Saturday, September 15, 2012

LITERATURE and HISTORY: September 17-21, 2012


This week in Literature, we will continue to study POETRY and the differences between rhymed /metered verse and free verse.  You will be creating your own poem about the horse, in one of these two styles, and will also create an illustration to accompany your poem.  At night, since we aren’t yet reading another novel, you will read a book of your choice for 30 minutes.

In History, we will continue learning the states of the United States by region.  Your test over the New England and Mid-Atlantic Regions will be this Thursday, September 20.  It will be a map test, too, and none of the spelling words will be called out for you.  You must memorize where these 11 states are, and place them in the correct place on the map.  You must also be able to spell and outline the two regions mentioned above, and label CANADA and the ATLANTIC OCEAN in the correct places on the map.

Your new words are below.  Your test over these two new regions will be next Tuesday, September 25.  These maps are below, and can also be found on the blog, where you can link to the interactive map.  Capitals can be learned for Extra Credit.

The Appalachian Highlands (5):

The Appalachian Mountains are the region's dominant geographic feature. Several mountain ranges make up the Appalachians, including the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Smokies. 
Virginia, and
are the region's states, and along the Atlantic Ocean in North Carolina, a thin chain of islands called the Outer Banks protect the mainland from the sea.
  
You must also be able to draw in and label the Appalachian Mountains


The Southeast (7):

Many of the most low-lying areas in the United States are in the Southeast. The Mississippi River, which tracks the borders of
Arkansas and 
Mississippi, empties into the Gulf of Mexico in 
Louisiana. States such as 
Georgia have piney forests and swamps, and 
Florida, a peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, has a tropical climate.


You must also be able to label the Gulf of Mexico.



Thursday, September 13, 2012

Latin: August/September


Salvete, discipuli!  We are working on the Pater Noster (The Lord’s Prayer) as well as the Sanctus (which means Holy).  See below for the complete texts.  We’re also reviewing chapters 1-15 in Prima Latina and learning various Roman myths (Romulus and Remus, Narcissus, Orpheus and Eurydice, Eros and Psyche, and Pandora's Box).

Why do we study Latin?  Latin study has a number of benefits; I’ll try to mention a few throughout the year.  One great benefit is vocabulary: even though English is not a Romantic language, about half of our English words are derived from Latin.  That’s why students of Latin consistently outperform other students on the verbal section of the SAT!  (See http://www.bolchazy.com/al/latadv.htm.)

Pater noster, qui es in caelis:

sanctificetur Nomen Tuum;

adveniat Regnum Tuum;

fiat voluntas Tua,

sicut in caelo, et in terra.

Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie;

et dimitte nobis debita nostra,

sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris;

et ne nos inducas in tentationem;

sed libera nos a Malo.

SANCTUS, Sanctus, Sanctus,

Dominus Deus Sabaoth.

Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.

Hosanna in excelsis.

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.

Hosanna in excelsis.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Literature and History for Week of September 10-12



This, week, our reading of King of the Wind and our study of the 5 Themes of Geography will be completed. 
MR. LIP will
always be with us!





You will be finishing the novel and taking a test over the application of MR. LIP to the book on TUESDAY.





Your spelling words this week are the names of the United States from the two Regions of the New-England and Mid-Atlantic States. Click here to find these maps and some interactive games that will help you practice!   There are 11 states and 2 regions. You will need to be able to spell them correctly AND label them on a blank map of the USA. Your test will be Thursday, September 20.

Here are your assignments and spelling words:

You should finish the book, King of the Wind, and the reading chart on THEMES in the novel over this weekend.  You will have your test on TUESDAY.  Your spelling test over the words from last week's list (see last week's blog) will be MONDAY.


SPELLING WORDS and MAP--Test will be Thursday, September 20

1. New-England Region (Be able to outline and label this region on your map)
2. Maine
3. Vermont
4. New Hampshire
5. Massachusetts
6. Connecticut
7. Rhode Island

8. Mid-Atlantic Region (Be able to outline and label this region on your map)
9. New York
10. Pennsylvania
11. New Jersey
12. Delaware
13. Maryland

14.  CANADA
15.  ATLANTIC OCEAN

Saturday, September 1, 2012

LIT/SPELLING/HISTORY for September 3-7, 2012



LITERATURE/SPELLING/HISTORY for Week of September 3-7

This week, you will be taking your test over the spelling and vocabulary from our first week of school, as well as locating the 7 continents, 5 oceans, 7 important lines of latitude/ longitude, & map items, such as KEY and SCALE.

Below are your spelling words for a test that you will have next Monday, September 10.  These words are from King of the Wind.  You will have to match these words to their definitions.

stallion                 =       a male horse
Arabian               =       a breed of swift, graceful horses, native to Arabia
Thoroughbred     =       a breed of race horses developed by crossing English
                                             pure blood horses with Arabians
mosque                =       a Muslim temple or house of worship and prayer
minaret                =       the towers attached to a Muslim mosque in  which the call to
                                             prayers is sung by the muezzin
granary               =       a storage building for grain
amulet                  =       a charm used to protect one from evil or injury
Versailles             =       the 17th century palace of the French kings,
                                             located outside Paris
pedigree               =       the line of descent of a pure-bred animal
cavalcade             =       a ceremonial procession of horsemen and/or carriages
EXTRA CREDIT:      *   be able to spell the word muezzin & know what it means
                                            (see minaret)
                             *   be able to tell what Gog Magog  was in the Book of
                                             Revelations, and what it is in the Guildhall, London

IMPORTANT DATES for the next two weeks:

Tuesday, September 4          —        TEST over Continents, Oceans, Lines, Maps

Wednesday, September 5     —       Field Trip to the CAC after lunch

Friday, September 7             —        Field Trip to Waco:  Mayborn Museum, Arabians Ltd.

Monday, September 10         —        Spelling/Matching TEST over words listed above

Tuesday, September 11        —        TEST over MR. LIP and King of the Wind

Wednesday, September 12   —        Island Projects and Presentations DUE

Sunday, August 26, 2012

4th/5th Grade HISTORY (spelling) for August 27-31




Hello, 4th/5th Graders!

What a great first three days we have had! I am so impressed by your thoughts and our discussions this week on "where are we" and what it feels like to have been "lost!"

Our first full week will include more discussion of the Five Themes of Geography and our helper, MR. LIP! You will be applying these concepts to your own adventures and travels through life so far. You will have your first test on Tuesday, September 4 over the spelling words listed below. The only trick is that you will have to spell them correctly on a map, and you will have to place those words in the correct continent or ocean. You have your map, but if you can't find yours or forgot to bring one home, you can look at the one at the top of this page and use it to study. Remember that the names of the continents and oceans ARE WRITTEN IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. You will only need to write the PACIFIC and ATLANTIC OCEANS in one place on the map--you don't need to label it as North or South.

Have a great weekend!


You will need to MEMORIZE the 5 oceans, how to spell them, and be able to locate them on the map.
You will need to MEMORIZE the 7 continents, how to spell them, and be able to locate them on the map.
You will need to MEMORIZE the 7 special lines of latitude and longitude, how to spell them, and be able to locate them on the map.  You must also be able to give a MEMORIZED definition of latitude and longitude.

There will be no word bank for these 19 items.
Remember to write the names of ALL continents and oceans IN ALL CAPS!

You will also have a matching test where you must recognize the definitions and pictures for the parts of a map listed below.


 STUDY GUIDE:  Spelling/Map Test on September 4, 2012           
                       
These places should be spelled correctly, and placed in the correct location on the world map. 

latitude—show a line of latitude on the map with an arrow and be able to write the following definition in the margin: the imaginary east-west grid lines that run around the earth parallel to the Equator to help tell the exact location of a place. 

longitude— show a line of longitude on the map with an arrow and be able to write the following definition in the margin: the imaginary north-south grid lines that run around the earth parallel to the Prime Meridian to help tell the exact location of a place. 

