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e-Journal

The Good Ship Popsicle Stick (p. 359)


Step 1. Questions

Robert McDonald used ice cream sticks to make a large ship! The ship was made with 15 million sticks and more than two tons of glue. The ship weighed thirteen tons.

Which of the words in the paragraph above describe Captain Rob's ship? Find an object near you to describe. Before you begin writing, research ways of describing objects on the Internet. Here are some questions to guide your research:
  • What is matter?
  • What are different ways to describe matter?
  • What is an adjective? What are some examples of adjectives?
Are you ready? Begin by visiting the Web sites listed in Step 2. Look for answers to the questions above. Write down what you learn in the boxes.

With teacher supervision, you may use search engines to research other Web sites. You also can research ways to describe objects at the library. When you are ready, follow Steps 3 and 4 to write your descriptive essay.


Step 2. Research

Research answers to the questions you were asked in Step 1. Visit these Web sites. Take notes about them on this page, too!


Toolbox Tip: Click here to learn how to save a Web page on your computer.


States of Matter
Learn about the different states of matter on this NASA Web page. Is your object a solid, a liquid, or a gas?
Take Notes:



Adjectives and Adverbs
At this BBC Web site, you can play a fun game! Adjectives and adverbs are words that describe. Adjectives describe nouns, or objects. Adverbs describe verbs, or actions. Find the right words to describe each product. Create advertisements that will make the products sell. Follow the directions on the screen. Choose a product to begin! Think about words that could describe your object.
Take Notes:



Describing Objects
You can describe an object by telling its shape, size, color, and texture. Can you describe the objects on this Web site? Click the question mark to learn ways of describing each object. Click the arrow to go from one object to the next.
Take Notes:



Additional Sites

Word Seek
All of the words in this word-seek game are adjectives. Find each word on the game board. Which of the adjectives could you use to describe your object?
Take Notes:



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