Did you know that SHARP students are published authors? Each spring SHARP receives over 5,000
writing submissions in the forms of poems, essays, brochures, illustrations,
and short stories. We compile all the submissions and turn them into a
book. Five books, one for each grade level, are published and distributed
to the schools.
Not only are the Writing Challenges a chance for students to
“show-off” to their families and friends what they have learned throughout the
school year and use their new vocabulary, they are another chance for us to see the SHARP
program brought to life, a chance for us to see how the students
have truly engaged in the learning process.
The Writing Challenge submissions really give insight into the
personalities of our students. Thoughts about students’ passions or
curricular areas to which they relate are revealed through their writing style
and content. SHARP second graders
explain how "cool" it would be to travel around the world like a
raindrop, SHARP fifth graders write about how they would have helped start a
new country if they had lived during the American Revolution, and SHARP third
graders relate what they like about their community and how they would
make it better. Our students are an inspiration.
I am so proud that our students are able to use their new
vocabulary and concepts, thankful for the teachers because of their
dedication to the SHARP program, and simply amazed at their creativity and
imagination.
I have been told, and I can imagine, that students’ faces light up when they
page through the books and see their work in print. I am looking forward to experiencing this.
This year’s books have not yet been published, but I thought I’d share a
few samples with you.
Happy Reading!
Lynda
Science: Weather, Water and the Environment, Submitted by SHARP 2nd Graders
The Cycle of a Raindrop
I was a little rain drop sitting in a puddle. A kid stomped on me and then he started to run. I fell off of his shoe and I slid into the street. Then it got really hot so, I went high into the sky. I saw other rain drops and we came together to make a cloud. And then we fell down to the ground again and formed another puddle. Then a cat licked us up.Social Studies: Our Community. Milwaukee through the eyes of a SHARP third grader.
Favorite Milwaukee Places
Milwaukee Riverwalk
The Milwaukee
Riverwalk is in the urban part.
Milwaukee Riverwalk is where you can see ducks and water, plus you get
to walk on the pretty landscape.
Changing my
Community for the Better
Pollution
What I would change
is the bad pollution and water in my community because I want people to have a
better life. I would change it by making
big posters and tell people to hang it up on tall buildings. If I can change my community would be better,
and people and animals would live longer.
Bullying
I want less
bullying and violence. If I can change
it I would tell my friends to help me and talk against violence. I will would meetings and announcements. It’s helpful to people when they are safe and
secure from violence.
Fixing the Broken homes
My town is starting to have broken down houses. I see good people looking for homes in my town, they don't want to buy broken down homes. My solution is that we should repair the houses. We can get tools to fix and repair the houses from falling apart. Then there would be more houses and more people. After we do that, people that are good would come to my town.
