Brag Sheet

Personal Narrative


By: Kate Mace

As the sound of my mom’s voice echoed through my brain, I caught a glimpse of the New York, yellow taxicab racing toward my family. The hotel we were staying at towered over the streets of the city. While I was waiting for the cab to pull up in front of the hotel’s massive doors for us to climb in, I made a mental plan for our day in the city. First, we had gotten out of bed, eaten breakfast, and made our way to the front steps to sit down while my mom called a cab. After we stepped into the scented cab, my mom told Larry, the cab driver, that we were going to FAO Schwartz. Usually, my mom told us where my family was going for the day, but today, she surprised us by telling the cab driver we were going to one of the greatest and biggest toy stores on the planet! The bland, drab seats of the cab gave me no further excitement when I rested my head on the back of the seat. The bleeping of the horns and the squealing of brakes called me to my senses.

The cab was stopped in front of the enormous building with an even more humongous sign welcoming you into FAO Schwartz. As the aromatic scent drifted p into my nostrils, my jaw dropped. Even the windows were stuffed to the gills with cute stuffed bears and Lego sets. The mellow colors of the plush toys made my little brother squeal with joy. Matthew, my little brother, pointed out that there was a giant pile of stuffed animals in the middle of the room, and kids were jumping and playing in it. Without asking, I ran up to the heap of toys and did a giant cannonball into it. The cushy, plush animals engulfed me like a volcano engulfs the chunks of rock that plop into its burning mass. As soon as I stuck my head out of the pile, it was pushed back under again when my brother decided it was his turn to jump into the animal pile. Luckily, my mom saw this whole scene unfold so I didn’t have to waste my breath yelling at my brother to get off of me. The pitter-patter of my little little brother’s feet abruptly stopped as my mom scooped him off the ceramic floor before he too could jump on the pile. I felt relieved as we ran up the stairs to the giant piano.

Even though there were a lot of kids at FAO, I still had a lot of fun. The gentle sound of Lucas’s snoring put me in a peaceful mood. The pitter-patter of rain, not feet, filled my ears up to it’s uppermost level, so that I could hear nothing else. I was tired and happy when the cab reached the hotel yet again. Walking through the doors of the Duke Frabresan, I took a deep breath of the perfumy smell. As my mom ushered us to the door of our room, I saw the delicate flowers sitting on the stool next to the table. Because the door was shut, the music became muffled. Jumping on a bed covered in soft, fluffy pillows never felt so good.

GRAAB Techniques

Feel free to post an example of your GRAAB technique for comment.

Brag Sheet -Descriptive Narratives

Read these narratives below. They were chosen to be displayed because they contained clear sensory descriptions of  places in the story. Can you replicate this writng in Friday's assignment? Feel free to comment.

Walker Mountain


By Ansley

The comforting songs of the bluebirds and the vicious howling of nearby dogs filled my ears when I first stepped foot on Walker Mountain in Valle Crucis. A shimmering pond lay obediently at my feet like a king’s cocker spaniel. Fanned out bundles of oak leaves violently swayed above my head as if in a hurricane. The dazzling mountains glowed under the leader of the universe’s gaze. Crackling pine needles crunched softly under my warm bare feet. Walker Mountain felt like my new home, safe and cozy.

Once I was inside the rectangular, little house a bubbly feeling crawled up my spine that made me feel like I was on top of the world. The smooth, waxy maple floor slid under my feet like Michelle Kwan’s Olympic skates on the slippery ice. A delightful scent of pine wood drifted up my nostrils. The bright, glaring sun shone down onto the peaceful house releasing a forcefield to protect my family and my friends from any danger that might knock on our door. When we finally put our tired minds at rest after the last embers of the campfire had died down, the glowing moon and the twinkling stars watched over us like angels looking after their loved ones. As soon as I had strolled into the well-kept house, I knew it would be hard to leave it behind.

Sailing down the everlasting mound of lime grass, my chocolate hair whipped in my face covering up my bright blue eyes. The brilliant, red sled turned the corner and soared down the hill. My New Balance shoes screeched to a halt, and I flipped off the sled, tumbling the rest of the way down the grass. Tall trees were hurt after I had accidentally slammed into them. Never ending laughter, from my friends, echoed in my ears, for they had injured trees as well. Bogey, Mary and Kate’s yellow lab,   continued...

