Taoists Call Me the Not Spiderman

Walls so many walls
Make me stop and stare
And lose momentum
Because no night watchman
Comes to say this way or that
or even hello
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

I Wrote About Dinosaurs Once

Just found this.
I wrote it for a test book years ago because we needed a nonfiction article about dinosaurs, and we had no time to get a "writer." Also, if you've read the previous post, you will know why we chose to write this in house with me as author rather than take a chance with someone who might feel too "creative." I liked writing this article and had some fun with the title. I think it was a play on words from another title of a crappy passage we had.

Hey, Look! Dinosaurs!
by Alex Culpepper

Before the Dinosaurs
Long ago most animals lived in the water. These water animals, such as jellyfish, sponges, and worms, lived in the seas that covered Earth. As time passed, a few of these animals slithered from the water and crawled onto the land. Some of these land creatures would later become what we call reptiles. (The reptiles that you might recognize today are animals such as turtles, lizards, and alligators.) These reptiles were different from the water animals that lived before them because reptiles could breathe air. This was important if they were to live on land.

These new reptiles were small, meat-eating animals that chased after prey. Many of them were ancestors of the dinosaurs. One such reptile called Lagosuchus (luh-gahs-uh-kuhs) was much like the dinosaurs that would live after it. Like many later dinosaurs, it had a long neck, curved like the letter S. It was small, ran on two legs, and was very fast. Eventually, there were many different kinds of dinosaurs, from small two-legged hunters to giant four-legged, long-necked plant eaters.

Dinosaurs Appear
The Triassic Period
If you were to go back in time to the Triassic Period, you would find yourself in a very warm, dry, and dusty place. However, there was water. And if you walked far enough, you might cool your feet in a river, lake, swamp, or ocean.

Earth probably looked different, too. For example, there were no plants that grew flowers. Thus, there would have been few, if any, of the types of trees or bushes that we see today. No grasses grew either. Only ferns and mosses covered the ground.

It was sometime during this grassless, flowerless period that scientists believe the first dinosaurs appeared. These dinosaurs were small like the reptiles that lived before them, but as time went on, new kinds of dinosaurs appeared.

Two-Legged Hunter
Coelophysis (see-lo-fise-iss) was a small dinosaur that walked on two legs. It stood about as high as a tall person, but it probably weighed no more than 50 pounds. It had a long skinny neck, tail, and legs. It also had a long narrow head complete with rough, sharp teeth.

Coelophysis was a light and swift hunter. It most likely fed on smaller reptiles and animals. Scientists have unearthed many skeletons of these dinosaurs in New Mexico.

Sharp-Toothed, Meat Eater
Teratosaurus (ter-rat-osaw-rus) was a large, meat-eating reptile from the Triassic period. Although its long tail and long head looked like those of Coelophysis, Teratosaurus walked on four legs. In fact Teratosaurus looked as though it might have rumbled along like a big alligator. Some scientists think that this reptile was about 20 feet long.

Like many other reptiles and dinosaurs, the Teratosaurus had a mouthful of very sharp teeth. These teeth helped the Teratosaurus eat meat and probably defend itself from other animals.

Scientists have discovered bones from Teratosaurus in Germany. These dinosaurs probably died out toward the end of the Triassic Period.

Plant-Eating Ancestor
Plateosaurus (plat-ee-o-saw-rus) is believed to be an ancestor of the giant plant-eating dinosaurs. It was a big reptile, measuring about 25 feet long. Plateosaurus was as long as two cars placed end to end. Not only was Plateosaurus long, it had big bones so it was thick and stocky, too.

Scientists think that Plateosaurus walked mostly on four legs. But Plateosaurus also had two strong back legs, so it might have been able to stand upright. This would have helped it eat tall plants that were hard to reach.

Although bones from Plateosaurus have been found in Europe, other plant eating dinosaurs that lived after it found their way to what is now China, North America, and South Africa.

Small, Leaf-Shredder
Anchisaurus (ank-i-saw-rus) was another early plant-eating dinosaur. It was much smaller than Plateosaurus —probably only about seven feet long and weighing about 60 pounds.

Like Plateosaurus, Anchisaurus could walk using his back legs. But Anchisaurus probably walked on four feet so that it could reach plants that grew low to the ground. Its teeth were designed like a shredder so that it could tear leaves.
Anchisaurus bones have surfaced in Connecticut, but scientists believe that Anchisaurus lived throughout the world.

Other Creatures of the Triassic
Many changes occurred during the Triassic Period. Different kinds of dinosaurs appeared and died out during this time. Other reptiles joined the dinosaurs as time passed. One new kind of reptile, called a Pterosaur (tear-o-sawr), had large wings and flew through the skies.

The later Triassic Period was also a time when creatures that we see today first crawled across the Earth. Lizards scurried about, looking for their next meals. Turtles swam and hunted in swamps and ponds. In addition to reptiles, the first small, furry mammals shared the land during this period, too.

What I Have Seen As An Editor

As an editor, I see work from freelance writers. Some of these people are just plain crazy. For example, I once read an activity that was designed for kinesthetic learners. The activity was supposed to get students to engage historical information from the mid-twentieth century. Anyway, the writer submits an activity in which students are to show the spirit of the McCarthy hearings through interpretive dance. Just think about that for a moment.

The following is a short story submitted to me by a freelance writer. I have re-titled it. The purpose for this story was to show examples of word choice. This one is especially memorable. You must read it to see why.

Engine: A Tale Told by a Car
Vroom! Vroom! My engine starts. I feel my tires screech out of the driveway and onto the highway. I see the open road ahead and push the pedal to the metal. With police on my tail, I do a U-turn at 100 mph.

I turn out of control like a daredevil. Man, look out! I slam into a police car and get a bruise. My driver feels like he’s sitting on top of the world! My lights are slammed to the point that they don’t work anymore.

Ahhhhh! Crash!! My driver is still alive in my poor beat-up body. I feel heat! Fire! BEEEEEEEEEEEP!!! Tires burst! Boooooooom!!! I explode! My driver is taken to the hospital. Everything around me is broken!!!

Now I have to go to a mechanic and get stitches! Man! I hate this.

Six months later I think I’m going to get a new owner. But no. It is the same one! Oh well, he has learned his lesson. My fellow cars will be amazed by how I survived! I am the magnificent car! I am the outstanding car! I have fame! Yes!

Say it Ten Times

Catechetical curriculum
Catechetical curriculum
Catechetical curriculum
Catechetical curriculum
Catechetical curriculum
Catechetical curriculum
Catechetical curriculum
Catechetical curriculum
Catechetical curriculum
Catechetical curriculum
Repeat

Proclamation

God is in heaven, dear readers.