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Unit 5: Writing from Pictures & Unit 6: Summarizing Multiple References
 
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Unit 5

Writing from Pictures

Unit 6
Summarizing Multiple References

March 2020
 

In this newsletter we are featuring student submissions from Unit 5: Writing from Pictures and Unit 6: Summarizing Multiple References.

Unit 5 combines taking notes from a source (the series of three pictures) with taking notes from the student’s imagination because most of the ideas are not in the pictures. As a teacher I love seeing the variety of stories that can come from a single series of three pictures. No two are the same!a

Unit 6 teaches students how to combine multiple sources using a fused key word outline. This is the beginning of helping them learn research and note-taking skills that they will use for the rest of their lives! We had so many excellent submissions that it was difficult to choose the ones to feature here. This unit provides students with the skills to become excellent research writers!

If you need some encouragement as you work through the units, be sure to listen to any of these archived webinars as Andrew Pudewa provides some helpful hints. 

Finally, in case you have friends who have suddenly become “accidental homeschoolers,” IEW has compiled three weeks of free language arts instruction to help learning continue from home. Please share this link with them. IEW.com/lessons2020

 

Enjoy!

Danielle Olander

Editor, Magnum Opus Magazine
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LEVEL A - Unit 5

Changing Lives Dramatically
Brendan O.

Barry and Iris celebrated their one year anniversary at a local restaurant where they had first met. Little did Iris know that Barry was going to propose to her because he loved her. Barry,who is actually a superhero named Flash, fights evil villains. He wanted to be alone with Iris, so they carefully drove to Zio’s, an Italian restaurant. This was going to be an anniversary to remember for them. 

Barry and Iris told their order to the waiter. They ordered baked ziti and delicious lasagna because they were their favorite foods. Iris was a journalist and a reporter for Central City. Barry, who was a scientist, was also a CSI agent. In 2014 he was powerfully struck by lightning and became the Flash, the fastest man alive. Their waiter had a special surprise order waiting for Iris. 

The surprise order revealed in front of them was a sundae. This decadent sundae they ordered had vanilla ice cream, fudge, a cherry, and a ring on top, which was an engagement ring. Barry took the ring and proposed to Iris. “Will you marry me?” Barry asked. Iris dreamily replied “Yes!” They nibbled this sundae slowly because they wanted to spend more time with each other. This surprise order changed their lives dramatically. 

To be continued ...

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LEVEL B - Unit 5

The Vase, the Ruby, and the Rescue
by Elizabeth M., age 12
    Lucas cautiously peeped out from behind the huge antique vase. Glancing around the room, he could not spot anyone else nearby. However, that did not ease his fears. Anxiously he wondered if he could accomplish his goal. He knew he had suggested a risky plan. If he failed, it would mean harsh punishment—or worse. On an errand outside the farm where he worked, Lucas had met a man named Harry Tubs, who had promised to help him escape his cruel master. Harry was bold. Harry was strong. Harry was skilled. Lucas admired him, but he still doubted that the man’s strategy could succeed. However, he knew there would never be a better option. Worried, Lucas glanced around the room one more time before proceeding to the next stage of his plan.

    In the large room, the lid of the ancient vase slowly lowered, concealing a pair of eyes that glinted in the light. Although he knew that he had found a secure hiding place, Lucas still felt terrified, wondering if someone would discover him. Muffled by the walls of the vase, Harry’s voice floated over to Lucas, who still sat inside the vase. Quietly Harry told someone to be careful with the vase because it had a ruby inside. Listening to Harry, Lucas recalled that in Harry’s code a ruby meant a boy. Also, he remembered that an emerald symbolized a man, an amethyst stood for a woman, and a sapphire represented a girl. Lucas admired the ingenious code. Someday, he wanted to use those words to help others like Harry did. For now, as the lid of the vase lowered, all he could do was hope. The boy took a deep breath as the lid of the vase slowly began to close and a wave of claustrophobia swept over him.

