13-14 Sixth Grade Magazine - Vol. 1

A FEW OF 6TH GRADE’S FAVORITE THINGS

The 1st quarter writings of the ASLS 2013 – 2014 Sixth Grade

WEIMARANERS By: Olivia W. Weimaraners were first bred by the Court of Weimer in Europe as well as in the United States. They were used by royalty for hunting large game such as boar, bear, and deer. In 1880, the breed was shown at a dog show located in Berlin.

Weimaraners are short haired dogs with coats of light silver to dark grey. Their eyes are blue at birth, but change to light amber as they get older.

Females weigh about 50 to 70 pounds and are about 23 to 25 inches at the shoulder. While males weigh about 60 to 80 pounds and are about 25 to 27 inches at the shoulder.

Weimaraners are an all-purpose family dog. The Weimaraner is capable of guarding the home, hunting with the family, and being loving towards children.

Generally, they are rambunctious for about the first year and a half of their lives.

However, they still can remain hyper and playful through their entire life.

Weimaraners are great dogs! They love being around their owners and families. I think you should consider getting a Weimaraner if you are interested in them!

Dolphins By: Antonio B.

There are over 32 different kinds of dolphins. Some live in freshwater while others live in saltwater. Dolphins eat a bunch of different food, including fish such as mackerel, herring, and cod, while others eat squid. Larger dolphins, such as Orcas, may eat other marine mammals such as sea lions or sea turtles. Dolphins are friendly. Some, such as those in Sea World, can be trained and fed by humans. I fed the dolphins in Sea World. Dolphins have been called the “angels of the sea.�

The Men’s 2012 Olympic Discus By: Jacob M.

The best discus thrower in the 2012 Olympics was amazing. The name of that amazing guy was Robert Harting. He won the 2012 men’s discus Olympic gold in London with a whopping 68.27m (223.983 feet) throw. He was born on October 18, 1984 in Columbus, Germany and was one of two sons born to Bettina and Gerd Harting. He had two nicknames. The first one was, “The Hulk”, because after all his major victories he ripped off his shirt. The second one is, “Lord of the Rings”, because you throw the discus from a ring. With all his accomplishments, this guy is definitely one of the best discus throwers in the 20th century.

Some competitors that came close to Robert Harting were almost as good.

Ehsan Hadadi was the second place finisher with an amazing 68.18m throw.

Ehsan Hadadi was a very nice and charitable guy. He offered children with cancer his 2012 Olympic silver medal. He also traveled to Azerbaijan to gather funds for the 2012 earthquake victims. The third place guy was Gerd Kanter with an equally amazing throw of 68.03m. Gerd Kanter won the gold medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics and then won the bronze in 2012. Everybody in the Olympic discus is very good, but these men were on their game and took home a very impressive prize.

Miami Heat 2013 By: Chloe A. The Miami Heat took a long journey to winning the championship. They had winning streaks, losing streaks, and playoff games. The leaders of the team, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, were interviewed after they won game 7. Some players were interviewed before game 7. “We’re just gonna challenge ourselves to see what we can do”, said Dwayne Wade. “This is an important game and just try to compete”, Chris Bosh said. After they won game 7, Lebron James said, “It felt great to win twice in a row, this team is amazing, the vision I had when I decided to come here, it’s all coming true.” Lebron James also said the team he was traded to was truly amazing. The vision he had when he decided to come to Miami was all coming true, when they won for the second time in a row.

This series made coaches and players very proud. Coach Erik Spoelstra said after game 6, “This was the toughest series they’ve ever been in.

All the players rose to the occasion when it mattered most. ” This was after they had an amazing comeback win, against the San Antonio Spurs. After game 7, Dwayne Wade was caught sitting outside the locker room. He said he was trying to

soak it all in. “The feeling was amazing when the clock got to triple zero”. Lebron said “If they give everything they have, good things will happen.” He told the press, he was a better player than he was the last time they played the Spurs.

When the season started the players and coaches would have never even thought of this outcome. They earned it through hard work, good attitudes, and perseverance.

