might be wishing for.

Daily Spark # 73

Context Clues

Use the context clues in the sentences below to figure out what the unusual words means.

1. Have you ever been to a farm where they have kine?  The farm I went to was a milking farm so they didn’t use the kine for meat.
2. My coach is so fastidious.  It seems like no matter how hard we work she’s not pleased.
3. I think I would have enjoyed the card game much more if my big sister had not been such a kibitzer.  I got very tired of her hanging over my shoulder to give me tips.
4. After Attila’s team won the championship, they jubilated together.  The coach bought the team ice cream and they congradulated each other all evening. 

Cause and Effect

Write 3 possible effects for each of the incidents below.

              Cause                                                                            Effect

1. I tripped on the steps at school.  
2. I scored the winning goal in our soccer game.
3. I completed my homework.

I’m Grateful

Even the dreariest, most awful weeks aren’t bad twenty-four hours a day.  Think of a few things that have happened this week that you’re grateful for.

Daily Spark # 72

Fix This-

Find 6 mistakes in the following sentence.

my mother and i will be driving a hundred miles today its my grandmas birthday

Grammar Gorilla

Quick! Name all 8 parts of speech and give three example for each.  Here are two to help you get started.  You have 6 more identify.  Use an English book to help you if need.

• interjections:  Wow!  Geepers!  Yikes!  OMG!
• preposition: on, around, in, over

Prefix Preview

Knowing about prefixes is very useful in understanding and unknown words – especially long words.  Two common prefixes are un- and dis-, both meaning  not, or the opposite of.  List as many words as you can think of that start with dis- or un-.

Suspenseful Story

suspenseful stories are often told using foreshadowing, setting, and tone to set a scary mood.  Tell a short suspenseful story where two characters must resolve a conflict .  Start your story with dialogue.  Be sure to use quotation marks correctly.  Underline your foreshadowing.  Here are some possible settings. 

 

Daily Spark # 71

Cause and Effect

This weekend the movie Hunger Games made $155 million dollars, more than any other non-sequal movie on it’s opening weekend.  Why do you think this is?

Palindrome

Palindromes are words or phrases that read the same way backwards and forwards.  For example, deed, noon, rotator, don’t nod. See if you can think of three palindromes of your own.

Homophones are Hot

Use the following homophones correctly in a short story about a monkey in the zoo. 

• too, two, to, there, their, they’re

Fortune Teller

Tell a short story about what you think happened just before this photos was taken.  Write an ending for the story based on what you think happened.

Daily Spark # 70

Holding Out Hope

“Reserving judgment is a matter of infinite hope.”

Do you think people who refuse to think badly of other people are fools or optimists?  Do you tend to make snap judgements about people?  If so, is your initial impression usually right or wrong?

The Chicken or the Egg?

Which came first, violence in the media or a violent society?  Some people believe that violence in movies and TV desensitizes people, making them more violent.  Others believe the exact opposite–that movies and television on its own.  What do you think?

All Alone

Mark Twain once said,

“The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with oneself.”

What do you think he meant by this?  Does this idea apply to your own life?  Conculde your entry by explaining how you feel about being alone.  Do you dread it, or do you enjoy having time to yourself?

Conflict of Interest

Check out the cartoon below about conflict of interest.  What do you think it means?

Daily Spark # 69

What’s the Matter?

In science we’ve been learning about physical and chemical changes to matter.  Today brainstorm a list of physical changes (these are when matter changes size, shape, state such as water turning to ice).  Try to think 0f at least 20.  You can use classroom resources to help you.

Vocabulary Vendor

Here are four new vocabulary words and their meanings. Create a short story using all of them.  When you’re finished underline all of your conjunctions and put a box around the vocabulary words.

• ancestor (noun)- a member of your family who lived a long time ago, even before your grandparents.
• dominate (verb)- a rule of control by strength or power.
• dimension (noun)- a measurement of length, width, or thickness.
• invincible (adjective)- not able to be defeated.

What do You Suppose

Look at the picture below.  What do you suppose is happening.  Tell a short description of what you think is going on.

 

Daily Spark # 68

Cool Fact of the Day

There are about 6,800 languages in the world.  See how many you can list.  Try to come up with at least 10.

Quote of the Day

Write down the quote and what you think it means.

“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.”    -Ram Dass

Hook ‘Em

Use this first sentence as your hook and create a very short story.  “One day something extremely eerie happened. ”

Animal Art

Write a poem about an animal that lives in the zoo.  Don’t forget to make it funny.  Make it rhyme if you’re really up for a challenge.