 The Time I Went To Ben And Jerry’s    
by Hannah
As I trudged in, I could smell a scent of sweet vanilla ice cream traveling up my nostrils. People were cluttered throughout the parlor. A soft breeze blew in my face as the glass door slammed shut. Marshall, my older brother, was chatting with my mom about the first day of 10th grade. After hearing the blabbering of Marshall and my mom for five minutes, we finally swayed up to the sparkling counter. The generous lady at the front counter had a tie-die shirt on that said Ben + Jerry’s in big, bold letters. The walls around her had cows on them everywhere I turned. I thought as if I were at a farm. I excitedly ordered my favorite ice cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and plopped myself down at a shining table. As I dropped down, I glimpsed at my mom and Marshall paying for her ice cream, his ice cream, and my ice cream. When I scooped ice cream into my mouth, I suddenly felt like I was in heaven. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough melted on my tongue as if it were a snowflake that had fallen from the sky. I took another bite, and it danced in my mouth as I swallowed the tasty treat. A massive smile came upon my face when the creamy, sweet goodness shot down my throat. Strutting the out glass door, I still could taste that outstanding taste of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. To feel that magnificent taste was like going to NYC for the first time. The scent of the sweet Vanilla Ice Cream and the tasty Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough faded away as I pranced out of the building.

Petit Saint Vincent Boat Ride
by Maddie

As the cool summer wind whipped my tangled, wet hair, and the salty Caribbean water splashed my face, I knew this was a time to remember. The inner-tube swung back and forth as the small boat tugged Tyler, me, and my friend, Anabell through the rapid waves. White wave trails followed the boat through the open waters as we had yelled, “Faster! Faster!”. A shiver declined down my back as the cold breeze howled in my ear. Suddenly, the inner- tube’s stiff, braided rope crossed with another boat’s anchor, and the ride took a turn for the worst. My clammy hands clung tightly to the rubber handle; however, my brother, Tyler,had let his hands slipped off. My eyes closed tightly in fright of what might happen next as Tyler crashed into the stern of another boat. I gasped for air, because I had been enclosed underneath the inner-tube after it had flipped. From Tyler hitting is back on a boat, to me running out of breath, I would remember that moment for a lifetime.

Coming Next Week

• Midwest Region Facts
• GRAAB Non-fiction WritingTechniques
• Poetry Writing- Poetic Devices (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, alliteriation, personification, onomatopoeia, sensory language)
• Nouns Test - CLOSED NOTES (Make sure you have tackled all the exercises on the blog on Nouns)
• Figurative and Sensory Writing (in class writing assessment on an abstract noun of your choice)
• Spelling Test (Fri)

Southeast Region - Essay Question

See how Robert was able to incorporate so many precise facts that we had learned about the Southeast  region in his essay test answer.  This is an exact example of HOTS in practice. You will have three more regions tests and similar questions. Set this as a standard for  your own essay writing.

Question
Explain how the regional specialties served at a traditional Southeast meal might be different to food served in restaurants in other areas of the country.
Time limit: 30minutes

The warm gumbo bowl steams heavily. Its captivating scent gestures diners to dig in. The Southeast has a litany of enchanting food. Fortunately, several cultures have heavily influenced Southeastern cuisine. A long time ago, the French sailed to Louisiana to settle; therefore, giving the Gulf Coast delightful eating. The Spanish journeyed to Florida, while bringing a cornucopia of Spanish recipes. Slaves from Africa brought their own cooking styles. Coincidentally, the Southeast grows a multitude of crops. From pecans, to peanuts, and peaches, the 180-day growing season helps grow copious foods. In Florida, the citrus capital of the world, one can always find a tasty tangerine. Rice is very popular in the Southeast, so it might be on the menu. Luckily, numerous Southeast animals will be on this plate. There is an assortment of farms in the Southeast, and they provide steak, pork, and chicken. The Mississippi River, Atlantic Ocean, and Gulf of México combine to always have a fresh catch. Fish, shrimp, and crab make seafood an enormous possibility. To reiterate, the recipes of early settlers, plentiful cash crops, and several Southeast animals to make the Southeast a popular eating region. As the customer leaves the restaurant, he is satisfied, for the unique Southeastern cuisine fills his stomach.