Summer and Winter Olympics By: Stephanie K. The (modern) summer and Winter Olympics are one of the most popular sporting events in the world. But when were they started? In Athens, Greece, on April 6, 1896, the first modern Summer Olympics were held. It was Pierre de Coubertin of France who decided to start the Summer Olympics again after the Greeks invented them. But then in the 20’s, about 30 years after the Summer Olympics began, snow and ice sports became popular. This inspired the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to create the International Winter Sport Week, which was later, renamed the Winter Olympics. It was first held on January 25 in Chamonix, France. On these important dates history was made.

When the first Summer Olympics was held, athletes didn’t “go for the gold”.

Instead first place winners were given a silver medal and an olive branch. But by the time the Winter Olympics came around, they had already started giving out gold medals for first. In fact, until 1912, the gold medals were entirely made of gold! Now they are just gold plated. Nonetheless, winning a gold, silver, or bronze medal in the Olympics is a big deal. But which country has the most? In the Summer Olympics, the United States of America has won a shocking 2,299 Olympic medals. However, Norway has the most Winter Olympic medals, totaling

in at 303. So next time you think that is silver medal isn’t good enough, just think of the first Olympics.

MATT HOLLIDAY By: Josh W. Matt Holliday was born on January 15, 1980. He went to Stillwater High School in Oklahoma. Matt played football, baseball, and basketball. He was recruited as a quarterback for Oklahoma State, but chose to sign with the Colorado Rockies and the scout Pat Daugherty. Matt was a 7th round pick in the 1998 amateur draft.

Matt’s baseball career is full of achievements. One of them is his first Major League hit. It was an infield single against the St. Louis Cardinals. His first Major League home run was off of Jose Lima of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Matt finished 5th in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2004. He also won the NL batting title and the NLCS MVP award in 2007 with the Rockies. Matt is a 6 time All-star and won the 2011 World Series with the Cardinals. Matt still plays on the Cardinals.

2011 World Series By: Paul H. In 2011, the Saint Louis Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers in 7 games in the World Series. In game 3 Albert Pujols hit a 3 run home run to get the Cardinals the lead. In game 6 the Cardinals 3rd baseman, David Freese hit a solo home run to take the lead. The Cardinals in game 7 beat Texas 6 to 2. This World Series for the Cardinals was challenging. The Cardinals beat Texas in Busch Stadium. The Cardinals today are in the playoffs again and they are on their way to the World Series again. The Cardinals were amazing in 2011 and they are one of the best teams in 2013. This is how the Saint Louis Cardinals won the World Series.

Minecraft By: Benjamin C. Minecraft is a popular game. What is Minecraft? Minecraft originated in Sweden by two men Markus Persson (who is known as Notch) and Jens Bergensten (who is known as Jeb). It was later developed by Mojang. But what is Mojang? Mojang is a studio that runs Minecraft. It was released for the PC (computer) on May 17, 2009 then published as a full release on November 18, 2011. The next release was for Android on October 7, 2011. Then Minecraft was later released for the iOS on November 17, 2011. The last release was on May 9, 2012 for the Xbox 360. Children enjoy Minecraft because they can build whatever they want and is similar to Legos. Children also enjoy playing with friends and being creative while playing multiplayer mode because they can brainstorm ideas with one another.

Minecraft is a game where crafters can build things, explore, craft, and fight.

There are two modes, Survival and Creative. In survival, the crafter has to gather things, craft, and fight. The goal is to find enough gold, diamonds, and iron to get to the Nether. Before the player gets to the Nether, they must build the portal in the correct pattern. When the crafter gets there, lots of stuff appears and he/she must be strong enough to fight zombie cavemen. In creative mode, the player can build

whatever they want. In both modes they have something called seeds. Seeds determined what a player’s world looks like when the game is first started.

Minecraft received several awards from the 2011 Game Developers Conference. The awards were the Innovation Award, Best Downloadable Game Award, and Best Debut Game Award from Game Developers Choice Awards and the Audience Award from Independent Games Festival in 2011. In 2012, it was awarded a Golden Joystick Award. In September 3, 2013, the game has sold over 12 million copies on PC and over 33 million copies across all platforms. Minecraft is a fun game. I enjoy it and I sure hope you do too.

