Summer Reading Plan: Article Activity 2

Please read this article Seventh-Graders Make Mars Discovery. Then, email me the answers to the following questions.

1. What do you think is in the "hole" or pit crater, that the students discovered?

2. How would you feel if you were in that class and helped discover something in space?

3. Have you ever done something that an adult could not do? What was it? How did you feel?

Summer Reading Plan: Article Activity 1

Please go to this website: http://www.sikids.com/blogs/2010/06/15/brazilian-soccer-star-marta-talks-to-si-kids and read the interview with the Brazilian Soccer Player. Then read this article: USA Advances. *Here's the link: http://www.sikids.com/news/2010/06/23/usa-advances-to-knockout-round-on-last-minute-goal-ghana-up-next.)

Then I want you to email me your answer to these questions:
Do you think soccer teams should have boys and girls on them? Do you think girls/women should be allowed to play on World Cup Teams?Why or why not?

The next article will be posted soon! (It won't be about soccer.)

Summer Reading Plan

Hello class!

Unless you are going to Missouri, you need to do some summer reading! Your reading plan will be due when we come back from break, and it is part of your Term 3 grades! Do not forget to do it!

You have three choices.

1. You may find a chapter book (in English) and read it. You need to email me the title of your book. You then need to make a poster about the book. You will have to do a presentation about the book when we come back to school in July.

2. You may read books from RazKids. I added new books to your level today. You need to read the books and do the quizzes. Each week please read at least THREE books.

3. Your last choice is this: I will post articles and activities on the blog two times a week. You need to read the article and do the activity.

You can combine choice #2 and choice #3 if you want, so you can read some RazKids or you can do the activity on the blog.

Please email me or leave a comment if you have a question. The first blog activity will be posted tonight.

Final Grades

Class, I emailed you or your families with your final grade report. Your grades will hopefully be on totalschool by tomorrow, but I am having problems with totalschool.

The only exception to this is Kent. Kent, I do not have your parents' email addresses. If you would like me to email your grades to you or your parents, please send me an email. Thanks! (If someone else reads this and wants to call Kent to tell him, that would be very nice.)

Quick Update

Hi class!

I am at home sick today, but I'm working to finish all of your grades as soon as possible! Everyone's final grades should be posted on TotalSchool.info by tomorrow morning.

I will have the grade reports I make (which are easier to read than totalschool) ready tonight. If you would like me to email your final grades to you this weekend, please make sure I have your email address or your parent's email address. The easiest way to do this? Send me and email and ask for your grades!

Your grades and exams were, in general, very good this term. Way to go 5th grade!

Answers to the Review

Do the review, then leave a comment on this post. When you leave a comment, you will see the answers to the review. The review is posted below this post. : )

I'll give you 1 point extra credit if you leave a comment.

Math Practice for the Final Exam

Students, my computer is dead. Please be patient with me the next two weeks, as I will have to share Warren's netbook with him. It's a very sad day. It took me a long time to post these math reviews because my computer stopped working while I was writing.

Sorry!

1. There are 167 students at LPV. Each teacher has 16 students in her class. How many teachers will have a group of 16 students? How many students will NOT be in a group of 16 students?


2. Andres needs to buy 450 forks for a party. Each package has 24 forks in it. How many packages should Andres buy?


3. Write a numerical expression to show this sentence: “Antonio bought 23 shirts for $3 each."


4. Write an ALGEBRAIC expression for this sentence: “Luis has 18 pairs of socks. He took his shoes off at school and destroyed 5 pairs of socks. Then his mom bought him more socks.”


5. Write an ALGEBRAIC expression for this sentence: “Manuela has eight times more earrings than necklaces.”


Matching.
Directions: Match each numerical expression to the correct property.

1. _________ 9 x 1 = 9 and 320 + 0 = 320

2. _________ 9 x 8 = 8 x 9

3. _________ (3 x 4) x 12 = 3 x (4 x 12)

4. _________ 1,875,457 x 0 = 0


a. zero property

b. commutative property

c. identity property

d. associative property


Directions: Solve the problem. Write an algebraic equation for each problem, and then solve the problem.


1. Juan is 3 times older than his brother, Jose. Juan is 12. How old is Jose?

2. Warren saved $20 to buy a new camera. In June, he made more money. Let “m” represent how much money he made. At the end of June, he had $128 . Write and solve an equation to find out how much money Warren made in June.


Write an equation, or “rule” for the function. Then complete the table.

X 2 4 6 8
Y 6 12 18 k

What is the rule? (Use x and y in an algebraic expression.)

What is K?

Solve:

Divide, and check with multiplication.
1. 444 ÷ 7
2. 3972 ÷ 22
3. 9950 ÷ 50
4. 424 ÷ 8
5. 861 ÷ 21

Estimate:
1. 489 ÷ 21
2. 1308 ÷ 62

Solve:

1. 7 x 2 + 1
2. 8 + 9 x 3
3. 7m-4 if m=8
4. 11 + (15 ÷ c) if c=3

Solve for the missing letter (variable):
1. x + 12 = 33
2. 4m = 56
3. 99 ÷ r = 9

Which of the numbers 10, 12, and 14 are solutions to each inequality?
1. x < 11
2. f + 3 < 15
3. a - 2 > 5
4. d + 8 < or = to 20

I will post the answers tonight.