Prime Meridian—be able to trace this line in red and label it Prime Meridian

Equator—be able to trace this line in red and label it Equator

International Date Line—be able to trace this line in red and label it

Arctic Circle—be able to trace this line in red and label it

Antarctic Circle—be able to trace this line in red and label it

Tropic of Cancer—be able to trace this line with a red dotted line and label it

Tropic of Capricorn—be able to trace this line with a red dotted line and label it


OCEAN--you will have to write this word 5 times on your map because there are 5 oceans!
            ATLANTIC OCEAN

            PACIFIC OCEAN

            INDIAN OCEAN

            SOUTHERN OCEAN  
                                                    
            ARCTIC OCEAN                 

NORTH AMERICA

SOUTH AMERICA

EUROPE

AFRICA

ASIA

AUSTRALIA

ANTARCTICA

You will also have to identify the following map items by picture and by definition:

        key:  a box on a map that explains the symbols that are used
          legend:  the same as a map “key”
          scale:  is often found in the key or legend.  It is a ratio of numbers that indicates how many units on the earth's surface is equal to one unit on the map.  For example, it can be expressed as 1/100,000 ( fraction)  or 1:100,000 (a ratio).  It will tell you what 1 unit on the map is equal to:  1 cm = 100 miles, or 1 inch = 1000 miles.
          compass rose:  the icon on a map that indicates where North is
          cardinal directions:  the directions (clockwise) North, East, South, West
          ordinal directions:  the  intermediate (intercardinal, or ordinal) directions are north-east (NE), south-east (SE), south-west (SW), and north-west (NW).
          hemisphere:  A half of the earth, usually as divided into northern and southern halves by the equator, or into western and eastern halves by an imaginary line passing through the poles


4th/5th Grade LITERATURE for August 27-31


Hello, Students!

Below, you will find your reading assignments for this week from King of the Wind.  This is the same information that you were given in class last Friday.  Be sure and read every night, fill out your reading log, and complete the handout that you will be given that goes along with each day's reading assignment.  Each of these handouts can be accessed FROM THIS BLOG simply by clicking on the word "handout" under each assignment!

There will be a fun field trip to a local stables next week so that you can see a REAL thoroughbred in person!  More information to come on this great trip.


King of the Wind
Reading assignments for August 24-31, 2012

For Monday, 8/27
 read Chapters 1-3 (pp. 19-33)
Complete handout on the 5 Themes of Geography in these first 3 chapters.

For Tuesday, 8/28
read Chapters 4-6
(pp. 34-48)
Complete handout on the 5 Themes of Geography in these next 3 chapters.

For Wednesday, 8/29
 read Chapters 7-9 (pp. 49-67)
Complete handout on MIGRATION for these 3 chapters.

For Thursday, 8/30
read Chapters 10-12
(pp. 68-87)
Complete handout on PLACE for these 3 chapters.

For Friday, 8/31
 read Chapter 13
No handout for this chapter.
(pp. 88-94)

Each morning, there will be a quiz over what you were to have read the night before—so READ!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

4th/5th Grade READING HOMEWORK



Hello, Readers!

I just wanted to give you some reading HOMEWORK info! You will be having homework in READING every night. Are you hip-hip-hooraying? You should be! Getting to read every night is a huge treat! Reading can Take You Away!!!

This year, our class reading will enhance all that we are learning about in history. We'll read primary source documents from Christopher Columbus and Lewis and Clark; historical fiction novels about the relationships between the Native Americans of the New World and the Conquistadores; events that occurred in the colonies, such as the Salem Witch Trials; and, biographies of great Americans like Pocahontas and Benjamin Franklin.

You will get to read every school night, and on the weekends, too! You will be given a calendar of reading assignments each time we have a new book. You will be asked to read for certain information: character development, settings, plot development. And you will also keep a list of all the words in the reading that you might not understand. Your spelling words will be taken from our reading, too!

We will start each class with a short quiz about what you were supposed to read the night before. So, be sure and 
READ!!! Remember,
Reading's a delight. . . a thrill. . . FUN!!!

Mrs. Horner