By: LizBeth DeGroote It was a rainy day in August, and Chris was struggling. He had just gotten home from the Marines in June of 2001, and was having some problems. Chris had lost one of his high school buddies in the Marines, after they had gotten ambushed by the other side. He couldn’t get the idea of the war out of his mind. He was always thinking about the war. He went to a therapist but it just didn’t seem to help. It wasn’t until in July 18th, 2001 that something hit Chris like a freight train. Chris was dealing with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Chris always knew that he would have flashbacks about the war, but he didn’t realize how bad it had gotten. That day in August was the worst. Chris had just went outside of the local grocery store, that him and his wife went to. When all of the sudden he started having flashbacks again about the Marines, and from that day that they had gotten ambushed and his friend,was killed. Chris heard a gunshot in the distance, from what, no one knew; however when Chris heard that shot, he went crazy. He thought that they had sent him back into the war, and that he was getting ambushed again, and that he would never be able to escape from all of the noises of the gunshots, and all the screaming. Chris started to attack others around him, he thought that they were trying to harm him. The police then showed up, and got Chris under control. He didn’t end up hurting anyone, so no one pressed any charges against him. Him and his wife then went to the car, and started heading home. Chris’s wife was worried about Chris, and didn’t know what to do. That was until a light bulb went off in her head, she had hear about how certain animals can help relieve stress for people. She always knew that Chris loved dogs, he always talked about how he always enjoyed any animal when he was little.She thought that maybe if she would get him a dog, maybe it would help relieve some of the stress for Chris. A few days later, Chris’s wife told Chris that she had a surprise for him. There was a box sitting on the counter and he had know idea what his wife did now. He walked up to the box, and heard something moving around inside of it. He opened it up, and there was a cute female yellow lab puppy, with brown eyes. Chris immediately fell in love with her. Even though Chris liked the puppy, his wife wondered if it would really help him. Within the next couple of days, Chris was doing a lot better. His wife noticed that ever since she got the puppy, and it slept by the side of there bed, Chris wouldn’t wake up from nightmares like he used to. He was also going out in public with the dog, and people didn’t seem to make him as nervous as they used to. Chris hadn’t had another outbreak from noises that he had heard, all because the dog made Chris feel safe, and that Chris had made a new best friend. The puppy then grew, and Chris was able to take her wherever he wanted to. He took the dog for obedience classes, and even took her shopping with him. The puppy changed Chris forever, and he would never forget that he had a new best friend that loved him, and made Chris feel safe, and comfortable wherever he went. The new dog had helped Chris with his stress, the dog was the best thing that had ever happened to Chris.
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By Lincoln Cross
One day there was a farmer that had just got done plowing his field all day. As went home, and he could barely walk because his feet hurt so bad from working in the fields all day. When he got home he sat on his couch and was looking through his mail. Until he came across a magazine about tractors. He started looking through it and came to a new Case IH Model 400 with 43 horsepower that he liked. Because it was only $695, and was made by a new company called Case IH. So the next day he went to his local Case IH distributor and bought it. He put it to work that day. The farmer loved it so much he sold his old plow for $355, and invested that money into a tiller that he pulled behind the new tractor. But the biggest issue the farmer had was gas for the tractor, but one day while working in the field, the tractor just shut off. He tried everything to get it up and running again, but couldn’t. So the farmer took it in and told the people at Case what happened, and the farmer told them how much he used the tractor, and how he loved it . The manager at Case IH heard about the farmer's tractor and felt bad. So he gave him a brand new Model 1456 that had 132 horsepower and the farmer loved it, but he wanted the first tractor he bought, because he knew how to work it. The manager was so kind, that he gave him the Model 1456, and fixed his old Model 400. The farmer was so grateful, that he offered to work on the assembly line, and the manager happily agreed . That's how the farmer began to love a new company with tractors that just started. By, Zachary Church We were