    A week later, the vase, which had helped in such an exciting rescue, stood alone in the same room as before. In an underground cave Lucas discussed his next rescue. Inspired by Harry’s bravery, Lucas had decided to help sneak other people to the hiding place. Grateful to Harry and not wanting anyone else to suffer like he had, Lucas could not wait for his first mission. He remembered his code words: Be careful with this trunk because there is a tiny, fragile sapphire inside. The code meant that there would be a little baby girl inside the chest. If something went wrong, he would improvise. Who would be better to free people from slavery than a boy who had once been a slave? The ruby would now be the rescuer. As for the vase, it still stood alone in the room like a watchman silently guarding hidden treasure – maybe even a ruby.


The Route to Freedom
by Hannah
In the darkness of one chilly, starlit night, Amos and Mary dashed through the forests of Maryland, endeavoring to flee from the cruel and violent enslavement of their master. With their newborn embraced in Mary’s arms, they started to become unsteady and lose their footing as they darted breathlessly through the trees. Amos detected a house in the pitch-black night and commenced toward it to rest and regain their strength. Just as they drew close to the dwelling, Mary stumbled over some unyielding, rigid roots, which were erupting from the soil, and plummeted down the hill. Amos chased anxiously after her, hoping that they would be able to continue fleeing from slavery. 

The next morning, Amos and Mary held their breaths as they lay concealed in the secret compartment of a wagon which was driven by the farmer who inhabited the home they stumbled upon the night before. As if by Providence, the domicile Mary and Amos arrived at belonged to a conductor on the Underground Railroad: a clandestine group who assisted slaves in their escape to freedom. Suddenly, the wagon came to an abrupt halt. Two henchmen and a ferocious, sinister German shepherd, who had been dispatched by their master in an effort to pursue and recapture them, flanked the wagon and suspiciously questioned the farmer concerning the slaves’ whereabouts. Beneath the wagon’s cargo, Amos and Mary prayed for God’s protection and were relieved when the two men left and the wagon continued on its trek to the drop-off location. The Lord had kept them concealed in the wagon and enabled them to continue their trek toward freedom. 

Amos and Mary finally reached the edge of the river that separated them from freedom. Under the concealment of the evening’s blanket of darkness, they spied a scrawny man on a raft, who was another conductor on the Underground Railroad. He motioned to them silently, eager to get them across the rough waters and to enable them to continue their progress toward freedom. Amos and Mary warily hopped onto the raft and began their journey across. The waters became more and more turbulent as they progressed; however, they steadfastly continued on. Mary started to lose her balance, but Amos held her tight, and they traversed the waterway anxiously. At last, they stepped off the raft, reaching the opposite shore, where they felt so relieved and thankful to finally be at the terminus of the route to freedom! 

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LEVEL C - Unit 5

Ponder the Enchanted
Allison C.
Running as fast as he could, Remy snuck behind a tree near an oddly placed telephone booth, hiding from the police, who were chasing him for stealing food. Finally catching his breath, Remy, who was peckish and penniless, sat wearily beside the overgrown tree, gripping his burlap bag. Suddenly a mysterious man, who appeared as if he came from the past, moved furtively into the red telephone booth. With one eye on the man, while quietly reaching for a morsel, Remy heard a ruckus from the vintage phone box. As white as a ghost, Remy slowly peered around the tree trunk. Surprisingly, the ruckus stopped! As Remy wondered about the noise, his stomach growled loudly. Remembering his filched food, he finished his meager meal. While his hunger waned, his curiosity waxed. Because the mysterious man was still in the phone booth, Remy decided to hide instead of escaping the scene and watch for the puzzling person to appear, forgetting all about his plan to elude the police. 

Hours later, Remy was about to give up and leave the scene before the police discovered him. All of a sudden the man emerged from the booth with a new identity. Remy was fascinated! Impulsively Remy followed the man, who resembled an undercover spy. Although he was following the strange man closely, he vanished from Remy’s view. Because he lost sight of him, Remy trudged back to the tree to retrieve his burlap bag. Especially tired from roaming and running, Remy opted to return to the tree, hoping to witness the man of many faces appear again. 