Golden Retrievers By: Lauren O. Golden Retrievers are popular pets. These dogs are intelligent, talented, social, and loving. They are also loyal, athletic, eager to please, and gentle with kids. Retrievers are passive dogs and they are generally nice to all people, even strangers. Golden Retrievers can play the roles of a guide dog for the blind, hearing dog for the deaf, hunting dog, detection dog, and a search and rescue participant. Golden Retrievers love to work. They also love the water. Golden Retrievers enjoy running, swimming, and exploring new places.

Golden Retrievers are loyal dogs that were used as hunting dogs to retrieve shot waterfowl, such as duck and upland game bird. Goldens were bred in Scotland, Great Britain, England, and United Kingdom. They were originated in the Scottish Highlands in the late 1800’s. Golden Retrievers enjoy pleasing their masters and that helps them be a popular breed of dog.

Best Retro Basketball Team By: Charlie G. In a tournament held using Google forms, the Chicago Bulls won the best retro basketball team title. Most suggested it was because of their variety of great players. Some players mentioned were: Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, and most important Michael Jordan. The Bulls won 6 championships in 10 years. The four years they didn’t win were the same four years that Michael Jordan wasn’t on their team. Anyone can see that there is a pattern. Even in college, with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Jordan won a championship against Georgetown.

Almost every year he was on the team, Michael Jordan was the team MVP. No one can deny he was a great player, and very important to their team.

He was so good that the last year he was on the Chicago Bulls was also their last championship. As well as, the only championships the Bulls ever won were when he was on their team.

The Chicago Bulls last championship was in 1998. It was against the Utah Jazz, who had home court advantage. The first two games, in Utah, were split. Then the Bulls were home, very emotional, and won 2 out of 3 games. During game 6, the Utah Jazz were up one late in the game. With eight seconds left, Michael Jordan shot a jumper which will forever be known as “the

shot.� Eight seconds later the Bulls had won their last championship. The Utah fans were staring in awe that they had lost, but the Bulls and their fans were going wild.

Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo Who Is The Best Of The Era? By: Elbert D.

Lionel Messi was born in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina in June 24 1987. Jorge Horacio Messi was Lionel’s father, and Celia Maria Messi was his mother. His family originates from Italy when his ancestors, Angelo Messi emigrated from Italy in 1883. Messi started playing soccer at age five, for a club called Grandoli, coached by his father, Jorge. In 1995, he played for a team called Newell’s Old Boys and they only lost one game in four years!

Health problems have followed Lionel all his life. He was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency. Messi’s family couldn't pay for all the bills for Messi’s treatment. Barcelona was interested in Messi’s skills in soccer and offered to pay for Messi’s treatment if he moved to Barcelona. So, Jorge Messi and Lionel quickly decided to move to Barcelona.

Messi has won many awards in his life. He received the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award at age 21 and won the Ballon d’Or when he was 23, 24 and 25. In 2011 Messi received the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. At age 24 Messi became Barcelona’s all-time top scorer in all official club

competitions. When he was 25, Messi became the youngest player to score 200 goals in the league he was playing in. Messi is the first person to win four FIFA/Ballon d’Or awards consecutively, as well as the first person to win three European Golden Shoes. Messi has won six La Ligas, two Copas del Rey, five Supercopas de España, three UEFA Champions League's, two UEFA Super Cups, and two Club World Cups.

Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985 in Funchal, Portugal. His father was Jose Dinis Aveiro, and his mother, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro.

Ronaldo had no toys and was popular at school until he was expelled after he threw a chair at his teacher. “He disrespected me”, Ronaldo said. Ronaldo later agreed with his mother to entirely focus on playing football (or soccer in America) for his career.