already the cause We were the cause of 23% of extinctions, I still thought it was fun I liked being out in the sun; I was waiting for the ducks It felt like it was hours, I went inside to get some shells I could even smell the outside flowers. At first I hear quack And then I hear the shotgun, boom, There was only one duck Only one… The news said there weren’t anymore Hunters killed the last one, That’s when I stopped hunting I might have been done; Later in the year It became deer season, Driving to our spot We only had one reason; There wasn’t any deer I was part of this process, I hurt the environment The news was searching for my address; Our car pumped out CO2 That stands for carbon dioxide, That is what hurts the environment It doesn’t make you feel any pride; They were killing them for sport I thought it was fun, It isn’t fun anymore Definitely because all of the animals are gone... By: Braden Russell Brown Today, I’m going to talk to you about drinks that are healthy, along with drinks that are unhealthy for you. First off, some of the worst drinks that people consume daily consist of: Pop/soda, coffee, Gatorade, Powerade, sports drinks, etc. Most of these drinks contain high levels of sugar, artificial sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup, and many more harmful and fattening ingredients. So far, the leading drink with the most calories, is the Burger King Chocolate Ice Cream Shake with an shaky 950 calories. Most fast food restaurants serve food and drinks that are filled with sweeteners and sugar, which can some day come back to bite you. You may not think it now, but years down the road from now, you will be affected by all the things that you have eaten or drank in the past. People who drink lot’s of pop daily, will run the risk of having strokes, kidney stones, and even dementia. In 2002, a UCLA study found that consuming excessive amounts of sugar reduces the production of the brain chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Without BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor), our brains can’t form new memories, and we can’t learn or remember much of anything. Pop doesn’t only cause weight gain, but it also weakens your heart, lungs, bones, and can corrode your teeth. On the other side, you can drink healthier, with drinks that don’t contain nearly as many sweeteners or artificial flavors. Some healthier drinks consist of: Pomegranate Juice, Low Fat Milk, Green Tea, Orange Juice, Beet Juice, Kale Juice, Lemon Juice, Ginger Tea, Cranberry Juice, and surprisingly Hot Chocolate. Each craving drink listed, doesn’t contain nearly as much sugar as all of the other drinks do. In fact, the most amount of calories that you will consume out of these drinks, would be a maximum of 200 calories. Most of these drinks contain the things that people are recommended to consume daily like: Nutrients, Vitamin A and C, Antioxidants, Calcium, Vitamin D, and a lot of other healthy things. I’m not saying that it is the end of the world if you have a pop or energy drink every now and again, but try to avoid drinking them regularly. You should be able to enjoy a nice fizzy pop ever once in awhile, but for the most part, try to stick to the juices and teas. You will notice a change after drinking healthier refreshments. By drinking healthier, not only will you feel better, but you will look better as well. By: Kaleb Brouwer Farming has been around for a long time and a lot of things have changed in the agricultural business. I have lived on a farm my whole life and farming is all I ever want to do. People used to use horses and other animals to plow their fields, yet now we use big tractors. One day I invited a few friends over to help work in the fields with me. We had all kinds of big tractors, plows, and stuff to work up the fields with, but we decided to do something else. We found an old plow from the early 1700s that they used to hook behind horses, and we were going to use it. Then we rented a few horses and went out to the field. We wanted to know what it was like when they used to have to farm this way. We were out in the same field for 9 days plowing up ground. We decided that it was hard work but we were going to do everything like they used to, so next it was time to put the seed in the ground. We rented an old planter and hooked up the horses to that to. We were in the field for 11 more days planting the corn. We waited all summer and before we knew it, it was fall. It was time to take the corn out of the fields… not with a combine and semis though. We were going to pick the corn by hand and put it in baskets. We were only doing a few acres so that was good, but it seemed like a lot more when we picked it by hand. An acre of land used to sell for about 125 dollars and now one acre sells for $6,000 to $9,000 it just depends on where it is at and what kind of soil it is. So we grabbed our baskets and we were ready to start picking. We picked for about three weeks and all the corn was finally picked but we still had all the stalks in the field. If we would've used the combine it would’ve taken care of it all at once but now it was time to cut all the stocks and put them in bundles. We cut all the stocks off and tied them together in giant bundles with string. We hauled all the bundles to the shed and used it for bedding for the cows, and other animals in the winter. We could of done it with all big tractors, combines, and big machinery but we did it the old way. Farming has evolved a lot over the years and people still keep making it a bigger industry by creating new and improved equipment. By: Emily B
