Research Papers

 For our third assignment, we took the concept of paragraph writing, and then applied that skill to writing a Research Paper on our Backwards Animal.  Research papers can be very daunting to students, but teaching them to have the fundamental outlining skills required for organization is key.  They learned a research paper is simply:

1. Introduction

2. Body Paragraphs 1-3

3. Conclusion

Their body paragraphs were to include the same themes from assignment #2: habitat, diet, appearance, or personality.  And the research came straight from their imaginations!

Enjoy learning about animals you never knew were possible!  And make sure you quiz yourself and figure out what these animals' names are forward!

A New Level of Predator: the Effarig

by Mark (4th grade)

The Effarig is an extremely dangerous animal. It has a terrifying appearance, scaring tourists away. It has a carnivorous diet, and looks very ugly when eating. It lives in the world’s largest—and highest—mountain ranges.

The Effarig closely resembles a large bird-of-prey. It also has a ferocious facial look, scaring away anything that has eyes. As to its color, it is mostly brown, with a white head and white feathers at the tips of its wings.

The Effarig eats anything it can find, but it especially loves young mountain goats. When it catches its prey, it devours it right on the spot. This is a profoundly disgusting scene. When hunting, the Effarig is very dangerous, for it eats anything that gets in its way (even humans!).

The Effarig can be found in the Himalayas, Alps, Andes, and Rockies. It especially likes cold, desolate mountain peaks. To hunt for food, it flies lower, because there is no food that high—evidently.

In conclusion, even though the Effarig is very dangerous, I think it deserves attention.

The Interesting Arboc

by Anna (5th grade)

     The friendly Arboc is a puzzling animal. The shy and sweet Arboc is distant relatives with the fierce cobra, but is nothing like it. It has a menacing appearance, a singular diet, and a marshy habitat. 

     The omnipotent Arboc has abilities full of potential. It has a secret ability known to very few: it can put even the most energetic people into a deep, drowsy sleep. If the ravenous Arboc vacuums up 3,000 pieces of its favorite meal, then it can stay awake for up to two energy- filled days. When the Arboc feels intense heat, it remains unharmed, but if cold rain touches its scales, it will yelp in fear. As one can see, the Arboc is quite mighty. 

     This fascinating creature’s meal usually consists of carolina ghost reaper curry and orange juice. Its favorite snack is the rare chilli pepper jellybean. It has an enormous appetite for spicy, flavorful food, but often cannot obtain them because it is far away from human civilization. 

The clumsy arboc does not do well with dry ground, so it is commonly found in dark, wet, marshy forests where it can easily slither in the mud. The forests must be dark so the arboc can easily fall asleep. The arboc has adapted to its surroundings and can stay underwater for up to two hours. 

  The sweet arboc has a surprisingly tough appearance, most likely to ward off possible predators. It has black and dark red scales to blend in with the forest, dark amber eyes, and a towering structure. The thick body can be up to ten feet long!

In conclusion, the arboc has mighty abilities, a peculiar diet, a wet habitat, and an awe-inspiring body.