Category Archives: Core Learning Strands

The 8 Old Town Academy Core Learning Strands.

Creative Writing Q3 #1

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Surfing and swimming is what most kids like to do in San Diego. But David didn’t care about that, he wanted to find Bigfoot. Ever since he was a kid he has wanted to see this mysterious creature. It has been told to be living in the mountains of Big Bear. Legend says he only comes out during the winter, and he lives in a cave. Winter time came and all David could think about was was Bigfoot. He, his sister, and his parents all went unto Big Bear for a week and a half, but he didn’t tell them about finding Bigfoot. The first three days he had no clue what to do and found no trace of him whatsoever. He was starting to lose hope but then he found a rather large cave. He decided to explore it but nothing was there. That night he decided that the next day would be his last attempt at finding the creature. The morning comes and he puts on his clothes, and heads out the door.

He was walking up a mountain when suddenly he fell through some snow and into what appeared as a cave. He wasn’t sure whether it was real or not but it was. He got up and it was pitch black, so he took out his flashlight and looked around. He saw two tunnels so he went right, he was walking when he fell into what looked like a bottomless pit. He landed in a chamber and at the end saw a large hairy figure. It turned around and stared at him. It was Bigfoot! David almost fainted, he realized he would need proof but before he could even pull out his phone Bigfoot had already crushed it. David realized it was going to be harder than he thought. He tries to run but there is no where to go, he just runs around trying to find an escape. He didn’t care about Bigfoot anymore he wanted to save his life. He spotted a doorway in the corner, he managed to barely make it. It took him back up to the snow, he then started walking away when the ground started rumbling. Louder and louder, suddenly, ”ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.”

What if

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What if we lived in a world of peace

What if there was no terrorism

What if we didn’t lock our doors at night

What if there were no crimes

What if it was a world of CB’s

But that isn’t possible

We have crimes

We have terrorism

We have CB’s too

But that’s what make the world go round

Haters

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There will be haters,

They hate you,

They hate the way you walk

They hate the way you talk

They hate that you make all the money

And score all the goals

They just want to take you out

They couldn’t if they tried

They hate it when you you win

They hate that you’re the best

The best on the field

There will be haters

Civil Rights Tweets

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Jackie Robinson:

As a hall of fame baseball player, and a civil rights hero I’m proud of our president and what he’s done. #obama #firstblack #blackandwhite

This years World Series was a great battle between the Royals and the Giants. Sadly the Giants won but I’m proud of both teams #baseball #worldseries2014 #blackandwhite

As an ex army chief I feel we need to send troops to take down Isis. #taliban #isis #badguysgoboom #blackandwhite

Martin Luther King JR:

Our nations leader is the first black leader but he hasn’t done the expectations I’ve had in him. #sadface #obama #blackandwhite

I’m glad to see this country treating African Americans fairly. But now black people are getting mad at white people. Like when a white cop killed a black man. Many people wanted justice and have him locked up in jail for life. #jail #makepeacenotwar #blackandwhite

Just went to the natural history museum and saw a lot of stuff from my time  #throwbackthursday #blackandwhite

Rosa Parks: 

Riding on a bus today felt different. It was just a normal bus, no segregation, no better and worst parts, and no cruel people. #relived #busboycott #blackandwhite

I’m so happy to have helped the country become more free and have less segragation. I wanted the best for my kids #segragationisbad #blackandwhite

I believe my arrest helped people realize how cruel it really was. #blackandwhite

42

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In the movie “42,” it explains Jackie Robinson’s first season with the Dodgers and the challenges he had to overcome. The players didn’t want him, the coach didn’t want him, and even the announcers didn’t want him! The team had to find different hotels because blacks weren’t allowed into the finest ones. They couldn’t eat at the same restaurants, or go to the same bar. The manager of the dodgers wanted to change baseball, he wanted to desegregate it. Jackie had to agree not to fight back if he got criticized or hit. If he did that people would hate him even more. But through the movie, the players overcame his skin color and became not just teammates but friends. And by the end of the movie he ended the respect he deserved, from everybody.