How many species of animals are there? Dolphins, cats, pandas, whales, and don't forget the hare! Over 7 million I would say. But that all could stop today. Picture a world with no mammals. No butterflys and no hogs. No pandas or dogs. Not even a cat. No bats! No Lions, Tigers, or bears. Oh My! Picture a world without Reptiles. No lizards, snakes, or frogs. No alligators or crocodiles. No turtles or iguanas. Picture a world with no birds. No Morning songs would be heard. No ducks that go quack! They would fly and never comeback! No eagles or robins. No pigeons or chickens. Picture a world with no fish. No goldfish to swim in a dish. No Nemo's or Dory’s. No fishy fish, fish! Have you heard of the Red list? It is not a checklist or a grocery list. It is more of an animal endangerment list. A list of animals that will soon never roam the earth. All because of one thing. You! Me? You might ask It is only one task Recycling is key But do you recycle Let me see Eight Eight million pieces of plastic get dumped in the ocean. And that’s not great That can kill sea turtles (Like the turtles on Finding Nemo) Pesticides and herbicides can make your yard look nice But should the animals pay the price These hazardous pollutants affect the wildlife Help make the red list smaller It won't cost you a dollar Help the wildlife today January 5, 2017
3:00 Am Today I begin my year long journey of traveling the world. This month we're going to Guadalupe. It’s currently 3:00 AM, I haven’t packed any of my stuff besides a couple of boxes to drop off at my parents house. So time to pack... Everything to bring: Clothes I.D. (drivers licence) PHONE CHARGER Brush Beauty products (makeup) Shoes (Only a few) undergarments money(credit cards, cash, debit cards) Important documents (Passport/visa) Medicine Headphones - Carly 4:30 AM It’s now 4:30 AM and I have just finished packing. I’m on my way to drop these boxes off at my parents house then my mom is going to drive me to the airport. - Carly 6:00 AM I’m on the plane now and we're just taking off and I’m just going to tell you some of the tips I used to pack everything in 2.5 hours. First “Pro” tip plan ahead and make a list, this will make packing a stress free activity. Pack light, as in only the necessities. Which would include 5 outfits; you will most likely buy more while you’re away, A couple pair of shoes; you most likely buy more, undergarments, Medicine, Important documents, Headphones, I.D, Money, Phone, phone charger, Make-up; you won’t need to bring soap, lotion, or shampoo/conditioner, you can alway buy it there. Dont fold any clothing, roll it, It saves a ton of space and it leaves no wrinkles. The big one that helped me was planning my outfits ahead of time, I just made a mental list of each outfit. - Carly 2:00 PM OKay that was a pretty darn long flight (7 h 25 min)... so i'm going to bed. This is my last journal entry for this month but I will write all of my experiences and the end of the month. - Carly January 30, 2017 5:00 PM I had went to Pointe De Châteaux ,Guadeloupe national park, cabaret falls,Zoological and Botanical Park of Guadeloupe, Plage Caravelle, Deshaies Botanical Garden ,many beaches, and giftshops.My favorite place was the national park. There are so many beautiful animals here. I bet you didn’t know a mongoose(a non-indigenous arrival from India) lives here too. Of course they had my favorite animal, A sea turtle! There was also many mangrove trees here. But there was something I felt when I was in there. Anyways Off to our next location. - Carly February 3, 2017 4:00 PM I have just arrived at havana cuba. But i'm super tired. This is my last journal entry for this month but I will write all of my experiences and the end of the month. So goodnight. - Carly February 28, 2017 3:00 Pm I broke my foot by.....Sorry but i going to have to cut this trip short.But anyways i went to the most historical and beautiful places i could find. It felt as if everywhere you looked there was some sort of art or sculptures, it so beautiful. - Carly |
Ms.Backstrom's class has been working on creative writing pieces based around 'big question' research. Take a look at what they've come up with!
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