Ronaldo has won many awards too. Ronaldo became the most expensive footballer in history in 2009 when he transferred from Manchester United to Real Madrid. The transfer was worth 94 million Euros. Ronaldo was the first player in England to win all four PFA and PWA awards. In 2008, Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or and won second in the Ballon d’Or in 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2012. Ronaldo was also awarded the European Golden Shoe in 2008 and 2011. Ronaldo won three of the four PWA and FWA Trophies in 2008 and was named FIFPro Player of the Year, World Soccer Player of the Year, Onze d’or and the FIFA World

Player of the Year. In 2007 and 2008, Ronaldo was named the FWA Footballer of the Year. Ronaldo was the inaugural winner of the FIFA Puskas Award for the goal of the year in 2009.

Ronaldo has also experienced health problems. At the age of 15, Cristiano Ronaldo had an irregular heartbeat, which could have ended his career.

Ronaldo’s mother was terrified what might happen to Ronaldo if the surgery didn't go well for him, although Ronaldo wasn't worried. If the surgery didn't go well, Ronaldo would not have known. “The surgery lasted from the morning to the end of the afternoon,” Ronaldo’s mother had said. A few days after the surgery, Ronaldo was back to training. Ronaldo never had any heart problems again.

The childhood, health problems, and awards of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are very similar. Who is the best? That is open for debate.

Headphones By: Eric M. Headphones, a wonderful thing! It can keep music loud without disturbing people in the area! They can let parents sleep in the living room while kids play XBox 360 or PS4 with headphones! Nathaniel Baldwin is to thank for making headphones and a company called KOSS brought them for the public to buy. DJs use headphones for business or even publicize them! Dr. Dre and Lil’ Wayne advertise for Beats. Lil' Wayne is so rich, HE HAS DIAMOND STUDDED BEATS HEADPHONES! Beats can be worn on necks for style and not just people’s ears to listen to music. Some people confuse headphones for the same thing as headsets. Headphones are used mostly for listening to music. Headsets are mainly for gaming to talk to team-mates and plot against the enemy with a microphone while wearing headphones!

How are headphones made? Well first an injection machine creates a plastic back-cover followed by the plastic back-housing. The next machine winds copper wire, as thin as human hair, around a cylinder hundreds of times. This becomes the voice coil of the headphones. It vibrates a diaphragm, which is created by a heated molding machine, which creates the sound. A technician punches out this molded shape. Next the diaphragm is glued to the voice coil. An ultraviolet light

then seals the glue to the diaphragm. Amazing how it can do that! Another technician connects the diaphragm to the plastic housing, does a sound check, and then stick a couple wires here and there to connect them, and... BINGO! Headphones made!

Box Turtles By: Ryan B. Box turtles are not like other turtles. They do not live in water like other turtles, but live strictly on land. However, they do go into water to bathe. Box turtles are different from Tortoises, because they can fully clam up in their shells. There are many other ways box turtles are different from other turtles.

There are different types all around the world, living all over North America and sometimes in Mexico. Some examples of box turtles are: .Florida Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina bauri, Eastern Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina carolina, Gulf Coast Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina major, Three-toed Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina triunguis, Mexican Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina mexicana. All these types of box turtles share some traits but are also unique in other ways. My favorite, the three toed box turtle, has three toes on its back legs. The Florida Box Turtle, which is another beautiful turtle, is special in another way, its beautiful shell, which consists of bright yellow and black. The Eastern Box Turtle is a cool turtle that comes in a range of colors from black, yellow, and brown. The Mexican Box Turtle has a dirt brown shell with red spots on its head and legs. The Gulf Coast Box Turtle has brown and yellow speckles on a brown shell with occasional black skin. There are lots of different types of box turtles.

Box turtles are not meant to be pets. They are very labor intensive and can become very expensive. Turtles that are kept as pets, however, can live 6 or more months if taken care of properly. These turtles need to be fed a variety of foods. Some foods they eat are: dark leafy greens, dandelion greens, kale, and romaine lettuce. Never feed iceberg lettuce (poor nutritional value), spinach (only occasionally due to high oxalic acid levels), or broccoli to turtles, because they can be harmful to them. Turtle can also eat strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries. Tomatoes and corn on the cob can be an occasional treat for them.