For extra credit: Email the answer to this problem.
Melody has two types of candy. She has 26 pieces of candy. The product of each type is 153. What are the two numbers?

Math Review

Hey kids!

If you want to practice for the test and you have your math book, you can do these problems:

Page 124-125: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 12, 13

All the problems on page 123 and all the problems on page 87.

You need to know how to...
1. Estimate with 1 digit divisors. (See page 60).
2. Estimate with 2 digit divisors. (See page 72).
3. Solve with 1 digit divisors. (page 62).
4. Solve with 2 digit divisors. (page 74).
5. Interpret the remainder. (page 66)
6. Understand zeros in division (page 68).
7. Write expressions (page 92).
8. Solve numerical expressions (page 96).
9. YOU NEED TO KNOW PROPERTIES!!! (page 100)
10. You need to be able to write equations. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! (page 106)
11. You need to be able to solve equations. (pg 108)
12. You need to understand functions and be able to right a rule (or equation) to represent the function. (page 112)
13. You need to be able to solve inequalities, specifically ones like 7-14 on page 115.
14. THERE ARE A LOT OF WORD PROBLEMS ON THE EXAM.

I am going to post a practice test in a few minutes.

Announcements for the week.

First of all, hooray for being ALMOST finished!

Our schedule for this week:
Tuesday: review for science exam, take science exam, review for math exam
Wednesday: review for math exam, take math exam, clean classroom and make up missed work
Thursday: It's a surprise.

Class, please make sure:
1. You turn in all missing work by Thursday. I will tell you if you have missing work tomorrow morning.
2. Give me your notebooks. All notebooks must be turned in on Wednesday or you will not get credit for them!
3. You finish your assigned Reading Plan on Raz-Kids. I am going to give you a final grade on Wednesday! ONE DAY LEFT!
4. Study for math.

Also, remember if you fail class this term or if you failed a class last term you will have school next week!

Study Guide Answers

Answers:
1. an object that orbits a planet
2. the Earth and the Moon are both spheres and they are made of similar materials. They are different because the Moon is smaller and has less gravity and the Earth has an atmosphere but the Moon doesn't.
4. It makes a crater.
5. the far side of the moon
6. Neil Armstrong, 1969
7. Draw the phases of the moon. (see earlier post)
8. it appears to be growing because more of the sun's light is reflecting on it.
10. it appears to be getting smaller because less light is reflected on it.
11. When it is a full moon.
12. when it is a new moon
13. Draw a solar and lunar eclipse. see posts below
14. Draw the phases of the moon. OOPS repeat question of number 7!!
15. Draw a crater. see posts below


The second section is about the solar system and the universe. It is also multiple choice and drawing pictures You should study...

1. Gas, dust, empty spaces, matter
2. born in a nebula, white dwarf, yellow star, red giant, supernova, nebula or black hole
3. the sun. It is a middle-aged star
4. the galaxy we live in. It is a spiral galaxy.
5. Spiral, Barred Spiral, Irregular, and Elliptical. (There are other types, but these are the important ones.) I'll post pictures of what they look like at the end of this answer sheet.
6. A constellation is a group of stars that, when seen from Earth, seem to form a pattern. A famous one is Ursa Major.
7. Asteroids are usually large rocks that orbit the Sun. Comets are "on fire" and have a tail that we can see, and they have HUGE orbits... so huge that one might only pass every 40 years or even 100 years.
8. between Mars and Jupiter
9. see posts from before
10. Jupiter
11. Saturn
12. Venus and Mars
13. from the sun? Uranus
14. a dwarf planet is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun, usually in the Kuiper Belt (beyond Uranus). Pluto is a dwarf planet. So is Ceres and Eris.
15. a force created by an object that pulls smaller objects towards it
16. A large object, like the Sun, pulls on other objects, like the planets, with it's gravitational force, and that keeps the planets orbiting around it
17. The space race was a competition during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union (now Russia). It was a competition to see who could get the best technology the fastest and who could explore space the best. The Soviets sent up the first satellite, Sputnik, in 1957. They also sent the first dog, monkey, man, and woman into space. The USA was always a little bit slower than the Soviet Union. In 1969, the USA landed two men on the moon--Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldridge. The Space Race ended when the Soviet Union collapsed and formed Russia. Now the United States and Russia work together.
`8. The Soviet Union... it was called Sputnik.
19. The USA
20. See my previous posts.
21. Draw the electromagnetic spectrum. Label it. Previous post.
22. Light is radiation energy. We can feel it and see it, but it can't move things. It is very fast.
23. the ability to change something in the universe
24. radiation is waves of energy that travel through space
25. 8 minutes
26. opaque
27. transparent
28. a mirror
29. it bends
30. black
31. See posts below.
32. concave

Fill in the blank:

1. absorb
2. telescope
3. refraction
4. eclipse
5. satellite
6. galaxy
7. energy
8. black hole
9. dwarf
10. visible spectrum
11. planet
12. orbit
13. moon
14. gravity
15. atmosphere
16. star

This is an irregular galaxy. It doesn't have a shape, it is just a mess:

This is an elliptical galaxy. It is shaped like an egg.

This is a barred spiral galaxy. It is like a spiral, but the middle section is one long line.

This is a spiral galaxy, like the Milky Way.
Good luck! Don't forget to do the extra credit!

Science Study Guide Part 2/Extra Credit

I have posted a LOT of videos and pictures and information to help you with the science final. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE... read and study everything I have posted, and tell all your friends to do the same. It is very important everyone uses this blog because we haven't reviewed very much in class. We will review tomorrow morning, but not for very long because we need to review for math.

DO NOT FORGET: Your math final is Wednesday!! Also, there is an extra credit assignment in a different post. Please do it! It will help your grade!

Okay... on to science... this is the last review I will post.

PRACTICE TEST!

1. What is a moon?
2. Name two ways the Earth and the Moon are the same, and two ways they are different.
4. What happens when an asteroid or meteorite hits the moon?
5. What do we call the part of the moon we can't see?
6. Who was the first person to walk on the moon, and what year did that happen? (I posted a video of this earlier.)
7. Draw the phases of the moon.
8. When the moon is waxing, what is it doing?
10. When the moon is wanning, what is it doing?
11. When can we see the entire moon?
12. When can we not see the moon?
13. Draw a solar and lunar eclipse.
14. Draw the phases of the moon.
15. Draw a crater.


The second section is about the solar system and the universe. It is also multiple choice and drawing pictures You should study...

1. What is the universe made of?
2. Describe the life cycle of a star.
3. What star is closest to us, and how old is it?
4. What is the Milky Way?
5. There are four types of galaxies. Draw them and label each type.
6. What is a constellation? What are some famous constellations?
7. What is the difference between asteroids and comets?
8. Where is the asteroid belt?
9. Draw the planets in order.
10. Which planet is the biggest?
11. Which planet has rings around it?
12. Which planets are closest to Earth?
13. Which planet is the farthest away?
14. What is a dwarf planet? What is the name of a dwarf planet in our solar system?
15. What is gravity?
16. How does gravity create orbits?
17. Explain the space race. Who was competing?
`8. What country sent the first satellite into space?
19. What country landed men on the moon first?
20. Draw the structure of a star.
21. Draw the electromagnetic spectrum. Label it.
22. What is light? What is it like?
23. What is the definition of energy?
24. What is the definition of light radiation?
25. How long does it take light to reach the Earth from the sun?
26. Is a table opaque or translucent?
27. Is a window translucent or transparent?
28. What object in a bathroom would reflect light best?
29. What happens when light is refracted?
30. What color shirt absorbs the most light?
31. Draw a laser and tell me why it is different than the sun.
32. What kind of lens would you want if you wanted to make something look bigger?

Fill in the blank:

1. Darker colors ________________________________ more light than white.
2. We can use a _____________________________________ to see objects in the universe.
3. _____________________________________ is when light bends because it pases through a transparent object.
4. An ________________________________ occurs when one object in the sky blocks another object.
5. A ____________________________________ is an object that we send in to space to gather information.
6. A ______________________________ is a group of stars that are from the same nebula.
7. ____________________________ is the power something has to change things in the universe.
8. A ________________________________ can be formed when a star collapses. It is a place where there is dark matter. It has very strong gravity and absorbs the things around it.
9. Pluto used to be the ninth planet, but now it is a ______________________________ planet.
10. The _________________________________________________________________ is the various types of visible light that we can see.
11. A large solid object that travels around a star is a ___________________________.
12. The path of an object around another bigger object is an _________________________.
13. An object that rotates around a planet is a _______________________________.
14. The force that holds the solar system in place is _________________________.
15. The layer of gases around a planet or moon is called the ____________________.
16. A ________________________ produces light and is born in a nebula.

Answers posted at 7 p.m. tonight!

Concave and Convex Lenses

Okay, this is about lenses.

This is a convex lens. It is thicker in the middle, and it makes light waves come together. This makes things look smaller.


This is a concave lens. It is thinner in the middle, and it makes light waves separate. This makes things look bigger.


Don't forget to do the Extra Credit located in an earlier post! You'll need to use spoons!!!

LASERS vs. Regular Light

Above: A Laser

The difference between a laser and regular light is that a laser only shines light in one single direction, like this:


A light saber, like in Star Wars movies, is a type of laser.


Lasers are very sharp and some can cut through metal. Doctors use lasers in surgery, too.


A regular light bulb, or the sun, is very different. Light normally spreads in all directions. For example, the sun shines light all around it, so that every planet in our solar system can see the sun, and if we were in another solar system or galaxy and had a telescope, we could probably see our sun.




A regular light bulb is just like the sun. Light from a light bulb spreads in all directions.


Understand??? If you have any questions, please leave a comment.

I'll post more about light tomorrow.

Things You Should Know How To Draw.

Hey kids! What's up?

Here are some things you should know how to draw. Be sure to check out the other posts from today, especially since there's an extra credit assignment hidden in one! : )

These are moon phases:


Here's a video about them...


This is a video of a real lunar eclipse:


And this is a video of a real solar eclipse:


Here's another one...


You should be able to draw a picture like this. You only need to label the moon, the sun, and the Earth.


Of course, you need to be able to draw the solar system...


