Change to tonight's homework, it is now  pg 59-63 in  the Texas assesment Prep book.

Since most completed vocabulary already, and we could all use some extra reading practice, AND they are getting off early tomorrow, please complete pages 25-28 in the Bluebook.

The Social Studies vocab for chapter 8. The quiz will be next Friday.

1.       Plantation: A large farm with crops tended by workers who live there.

2.       Planter: The owner of a plantation.

3.       Cash crop: A crop people raised to sell to others.

4.       Textile mill: A factory in which fibers, such as cotton or wool, are woven into cloth.

5.       Auction: A public sale of goods.

6.       States’ rights: The idea that state governments have the right to make certain decisions for        themselves.

7.       Political party: A group of people in government who try to get agree with their ideas and who choose leaders who share their opinions.

8.       Candidate: A person who runs for political office.

9.       Secede: To leave the union.

10.   Confederacy: The confederate states of America.

11.   Secessionist: People who wanted to leave the union.

12.   Enlist: To join.

13.   Infantry: A group of foot soldiers.

14.   Blockade: A line of warships used to keep other ships from sailing into or out of a port.

15.   Brigade: A group of troops or soldiers.

16.   Assassination: The murder of a political leader.

17.   Reconstruction: The period after the civil war in which southerners had to reorganize their state governments in order to rejoin the union.

18.   Juneteenth: A holiday in Texas celebrating the freeing of slaves.

19.   Jury: A group of people that decide a case in court.

20.   Segregation: Keeping people in separate groups based on their race and culture.

21.   Amendment: A change in the constitution.

22.   Carpetbaggers:  A northerner in the south during reconstruction who carried their things in bags made from carpet.

23.   Sharecroppers: A farmer who used a plot of land and was paid by the landowner with a share of the crops.

24.   Credit: A way of buying something by paying for it over time.

25.   Reservation: An area of land set aside by government for use by American Indians.

26.   Buffalo soldiers: A nickname given by Native Americans to African American soldiers.

Here are the Reading lesson notes from today 02-11

Traditional Literature Notes

Traditional Literature can also be called folk tales because they were stories told out loud by the common “folk”. Later, many of these tales were turned into plays as another way for the masses to experience the story. Traditional literature has many different sub-genres.

Sub Genre	Description	Unique Characteristics
Fairytales	A story involving magic or magical/fantasy type characters Ex. Fairies, witches, goblins, etc.)	Will have some sort of magical element. Examples: Cinderella, Rumplestiltskin, Snow White
Myths	a usually traditional story of “historical” events that serves to show part of the world view of a culture or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon	Many of the ones we are familiar with have to do with Greek and Roman gods and explain how they believe things came into existence. People believed these myths to be true at the time. Examples: Stories of Hercules, Zeus, Aphrodite, etc.
Fables	a story used to teach a valuable life lesson	All have a lesson, or moral. Many have animals talking and/or acting like humans.
Legends	a story coming down from the past; many believe they are based in fact, but there is no proof	These tend to have many heroic acts. They are realistic. Examples: Robin Hood
Tall tales	A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual.	Lots of exaggeration: like people being as 10 feet tall.
Drama	the stage representation of an action or story	Lines, stage directions, cast of characters

Other questions to ask when discussing characters this week:

Characters: Traits, Relationships, Motivations, Changes and Conflicts 

•         Good vs. Evil (How are they depicted?)

•         Real vs. Fantasy (Talking animals)

•         Interaction with other characters

•         Changes in characters (how do they

•         Conflict: with self, with others, with the world

Context Clues Website for Practice

http://www.mcauliffe.brevard.k12.fl.us/TEACHERS/LabbeK/021context_clues.htm

What is the BEST way to revise the sentence?

The echo came from far away. It scared me to death.

a.)         The echo came from far away, and it scared me to death. Grammatically correct!

******b.)         The echo came from far away and scared me to death.  Grammatically correct!

The answer is B because it is better to combine the predicates.

Grammar Test Friday 12/7/12

The test on Friday will cover the following rules. You may reference the Write Sources pages below.

1.)                        Subject/Verb Agreement; Write Source pg. 109-110

2.)                        Capitalization; Write Source pgs. 47-51

3.)                        Pronouns; Write Source pgs. 153,167

You should be able to apply this to your own writing or recognize the mistakes in a sentence.

Sentence Review

Compound Predicate

A.           The reindeer on the roof made such a clatter and almost fell to the ground.

a.)        Subject: Reindeer

b.)       Predicates: made such a clatter/ almost fell to the ground.

Compound Subject

B.            Santa and the reindeer almost fell off the roof.

Compound Sentence

C.            The reindeer on the roof made such a clatter, and Santa almost fell to the ground.

a. ) Thought 1: The reindeer on the roof made such a clatter

c.)        Thought 2: Santa almost fell to the ground.

Expository Examples

JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!

Jobs are what make us money. It is how we pay for our homes, put food on the table, or buy those fun video games we all love. When I think about jobs that are important I think about authors, teachers, garbage men, but when I think about what I want to be when I grow up I think about a librarian.

          Reading is the key to a successful future. I want to be a librarian to have unlimited books at my finger tips or to learn more about authors. But the reason I want to be a librarian the most is to share my love of reading with others. When children come into the library I want to help them find that perfect novel that they will remember for the rest of their lives. I want to show small children how words create pictures in your mind and show them they can love reading too. With adults, it isn’t too late. I can help them find that one non-fiction book to teach them about World War 2.  I love to read and know that as a librarian I can help others to love it too. Mrs. Moore was my childhood librarian. She first introduced me to the Hank the Cowdog Series. It is because of her that I can’t put a book down. Reading is my favorite thing to do and I think that if I become a librarian I can teach others to enjoy it also.

          Jobs are everywhere you turn. At the grocery store you have a manager, a sacker, or the banker.  Even at school you have principal, teacher, or maybe the nurse. When I grow up I want to be a librarian.

Expository

It’s Time for the Park

(LEAD)         A special place can be your backyard where all your dreams come true. It may be Space Center of Houston where you met your first astronaut. A special place to me is somewhere I will never forget and can always enjoy.  Some may choose McDonalds or Grandma’s house, my special place is the park down the road. There is a quiet little track surrounding the grass with beautiful trees scattered about. When I am at the park, I feel anything is possible.

(BODY)          A park is special to me for many reasons. I can take a stroll around the benches or enjoy a peaceful walk with my dog Gino. The thing that makes this park the most important to me is that it is a place I can relax. I can step onto the track and let my feet do all the work. Thinking about my day, I instantly feel better. Birds will be chirping and little squirrels will scurry across my feet. Or I can jump onto the swing set and feel the wind in my hair. The trees that are scattered about are always calling my name. I love to grab a good book, bring a blanket and nestle myself under my favorite oak tree. In minutes I am at peace and harmony.  And lastly, at the park I am relaxed because it is always a good place to enjoy a fun picnic with a friend.  Kitty Hollow Park is my special park. Last week I finished my favorite book, The Hatchet, while enjoying a beautiful Fall day. So whether I am just there to get some fresh air or play a game of basketball, the park is my special place because I can always leave there relaxed.

(END IT)        The kitchen, Grandma’s house or AMC movie theater are all important places. My special place to me is the park. I love to sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery. When I am there, I am my most serene.

Yellow- Reason

Light Blue- Explaination

Pink- Me

Dark Green- Conclusion

Expository Example

Home of the Fighting Texas Aggies

Whoop! A sea of endless Maroon and people shouting  “howdy” is no other than the great Aggie Land. When I close my eyes and think of one place that has changed my life, College Station, home to the Fighting Texas Aggies, comes to mind.

            Down! Set! Hut! The best part about Aggie Land is Kyle Field. When you enter the stadium on game day, instantly you feel at home. People will stand in lines to get their cokes, hot dogs, and prepare for kick off. The stadium is a roar of laughter and hollering fans cheering on their team. You can feel the spirit as soon as you enter the gates. At every Aggie Football game the fans can be found standing on their feel screaming, “Gig em Aggies!” I remember my very first football game. It was my freshman year of college. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. After I found my seat, or should I say bench there is no sitting at Aggie games, my heart dropped.

            Whether to attend a game of the Fighting Texas Aggies, be welcomed by all the friendly residents or hear the core band play, Aggie Land is truly my special place. When I’m lost, sad, or just plain bored, I know I can load up my car and head to College Station for a good time.

Grammar Test Friday

The three grammar rules that will be tested this week all have to do with commas:

Using commas in a list or series- if a list or series three items or more are in a sentence, the items need to be separated by commas. (Ex. Rover got a bath, went for walk, and burried a bone.)