Unexpectedly, an elegant, enchanting woman, dressed as if attending a party, swiftly proceeded into the peculiar phone booth. Remy tiptoed near and watched the woman, who was now inside, dial a number on the phone. Instantly the phone booth shook! Then it became an elevator going down. While waiting for the phone booth to reappear, Remy, who thought he heard voices, panicked, thinking he heard police drawing close. Quickly he stumbled inside the phone booth, trying to recall the number the woman dialed. After many tries it started to move. Remy breathed a sigh of relief although it did not last long. The booth stopped operating. In shock, Remy had landed in an underground secret service agency and was greeted by armed spies glaring at him. He sat for what seemed like hours in a holding room, full of trepidation. The lady whom he had seen earlier entered his room, angry, anxious, and adamant for answers. She interrogated him incessantly. When his answers did not satisfy her, she demanded that he remain here, working with the secret service for the rest of his life or be exiled to a remote country while being watched his whole life there. Remy sadly pondered, “If only I had bolted into the woods instead of following the enchanted woman, I would be free.”

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Level A - Unit 6

A Dramatic, Ever-Changing Experience
by Caroline W., age 12

 The history of Craters of the Moon National Monument is very fascinating. Originally, the Northern Shoshone made it their camp while traveling on their annual migration route. To this day the tribes' trails and stone circles can still be witnessed. Although fur trappers and other early Americans avoided this rough place, Robert Limbert sought to explore the strange scenery in Idaho in the 1920s. Establishing it as a monument in 1924, the government has enlarged the Craters of the Moon Park immensely since then. It was deemed Craters of the Moon National Monument because the moon, which had not been boldly explored yet, was thought to be in resemblance to this threatening lava landscape. NASA even ushered astronauts here to adequately prepare them for the lunar landscape. Although it is dormant, this volcanic land seems ominous, and hundreds of thousands of insane onlookers still annually visit this crazy place. It is famous. Even those without an affinity to history savor the stunning past of Craters of the Moon.

Although the land is strangely barren, it still teems with wildlife, but mostly plants as they are more versatile. For example, wildflowers stand like a proud army during summer. They are striking. Two popular shrubs are sagebrush and mock orange. The sage grouse is the weirdest appearing bird that makes its home in the sagebrush. The pygmy rabbit, the smallest rabbit in North America, is dependent on sagebrush also. Other animals that live here include the sage sparrow, the sagebrush lizard, and the sagebrush vole. Hiding from the sun, the American Pika, which is related to the rabbit, resides in the frigid cracks of lava because the heat of the summer would otherwise kill them. Fortunately, plants and animals in the Monument are seemingly bountiful. 

Because their eruptions were so huge, many volcanic features litter the landscape at Craters of the Moon National Monument. It is located on the volcanic Snake River Plain in Southern Idaho. The enormous Indian Tunnel, which is a massive lava tube, is open to the public. In the tunnels some stalactites and stalagmites are an impressive red or blue. Solidified, wavy lava mimics a frozen sea of swirls and whirls. Tree molds occur when lava swells around the tree, cools, and then forms an impression. Stunningly, spatter cones predictably depict a mini volcano. Debris lies everywhere. Craters of the Moon National Monument is a very rough terrain because its volcanic features are abundant. The National Monument today offers visitors a dramatic, ever-changing experience. 

 

Works Cited

 

Craters of the Moon. Craters of the Moon, National Park Service, 2017.

 

“Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve.” Encyclopedia Britannica,       

     Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Oct. 2016, www.britannica.com/place/

     Craters-of-the-Moon-National-Monument-and-Preserve. Accessed 4 Nov. 2019.

 

Craters of the Moon Staff. A Guide to Craters of the Moon. U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.

