I had been dreading this day for quite some time. I knew that each student had to present a state report. After all, my teacher had clearly explained the assignment that we were all to do: choose a state, research the state, write a report, and then share the report with the class in an oral presentation. Choosing the state was easy! I chose California because I wanted to learn more about its beautiful coastline and see Yosemite National Park. Researching the state was really fun. I used some online resources, a book about things to do in California, and some information that my cousin sent to me. My cousin has lived in California for many years and knew exactly what kind of information I was looking for.
Writing the report was also pretty easy. I am very good at taking notes, so I had a page of notes to use for my rough draft. I chose my essay headings and wrote paragraphs that included facts about California, Yosemite National Park, coastline attractions, the weather and climate, and ways to travel around the state. When I finished my draft, I read it to my mom, and she told me about a few details I might want to fix. I knew it was a good report, but I wasn't very confident about presenting it to the entire class.
The day before I was to share the report with my teacher and classmates, I began to get nervous. My mom and my teacher had both suggested that I practice by reading my report in front of a mirror. That was easy enough, but I knew it wasn't the same as presenting in class. So I read my paper to my little sister and even to my dog. That helped quite a bit, but even so, my little sister and my dog are not my teacher and classmates.
When I woke up the next morning, I knew I needed to go to school, but I really didn’t want to.