Here's a cool picture that shows the size of all the planets...


This is a comet:


An asteroid:


A crater:


And here is the structure of the sun:


I'll post more about lasers and light bulbs tonight.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum AND Extra Credit!

This website is a great place to learn more about space: http://www.youtube.com/user/SpitzerJim.

Here's a video about infrared light and the electromagnetic spectrum...


Here's another video about the electromagnetic spectrum...


This video is weird and the story isn't cool, but it might help you remember the order of the electromagnetic spectrum.


Science experiment for extra credit...
1. Go get a spoon.
2. Look at yourself on both sides of the spoon (reflection).
3. Which side of the spoon is concave? Which side of the spoon is convex?
4. What happens when you look at yourself in a concave "mirror"? What happens when you look at yourself in a convex "mirror"?
5. Email me your answer. 10 points of extra credit on your science exam!

Cool Stuff About Science...

Here is the video of the first person who walked on the Moon.

Neil Armstrong, 1969

Here is a video IN SPANISH (because I'm nice) with pictures from the Hubble Telescope.


Here is a video like the grammar rock videos. I don't like it... but it might help you study the planets. Just don't forget that Pluto is a DWARF planet now.


Here is something about the size of the universe that I like...


Here is a video about Pluto becoming a Dwarf Planet.


Here's the people that discovered something bigger than Pluto...


So, I'll post more later today, but I like these videos and thought you might, too.

Science Study Guide Part 1

Okay, my ninos, chicos, and muchachos...

The goals:
1. Understand properties of the moon.
2. Understand properties of the solar system and universe.
3. Understand properties of light.
AND Use vocabulary from all three chapters correctly.

The first section is about the moon. It is multiple choice and then you need to draw pictures. Here are things you should study...

1.The definition of a "moon."
2. How the Earth and Moon are different.
3. How the Earth and the Moon are the same.
4. What a crater is and how it is made.
5. What is the “far side of the moon?”
6. Space exploration of the moon.
7. When the moon rotates, what it rotates around, and how often it rotates
8. Moon phases. You should know every phase and be able to draw it.
9. You might need to draw a picture of the moon phases, craters, the moon, a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse, or the moon rotating around the Earth.

The second section is about the solar system and the universe. It is also multiple choice and drawing pictures You should study...

1. What the universe is and what it is made of.
2. All about our sun.
3. All about stars and the life of stars.
4. What the Milky Way is.
5. What a galaxy is. Learn the different types... you might need to draw it!
6. What is a constellation?
7. What an "asteroid" is and what a comet is. You also need to know where the asteroid belt is in our solar system.
8. The names of planets and the properties of each planet.
9. You should be able to draw the planets in order in the Solar System.
10. You should know what gravity is and how it keeps everything in place in the universe.
11. You need to know about space exploration and the competition between the Americans and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
12. You should be able to draw our Solar System, the different types of galaxies, a comet, and the structure of a star.
HINT: Something I mentioned but that might not be in your notes... When a Red Giant explodes, it is called a supernova.

This is a supernova:


The crab nebula below was a supernova (a star that exploded) and then it became a nebula (where stars are created). This one is called N49, and it will be a nebula someday.

Okay, so you also need to know about light. Basically, you need to know exactly the same things for light on the final as you did for last week's quiz. It is also multiple choice and you will need to draw pictures.

1. You should know the electromagnetic spectrum and be able to draw it.



2. You should know the properties of light... like, it's fast, we can feel it and see it, it can't move things, etc.
3. You should know the definition of energy, radiation, and light.
4. You should know how long it takes light from the sun to reach Earth.
5. You should know what opaque, translucent, and transparent are.
6. You should know what materials reflect light, refract light, and absorb light.
7. You should know the difference between a laser and regular light.
8. You should be able to draw the electromagnetic spectrum, a convex and concave lens, a laser, a light bulb, and light refracting.

The last part of your exam is over vocabulary. Know these words:
orbit
refraction
dwarf
planet
color spectrum
absorb
energy
eclipse
telescope
black hole
satellite
galaxy
moon
star
atmosphere
gravity

I'll post more tomorrow to help you study!!

Science Exam

The Crab Nebula, one of my favorites.

Well, my darling students, you only have two exams left! Science and Math! ALMOST FINISHED!

Over the weekend I'll post a lot of review questions and tips for both the science and math final, but for right now, I just want to tell you what your science final is going to be like.

It has FOUR sections:
1. the Moon
2. The Solar System and the Universe
3. Properties of Light
4. Vocabulary

Sections 1-3 are mostly multiple choice, but you will also have some short answer and you will need to draw pictures. Section 4 is fill-in-the-blank.

I'm sad we are finished learning about space. It was my favorite chapter in science so far.

