Pumpkins

A pumpkin is a fruit that grows on a vine like squash. Pumpkins can be orange, white, yellow, or red. They can also be bumpy or smooth, large or small, long or round. Each year there is a new crop of pumpkins. Pumpkins begin as seeds then turn into a seedling with leaves, a flower and tendrils. Throughout the summer the vines, tendrils, and leaves grow and tangle together. Underneath the big leaves little pumpkins grow. The leaves are like a big umbrella, they keep the sun off and protect the pumpkins. It takes special weather for pumpkins to grow - too much rain rots them and too much sun withers the vines. Farmers know when it's time to harvest the pumpkins because their vines turn brown. The whole process takes about four months.

In the fall people love to do different things with pumpkins. Some people like to cook pumpkins and make pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread. People also love to go pumpkin picking. For Halloween, people scoop out and carve pumpkins to create Jack-o-Lanterns or use them for decoration.

Here is a link to a recipe for pumpkin pie as well as a link to a local spot for pumpkin picking.

• Pumpkin Pie Recipe
• Pumpkin Picking and Other Fall Activities on Long Island

Vocabulary:

1. vine (noun) - plant with long, thin stems that grows along the ground or climbs up things
2. squash (noun) - fruit like a pumpkin
3. crop (noun) - food grown in one season
4. seeds (noun) - part of plant that can grow into a new plant
5. tendrils (noun) - long, thin part of a plant stem that grabs and curls around things to help the plant climb or spread
6. umbrella (noun) - something that covers or protects from above
7. protect (verb) - to cover or shield from injury or danger
8. rot (verb) to decay, spoil
9. wither (verb) - to dry up and shrink
10. harvest (verb) - gathering of a crop

Fill-in the Blank:

1. When it rains out my mom always uses an _________ so she doesn't get wet.
2. In the spring we planted _______ so we could grow sunflowers.
3. Grapes grow on a __________.
4. You have to drink milk by its expiration date so it does not ______.
5. I don't like getting flowers as a gift because they ________ and die quickly.
6. Next year there will be a new _______ of pumpkins.
7. Football players wear a helmet to ________ their head.
8. A ____ is very similar to a pumpkin.
9. September is a time when a lot of farmers ______ their crops.
10. The plant grew long ________ from its stem.

Grammar Point: Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describes other words such as nouns. Adjectives provide information about the qualities of something.

Ex: asleep, boring, determined, unhappy, old, funny, big

"Pumpkins can be orange, white, yellow, or red. They can also be bumpy or smooth, large or small, long or round. "

Write a song or poem describing something or someone you love using at least 6 adjectives.

Information in this blog was adapted from the book:

Life Cycle of a Pumpkin by Ron Findell and Patricia Walsh

First Fabulous Day of Fall and the Harvest Moon!

To continue our conversation about fall or autumn, this past Wednesday, September 22nd, was the first official day of fall! The first day of fall is also called the Autumn Equinox. Around the same time as the Autumn Equinox we experience a Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox. Because of the Earth's tilt in fall, the Harvest Moon may seem bigger, brighter, and much more colorful than other full moons. The Harvest Moon can occur anywhere between September 8th and October 7th. This year was the first time in twenty years that we, in the Northern Hemisphere, have seen a Super Harvest Moon. This abnormally large (appearing even bigger than a typical Harvest Moon which occurs annually) moon occurs only when the full moon begins on the last day of summer. Historically, the Harvest Moon was important to our country's agriculture because it rose right after sunset and provided extra minutes of light each evenning for farmers to work longer hours harvesting their crops. The Harvest Moon is not as important to farmers today because of advanced farming techniques and lighting options. However, some religions such as Wiccans or Pagans celebrate the harvest moon during religious ceremonies.

For more information about this year's Harvest Moon take a look at this news clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyffdajqTso

Vocabulary:

1. conversation (noun) -an informal discussion
2. abnormally (adverb) - different than the standard or normal
3. historically (adverb)- throughout history or as has been done most often in the past
4. agriculture (noun) - the production of food and goods through farming
5. religious ceremony (noun phrase)- a formal event, celebration or special occasasion associated with a particular religion
6. advanced (adj.) - sophisticated, innovative, ahead of the times
7. provided (verb) - gave, supplied

Fill-in the Blank:

1. Housekeeping at the hotel __________ us with extra pillows.
2. We had a long _______ about what we were going to bring to the party.
3. The doctor said he had an __________ large mole on his back.
4. In the Catholic faith, Baptism is an important ______ ________.
5. The science lab had a lot of new computers and _______ technology.
6. In the Midwest _______ is a very important industry because there are a lot of farms.
7. ___________ people from Iraq and Iran have not gotten along.

Grammar Point: Comparatives

Comparatives are adjectives and adverbs which compare two or more people, things or ideas and typically end in -er.

Examples: bigger, richer, faster

How are they formed?

Comparatives are usually formed by adding er to the end of the adjective or adverb. However, this is not always the case. For long adjectives and adverbs we use the words more and most in front of the adjective/adverb to form the comparative. (ex: more energetically).

