Grade 7

How the Stars Came to Be Long ago and once upon a time, there lived a princess. Her name was Oriana, and her entire court loved her. She always helped those in need and had a smile for everyone. Oriana wasn’t vain, although she had every reason to be. She had wavy, raven hair that fell past her knees; pure, olive skin; and a face that was perfectly oval. Her real beauty, however, lay in her eyes. Whenever Oriana felt an emotion strongly, they changed from their usual ebony to true gold. It seemed that nothing could make her angry; but alas, it was not so.

The Call The telephone rings endlessly. This is insane! Anxiety hits my stomach, Then rises up through my body. Will he pick up? Butterflies roar. Does he care? Oh, no . . . Breathe. Click. Someone’s there. Who? His sister maybe? No. It’s him . .

My Backyard My backyard breathes life! The plants gather the sunlight with bending and reaching arms. Trailing vines hold onto the fences with curling fingers. The tall grasses and ferns dance around the garden.   A hummingbird rapidly flutters, waving good morning as she drinks the nectar from the shining smiles of colorful flower heads.   The wind whispers as she passes, telling me everything she has seen as she softly lays down the seeds she has carried.

Mir Pushed the Frontier of Space Before the International Space Station, the largest structure in space was the Mir space station. The Soviets (and Russians) built Mir in orbit from 1986 to 1996. The station lasted another five years before its orbit decayed and it burned up on re-entry in 2001. As the first modular space station, Mir pushed the frontiers of science, but as a result, living conditions inside weren't glamorous.

I Am Latvia In the beginning, my people were primitive, and they used my resources to survive. They used stone, and then bronze and iron for tools. They traded with other peoples from afar, beyond my reaches. They became clever and prosperous; they built permanent homes for themselves. I was happy. I am beautiful. I stretch from the Baltic Sea to the southern Daugava River, and the lands within are rich. Or, at least, they once were . . . before the invaders came. But my lands had contained riches, of dolomite and lumber, and most of all, of amber.

The Aloha State More than any other state, Hawaii is world famous for its beauty and pleasant climate. This is probably why Hawaii, the “Aloha State,” is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, and why I would love to visit this state someday. Besides being a great place for tourists, though, Hawaii is also a great place to live and has over one million residents. Hawaii is made up entirely of islands and is located in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The closest of its islands to the U.S. mainland is about 2,091 miles southwest of San Francisco.

Unique Wolves If you visit northern Wisconsin, don't be surprised to hear the eerie and beautiful howl of wolves at night. They have returned after about 40 years of absence. By the 1950's, wolves had been driven out of their ancient homeland by ranchers and the federal government. Wolves killed livestock for food, so they were considered nuisances. But starting in the 1990's, the state reintroduced wolves to help manage the deer population. The number of wolves has now rebounded to nearly a thousand. Wolves are relatives to coyotes, foxes, jackals, dingoes, and our pet dogs.

The Incredible Egg Procedure: On October 5, I gathered a large Styrofoam cup, an egg, some vinegar, some corn syrup, and some water. Before I started the lab, I weighed the egg on a scale. Because the egg would just roll off the scale if I set it down by itself, I weighed the cup, and then added the egg. After I knew how much the egg weighed, I poured enough vinegar in the cup to submerge the egg. I then covered the top of the cup with plastic wrap and set the egg aside. The next day, I washed the egg and the cup and weighed the egg.

To: Heidi Larson Dear Dr. Larson: Your accountant, Rusty Silhacek, is my neighbor. He mentioned that your office stays very busy, so I wondered if you could use some extra help. I would like to apply for a position as a part-time veterinary assistant. As far as animal care goes, I’m experienced in feeding, bathing, exercising, and cleaning up after small and large animals. I truly love animals and have always given them special attention and care. I would be available to help after school and on weekends. I would be happy to come in for an interview at your convenience.