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LEVEL B - Unit 6

Roaring Engines and Adventures
by Micah B., age 15

    Tractors are not the first thing that most people associate with the name Lamborghini. However, Lamborghini actually first started out as a tractor company. Ferruccio Lamborghini was born in 1916 and died in 1993. He was a tractor builder and a millionaire. Ferruccio had bought a Ferrari, but it was afflicted with some difficulties. Imagining his own sports car, he dreamed of competing against Ferrari and creating something better. Lamborghini chose a man named Giotto Bizzarrini to design the V12 engine of his first model. Since Ferruccio was from Italy, which is famous for bullfighting, he chose a charging bull as the emblem for his line of sports cars. Because the emblem represented a bull, he desired to name the models after famous bullfighters. One of the most well-known of all the models is the outstanding and beautiful Aventador, which is more than a sports car. The Aventador is a hypercar. Amazingly, this beast, with 700 horsepower, is equipped with a 6.5 liter V12 engine, which allows the car to reach a top speed of 217 miles per hour. Without a doubt this wicked machine’s base price of $450,000 is totally justified. Although Lamborghini is gone, the cars he created and the legacy he left are so much more than just tractors. 
 

    In spite of being a small company in miniscule Denmark, Zenvo is a notable car business creating amazing hypercars. Founded in 2007, the team at Zenvo always had a dream of creating high performance cars that would allow the ultimate driving experience. They also longed for a vehicle that would stand out from any other automobile. They succeeded. One of Zenvo’s models is the ST1. Because this automobile is a hypercar, production was limited to only fifteen cars. While it is a hypercar with an expected high price tag, some car fans are blown away with its exceedingly high price, which is $1.8 million. A fierce machine built with such high performance standards deserved a powerful emblem to represent it. Wisely, the team at Zenvo decided to use Thor’s hammer as the emblem because he is the god of thunder. Another exciting fact about the ST1 is that it is built not just for the road, but also for the track, if the driver wanted to test how dynamic this monster of a car actually is. Although Zenvo is a relatively new, small, and not well-known company, the cars they are producing are extraordinary hypercars. 
 

    While many people are unfamiliar with W Motors, the company creates some of the top hypercars in the world. W Motors is a fairly new company, started in 2012 by a man named Ralph R. Debbas. Because Debbas is inspired by wolves, he used the “W” in W Motors to represent the wolf. Headquartered in Dubai in the Arabian Peninsula, W Motors only creates two models. One of the two models, which is called the Lykan Hypersport, was at one time a mystery. No one knew what a Lykan Hypersport was when the producers of The Fast and the Furious movie wanted to use it in the film. Movie fans loved it. In order to travel at an incredible speed, W Motors constructed this car to reach 100 km/h in only 2.9 seconds. The other car they produce is the impressive, high-performance Fenyr. Astonishingly, this hypercar’s body is completely constructed of carbon fiber. The Fenyr is in a league of its own – a supersport. This unique “wolf” has a capacity of 800 horsepower, can travel from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds, and has a top speed of about 260 mph. Even though W Motors Company has only existed for seven short years, their models are mind-blowing to all hypercar fans and will surely leave their mark on car history. 

     

Works Cited

 

Brewer, Mellisa. “MCARS.” Simply Autos, simplyautos.com/what-is-a-hypercar/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

Classen, Robin. “A Lykan Hypersport Supercar? Here's All You Need to Know.” Wheels, 16 Oct. 2019, Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

Evans, Sean. “What's the Difference Between a Supercar, a Hypercar, and a Megacar?” Speed, 14 Dec. 2016, nymag.com/speed/2016/12/the-difference-between-a-supercar-a-hypercar-and-a-megacar.html. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

Nahum, Andrew. 50 Cars That Changed the World. Conran Octopus, 2016.

“Small Town, Big Ideas.” Zenvo Automotive AS, zenvoautomotive.com/brand/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

Supercars: Built for Speed. Publications International, Ltd., 2018.

Woodard, Collin. “Zenvo TS1: The Danish Hypercar You Didn't Know You Wanted.” Road & Track, Road & Track, 8 Oct. 2017, Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

“Fenyr SuperSport.” Wmotors, wmotors.ae/fenyr-supersport.html. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

“Fenyr Supersport.” Wmotors, wmotors.ae/founder-and-ceo.html. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

“Fenyr Supersport.” Wmotors, wmotors.ae/our_story.html. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019