Who is the better basketball player?

Michael Jordan or Julius Erving

By Eli M Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. He went to high school at Emsley A. Laney, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Then pursuing his basketball dream, Michael went to college at North Carolina for a full 4 years. Being an amazing shooting guard is hard, but he made it look easy. He was so good; North Carolina retired his number, 23. In the 1984 NBA draft he was selected by the Chicago Bulls as the 3rd overall pick. The great Michael Jordan was 6 feet and 6 inches and 216 pounds. Jordan wore his college number, 23, when we went to the NBA. He played for the Bulls from 1984-1998, winning 6 NBA titles. He won his first NBA title in 1991. MJ was the NBA Finals MVP all the years he won. He was the NBA most valuable player in 1988, 1991-1992, 1996, and 1998. When his 14 year, $91,742,500 contract with the Bulls was finished, he was signed to a 2 year $2,030,000 contract with the Washington Wizards. During his career he was a 14 time NBA all-star, scored 30,292 points, (30.1 points per game), had 6,672 rebounds, and 5,633 assists. Michael Jordan was a great basketball player, but was he better than Julius Erving?

Julius Erving was born on February 22, 1950, in Nassau County, New York.

He went to High School in Roosevelt, New York. He grew up and went to the University of Massachusetts for 4 years, playing basketball as a small forward and shooting guard. Erving is 6 feet and 7 inches tall and 210 pounds. He wore the numbers 6 and 32 and had the nicknames of “Doctor J” and “The Doctor”. In the 1971 ABA Draft he was the 12th overall pick. Julius Erving played in the ABA for the Virginia Squires from 1971-1973 winning no championships. “Doctor J” played for the New York Nets from 1973-1976, who were also in the ABA, winning two ABA titles, one in 1974 and the other in 1976. Then he played for the Philadelphia 76ers from 1976-1987 winning 1 NBA title. “The Doctor” was the ABA playoffs most valuable player in 1974, 1975 and in 1976. He was the NBA MVP in 1981.

He was a 5 time ABA all-star (1972-1976) and an 11 time NBA all-star. Erving scored 30,026 points, had 10,525 rebounds, and 2,272 steals in his career. Julius Erving was good but is he better than Michael Jordan?

Both Michael Jordan and Julius Erving are greatly respected players, but I think that being a 6 NBA titles and being a 5 time NBA most valuable player, and scoring over 30,000 points in his NBA career. I think that Michael Jordan is the better basketball player. Even though Julius Erving was an 11 time NBA all-star, I think that Michael Jordan is ultimately a better basketball than Julius Erving.

Bo Jackson By: Mikayla N. Bo Jackson is an athlete who played both Major League Baseball and NFL football. He was born in Bessemer, Alabama on November 30, 1962. Bo started his career in high school. His first team in the MLB was the California Angels. He started liking football and he tried out for his first football team. After practicing he finally got drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders.

Bo Jackson loved both sports. He hit 141 home runs in the major leagues and scored 18 touchdowns in the NFL. In football Bo Jackson played for the Los Angeles Raiders. In baseball he played for the California Angels, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and Anaheim Angels.

An injury in football ended his career. While he was running down the sideline, a player from the other team grabbed his leg, popping it out of its socket.

When they stopped the play he did not get up and was carried off the field. After that Bo Jackson still played baseball but he could not play as well as he used to.

He injured his leg even more and retired from both sports. He is not in the hall of fame because he was not in either sport long enough before he retired. He now spends his time hunting but still has many trophies from the past.

Here is a video of his runs in football! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgYYaL--1qc&list=TLk0EAKC-5TPw

Horses and Ponies

By Lauryn J Horses and ponies are great pets and are fun and useful ways of traveling.

