Google Earth Personalized Paragraph

First, write down what you know about a topic. With tsunamis as my topic, I wrote this:

            It is a big wave and can be 100 feet tall (read that somewhere).

            Many people died when it hit Sumatra Indonesia. I remembered the name of this country because I read a book called Krakatoa

            about a volcanic explosion that happened about 150 years ago and the tsunami produced by the eruption killed many people in            

            Sumatra.  People claimed to have heard the explosion all the way to the USA.

            Former Presidents Clinton and Bush visited Indonesia together after the tsunami and I watched them talk about the destruction on tv - I think it was

            the Oprah show.

After the Oprah show, I read survivor stories on-line.

Someone e-mailed me a picture of a huge wave about to crash into a coastal city and claimed it was taken right before the tsunami hit. I wondered how that person/camera survived. I later found out it was an urban legend.

Then use the WWW to find facts and information on your subject. Take a few notes on the facts that you learned. I wrote this:

An earthquake in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004 caused tsunamis that killed 225,000 people in eleven countries and 130,000 people in Sumatra.

Shallow water tsunamis that form near coastlines create huge destructive waves.

Tsunamis are more frequent in the Pacific Ocean and the edge of the Indian Ocean in an area called the Ring of Fire.

The last major tsunami happened in 1883 when Krakatoa exploded.

The Indian Ocean area of the Ring of Fire does not have a tsunami warning system and so the tsunami caught many people by surprise.

Tsunami warning signs are a receding ocean and frothing bubbles.

Many people went to the beach to see the water which receded almost a mile and half and left exposed beach, fish and shells.

Next combine what you know about the topic with what you learned about the topic. Do not include everything you know or everything you learned. Try to include the items that go together and make your writing interesting to read.

The tsunami that hit the coast of Sumatra became real to me as I viewed the devastating images and read the tragic stories on the WWW. I read about one young woman whose bungalow was demolished by the large wave. She survived, but her finacee was not as lucky. The tsunami also brings doctored images to mind because clever photoshop users created photos of huge waves about to take out coastal cities and then e-mailed them or posted them on the web. Although it may have been funny to deceive people with doctored photos, nothing is funny about a natural disaster that kills over 200,000 people. The tsunami was created by the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake. The Indian Ocean is part of the Ring of Fire which is known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Another way to personalize a paragraph is to start with the facts. I read about Bunaken Island in Manado Indonesia on several websites. I wrote down these facts:

Bunaken Island is one of Indonesia’s National Marine Parks established in 1991.

The water is extremely deep (1556 meters) and clear.

It is a tourist destination for scuba divers.

One of the highest levels of marine biodiversity in the world.

2,500 species of fish are here

7 out of the world’s 8 species of giant clams are found here.

70 types of coral compared to Hawaii’s 10.

Coral is the architect of the reef. Without coral the fish would be homeless and hungry.

Bunaken Island is part of Indonesia but belongs to Manado.

Next, think of personal connections that you can make to the facts you have read.

I don’t like to scuba dive – I only like to snorkel and the water is deep which I find scary.

I snorkeled on coral reefs in Florida and reading about Bunaken makes me want to go back.

I wonder how many species of fish, coral and clams are found in the Florida keys.

Now combine your personal connections with the facts you have learned. Remember that you do not have to include everything, only the items that will make your writing interesting to read.

When I was in high school, my family took a vacation to the Florida Keys. We snorkeled on coral reefs. I was amazed by the beauty to be discovered under the water. After reading about Bunaken Island, one of Indonesia’s national marine parks, I wanted to plan another coral reef vacation adventure. The only problem I can see with Bunaken is that the water is deep in most of the park, and deep water is one of my many phobias. Although, Bunaken might be worth overcoming my fear of the deep to see the 70 different types of coral, 7 species of giant clams, and 2,500 types of fish.

Your Turn –Use the form below to outline two Personalized Paragraphs

What do you know about the place/subject:

Write down the facts you learned about the place/subject:

Combine what you know with what you have learned:

Now start with the facts about a topic or subject:

Make personal connections to the facts you have read:

Combine your facts with your personal connections: