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Every week we write the newspaper, The Fourth Grade Times. Usually working in pairs, kids write notes on paper, then type the stories on computers.  After checking for mistakes, writers deliver their stories to the kid editors in network folders . Editors do a quick check, then copy files directly into the newspaper document. Finally, editors arrange the stories, try to correct as many errors as possible, meet with the writers as needed, then print the final copy. This is an authentic learning project much like working for a real newspaper -- all writing, editing, and the final printing must be finished by our deadline, which is about 2 hours! When the paper is published, writers read their stories aloud and explain what fixes or edits might be made. Then the whole class offers comments and questions that the writers must answer. Examples of some of our newspaper writing will appear on this page all year long. We hope to improve with every issue.

Ingolstadt World by Anjanaya (superwoman)
Hey In Quest Atlantis I am doing a mission called Ingolstadt. Ingolstadt is a part of Quest Atlantis. When you get there you have to talk to the Mayor Grimm, Gene, Stan, and Henry. You find out that Henry has a disease called plague. You can see green stuff every where. In Ingolstadt it is dark and dreary. I have finished Henry's story for him. Henry's story was about school uniforms because kids were fighting about who clothes were the best. I also had to talk to Dr. Frank. People are disagreeing with Dr. Frank because he had made Frankinstien and people don't want him to experiment on Frankinstien. Dr. Frank is making Frankinstien so that he can do experiments on him and cure the disease. I am just now starting on this mission and I have a lot more missions in Ingolstadt. 

Similes and Metaphors by Marissa and Makay
Have you ever heard about similes and metaphors? The definition of simile is a comparison using like or as. The definition of metaphor states that one thing is a comparison but it does NOT use like or as. We thought it was a little bit confusing at first. Example for a simile is His feet were as big as boats. This is a simile because it involves as. Example for metaphor is, A boy was a hungry lion. This was a metaphor because it did not involve as or like. The mission that involved metaphor and simile is Sally's journal. Sally said that her flute is her best and only friend and that is a metaphor.

Fusion Fall 3D By Katrell and Tyler
Do you watch cartoon network? This awesome game I'm going to show you was made by cartoon network. Katrell told us the new game on the Internet. It's really fun to play. This game has these characters Ben 10, Ed, Edd, n , Eddy, Dextor, Samarai Jack, Kids next store, Power puff girls, Billy, Mandy, and Transformers. To play this game you need a really good username and a password. Mr. Smith named his avatar Boone Bio Ant. They shoot monsters with laser guns beause the monsters had viruses got all over the cartoon universe and the monsters were making clones of the cartoon characters. It's up to you to save it. The most fun thing about fusionfall is jumping, shooting monsters, orgees, and tallking to teen cartoon characters. To play this game go to fusionfall.com. 

Chinese Words by Todd and Tessa
Ni hao. We are writing about our Chinese words in this weeks vocabulary. We had four Chinese words in our vocabulary. Here are some Chinese words. Wo yao zao dian-I want breakfast. Wo bu yao xi gua.- I don't want watermelon. Qing wen, wo yao mian baw.- I would like some bread please. Wo bu yao cha.- I don't want tea. It is important to say the Chinese words correctly. If you don't say them correctly people will not understand you. 

The XO Computer by Shelton and Aaron
Guess what? We get to be the first one to explore our new XO computer and it has a camera on it. The screen is 9 inches wide and 7 inches tall. The buttons are rubber and small and it has a camera and you can take pictures with it. You can recored your self to. You use the pad to move the mouse then select what you want. I figurd you could record stuff, paint, and calculate.

“How To” Project Update by Mark and James
Have you ever done a How to project? We started last week. Mr. Higgs is doing it with us in Englend. People that are working together are Todd and Shelton, Kaitlyn and Hailey, Mark and Billy, James and Makay, Abbie and Anjanaya and Tyler and Tessa. The people that are working alone are Davion , Aaron, Marissa, Katrell, Mariah and Cierra. All the students How To projects are on our wiki page. When you click on the students page thier How To project will show up. They would take the blue digatal camera and take a picture of your drawing.Then upload picture. Then paste it on the bottom of your page. Davion, Makay and James are done. Mr. Smith wants us to do this project to be creatve and silly. Go to smithclass.wikispaces.com.

  
Old North Bridge  by Kaitlynn and James
This is about the Old North Bridge. Mr. Smith went to Boston to see the Old North Bridge. Mr. Smith went last week. The bridge is near Concord, Mashuchsuts. The bridge is famous because tt started the battle of Concord. We watched a vidio of the battle of Concord. The year was 1775. The British started coming across the bridge and they were wearing red coats. The farmers got their things ready to shoot in 1 minute. The farmers were called Minute men. This was called "the shot heard around the world" and this place became the 1st land of America!