L.A. Final: Spelling Words Fill-in-the-Blank Answers

Fill in the blank (practice):

1. My friends like to play with their Nintendo DS's.
2. If the sun is hidden behind the moon it is called an eclipse.
3. The largest planet in the solar system is Jupiter.
4. Pluto is a dwarf planet.
5. When asteroids hit the moon they leave craters.
6. When I write a letter, I sign it "Sincerely, Melody."
7. The Department of Transportation builds roads in Colombia.
8. My friends are going to Missouri this summer; I hope I can go there someday, too.
9. It is our job to protect people from persecution.
10. If a person doesn't have parents she is an orphan.
11. A student who does his homework quickly and gets all the answers correct is efficient.
12. When I write stories I use my imagination.
13. A group of stars that makes a picture is a constellation.
14. Melody and Warren were adventurous when they went to Ecuador because they went bike riding down a volcano!
15. Fruits and vegetables are nutritious and that is why Miss Melody wants us to eat them at lunch.
16. We use the Hubble Telescope to take pictures of the universe.
17. Miss Melody likes to exercise at a gym in Circunvalar.
18. My friends like to dance, but I think they're crazy.
19. The place where the sky meets the ground is the horizon.
20. I want to learn English because it is good to speak a different
language.

For extra credit: Write a story using 5 spelling words that were not used in the fill-in-the-blank. Email it to me or post it as a comment. I will give you TEN bonus points on your language arts final!

L.A. Final

Goals:
1. Can write a letter using the correct form and vocabulary
2. Can support an argument when writing
3. Spells and understands a variety of vocabulary words
4. Understands parts of speech
5. Comprehends non-fiction and fiction and can apply reading in a variety of contexts (FINISHED!)
6. Communicates and speaks in English fluently (FINISHED!)

FIRST: On your final, you will have between 20-30 spelling words. This will be like a normal spelling test. Then you will use those spelling words to do a fill in the blank. For practice, see my posts about spelling!
(I will put up the answers to the fill-in-the-blank tomorrow!)

THEN: You will need to label parts of speech. Please see my post with all the videos! I will put up a practice test tomorrow! : )

NEXT: You will read a small section that has opinions and facts, and you need to label the facts and the opinions.
For example...
I think vegetables are the best food in the world. (Opinion)
Vegetables are very nutritious because they have vitamins and minerals. (Fact)

AFTER THAT... You will need to write a letter to Stellita. We will practice in class on Thursday, but here is the letter prompt:

Please write a letter to Stella Ruiz. It should be PERSUASIVE. I want you to write a letter to ask Stella if we can take the bars off the windows of our classroom. You need to write 3 paragraphs in a letter form using facts to support your opinion. I will be grading your ability to support your argument (opinion) AND your ability to write a letter. That means I will grade your grammar, spelling, punctuation, form, and content. (If you would like to change something else at school and want to write a letter about that, talk to me.) I AM GOING TO GIVE THESE LETTERS TO STELLA, SO THEY NEED TO BE GOOD LETTERS!!!!!!

That's all. You'll have 2 hours to take the exam (after technology). Before that we will review for SCIENCE!!! (Your science exam is TUESDAY!)

Parts of Speech Review

Have fun watching the videos, but make sure you know which words are which! I'll put up a practice test tomorrow! : )

You will need to identify the parts of speech. Here's an example:
The beautiful girl went shopping with her mother. What part of speech is the word that is "bold"? (Answer: beautiful is an adjective)
You need to know these parts of speech: article, adjective, preposition, adverb, noun, verb, conjunction, interjection, and pronoun.

Articles: A, An, The (Yes, only those three. That's it!)

Adjectives: (words that DESCRIBE nouns) beautiful, pretty, green, ugly, smelly, stinky, crazy


Preposition: (words that show the relationship between nouns) in, out, on, under, with, at, to, for, across, inside, between


Adverb: (words that describe verbs and make things INTENSE) very, quickly, too, absolutely, definitely, happily, sadly, cruelly


noun: person, place, thing, or idea


verb: ACTION WORD!


Conjunction: and, but, or, because, however, therefore, so (combines sentences or lists)


interjection: OH! OW! OUCH! HEY! WOW! HOORAY!


pronoun: takes the place of a noun... hers, his, my, our, their, him, her, they, we, I, you, she, he, it, its


You also need to know the subject and predicate parts of the sentence...

Spelling Word Practice: Fill in the Blank

adjective, adventurous, adverb, algebraic, alien, asteroid, astronaut, automobile
comet, constellation, crater, crescent, determine, distance, division, divisor, dwarf, Earth, eclipse, efficient, evaluate, exercise, exploration, expression, freedom, galaxy, gibbous, gravity, horizon, imagination, introduce, Jupiter, language, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, numerical, nutritious, orphan, persecution, people, planet, Pluto, predicate, preposition, protection, remainder, Saturn, shuttle, sincerely, solar, spaceship, surface, transportation, their, there, they're, universe, Uranus, vacation, Venus, waning, waxing

Fill in the blank (practice):

1. My friends like to play with _____________ Nintendo DS's.
2. If the sun is hidden behind the moon it is called an ________________.
3. The largest planet in the solar system is _____________.
4. Pluto is a ____________ planet.
5. When ________________ hit the moon they leave __________________.
6. When I write a letter, I sign it "____________________, Melody."
7. The Department of _______________________ builds roads in Colombia.
8. My friends are going to Missouri this summer; I hope I can go _______________ someday, too.
9. It is our job to protect people from ___________________.
10. If a person doesn't have parents she is a _______________________.
11. A student who does his homework quickly and gets all the answers correct is ________________.
12. When I write stories I use my __________________.
13. A group of stars that makes a picture is a _____________________________.
14. Melody and Warren were _______________________ when they went to Ecuador because they went bike riding down a volcano!
15. Fruits and vegetables are ________________________ and that is why Miss Melody wants us to eat them at lunch.
16. We use the Hubble Telescope to take pictures of the ____________________.
17. Miss Melody likes to ___________________ at a gym in Circunvalar.
18. My friends like to dance, but I think _______________________ crazy.
19. The place where the sky meets the ground is the ____________________.
20. I want to learn English because it is good to speak a different
_________________.