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LEVEL C - Unit 6

Captivating Jaguars
by Carolina H., age 17

    Tractors are not the first thing that most people associate with the name Lamborghini. However, Lamborghini actually first started out as a tractor company. Ferruccio Lamborghini was born in 1916 and died in 1993. He was a tractor builder and a millionaire. Ferruccio had bought a Ferrari, but it was afflicted with some difficulties. Imagining his own sports car, he dreamed of competing against Ferrari and creating something better. Lamborghini chose a man named Giotto Bizzarrini to design the V12 engine of his first model. Since Ferruccio was from Italy, which is famous for bullfighting, he chose a charging bull as the emblem for his line of sports cars. Because the emblem represented a bull, he desired to name the models after famous bullfighters. One of the most well-known of all the models is the outstanding and beautiful Aventador, which is more than a sports car. The Aventador is a hypercar. Amazingly, this beast, with 700 horsepower, is equipped with a 6.5 liter V12 engine, which allows the car to reach a top speed of 217 miles per hour. Without a doubt this wicked machine’s base price of $450,000 is totally justified. Although Lamborghini is gone, the cars he created and the legacy he left are so much more than just tractors. 
 

    In spite of being a small company in miniscule Denmark, Zenvo is a notable car business creating amazing hypercars. Founded in 2007, the team at Zenvo always had a dream of creating high performance cars that would allow the ultimate driving experience. They also longed for a vehicle that would stand out from any other automobile. They succeeded. One of Zenvo’s models is the ST1. Because this automobile is a hypercar, production was limited to only fifteen cars. While it is a hypercar with an expected high price tag, some car fans are blown away with its exceedingly high price, which is $1.8 million. A fierce machine built with such high performance standards deserved a powerful emblem to represent it. Wisely, the team at Zenvo decided to use Thor’s hammer as the emblem because he is the god of thunder. Another exciting fact about the ST1 is that it is built not just for the road, but also for the track, if the driver wanted to test how dynamic this monster of a car actually is. Although Zenvo is a relatively new, small, and not well-known company, the cars they are producing are extraordinary hypercars. 
 

    While many people are unfamiliar with W Motors, the company creates some of the top hypercars in the world. W Motors is a fairly new company, started in 2012 by a man named Ralph R. Debbas. Because Debbas is inspired by wolves, he used the “W” in W Motors to represent the wolf. Headquartered in Dubai in the Arabian Peninsula, W Motors only creates two models. One of the two models, which is called the Lykan Hypersport, was at one time a mystery. No one knew what a Lykan Hypersport was when the producers of The Fast and the Furious movie wanted to use it in the film. Movie fans loved it. In order to travel at an incredible speed, W Motors constructed this car to reach 100 km/h in only 2.9 seconds. The other car they produce is the impressive, high-performance Fenyr. Astonishingly, this hypercar’s body is completely constructed of carbon fiber. The Fenyr is in a league of its own – a supersport. This unique “wolf” has a capacity of 800 horsepower, can travel from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds, and has a top speed of about 260 mph. Even though W Motors Company has only existed for seven short years, their models are mind-blowing to all hypercar fans and will surely leave their mark on car history. 

     

Works Cited

 

Brewer, Mellisa. “MCARS.” Simply Autos, simplyautos.com/what-is-a-hypercar/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

Classen, Robin. “A Lykan Hypersport Supercar? Here's All You Need to Know.” Wheels, 16 Oct. 2019, Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

Evans, Sean. “What's the Difference Between a Supercar, a Hypercar, and a Megacar?” Speed, 14 Dec. 2016, nymag.com/speed/2016/12/the-difference-between-a-supercar-a-hypercar-and-a-megacar.html. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

Nahum, Andrew. 50 Cars That Changed the World. Conran Octopus, 2016.

“Small Town, Big Ideas.” Zenvo Automotive AS, zenvoautomotive.com/brand/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

Supercars: Built for Speed. Publications International, Ltd., 2018.

Woodard, Collin. “Zenvo TS1: The Danish Hypercar You Didn't Know You Wanted.” Road & Track, Road & Track, 8 Oct. 2017, Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

“Fenyr SuperSport.” Wmotors, wmotors.ae/fenyr-supersport.html. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

“Fenyr Supersport.” Wmotors, wmotors.ae/founder-and-ceo.html. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

“Fenyr Supersport.” Wmotors, wmotors.ae/our_story.html. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019

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