Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. As you already know fall is my favorite time of year I love all the colors, the weather, and making preparations for the upcoming holiday season. I also love it because my birthday is on December 2nd so I have always had plenty of reasons to celebrate throughout the months of November, December, and January! I am definitely addicted to shopping so the holidays provide me with a somewhat constructive outlet for my shopping. To me Thanksgiving is a time to remember all that we have to be thankful for like family, friends, a job, food, a home, and a million other things we take for granted on a daily basis. I love the traditions of the holiday season and time spent with my loved ones. And of course, I love all the delicious food! I cannot wait to eat tons of homemade turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, turnips, dinner rolls, and pumpkin pie!

An interesting lesson I observed in a first grade classroom related to the holiday season was the teacher asked the students to draw a picture of what came to mind when they thought about holidays. Many different pictures were drawn, some students drew their families around a table, another drew himself and his family baking coookies for Santa, or decorating their homes. There were pictures of Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas, and other holidays. Next the students were asked to write sentences about how they used their 5 senses during the holiday season. For example, "I can see a Christmas tree. I can touch presents. I can smell cookies. I taste delicious turkey. I hear holiday music." The class brainstormed things they could see, touch, smell, taste, and hear and then wrote sentences that applied to their picture and the holidays they celebrate. I thought this was an excellent way to review the 5 senses, discuss upcoming holidays, and celebrate diversity within the classroom.

Vocabulary:

1. preparations (noun) - things you to do to prepare for something
2. upcoming (adj) - happening soon or in the near future
3. addicted (adj) - devoted to, preoccupied or obsessed with (can be unhealthy)
4. constructive (adj) - positive
5. outlet (noun) - a means of expressing or satisfying
6. tradition (noun) - something that is handed down and done repeatedly
7. delicious (adj) - tasting good or yummy
8. observed (verb) - watched or saw
9. diversity (noun)- difference, coming from different backgrounds or cultures

Make task cards using the above vocabulary words and practice learning their definitions with a partner.

Grammar Point: Writing sentences

Following the format from above write 5 sentences about how you use your senses during the holiday season with your family.

• I can see ____________ ________________.
• I can hear ____________ ________________.
• I can touch ____________ ________________.
• I can taste ____________ ________________.
• I can smell ____________ ________________.

Remember sentences start with a capital letter and end with a period. Try to use at least one adjective in each of your sentence. For example, "I can taste yummy cookies." Feel free to draw a picture as well.

Tips to Stay Healthy this Cold and Flu Season

As teachers and future teachers we will all become familiar with the cold and flu season. The flu virus tends to spread from October to May with most cases occurring in January or February. With busy school and work schedule it is sometimes hard to take care of ourselves. We miss meals, don't get enough sleep, and try to do too much. Vaccines for the flu are available throughout the season and recommended even late in the season. However, there is some controversy surrounding the effectiveness of the vaccine. Flu vaccines are available at CVS, Walgreens, and Target pharmacies or you can get one from your primary care physician. For those of you who do not want to get a flu shot below are some tips to stay healthy.

1. Wash your hands often with soap and water
2. Exercise regularly
3. Eat healthy meals and snacks including fruits and vegetables
4. Get plenty of rest and sleep (good luck with that! )
5. Try to avoid contact with sick people
6. Cough and sneeze into a tissue and throw away used tissues
7. Stay home from school and work if you are sick and call your healthcare provider
8. Use anti-bacterial wipes or cleaners on-the-go
9. Don't share drinks, water bottles, or food with others
10. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth - germs spread this way

When working with children it is definitely hard to follow some of these tips but make sure to take care of yourself - stay well!

You can visit www.getmyflushot.com to find a clinic near you.

Vocabulary:

1. familiar (adj)- well-known or easily recognized
2. virus (noun) - a sickness that can be spread from person to person
3. occurring (verb) - happening
4. vaccines (noun) - a medicine given to prevent a disease
5. controversy (noun) - a debate or disagreement
6. effectiveness (adj.) - able to produce a desired effect
7. physician (noun) - a doctor

Write 3 sentences using as many of the vocabulary as possible.

Grammar Point: Giving Advice

In this post I wrote a list of tips to stay healthy. In this list I am giving advice on how to not get sick during the cold and flu season.

Following my example write a list of 5-10 tips on a topic. You can either research the topic or write about something with which you are already familiar. For example, you could write tips on how to study or be great at a sport.

Glee!

I have recently given in to the pop-culture phenomenon, Glee, which airs Monday nights at 8:00pm on Fox. Glee is a musical comedy-drama television series about the high school glee club, New Directions, and the cruel world of high school in general. The series was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan. When this trio first conceived Glee they intended it to be a film not a television show. The pilot episode aired on May 19, 2009 and the show is currently in its third season. In addition to its main cast Glee has featured many guest stars such as the infamous Britney Spears, Neil Patrick Harris, Molly Shannon, and Olivia Newton John. In fact, next week's episode will feature Academy Award Winner Gwenyth Paltrow.

When the show first aired I promised myself I would not get caught up in the hype. However, after watching the show I am definitely hooked on the fantastic singing and witty plot lines.