(answers posted tomorrow)

Spelling Words

SPELLING WORDS!!

You need to spell these CORRECTLY (duh) and know their definitions. I'll have a Fill-in-the-blank section using these words! Also, I'm only going to have 30 spelling words on the final, but you need to study all of these! : )

adjective, adventurous, adverb, algebraic, alien, asteroid, astronaut, automobile

comet, constellation, crater, crescent

determine, distance, division, divisor, dwarf

Earth, eclipse, efficient, evaluate, exercise, exploration, expression

freedom

galaxy, gibbous, gravity

horizon

imagination, introduce

Jupiter

language

Mars
Mercury

Neptune, numerical, nutritious

orphan

persecution, people, planet, Pluto, predicate, preposition, protection

remainder

Saturn, shuttle, sincerely, solar, spaceship, surface

transportation, their, there, they're

universe, Uranus

vacation, Venus

waning, waxing

p.s. I hope you are ALL asleep right now!

Social Studies Final Study Guide

The Study Guide for the Economic Systems is posted below this post. Here is your study guide for the rest of the final. The economic systems part of your exam is matching and short answer.


Be able to label the oceans and continents on this map.

Know the properties of a country... This part of your exam is multiple choice.

A country needs land. Then it needs leaders to run it. It needs to have a type of government (like Colombia is a republic and a democracy). It needs to have an economic system (Colombia is capitalist). It needs a capital city where the government leaders meet. It needs money, so it has to have a currency. It needs a constitution which is a document that explains how the country will work. It needs people and most of the people need to speak the same language so everyone can communicate. Then, it needs a flag, which is a symbol of the country.

There is one type of "government" which is NOT a government... it is called an ANARCHY. It means there is no government. A country can't have anarchy because there is no government.

You need to know about taxes and budgets...
This part of your exam is true/false and short answer.
1. Taxes are essential for a democracy because that is the money a country uses to pay for social and public programs.
2. Taxes are the money we pay to the government so the government can do things for us.
3. The government needs tax money because otherwise it will not have any money (in a democracy).
4. We pay three main types of taxes: INCOME taxes, PROPERTY taxes, and SALES tax. Income taxes are taxes we pay on money we make when we work. Property taxes are taxes we pay if we own land or a house or an apartment. Sales taxes are what we pay when we buy things.
5. Governments make a "budget", which is a plan for how they will spend the tax money. Even though they need a LOT of money to do everything they want, there is never enough money. They have to pick what to do, and so they need to make a budget. (We practiced "cutting" the budget in class.) Budgets are based on how much money the government gets in taxes. Every government department has a budget.
*You need to know what government department you were in for our budget activity. For example, you might have been in charge of the military or you might have been in the Department of Education.

YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS!
This part of your exam is short answer and multiple choice.
1. You should know the definition of human rights. Look at this website if you do not know.
2. You should know about Human Rights in Colombia. The Colombian Constitution guarantees human rights. Know as many as you can remember! (You need to know them in English, but if you didn't write them in your notebook, you can read them in Spanish here: Derechos constitucionales.)
3. You need to know what the United Nations' International Declaration of Human Rights is. Find out at this website: http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/introduction/udhr_abridged.html .

Here is the video we watched in class about human rights and the International Declaration of Human Rights: http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/introduction/index.html.

Here is the other video we watched:


4. You also need to know who protects human rights. (The Red Cross (Cruz Roja), the government, the people of a country, the police, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Profamilia, UNICEF, and the United Nations are all supposed to protect human rights.)

Finally, you have an essay question. This is the question: How do countries, constitutions, governments, and taxes help protect human rights? You need to write at least 2 paragraphs explaining your answer.


Good luck! I'll post a review for Friday's L.A. final later tonight.

ALL ABOUT ECONOMIC SYSTEMS!

Dear parents and students,

Please make a note of this: although I have mentioned it in class many times, I forgot to put one of this term's social studies logros on the letter I wrote to you and on the blog. At the beginning of Term 2 we learned about types of economic systems. This is on the final. We are reviewing it in class today, I also consider it part of the "Properties of a Country" goal.

The official goal is this: Students understand different types of economic systems and know which countries have that type of system.

They also need to know the definition of "economy." Here is my favorite definition:

Economy means the way money and "capital" are controlled in a country. "Capital" means things like natural resources and valuable resources, banks, stocks and bonds, businesses, factories, and farms. So, economy is about who is in charge and who has control of money and the ways we make money.


There are many types of economic systems. We only learned about a few...

Barter and Trade. This is a very old economic system. No country really uses it now, but sometimes very poor countries or countries with wars might have people who "barter and trade." Barter and trade means that people exchange goods and do not use money. For example, if I have ten fish and you have three chickens, I could give you five fish for one chicken. Or, if you have a mango and I have candy, I could trade you for a slice of mango and you could give me a piece of candy. Native Americans (indigenous people) used this system.

