Fourth Grade Writing

Our fourth grade reading group recently completed Crow Call by Lois Lowry. Students wrote responses in the form of a journal entry from the story's protagonist - Lizzie. She and her father had an interesting bonding moment while hunting. Here are some examples from students:

Dear  Journal,

Today was fun. I had always thought that of my dad as a strong man. But today I realized that I was wrong.

Daddy has a weak spot.  I asked him if he was scared in the war, and with hesitation he said yes.  He was scared of a lot of things. Other than this he is incredibly powerful on his outside.  

He asked  me if I was scared, too.   That made me realise that I was scared.   Still Daddy is a nice man, and he didn't  shoot the crows because of  my connection with them. He is not what I expected him to be because of his fears , but I still love him.

Dear Diary,

Today my dad and I went hunting, and I learned something about him. I have learned that he is a caring and a helpful dad. First of all, he did not shoot my friends, the birds, and he also bought me two slices of cherry pie when I was hungry. I have also learned that he will always be there for me because when I was scared, he stood by my side, and tried to talk me through it. He admitted that he was also scared of the war, but then he told me those scary things go away. My dad is the best dad ever!!!

Dear diary,                                                                                        

I learned that my daddy can tell if somebody is having fun, and how to ruin it. For example my daddy took me hunting last week and he left me in charge of an object that was called a crow call. A crow call is something that you can blow on and it sounds very much like a crow. The crows will hear the call and come to you then you will blast their brains out.

When we found a good place to hunt we got out of the car and walked a little . Then I began to do the call. By the tenth time I called there were at least 20 crows soaring in the air! I loved doing the call and seeing the crows. My daddy saw that I was enjoying it so he did not shoot any crows.

Dear Diary

      Today my dad and I went “hunting”. I learned a lot about him. I learned he was scared during the war. I learned this because I asked him. Why? Because I remembered the word I was scared of, hunter. I wanted to find out what my dad was scared of. I also learned that my dad could call many other things besides a crow. The reason asked this was because next time we come across an animal that maybe isn’t a crow, we can call it. Finally, I learned that the crows, by then, had forgotten about their babies.   

DEAR BOOK I KEEP SECRETS IN

Today I learned that my daddy  was  scared of the  war. He  believed

 I could  do the  crow  call and  gave  me cherrypie . So he Is nice and  then he did not

shoot the crows/my friends   because I was having  fun with  them  so he’s  nice.

THE END of my day good NIGHT .

Dear diary,

My father has been  away for so long. He doesn’t even remember my favorite food:  cherry pie.

That was the first time I’ve gone hunting.  Daddy didn’t use his gun.  That makes me think that my words changed him.

A good kind of change. If I hadn’t told him I was kind of scared, then he probably would have shot the crows.

Dear Diary,

Today I went ¨hunting¨ with my father. We didn't  actually kill anything. We just had fun. I´m glad that he didn't shoot the crows. They thought I was one of them! I can't believe the crow call actually worked. I wonder where my father got it? My father seemed to enjoy watching me use the crow call.

My father  has an great sense of humor. Like just today I had my pigtails tucked in my shirt when we were at a diner, the waitress thought I was a boy! It was so funny! Afterward my dad imitated the waitresses voice. Heś very good at it.

My daddy seems to understand me. Like when we went hunting today he asked what I was scared of. I looked at his gun. He did understand, he didńt shoot the crows! My father is a great person. He gave me cherry pie, and not one but two slices!! My father is awesome!!!

Sincerely,

LIZ