Don't have your own blog but would still like to participate?

With a New Year beginning, many people reflect on what they have accomplished in the past year and what they wish to do in the new year.

Write about something you accomplished this past year.  Then think about something you would like to do in the new year and write about that. Compare and contrast them.

*Compare means to tell how two things are alike. Contrast means to tell how two things are not alike.

Don't forget to come back and sign Mr. Linky.

Many people send out Christmas cards every year.  Create a Christmas card you would like to send out to all your friends and family.  You may want to first create it on paper, then scan it into your computer and post it as a graphic.

Come back and sign Mr. Linky so we can see your creation.

At Christmas time, many people buy gifts for their friends and family.  The best gifts often don’t cost anything.  Make a list of the people you would like to give a gift to this year.  Beside each name write something that you can give them that doesn’t cost a cent.

Don't forget to come back and sign Mr. Linky.

According to Webster’s 1828 dictionary, traditions are “The delivery of opinions, doctrines, practices, rites and customs from father to son, or from ancestors to posterity; the transmission of any opinions or practice from forefathers to descendants by oral communication, without written memorials. Thus children derive their vernacular language chiefly from tradition. Most of our early notions are received by tradition from our parents.”

During the holiday season, families participate in many traditions.  What are some of your favorite family traditions?

Don't forget to sign Mr. Linky when you finish your assignment.

Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840. He was known as the founder of French impressionist painting.  Choose one of his paintings from below and write a story to go along with it. (You may want to post the picture with your story.)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Please come back and sign Mr. Linky after you have posted your assignment.

Do you know someone who served in the armed forces?  If you would like, talk to them and ask them about their time serving in the military, then write about what you learned about them and from them. 

Or write a letter to any veteran thanking them for their service to our country. 

After posting, please come back and sign Mr. Linky.

Tomorrow, in the United States, millions of Americans will head to the polls and vote for a new President.  There are many who won’t exercise their right to vote for various reasons.  Some of them believe that their vote doesn’t matter because of the way the election process uses electoral votes to determine a winner.  What do you think?  Do you think that everyone who is old enough to vote should vote? Why?  Do you think that our election process is fair?  Why or why not?

After posting your assignment, please come back and sign Mr. Linky. 

Using your imagination finish this story any way you would like. 

It started as an ordinary autumn day.  The leaves had begun to pile up outside and the weather had turned colder.  I put on my jacket and went outside.  Then something happened that changed my ordinary day into an extrodinary day.

After posting your story, come back to sign Mr. Linky.

After posting to your blog, don’t forget to come back and sign Mr. Linky so other can read your posts. 

Pretend that you are a rat on one of Columbus’s ships.  Write a story about your adventures into the new world aboard.  Be sure to use a first person voice when telling your tale. (I, me, we).

Don't forget to come back and sign Mr. Linky to share your story and to visit your classmates.

Sometimes we have an idea about something that others don’t agree with.  We try to persuade or convince them to our way of thinking.  This week, think of something that you have an opinion about.  It could be anything.  For example: getting a bigger allowance, a fashion fad that your parents don’t agree with, music you like to listen to, why (or why not) someone should homeschool their kids, why people should drive the speed limit etc…

Now write a persuasive paragraph.  Follow this basic outline.

1. Begin with a topic sentence that states what you think about something and your point of view on the subject.  Make it a statement and don’t use personal pronouns. Ex:  Children should be in bed every night between 8:00 and 9:00.
2. Then give a few reasons you feel this way. Ex:  Children need sleep to function properly. 
3. Give specific facts to support your opinion.  Facts can be in the form of statistics, quotes, historical and scientific evidence. Ex: According to leading pediatricians, children need 10 to 14 hours of sleep each night, depending on their age, to be healthy and happy.
4. Restate your topic and the most important evidence that supports your opinion. Ex:  In order for children to get the correct amount of sleep each night so that they will live happy and healthy lives, they should have set bedtimes between 8:00 and 9:00.

(These sites offer you some more help in writing a persuasive essay)

Guide to Writing a Basic Essay

OMMS

The Five Paragraph Essay

ABC Teach

After you post your assignment, come on back to sign Mr. Linky so everyone can see what you've done.

September 22, 2008 is the first day of autumn. 
For this assignment use the word ‘autumn’ to create an acrostic poem.  An acrostic poem is written by using the letters of the topic word to start each line of the poem and all the lines relate to the topic word. Acrostic poems do not usually rhyme.