Feudalism. Feudalism is also an old economic system. It is what knights used a long time ago in Europe. Most people were very poor, and the knights had a lot of money. The knights (lords, kings, royalty) had huge farms and poor people would work on the farms. The knights would then give the poor people food and a home, and if there was a war or battle, the knights would protect the poor people. Countries like France had this system a very long time ago.

Capitalism. Capitalism is the system Colombia and the United States have. Many countries are capitalist. Capitalist countries are "free markets". That means that the government lets businesses and people do what they want. The government doesn't own business and people control natural resources, not the government. The government watches businesses to make sure they do not break laws, but it doesn't bother "industry" (businesses and companies) unless something bad happens. This allows people to be creative and start their own businesses.

Fascism. Fascism is when governments control all the business, natural resources, and exports. Usually, a dictator is in charge of the country. The most famous "fascist" countries were Germany and Italy in World War II and Spain after World War II. People associated with fascism are Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini in Italy, and Francisco Franco in Spain. (Only Italy was REALLY fascist, but the other countries were very, very close.) These countries are NOT fascist now.

Communism. Today, Vietnam, China, North Korea, Laos, and Cuba are communist countries. In other countries like India, Nepal, Cyprus, and South Africa, communist parties are involved in politics. Communism can only be the economic system of a country if the Communist Party is the ONLY political party in charge in that country. Communism is an idea that Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin made famous. The idea is that the government controls money, natural resources, business, and production. They then divide EVERYTHING equally and everyone shares. That means no one would be "rich" and no one would be "poor", everyone would be the same. The FARC is a "Communist" group who wanted to make Colombia communist. Communism sounds good, but it has never successfully worked. The Soviet Union (It is called Russia now) was a communist country, but communism did not work there. Usually, the government becomes rich and keeps all the money, and the rest of the people are very poor.

Socialism. Socialism is a lot like Communism, except that it is ONLY an economic system, not a political system. Socialist countries are supposed to let EVERYONE in the country control the money and production. That means the government partially owns businesses. People and businesses pay high taxes. Money is divided almost equally among the people. The government is supposed to take care of everyone.

Welfare State. Many countries are "welfare states", at least a little bit. Welfare states are countries that have VERY high taxes (30 to 50%) based on how much money the citizens have. If you are poor, you pay lower taxes, and if you are rich, you pay more taxes. The government uses the tax money to take care of the citizens. Many welfare state countries have free education and free health care. Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway are Welfare States. In those countries, if you do not have a job, the government will take care of you. If you go to the university, it is free, and the government gives you money to buy food and pay for an apartment. To get all those things, when you have a job, you have to give a lot of your money to the government in taxes.

Okay, that's it for Economic systems! I will post the rest of the social studies review online during lunch. Please make sure students study these things!

Tomorrow: Reading Comprehension Exam and Social Studies Projects!

Hola class! Some of you did not take your oral exam today, so be prepared to take it tomorrow!

If you want to start preparing for your reading comprehension exam, here are the two stories you will be reading. Here is an article about the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Remember when we watched the video of the sun? If you don't, you can watch the video and see pictures of the sun on the National Geographic Website or on the Solar Dynamics Observatory website.

The other article is from the Hubble Telescope Website. Click here to find it.

You will have to answer multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and then make a Venn Diagram, a timeline, or a Cause and Effect chart about what you read. I will tell you tomorrow. (It's a surprise!)

DON'T FORGET! Your World Cup Presentations are tomorrow afternoon! Make sure you have the following:
A Poster with...
1.A map of the country
2.a picture of the flag
3.a picture of the team
4.A list of the best players on the team and their positions
5.The language of the country
6.The type of government and economy the country has
7.Famous landforms or places in the country
8.The most popular food in the country
9.The religions of the country
10.How to say “Hello” in that country.

Your presentation should be short. Tell us about the team and the country. Do not read to us from a website like Wikipedia. The presentations will be Wednesday, June 9th, and will be part of your final grade for social studies. You need to explain your poster and tell us about the team and country.

Finals Schedule, 2nd Term Logros, & Math Answers

Hey class! Here is our finals schedule, just to help you remember!

Dates of the Exams

June 8th (tomorrow): Oral Interview *science quiz* *math quiz*
I will take each one of you outside and interview you. You do not need to bring anything to the interview. You can practice by using the questions I listed in the last blog post. Each question is worth 5 points. I will be grading you based on your answer, your pronunciation, and your vocabulary.

June 9th: Social Studies Presentations & Reading Comprehension final
Don't forget to finish your World Cup country presentation! If you need help please tell me. For your reading comprehension final, I will give you something to read and you will need to answer questions about it, write a summary, make a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast things in the reading, and make a cause and effect chart. We'll practice this in class.

June 10th: Social Studies exam
Your social studies exam will have True/False questions, short answer questions, and a 2 paragraph essay. It will cover all the goals, so you need to know about taxes, budgets, constitutions, types of economies, the oceans and continents, and human rights. You will also need to write a description of the country you studied for the World Cup project.

The essay question is this: How do countries, constitutions, and taxes protect human rights?

