Home School Writing Cooperative

Week Three - Bioethics

With the Human Genome Project's discovery, the world can now have access to a map of the complete human genetic code. In 1997, the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights was adopted by many European countries. Six of the declaration's articles are listed below. This week you are to write a persuasive paragraph(s) detailing why you agree or disagree with any or all of the articles presented.

• Genes are what unite all of humanity.
• We must respect the unique traits of every individual.
• Individuals have the right to keep their genes private.
• No one should make money from selling human genes.
• Geneticists should share their research.
• Cloning humans should not be permitted.

REMEMBER:

1. ___ 5-8 sentences for each paragraph, including a topic and concluding sentence

2. ___ five elements of good writing; focus on PURPOSE

3. ___ clearly REWORKED rough draft I want to see your rough drafts.

Homework Week Three

Time Capsule

With the New Year coming upon us, it is the perfect time to take an inventory of our lives. What makes us and our time unique? This week, you will design a time capsule. What is a time capsule, you might ask? It is a collection of items, representing our culture and society at this point in time. It can be anything from newspaper articles to photos to gadgets to song lyrics. The capsule is then stored in a safe place and opened at some point in the future. It serves as a historical record of our time period for the people of the future. Brainstorm a list of at least ten items that you would like to place inside a time capsule representing your year. Look carefully at the list; circle four items about which you'd like to explain in depth. In your composition this week tell about the items you'd place in the capsule, why you'd like to include them, and when and why you'd like the capsule opened. You might also like to include any special instructions for the design of the capsule. Regardless, you must write at least five paragraphs. Remember to begin with a comprehensive topic sentence and end with a concluding sentence that takes into account the ENTIRE composition.

REMEMBER:

1. ___ 5-8 sentences for each paragraph, including a topic and concluding sentence

2. ___ Elements of good writing; focus on PURPOSE and IDEAS

3. ___ clearly REWORKED rough draft I like to see ALL your drafts
ST. PATICK'S DAY/ Leprechauns

This week you will be also be writing about leprechauns. Choose one of the following story starters. Get a piece of scratch paper and write down all the things that could happen in this story. Choose one or two of your best ideas. Now, get a piece of paper, copy the phrase you want to use down on your paper, and then finish the story. Type it up and email to me. Have fun there is no paragraph limit. You may write as little as one paragraph and as many as five.

Possible choices:

• The leprechaun woke up, stretched his arms out to the side, stretched his legs, then tried to flex his magic powers--but they weren't there!
• I woke up one morning and the world was green . . .
• A wizard cast a spell on all the leprechauns. From now on they'd
• The blarney stone, the stone that gives the power of persuasive speech, is missing . . .
• I finally caught a leprechaun . . .
• One day I found the end of the rainbow, and at it there was, not gold, but a pot of leprechaun dust .

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