Exeter-Milligan Update: 7th Grade English

above:  Dylan Bonds, Jackson Beethe and Brock Steuben
below:  Georgia Meyer, Daisy Kanode and Jaiden Papik

Studying the Candidates

Rhoda Wahl, Exeter-Milligan ELA 7-12

The 7^th Grade English class, at Exeter-Milligan School, are watching the Republican candidates with new interest. During their unit on multi-paragraph writing strategies, they read an autobiographical account about Ben Carson’s grade school years. Their discoveries are shared below in excerpts from several original essays.

Ben’s Fifth Grade Year

By Cammie Harrison

Ben Carson went from the bottom of the class to the top of the class in 1-½ years. No one thought he would ever become a brain surgeon.  But let’s start from the beginning. Ben Carson was the dummy of the class. He always got a ‘’0’’  on his math test. He didn’t like math tests because he had to pass his  paper to the person behind him, so she could check his work. When he got his paper back his score was ‘’0’’ as normal. He thought if he mumbled, ‘’nnnnnn’’ then he wouldn’t have to say his grade out loud. But the teacher thought he said, “nine.’’ She raved about his score for five minutes until a girl behind Ben Carson said he got none. She was so embarrassed she just sat down. Ben Carson was so embarrassed. Everyone agreed that Ben Carson was the dumbest person in the 5th grade class. No they thought he was the dumbest person in the world.

Ben’s Mother Has a Plan

by Jaiden Papik

Ben’s mom prayed for wisdom that night and she definitely got it. She had a great idea. The next she said,” Turn off the TV !!!!” Ben and his brother both had to read to big books a week and submit a report to her for each one. They were both extraordinarily unhappy about this arrangement, but finally started getting used to this new schedule. They were to stay inside and read. When the other ladies came to chat with Ben’s mom, they would tell her that her boys need to be outside playing so they can develop their muscles, but she disagreed. In the end it was probably a good thing. Ben read books about many subjects and after a while, he had read every book in the Detroit Public Library. It seemed like he knew almost everything.

A Science Surprise

By Clint Oldehoeft

One regular day in class, the teacher brought an exclusive rock. It was a hefty, glossy, and jet black. The teacher set the weird boulder on his desk. He then asked what the rock was called. Ben hesitated to say the answer. None of smart kids answered and none of the other kids answered this was his chance to prove he was smart. He raised his hand and said, “That’s obsidian.” The class ceased to speak they didn’t know whether to laugh or applaud. The teacher said, “That’s correct, this is obsidian!” The class was dumbfounded. Ben said to himself, “Ben what if you studied things like this in school like math, science, or social studies?” Ben was now the smartest in the class. Kids came to him when they needed help on their homework. Ben Carson today is a brain surgeon who is also running for president.

The Value of Reading

By Brock Stueben

After Ben Carson read all those books he became the smartest in the class. He believed that he was smart so he became smart. As he got smarter people started to ask him for help. He made it from the bottom of the class to the top of the class in 1.5 years.