Both animals come in many colors and breeds. In some countries, horses and ponies are used for travel, but here in the United States, they are most often used for shows and simply for fun. Sometimes in history, they were used for pulling chariots, traveling, to carry heavy things on their backs, and even for food. Horses are sometimes hard to take care of every day because they are so big (often 1000 to 1500 pounds!) Ponies are easier to take care of because they are smaller (900 to 1000 pounds) and are often used for kid’s first horses There are two main types of saddles: the English and the Western. There is a lot of controversy over when both the saddles were made. Historians think the first saddles were made in Rome, and they most resembled the Western saddle. They were mostly used to ride into battles or to get somewhere. Other saddles were invented later, all leading up to English and Western. A Western saddle is bigger and heavier, while the English saddle is smaller and lighter.

Western saddles are usually hard to get on a tall horse’s back. With an English saddle, riders can jump with the horse or pony.

The Detroit Tigers By: Matthew M.

The Detroit Tigers is a team of amazing players. The Tigers 3rd baseman, Miguel Cabrera is batting over .330. He hit 45 home runs during the regular season. The Tigers first baseman, Prince Fielder, is hitting over .310 with 25 home runs. Justin Verlander is pitching a 3.53 era and 1.19 WHIP with 15 wins and 12 losses currently. Max Scherzer currently has a 3.00 era and a whip of 0.965. With 20 wins, including the post-season, and 3 losses and he is going for the Cy Young Award. All of these players make the Detroit Tigers, a good team.

The Tigers coaches make the team better. Jim Leyland is the Tigers’ manager and he wears number 10. He was named the 36th Tigers’ manager on October 4, 2005. Jeff Jones, a former pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, became the pitching coach when the pitching staff gave up 54 runs in 6 games. The former pitcher coach was Rick Knapp. All these coaches and players are why they have made the playoffs for 3 straight years and why their pitching and hitting is so phenomenal.

Minecraft

By Ellie H If you would play Minecraft it is very fun and you get to build anything you can imagine. The updates make Minecraft more fun to play. In the newest update, you get to ride horses and you can spawn, or place objects, like animals. Another way to play is with your friends that play Minecraft. A skin is what players look like in Minecraft. Players should make sure to look at the controls before playing, because just pressing buttons might mess something up. In Minecraft, there are three options for play mode. There is creative, hardcore or survival. (My favorite kind is creative because you can fly.) Some things that can attack in Minecraft are wolves, zombies, skeletons, zombie pig man, magma cubes, and ghasts. Minecraft is a fun game that you should try!

HOPE SOLO By: Trinity F Hope Amelia Solo (born July 30, 1981) is an American soccer goalie and a double Olympic gold medalist from Richland, Washington. She has been goalkeeping for the United States since 2000. After playing at the collegiate level, she played professionally for the Philadelphia Charge in the WUSA. When the WUSA folded after her first season, she traveled to Europe to play for the top division leagues in Sweden and France. From 2009 to 2011, she played in the Women’s Professional Soccer League for the STL Association. After the WPS ceased operations in early 2012, she played for the Seattle Sounders in the WLeague. She currently plays for Seattle Reign FC in the national women's soccer league, the top division of women's soccer in the United States.

Hope’s first Olympics were in China in 2008. She started out in a professional soccer league. The USA women’s soccer coach saw her and asked her if she wanted to come to one of their practices because they needed a goalie, even though she had never played that position. Hope played in professional leagues before the U.S team and she became a goalie. She didn’t even know that she was going to be a goalie before that time. Hope was very strong even when she got a giant scar on her arm from a save from a puncture wound on her right

arm on a goalpost in Mexico. Hope’s bone was exposed and she went into shock. She said she has been through it all: kicked in the face, been in fights, and been punched. Hope said “Things happen all the time, things the ref doesn’t see.”

Solo’s life changed when she was seven. She went with her dad and brother to her brother’s baseball game in Yakima, Washington and ended up driving west of Seattle. Then they had to stay at a hotel and Hope knew something was wrong. Later Hope’s dad was arrested for kidnapping. Hope had no idea what was going on because she was only seven years old. Although her parents divorced when she was only six and she lived with her mother, Solo maintained a close relationship with her father after re-connecting with him in her college years at the University of Washington. He continued to be a major influence in her life until his sudden death of heart failure.