June 11th: Language Arts Final
This final will have spelling words, and you will need to match the word to its definition. You will also need to label parts of speech (like nouns, verbs, predicates, etc.). It has a writing section, too. You will have to write a 5 paragraph persuasive letter. We will practice in class.

June 15th: Science exam
The science exam with be short answer and multiple choice. It will cover the chapters over the moon, the solar system, and light.

June 16th: Math in English exam
20 math problems from Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 in your math book.

Here are the goals from this term:

Science
Understands properties of the Moon
Understands properties of the Solar System and Universe
Understands light

Social Studies
Understands purpose of taxes and budgets in a country
Understands properties of a country
Understands human rights and understands our responsibility to protect human rights
Applies the need for human rights to why we have countries, constitutions, and taxes
Can identify all the oceans and continents.

Math
Estimates and solves with 1 and 2 digit divisors
Understands equations and expressions, including algebraic equations and expressions

Language Arts
Can write a letter using the correct form and vocabulary
Can support an argument when writing
Spells and understands a variety of vocabulary words
Understands parts of speech
Comprehends non-fiction and fiction and can apply reading in a variety of contexts
Communicates and speaks in English fluently

AND... as promised, the answers to the math problems.
1. 28 ÷ 4 = the number of chairs in each row
2. 33 - 8 + p = the number of people on the bus now
3. 43
4. 27
5. 44
6. 26
7. n = 3, it is the distributive property
8. f = 25
9. p = 11
10. Set G answers:
1) 3 x y = d; 24
2) x + 4 = y; 2
3) w - 2 = p; 12

Science Quiz and Math Quiz Tomorrow!

Hi Class! Don't forget, you have a science quiz and a math quiz tomorrow. You also have an oral interview exam. For homework this weekend, you had math problems AND you also need to read at LEAST 4 stories on RazKids for your reading plan! Don't forget! Your reading comprehension exam is on Wednesday, so if you read lots of stories on RazKids it will help you study!

For your science quiz, make sure you know these things:
1. The definition of light.
2. Make sure you can draw the electromagnetic spectrum.
3. You should know about the different kinds of waves... radio waves, microwaves, infrared waves, visible light, UV-rays, and x-rays. Make sure you know that radio waves are the biggest and x-rays are the smallest! (Which means that x-rays have MORE energy than radio waves!!)
4. You also need to know properties of light *like, we can feel it, it travels really fast, stuff like that.)
5. You need to know the differences between a laser and a regular light bulb.
6. You need to know the differences between opaque, translucent, and transparent. You also need to know what refraction and reflection are.
7. You need to be able to draw a picture of a concave lens and a convex lens.

For your math quiz, you need to be able to do these problems:
1. Write a numerical expression for this problem: "Mr. Carson divides 28 chairs into 4 equal rows."
2. Write an algebraic expression for this problem: "At a bus stop, 8 of the 33 people on the buss got off the bus and OTHER people got on."
3. Solve: 45 - 7 + 5
4. Solve: (6+3) x 3
5. Solve: 4 + n x 8 (if n=5)
6. Solve: 8 + 2t (if t = 9)
7. Solve to find n: 5 x (8 + 3) = (5 x 8) + (5 x n)
8. Solve to find f: f - 8 = 17
9. Solve to find p: 5 + p = 16
10. Look at Sets G and H on page 121 in your math book. I might put a problem from Set G on the quiz!

*Hint: I am going to put up the answers to these problems at 7 p.m. tonight!

For your Oral Interview, you will need to answer questions LIKE these...
1. Describe your favorite food.
2. Tell me about your favorite television show.
3. What is something you would like to change in 5th grade? Explain.
4. What is something you learned about in science this term? How could you use that information in the future?
5. Compare Bogota and Medellin. Which city is better? Why? (Or Cali and Pereira...)
6. Imagine you won one a free trip to anywhere in the world. Where would you go?
7. Your family wants to buy a new car. What kind of car should they buy? Why would that be a good choice?
8. Is it better to have a lot of money, but have to work all the time, or is it better to be poor but to have lots of time to spend with your family? Why?

FOR EXTRA CREDIT: If you leave a comment on this post (click on the part where it says "Questions? Comments?"), I will give you 5 points of extra credit on your science quiz tomorrow!

Welcome & Bienvenidos

Dear 5th grade students,

Hello! Hola! Okay, my muchachos, I have made a website called a blog for our class. I am going to post what we do in class on this website. I am also going to write your homework on here (so if you forget to write it in your communication notebook, you can check it on this website). Also, I will post study guides and advice (called tips) on here to help you study for quizzes, tests, and exams. Sometimes I will post the answers to your homework.

You need to check this website every day. If you miss school because you are sick or traveling, you can find out what we did in class here.

Also, if you have a question about your homework or something we learn in class, you can leave a comment and I will answer you. To leave a comment, click on "comment" under the post. Just write your question or idea there. I will check it and write back. You can also email me from this site.

So, are you excited? This should make everything easier! If you want to, you can go to this website, www.spanishdict.com, and paste what I write into the translator.

Tomorrow I am going to post an extra credit activity on the website, so make sure you check the website tomorrow!

I hope you are having a great weekend!

Miss Melody