Historical Fiction book Q2 #3

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Dear Christopher Paul Curtis,

Would you be able to tell me what your most recent entry felt like? What it felt like with Byron and his “rage moments”? I also couldn’t believe my eyes when your mother, father, and Joey were all laughing at how he was bald and his ears were so big. It seemed weird how Mr. Watson was so calm when he came to realize what your brother had done to his hair. In my opinion that took a lot of guts because he knew he wasn’t allowed to do that with his hair but he did it anyways. I hope every thing works out okay with your brother.

Sincerely, Chris

 

Firsts in sports

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In 1958 a man named Willie O’Ree made his debut in the National Hockey League. He was with the Boston Bruins for two games. In 1961, after two years in the minors, O’Ree had played with them longer, 41 games. O’Ree never played another game in the NHL. This may not seem efficient, but O’Ree was different from every other player who played before him. He was black, and there wasn’t another Negro in the NHL for 25 years. The NHL was about 10 years behind every other sport in letting Negros play. Today people don’t remember Willie O’Ree as the first black hockey player but his presence let other African Americans in.

Hall of gamer Bill Willis played a crucial role in breaking the color burier in the National Football League. He made his official debut on. In the eight years he played for the Cleveland Browns from 1946 through 1953, he was a first-team All-League selection seven times and a second-team choice once. He also played in three NFL Pro Bowls. He was known for his strong charge towards the quarterback and had coaches thinking he was off-sides. He died November 27, 2007.

Earl Lloyd became the first African-American to play in the National Basketball Association on October 31, 1950. Lloyd started at power forward with an emphasis on power, for the 1954-55 NBA champion Syracuse Nationals, who moved to Philadelphia in 1963 to become the 76ers. He joined an all white team which he described as “Frightening.” Lloyd didn’t have a huge impact on anybody at that era but then recognized later on.

One of Jackie’s main accomplishments was obviously the fact that he was the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. When he first started, no one except the manager liked him, not the fans or even his teammates. But by the end of his career he earned everyone’s respect not just for him playing the game but as a person as well. In 1949 he was named baseballs most valuable player. In 1962 Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame. After he retired from baseball in 1956, Robinson was an outspoken champion in the Civil Rights movement. He influenced millions, that African-Americans shouldn’t just be able to play baseball together, but are to be treated equal to one another.

 

Superstitions and Cultures

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The superstition about breaking a mirror began in the American South. It was a certain way to give yourself seven years of bad luck. When you look in the mirror it doesn’t just reflect you but also sees your soul. Whenever a mirror was broken people would cover it so when someone died their soul would be trapped inside.  Unknown-1 

In Turkey no one chews gum at night. That is because you’re thought to be chewing the flesh of the dead. People say just stick with mouth wash because if you show up for a date your date will your chewing the dead.guy_chewing_gum_article

In Japan if you pass by a dead body you are supposed to hide your thumbs in your pocket. For example if you’re in a cemetery and you walk by a grave or tombstone you put your thumbs in your pockets to save your parents life. The Japanese word for thumb translates to parent finger, which is supposed to protect them from death.Unknown

Edit: The Interstate Highway

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Have you ever driven on a highway before? If so you have president Eisenhower to thank. The Interstate Highway was built so you can drive longer distances faster, however M.A.D. indirectly caused the Interstate Highway.

M.A.D. “Mutually Assured Destruction” was the idea where you could defeat your opponents and vice versa. During the cold war, this was happening between the United States and the Soviet Union. Eisenhower was worried that we would be bombed by the Soviet Union. We built it for faster evacuation if we were ever bombed (“Name of Website”).

The United States wouldn’t be where it is today without the interstate highway system. In a way, the cold war was a good thing because it made America what it is today.