Fourth-grade students at writers' conference offer samples of their work

Editor?s note: The following writing samples are from fourth-grade students at Sandra Cisneros Charter School in the Chicago, Ill. The students are about to complete a Fourth Grade Writers? Conference, organized by Mt. Pleasant native Katherine Crawford, who teaches at the school, and other instructors at the school.

The Princess and the Pea by Emily (Ms. Crawford?s 4th Grade)

Once upon a time there was a prince who was looking for a princess.  A girl heard about this and studied how to act like a princess-she wanted to be a princess to become rich.

That night the girl went to the prince?s house.  She knocked at the door.  The king answered the door and she asked if she could stay the night.  The king said yes and the prince saw her.  The prince told his father he wanted to marry the visitor.  The queen said, ?We need to know if she is a real princess.  So the queen put a pea under the mattresses and the girl slept well.  The next morning the girl remember what she had read up on and checked under the mattress for a pea.  She knew what to do.

The queen asked the girl how she had slept.  The girl said, ?I slept badly.?  The prince and the girl got engaged.  On the wedding day, while she was getting ready, she felt horrible about what she was doing.  She went to the prince and told him the truth.  The wedding was off.

The prince ended up marrying a real princess and the girl didn?t marry anyone.  The prince lived happily ever after.  The princess lived unhappily ever after.

The End

My Time at Topaz (A Japanese-American Internment Camp) by Ashley (Ms. Crawford?s 4th Grade)

I woke up that morning not knowing anything was wrong, but then I turned on the radio.  I heard that Japan had just bombed Pearl Harbor.  A lot of false stories were said about us Japanese-Americans.  There were some attacks made on Japanese-Americans after this.  Our farms were taken over.  Some of our fathers, including mine, were taken in by the police and FBI.  Pretty soon after this anyone who was Japanese or Japanese-American (including my family) had to gather their things and report to a camp.

Before I knew it, we were behind a barbed wire fence and there was no way out.  In camp we had to eat the food we were given.  We were always surrounded by armed guards and we had no privacy at all.  They also took away our radios.  Some people here even hurt.  Some campers got so mad they turned against others.  All of this was unfair.  This was the worst time in my life.

We have gotten a few letters from my dad.  I did make two friends at the camp, Emily and Daniela.  They are the best.  Eventually my father was released and came to the camp.  It was so good to have him back.

Finally, the last day came.  The war ended and everyone was able to leave the camp.  Everyone was so excited.  Years later, the president apologized for all of this and gave some money.  That was not enough.  This is a day that will live in infamy.

Journey to Topaz Cinquain by Edgar (Ms. Crawford?s 4th Grade)

Yuki

Little, Clever

Yuki is in a war

Knowing, Thinking

Child

Journey to Topaz Cinquain by Julian (Ms. Crawford?s 4th Grade)

Pepper

Happy, Cheerful

She is watching over her

Playing, Running

Perro

Loud Limerick by Lincon

I hear the loud sound BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

I quickly run to my nice room.

I hear something drop,

I yell STOP!

I no longer hear the sound boom.

Looney Tunes Limerick by Jocelyn

I like to watch Looney Tunes at night.

I really like Bugs Bunny and he?s bright,

Bugs is super duper funny,

And he is a bunny.

Now it?s time to turn off the light!

Winter Haiku by Emily (Mrs. Ericson?s 4th Grade)

Out where it is cold.

Snowflakes are falling quickly!

Winter is calling.

Soccer Limerick by Raul (Mrs. Ericson?s 4th Grade)

Soccer is fun to play at parks.

You can play days with Mr. Larks.

I just do my best!

I don?t like to rest.

I always like to play in the dark.

Puppy Limerick by Desiree (Mrs. Ericson?s 4th Grade)

There once was a little puppy.

He was quite happy and jumpy.

He was black and white.

He put up a fight.

But he ended up getting lumpy.

Journey to Topaz ?Hospital? Acrostic Poem by Christopher (Ms. Ericson?s 4th Grade)

Home to sick Japanese Americans

On the dust of the dried out lake

So far away

Patients are all Japanese

Ill people like Emi Sukane

Topaz hospital

All hallways are full and crowded

Long walk from home