My example of a rhyming acrostic poem using the word ‘autumn’ is:

A cool breeze settles upon the air.
Unique colors everywhere
Trees drop their leaves to the ground
Uttering not a sound
Memories of summer fade
New ones of autumn to be made.
VMD

My example of non-rhyming acrostic:

Animals preparing for winter
Underneath trees are scattered leaves
Temperatures turn cooler
Unveiling bright colors of red and yellow
Many friends gather to jump into leaf piles
Noble fall has arrived.
VMD

After you have written your autumn acrostic, come beack here and sign Mr. Linky.  Be sure to stop by occasionally to see what others have written.

What is your definition of a hero?  Do you have any heroes in your life?  Describe the qualities of that person that makes him/her your hero.

After posting your assignment, come back and sign Mr. Linky.  Don't forget to stop by the other HSKW's blogs and let them know you like their assignment.

This past Monday, a lot of Americans had the day off from work.  When you think about the all the jobs there are, which do you think is the hardest?  Which do you think would be the easiest job to do? Why do you think this way about them?  What job do you think that you would like to do in the future and why?

After posting your assignment, come on back and sign Mr. Linky so others will be able to read your post.

Directions are very important.  They give specific details as to how to do or make something or how to get somewhere.  Often directions use sequence or transitional words to move from one step to another.  Here are some examples of  sequence (transitional) words:
first, second, third, etc…
at first
first of all
to begin with
in the first place
at the same time
before
in the meantime
later
meanwhile
the next step
next
then
while
simultaneously
after
afterward
as soon as
finally
last

Think of something that you know how to do pretty well.  It can be just about anything, a game you play, something you make, something you cook, or something you do everyday like take care of your pets or brush your teeth.
Start at the very beginning of that activity and write out very specific instructions using sequence words.  Pretend that you are writing these directions for someone who has never done what you have decided upon.
After you have written your directions, check and see if you missed any steps by following your directions as you have written them.  How well did you do?

After posting your assignment, don’t forget to come back and sign Mr. Linky and visit your classmates blogs.

A Haiku is a type of Japanese poetry.  Haiku usually has three lines. The first line usually has five (5) syllables, the second line seven (7) syllables, and the third line contains five (5) syllables. Haiku doesn't rhyme. A Haiku paints a picture in the reader's mind. Haikus are usually about everyday things like nature, feelings, or experiences.  In Haiku, punctuation and indentation are left up to the author and can add to the beauty of the poetry. Write your own Haiku.

EX:
As the wind does blow
 Across the trees, I see the
  Buds blooming in May

When your assignment is posted please sign Mr. Linky below and encourage your classmates by visiting their blogs.

Last week you wrote out your regular schedule and were supposed to make changes to it during the week to help you use your time wisely.

This week write out your revised schedule.  What changes did you make?  Did you find it hard or easy to keep to a schedule?  Why or why not?  Do you think people should have schedules?  Why or why not?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of scheduling?

When you have your assignment posted, sign Mr. Linky below.  Then stop by the other Homeschool Kids Write blogs and leave a comment.

We’re back!  With summer almost behind us and most of us getting back into the swing of doing schoolwork, some of us establish a routine to help us stay focused and get everything done that needs to be done.

For this assignment, write out and post your routine.  For example:

7:00-Get up, brush teeth, get dressed, make bed

7:30- Eat breakfast

8:00-Feed the animals

8:30- Go to school

12:00-eat lunch

12:30-back to school

3:00- watch TV

5:00-Eat supper

5:30-Play PS2

9:00-Read Bible-Go to bed

Now look over your routine and see where you might want to make changes to it to help you use your time more wisely.  Try your new routine for a week.  In the next assignment there will be questions for you to answer.

It's been a month since the last assignment. I'm sure everyone has been busy.  For this assignment, chose something that has happened in the past month and write a newspaper article about the event.  Be sure to answer the 5 W's; who, what, where, when, why.  (You don't have to use real names or places to protect your privacy.  Fictional names and places are just fine, but keep the event in tact otherwise.)

After this assignment we will be taking a break until the begining of August.  That will give you time to do some of the other assignments that you missed from the past year.

Looking forward to reading what you write.

Have a great summer!

After posting your assignment, don't forget to come back and sign Mr. Linky.