Making Scary MP3s! by Abbie and Mark
This story is about making scary mp3s for the Monster project . We made scary mp3s with scary back ground sounds. They are the Knock knock, Wolves in the graveyard, Coming in, The Killer Rats, Don't anwser the door , and Zombies from the dead. Marks scary mp3 is Wolves in the Grave yard and Abbies is Knock Knock. Abbie has women screaming a lot of times at the end and Mark has thunder at the end of his. And we both use scary voices. You go to our blog and go to monster project and go to monster 2009 and look for Mr.Psycho maniac.You use a microphone and go to Audacity and it is free so you can get on it by downloading it on your computer at your house its free! It records your voice. 



Cameras to Africa. By Shelton and Makay
This story is about a camera going to Africa. We wrote "Guess what? We are sending a blue small Sony camera to your school". The name of the school is Sancta Maria. The teacher's name is Mrs. Namata. They will send us a picture of the monster. They sent us three pictures so far. One showed two people by their building, another was a group of kids at their school ,and the last one showed their city of Kampala crammed together with cars. We sent them six pictures. Five had kids eating spaghitti, green beans and bread rolls and the last one had Marrisa on the computer typing her letter to Nina. We think they are happy that they got their new camera. 

Computer Boy Milo by Tessa and Cierra 
We are writing about a computer boy named Milo. Milo is different because Milo can see us from out of the computer screen. Milo is an avatar in a 3D computer world. Milo can talk to others from out of the computer screen. Milo might help with math and help the teacher with questions in school. Milo seems like a real computer avatar. Milo can get a peace of paper when someone draws a picture and puts the picture in the computer screen. Milo is not a regular computer character. Milo can see our emotions. 


Monster Project Update by Marissa and Katrell
Our story is about The Monster Project. There is 25 Monsters on the Website. Three names I really like is Wee Nit Wit, Scooting crazy face and Mr. PsychoManic. I choose them because I thought they were real Monster names. Miss Knight sent a Monster mp3 file to us. The New Zealand kids talked about their Monster named Einkenstein. In our class we made some in mp3s podcasts too and you can find them on the writing and story page. The stories that they made were Monster Podcats from Mr. Smith Class and Three Sons and the lion from Uganda by Mrs. Namata , and the story of the Scarecrow came from Turkey. Mr. Greenberg put a video about Where the Wild Things Are. I am enjoying the Monster Project so far. We would like Mr. PsychoManic to win. 

  Quest Atlantis by Hailey and Tyler
Quest Atlantis is a computer game that we play on in centers. Quest Atlantis is about doing missions it is also in 3D. Quest Atlantis is very interesting because it helps the class learn while our class plays Quest Atlantis. Our login names are super hj and mister td. When we first logged in we were wearing white shirts and shorts. When we change our clothes we have to click on our faces on the right side of the computer then you can change your avatar clothes. As soon as we get in we have to talk to Lara and then talk to Maq. In Quest Atlantis we use the arrow keys to move around Quest Atlantis and try to find missions and transportels.To get back to Otak hub we have to go back through the transportel. QA is very popular in our class room. Why, because it helps us learn.

  Livewires Blogs by Davion and Katrell
The story is about the Live Wires. They are class that have blogs like us. On a blog people write about important things.The Live Wires are in New Zealand. The Live Wires have 29 kids in thier class. When they talk they sound differnt. They have alot of pictures on our web page.I commented about two Tigers taking a splash in a tub. I don't think they figured out what "The machine" video on our blog was yet. The Live wires rule in school!! The Live Wires also communacate with our class. Livewires blog.

African E-Mail  by Billy and James 
This is about African Emails.We are writing to Sancta Maria school in Uganda, Africa.Their adress of thier web page is SanctaMaria.wikispaces.com .Their parents died in war. The kids live at school.Their teachers name is Mrs.Namata.They like their teacher.They sent us two letters.This is our turn for writing back.They are in the monster project with us right now.They have the toe ring for the monster project. 

Mr. Smith Goes to LA by Anjanaya and Mark
Mr. Smith was gone four days in Los Angeles, California on a plane. He was studying tecnology and learning at Pepperdine Universty. I think the work was hard for Mr. Smith because he was working with 14 people on his i phone programs and Quest Atlantis. The class was called Human Computer Interaction. He will be going back to Pepperdine this year in November 3,4,5, and 6. It is better when Mr. Smith is here.

  Monster Project by Mariah, Aaron, and Cierra 
This story is about a Monster Project.It is fun with alot of schools around the world because we see who worked the best.Every body has to look on the descrirtion chart on the moster web page.We have 38 body parts.We have the lips they are Light -Blue 43 cm long,25 cm tall ,red -orange flames,cracked and bloody.There are other countrys and states that are in the monster project to too like Taiwan, Burnside England, Buffalo New york,and Durham,NC. The Monster project is Due October 31-2009. Monster Link