Using commas with dependent clauses- A dependent clause does not express a complete thought. When found at the begining of a sentence, it needs to be separated by a comma. (ex. As the marching band went by, we cheered and yelled.)

Using commas with appositives- An appositive is a word or phrase that is another way to say the noun or pronoun in front of it and needs to be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. (ex. Mrs. Tomlinson, our science teacher, says that animals have adaptations to help them survive.)

Unit Objectives

Reading- As we continue looking at expository text, students will focus on author’s purpose and determining importance. When we infer when need evidence to help us to determine what is important in the text. On Friday the students will take a quiz on author’s purpose and inferring in expository texts.

Writing- We will write an expository piece on Monday to assess student strengths and weaknesses in expository writing. We will then begin brainstorming and prewriting for our first graded expository piece.

Math – This week students will be extending their knowledge of multiplication. They will be learning new methods and strategies for solving problems involving 2-digit times 2-digit numbers as well as how to recognize when to multiply in a Story Problem. We will also review for the District Assessment on Monday and Take the Assessment on Tuesday.  This will help us to know what the students have mastered since the beginning of the school year.

Science –  This week students will continue our unit on forms of energy by exploring sound energy. We will learn about sound waves, parts of the ear, and characteristics of sound like pitch and volume.

Social Studies – This week we continue learning about the colonization of Texas along with the key people who helped make settlement possible.  Colonization vocabulary will be sent home on Wednesday for a quiz next week. There will be an open note quiz  on the colonization of Texas and its key on Friday.

Another example

Library Lounge

A sea of books and shelves of magazines can only be at one place the library. It fills my heart with joy. When I close my eyes I think about my favorite place and the library is my top pick. I am like a banker the library is my bank books are as valuable as money.

          Here, there, and everywhere. Books are all over the place, but that does not mean that it’s hard to find the book I want. If I want a non-fiction book I go to the non-fiction section. The fantasy books are labeled a-z for easy access. If I need to find a long lost book I go to the computers and look it up. I don’t have to go thru random isles searching for a perfect book. Signs guide me through the building. Without them the library would be a maze. Wherever I look I see signs that say graphic novels on the left and mysteries on the right. There are even signs for computers and games. Colorful stickers sit on the end of the books so a 5^th grader won’t take a junie b. Jones book an a 1^st grader won’t take a dictionary. When I was 3 and went to the library for the first time I was shocked at how amazing every thing was organized. All I had to do was blink and the book I wanted was there. Finding a book is a breeze in the library.

          I will never forget all the times I have gone to the library. I can have fun by playing on the computer or by checking out books.

Expository Example

The garbage man, my denstist or the quarter back for the Houston Texans all get my blood boiling. They are important people in my life. The person that changes my life everyday and touches my heart is my mom. She loves me unconditionally and will always be at my side.

Mom! The word is so simple but means so much! She is my backbone. When I’m scared, she will always help me. If I’m lost, Mom helps me find the way. But the reason my mom is most important to me is because she helps me with my homework.  Math can be one of my most challenging subjects.  Every day I love to come home, wolf down a snack, and dig into my studies.  When I pull out my math book, I know in just seconds I will find my mom snuggling up close to help me find the answers. She doesn’t tell me the answers she walks me through it. We start with number each time and eventually will end up at 50.  She will questions me, “Jaylynn do you think you did your best?” Math is easier with my mom by myside. Two digit multiplication was my biggest fear. The test was coming up and I felt sick to my stomach. WE spent hours studying books, quizzes, homeworks, interest sites just to help me be prepared.  Days later, I got my test back and aced it.  So my mom is important for many reason but the most important reason is she helps me with my Math homework.

So whether I am scared to death, about to pull my hair out with homework or just need a friend, my mom is my most important person.

Short story to practice for graded assignment tomorrow.

Wishing Well Gets His Wish

“Look, Mom!” said Diana. “I won this frog at Irene’s backyard carnival. Isn’t he cute? I’m going to name him Wishing Well because I won him in the Wishing Well contest.”

            While Diana was talking to her mother, she put some water in the container and closed it up again. Wising Well bumped against the container as he hopped.

            “Do you think the frog will like being in that container?” asked Diana’s mother.

            “sure, It has water inside and holes in the top for air. I would like it if I were a frog,” Diana said.

            Really? Would you like it if someone put you in a tiny room with no toys, no friends, and nothing fun to do? You would have to eat whatever someone dropped in, even if it was Brussels sprouts.” Diana didn’t know what to say.