Vocabulary:

1. pop culture (noun) - also known as popular culture - contemporary lifestyle and items that are well known and generally accepted
2. phenomenon (noun) - something that is impressive or extraordinary.
3. comedy (noun)-a play, movie, etc., of light and humorous character with ahappy or cheerful ending
4. glee club (noun) - chorus or singing group
5. cruel (adjective) - mean, unkind, or unjust
6. trio (noun) - group of 3
7. conceived (verb) - to form a notion or idea of; imagine.
8. pilot (noun) - the first or initial airing or episode, aired to test potentialviewer interest and attract sponsors.
9. featured (verb) - showed or had
10. hype (noun) - exaggerated publicity

Vocabulary Scramble:

1. dyemco _____________________
2. blcu egle ___________ __________
3. orit ______________
4. vediceonc _____________________
5. ltpio ______________
6. dfeautrde _____________________
7. yhpe _________
8. rlceutu opp __________ ___________
9. nonphnoemen _____________________
10. rceul ___________

Grammar Point: Musical Lyrics

Many musicians, singers, rappers, and performers write their own musical lyrics. Pick a topic for your song and write lyrics.

One way to get started is to take a favorite song of yours, keep the tune and work on changing the words.

Come up with about 12-16 lines of music using adjectives, superlatives, comparatives, nouns and verbs we have learned in class.

Veteran's Day

‎"This nation will remain the land of the free,

only so long as it is the home of the brave."

Elmer Davis

On November 11th of every year our country celebrates Veteran's Day. Veteran's Day honors the men and women who have served in the United States military. The branches of the U.S. military are the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. They could have served in times of peace or war. We observe this day with parades and speeches. Many schools, businesses, and government offices are closed for the day.

What can you do on Veterans Day?

* Draw a picture about Veterans Day

* Make a card or write a letter to thank veterans. You can send it to a local VA Medical Center.

* Ask your teacher to invite veterans to your classroom. You can learn a lot from your guests!

* Have your school make a poster with the names (and pictures) of relatives and friends who are veterans.

(adopted from http://www4.va.gov/kids/k-5)

A related and sometimes confused holiday is Memorial Day. On Memorial Day we remember and honor those who died serving their country.

Vocabulary:

veteran (noun) - a person who has served in a military

honor (verb) - to show respect to or recognize

served (verb) - to be in the service of; work for.

military (noun/adjective) - of or pertaining to soldiers, the armed forces

observe (verb) - to show regard for by some appropriate procedure,ceremony

related (adjective) - similiar

Pick one of the Veteran's Day Activities below:

Crossword Puzzle: http://sunniebunniezz.com/puzzles/vetkcr.htm

Use the above link to complete a Veteran's Day Crossword Puzzle.

Word Search: http://sunniebunniezz.com/puzzles/vetkws.htm

Use the above link to complete a Veteran's Day Word Search.

Grammar Point: Letter Writing

One of the suggested Veteran's Day activities is to write a letter. The format of a friendly letter has 5 parts:

1. The Heading. This includes the address, line by line, with the last line being the date. Skip a line after the heading.

2. The Greeting. The greeting always ends with a comma. The greeting may be formal, beginning with the word "dear" and using the person's given name or relationship, or it may be informal if appropriate.

Formal: Dear Uncle Jim, Dear Mr. Wilkins,

Informal: Hi Joe, Greetings,

3. The body. Also known as the main text. This includes the message you want to write.

4. The complimentary close. This short expression is always a few words on a single line. It ends in a comma. It should be indented to the same column as the heading. Skip one to three spaces (two is usual) for the signature line.

5. The signature line. Type or print your name.

Postscript. If your letter contains a postscript, begin it with P.S.

(from http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000143.htm)

Using these guidelines write a letter to a veteran thanking them for their service.

Freedom Writers

This past Wednesday I was home sick in bed and decided to rent a movie. While scrolling through the On Demand options on Optimum I came across the film Freedom Writers which debuted in 2007. This drama was based on a true story and on the novel The Freedom Writers Diary by teacher Erin Gurwell. It took place around 1995 in Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. The movie chronicled the story of an extraordinary teacher, played by Hilary Swank, who went above and beyond her duties to reach a group of disadvantaged students. Everyone else at the school had written off Ms. Gurwell's students as "at-risk" or "unreachable" because of their previous history of violence, truancy, and lack of motivation. The teacher and her students had to overcome a number of obstacles both inside and outside the classroom walls in order to break down these stereotypes.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who would like to watch an uplifting film with a positive message. I would specifically recommend it to teachers, both new and veteran, because it truly shows the impact one teacher can have.

To watch the movie trailer visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY-KYKyFXCM

For more information on the real Erin Burwell, her class, as well as the foundation her class established please visit: http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org/

Vocabulary:

1. debuted (verb) - to come out or appear for the first time
2. novel (noun) - a book or story
3. chronicles (verb) - to record or tell
4. duties (noun) - responsibilities
5. truancy (noun) - skipping school without permission or reason
6. motivation (noun) - the act of inspiring or exciting
7. stereotype (noun) - making generalizations about a specific group of people
8. recommend (verb) - to recommend
9. veteran (noun) - someone with experience

Vocabulary Activity:

Put the above vocabulary words in alphabetical order. Then choose at least two vocabulary words to write a sentence summarizing the movie.

Grammar Point: Working With Verbs

We have all seen movies that inspire us. Think about a movie you have seen that has meant something to you and write 1-2 paragraphs summarizing the movie and stating who you would recommend this movie for and why. For the summary section, make sure you use past tense verbs to describe the movie because you already saw it. For the recommendation section, use modal verbs such as "would" to explain your recommendation.