Text Structure 4

Lightning and thunder are related events. Lightning is a sudden, violent flash of electricity that occurs between a cloud and the ground. It can also occur between two clouds in the sky. A lightning bolt can be several miles long and can be straight or forked. It is very hot, with an average temperature of 34,000 degrees Celsius. This causes the air around the electric bolt to expand, producing lots of sound energy. It is this sound energy that we hear as thunder. Lightning and thunder are caused by the same event. Yet lightning is light energy, or electromagnetic energy, whereas thunder is sound energy. Thus, we see lightning and hear thunder.

Tsunamis are very long waves in the ocean, sometimes hundreds of miles long. They usually start suddenly as normal waves. Then they change to big waves very quickly. Once this change occurs, tsunami waves travel at great speed. They move across the ocean with little energy loss. Right before they hit land, the water will draw back from the coast. The water may pull back for many hundreds of feet. People who are unaware of the danger may be drawn by this strange site. Then the tsunami will hits. Tsunami's can remove sand from beaches, tear trees from the ground, and destroy whole towns. Tsunamis can be tremendously powerful.

No one knows exactly why tornados occur, but some scientists believe that when warm air meets cold air, a tornado may form. The reason for this is that warm air is lighter than cold air, so it rises up fast and meets different winds moving different directions. Under the right conditions, this can cause a tornado. Though there is still much mystery surrounding tornados, many people believe that when warm moist air meets cool dry air, tornados can result.

The twist is a dance inspired by rock and roll music. To do the twist, stand with your feet approximately shoulder width apart. Square your torso with your knees and hips. Turn at an angle so one foot is farther forward than the other. Then hold your arms out from your body, bent at your elbow. Next, rotate your hips, torso, and legs as a single unit with your arms staying more or less stationary. Every so often lift one leg off the floor for style. Now you're doing the twist!

Education in our society serves many purposes, but there are three main functions. First, students learn skills that will help prepare them for society. Writing, reading, and mathematics are essential in today's workplace. Many people learn these skills in school. Second, schools serve communities. They function as polling places. They provide safe havens for students in temporary living situations. Public schools add value to communities. Third, public schools provide a structured environment for children to engage in productive activities during many days of the year while their adult caretakers may be working. In other words, public schools also provide day care. These are three of the primary reasons why we have schools in our society.

Everybody in the school has a boss. The students report to the teachers. The teachers report to the principal. The principal reports to the superintendent or district chief. The superintendent or district chief reports to the community members and parents. And the parents report to the children. There's enough accountability for everyone to get some.

There were many milestones for public education in America. In 1821 the first public high school in the United States opened in Boston. Soon school became compulsory. By 1900, 31 states required children to attend school from the ages of 8 to 14. By 1910 72 percent of American children attended school. Most children attended one-room schools. Every state required students to complete elementary school by 1918. In 1954 the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education unanimously declared that separate facilities were unconstitutional and desegregation began. Some believe that the desegregation process is still underway today.

Too many students are coming to school unprepared. This is unacceptable. From now on you should complete your homework the night before it is due. Don't try to do your work in the morning. You may not have enough time. Also go to bed at a reasonable time. If you stay up too late, you will not be able to focus on assignments or instruction. You may even fall asleep during class. Go to sleep early and wake up early enough to get ready. Get something to eat before school so you are ready to learn. Get prepared. Have a great day!

My grandpa went to school in a one-room school house. It was a small wooden building on a grassy hill that looked a bit like a church. There was small wooden tower with a bell. The classroom itself was filled with a range of desks in different sizes. The desks were ordered by size, with the larger desks in behind the smaller ones. All the desks were facing a chalkboard at the front of the room. The teachers desk was situated in the corner of the room, by the chalkboard, and facing the students' desks. There was a day when that desk had freshly picked and polished apples on it. No longer. The one-room school house that my grandpa attended now goes unused.

Having good attendance is important because attendance determines the school's funding. Some students have poor attendance. The school has tried many ways of addressing this. Teachers have talked to parents on the phone and the school has mailed letters. Yet, some students still maintain poor attendance. Our plan of action is to attempt to schedule parent / teacher / administrator conferences. We hope that these conferences will inspire habitually absent students to attend school.