            “Well, you’d have to eat them if that was all you had. Think about it, Diana.”

            With a sign, Diana looked at Wishing Well bumping sadly around the plastic container. He was such a beautiful frog. It would be so nice to have him as a pet.

            Diana knew, however, that the pond was Wishing Well’s true home. She thought quietly for a minute. She could picture the frog lurking below the water with only his eyes showing. She could imagine him swimming under lily pads and catching bugs with his long tongue. Diana picked up the container. “Want to take a walk to the pond with me, Mom?” she asked with a smile.

Write Time

Setting Examples

Written by Mrs. Clark's class (We wrote these fast and did not get a chance to edit. :) )

I stood in my driveway. The crisp cool air of fall was surrounding me. I laid my bike, with only 2 weeks, next to my legs.  My dad should be out of the house momentarily.  The road looked long and skinny. I have never ridden a bike with 2 wheels before.  Luckily all of my neighbors were nestled in their house and not a person was to be seen on the street.   My dad exited the house and walked towards me. I knew I could do it but was scared for my life. “What if I fall and knock my 2 front teeth out? What if I break my arm?” I pondered.  “Let’s go dear!” shouted my dad. Here goes nothing I said under my breath.

Sitting at my desk I could barely keep my legs still. Today was our first Place Value test in Mrs. Tomlinson’s class.  The desks were in rows and each seat had a privacy fence, a folder to keep others’ eyes off your paper. The kid next to me was driving me crazy with the tapping pencil. He must have been nervous too.  The room was decorated with white posters teaching us all about Math and Science. Mrs. Tomlinson stood in the door way greeting each child as they walked in.  With my backpack next to my desk and my pencil ready, I sat waiting for the bell to ring and the test to begin.   “Ding!” went the bell. “Class let’s begin,” she enumerated.  Here goes nothing I thought to myself. It is my first grade of Fourth grade. I hope it is a good one.

         I stood and glared around isle 5. Cereal after cereal, there was Raisen Brand, Cheeries, Captain crunch but no mom.  We had come into the grocery store to grab just a few things. I turned around and she disappeared. My heart was throbbing. I didn’t want to have to live here forever.  People passed me by in a rush with their shopping carts filled to the brim. They must be pros at this grocery thing.  Above me, hung signs pointing to food in every direction. I could smell the fresh Rotisserie chicken from the bakery not far from me. The workers were announcing, “This store will be closing in 10 minutes.” I knew I shouldn’t panic. My mom would never leave me at Kroger. OR WOULD SHE? 

Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow

By: Nathan Bransford



Summary By: Michael Fernandez


Who:

Meet Jacob Wonderbar. He is a sixth-grader , and his teacher is Ms.Banks. When he is at school he always have tricks
to trick the subsitute that Ms .Banks gives his class. Until one day Ms. Banks gives a new subsitute to her class, Ms.Pinkerton.
See by her name she looks mean,right? Now Jacob cannot do his famous tricks when he tries it on this Pinkerton. So later that
evening his friends Sarah Daisy and Dexter Goldstein play with him until ,a man comes to his neighborhood and says he will
give the keys to his spaceship if someone gives him a corndog. Bad trade,right? So that 's just the beginning. Then exploring
the spaceship even gets worse when they get it on and test it. while reading the book you will find lots of things from Mick
Cracken to the Planet Paisley. So get ready readers for amazing blast-offed adventure with Jacob Wonderbar!






Why read it?:


1. If you like science in space you will love reading this book , because it will have lots of things in "space".
his book to your
2. Second , if you are a boy and get in to trouble this might be a book for you because Jacob Wonderbar usually get into trouble a lot.

3. Adventurous? Jacob is so adventurous. That is how he got into this space non-sense. You'll love this book if you like taking hikes
or you in boy or girl scouts. L

4. Want a laugh? Well here is a book for you from " What you are prince of space?" to" Ms Banks you Itake vacation here? "

5. Want 7.0 points for Accelerated Reader ( AR ) well read the book and get points BIG Time!

6. If you love to read fiction books , Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow , is fiction. Maybe it is time to add to your
need-to-read-book-list .
to read book list

How to Help My Child with Grammar?!

http://www.ellwood.goleta.k12.ca.us/GrammarGames/grammargames.html

http://classroom.jc-schools.net/basic/la-grammar.html

http://www.chompchomp.com/exercises.htm