Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Be like the Narwhal. Don't use drugs. Happy Wednesday. 

So have you ever been so tired that you feel like your body is tired all the way down to your bones? Like...literally? Like....from your skin..through the layer of fat under your skin, through your muscles and blood and blood vessles, all the way down to the very center of your bones-is tired? 

Yeah...that's where I am as I am writing this blog. This means one of two things-its going to be really boring, or funny-like...really funny. Because it may not even make sense. And I may kinda ramble. And I wish you could hear my voice that I imagine in my head as I say this because I think it would be more amusing. I fell of some steps today. 

So...History. One explorer to go! yay!! Not that there weren't more explorers-there were lots. On your free time, you should google them. They're great. Today we're learning about Sir Walter Raleigh. Read about him here. The really cool thing about Sir Walter Raleigh's story is the Island of Roanoke. This was always one of the most fascinating stories to me. Raleigh helped to establish this colony, but then ......well....watch the video-

(btw, I loved this show when I was younger. I watched it all the time!) 

How did Math go yesterday? Today do XtraMath, and then complete the 18 problems at the end of the lesson you read yesterday. 

For Science do the practice questions for the lesson on Diffusion. 

I got a new Reading book on Monday.  This book isn't stories that you read an answer questions about, but skills to use in reading. We'll be using this also. Read anything you like for at least 30 min, and then read pages 1-6 in Reading for Thinking and answer the 5 T/F questions at the top of page 7. 

For Grammar we are going to be talking about compound and complex sentences today. Watch this shmoopy video. The video doesn't specifically talk about where to put the commas in these sentences, but pay attention to where the commas show up!! 

Questions?? KIK me!! (seriously. DO IT!) 

For writing-first let me say that I really enjoyed your writing from yesterday! I left you a note on it if you want to go back and look.  

Today I want you to choose one of these topics and write about it. 

1. Go to one of your favorite spots and write a description of the setting: it could be your bedroom, favorite coffee shop, or a local park. Leave people, dialogue, and action out of it. Just focus on explaining what the space looks like.
2. Who is your favorite character from the movies? Describe the character from head to toe. Show the reader not only what the character looks like but also how the character acts. Do this without including action or dialogue. Remember: description only!
3. Thirty years ago we didn’t have cell phones or the Internet. Now we have cell phones that can access the Internet. Think of a device or gadget that we’ll have thirty years from now and describe it.
4. Since modern fiction is light on description, many young and new writers often fail to include descriptions, even when the reader needs them. Go through one of your writing projects and check to see that elements readers may not be familiar with are adequately described.
5. Sometimes in a narrative, a little description provides respite from all the action and dialogue. Make a list of things from a story you’re working on (gadgets, characters, settings, etc.) and for each one, write a short description of no more than a hundred words.
6. Write a description for a child. Choose something reasonably difficult, like the solar system. How do you describe it in such a way that a child understands how he or she fits into it?
7. Most writers dream of someday writing a book. Describe your book cover.
8. Write a one-page description of yourself.

No  Spelling or life skills this week! 

I love you mucha-lucha sweet girl and remember: