This week Ani completed a process paper. She had to choose something that had several steps that she could explain, choose the audience her explanation would be aimed at, and put it all together in 500-700 words. She decided to write her paper on how to make cereal and aim it at her 2 year old brother.

As anyone with Disney and toddlers in the home will tell you, it takes three special steps to do anything. Ani decided to write her paper as an episode of Special Agent Oso, super-sized because there are twice as many steps. She chose to take the option of adding pictures to her paper.

We were all quite pleased with her result. It’s amazing to think this is the child who couldn’t write a coherent sentence, let alone paragraph, less than a year ago!

How to Make Cereal
The Super-Sized Episode of Special Agent Oso
by Ani, October 26, 2010, Calvert 7, Lesson 34
Special Agent Oso was in the garage doing his training exercise. He had to pour gasoline into the machines Oso, Casey, Wolfie, and Mr. Dos use to do different tasks. Wolfie told him, “When no more gas comes out, tip the container a little more.”

Suddenly Oso’s watch went off. Mr. Dos’s voice came out of it. “Adrian needs help! He wants to make cereal for himself before his mom gets back in the kitchen. Can you help him Oso?”

“Special assignment accepted,” Oso replied.

Oso called Whirly Bird the talking helicopter and they flew off to Adrian’s house. “Drop me off right about here,” Oso told Whirly Bird.

“Drop you off? Well, okay, if you say so.” All of a sudden, Oso found himself falling as fast as the wind through the sky! Whirly Bird turned on the ejector seat! Better pull the parachute cord! Oso thought. He pulled the cord and soon was floating lazily down to Adrian’s house.

Oso knocked on the door and Adrian answered it. “Special Agent Oso! Are you here to help me?” Adrian asked.

“I sure am,” Oso said. “Are you ready to make cereal?”

“Yeah!” Adrian cheered. He showed Oso the way to the kitchen.

“What’s the first step, Paw Pilot?” Oso asked.

“Get the cereal, bowl, and spoon from the cabinet and place them carefully on the table,” Paw Pilot said. Adrian and Oso did as she instructed.

“We did it!” they both exclaimed. Then they high-fived.

“What’s next, Paw Pilot?” asked Oso.

“Now, put the cereal in the bowl,” Paw Pilot said. Adrian and Oso filled the bowl together.

They were ready for the third step. “What’s the third step?” Oso asked.

“Step three. Get the milk out of the refrigerator,” Paw Pilot answered.

Adrian ran to the refrigerator and opened it to get the milk. Soon he was trotting back with the milk in his hands. “What’s the next step?” Adrian asked.

“Pour the milk into the bowl with the cereal,” Paw Pilot said.

Oso tried to pour it, but the milk wouldn’t come out. “Oso,” Adrian said, “tip it a little more.”

“That sounds like my training exercise. Wolfie said to tip the gas container a little more if it doesn’t come out.” Oso tipped the milk container a little more. It worked! Milk poured out into the bowl. They were ready for the next step.

“What’s the next step, Paw Pilot?” Adrian asked.

“Next, put the spoon in the bowl.” Adrian jumped up and put in the spoon. He and Oso stood back to admire their work.

“What now, Paw Pilot? Oso asked.

“Last step! Number six. Put everything away,” she replied. “You have seven seconds before Adrian’s mom comes back in the kitchen! Seven, six…” Oso and Adrian put the milk in the refrigerator. “Five, four, three…” Then, they put away the cereal. “Two, one.”

Adrian climbed up to eat his cereal just as his mom walked in and saw what he had done. “Wow, Adrian, did you do this all by yourself?”

“No, Oso helped me,” Adrian replied. “Next time I will be able to do it all by myself!”

“Thanks, Oso,” Adrian’s mom said. “Would you like to come to the park with us?”

“I would love to, but I have a training exercise to get back to,” Oso replied and he ran out the door.

Later at the garage, Oso was filling the tanks again. But this time he knew how to do it, all thanks to Adrian.