Some irregular comparatives are presented below:

good --> better

well --> better

bad --> worse

far --> farther, further

old --> elder

"Because of the Earth's tilt in fall, the Harvest Moon may seem bigger, brighter, and much more colorful than other full moons."

Write a short paragraph comparing two or more of your favorite things (ex: cars, clothing store, friends, etc.). Be sure to use at least 6 adjectives or adverbs in the correct comparative form.

All About Autumn

Autumn, also known as fall, is my favorite season. For me, it always reminds me of new beginnings. I love the weather in September and October - crisp and cool with a little bit of sunshine. Another one of my favorite things about this time of year is the fall foliage. I love watching the leaves change to a variety of colors like red, orange, yellow, and golden. The Northeast is one of the best regions in the country to see and experience this seasonal change firsthand. For more information on Fall Foliage you can visit The Foliage Network's website at http://www.foliagenetwork.com/.

Besides the weather and nature some other things I love about autumn are: the start of football season (Go Jets!), updating and changing my wardrobe (there are plenty of fall fashion must-haves this year), Halloween, enjoying pumpkin bread, and going on bike riding adventures.

Don't get me wrong though, there are also many things I will miss about summer as the season changes. I will miss spending lazy days at the beach, eating frozen yogurt, weekend getaways, and swimming. But there is something about the start of fall that just makes me excited and happy.

Vocabulary:

1. crisp (adj.) - invigorating: crisp air
2. foliage (noun) - the leaves of a plant, leaves in general
3. variety (noun) - a number of different types of things
4. region (noun) - a specific district or territory, a large area
5. seasonal (adj.) - pertaining to, dependent on, or accompanying the seasons of the year
6. experience (noun/verb) - to have the experience of (the process of fact of personally observing, encountering, or undergoing something)
7. wardrobe (noun) - a stock of clothes belonging to a person
8. adventure (noun) - an exciting experience
9. getaway (noun) - a place where one escapes for relaxation, vacation; a period of time for vacation

Fill-in the Blank:

1. On Halloween the air was ____ and cool, a perfect day for trick or treating.
2. Every spring I have allergies, my doctor told me they are __________.
3. The Midwest is a large _________.
4. My boyfriend planned a weekend _______ to Florida so we could both relax.
5. The _______ on the tree was beautiful.
6. I eat a lot of different kinds of food in order to have _______ in my diet.
7. I love Sarah's clothes I wish I had her ____________.
8. Horseback riding on the beach was quite an ______________.
9. Going to the Jets game was an __________ I'll never forget.

Grammar Point: Capitalization

The days of the week, the months of the year, and holidays are capitalized but the seasons used generally are not.

Examples: Halloween, October, Friday, winter, spring, fall, summer

Exception: Seasons are capitalized when used in a title.

Example: Fall 2010 semester.

Write a paragraph about your favorite season making sure to follow the capitalization rules below. Try to include the name of a holiday and month associated with the season to see if you understand which words get capitalized and which do not.

The Video Music Awards Show 2010

The Video Music Awards, also known as the VMAs, is an award show that celebrates the top music videos, artists and performers of the year. The show was established in the summer of 1984 and the awards are given out annually by the cable network MTV. This year the VMAs took place on September 12th at 9 p.m. in Los Angeles, California. The host of the show was comedian, Chelsea Handler. Some of the award categories and winners this year included:

• Video of Year - Lady Gaga, "Bad Romance"
• Best New Artist - Justin Bieber
• Best Rock Video - 30 Seconds to Mars, "Kings and Queens"
• Best Male Video - Eminem, "Not Afraid"
• Best Female Video - Lady Gaga, "Bad Romance"

As you can see, Lady Gaga's music video for her song, "Bad Romance," received a number of awards this past Saturday. Winners are given a statue with an astronaut on the moon, which is one of the earliest logos for MTV.

Check out this link for more information on this year's show including a complete list of winners, video clips, and pictures: http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2010/

Vocabulary:

1. celebrate (verb) - the act of giving praise or recognition
2. established (verb - past tense) - to set up or start
3. annually (adverb) - occurring or happening every year
4. host (noun) - the emcee or interviewer on a radio or television program
5. comedian (noun) - a person who tells jokes or performs in other ways to make people laugh
6. received (verb - past tense) - to take or to get
7. astronaut (noun) - a person trained to go to outer-space
8. logo (noun) - a name, symbol or picture designed to represent a company

Fill-In The Blank:

1. Many Catholic people _______ the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day.
2. My grandpa calls my brother a _____ because he is always telling jokes at the dinner table.
3. The school was ______ on September 7, 1954.
4. My friend Billy wants to be an _______ so he reads about the stars and planets all the time.
5. Our parents pay their taxes ___________.
6. On Father's Day, my Dad ________ many gifts from my brothers and sisters.
7. My teacher asked if I would be the _______ of the Talent Show this year because I enjoy asking people questions.
8. One of the most famous ________ in the world are McDonald's golden arches.

Grammar Point: Verbs in the past tense

Verbs in the past tense describe an action that started and finished already. Since the Video Music Awards were held this past Saturday the verbs used in this blog post are in the past tense. For many regular verbs we simply add the ending "-ed" to the root word. However this is not always the case because many verbs have irregular or different endings.

Examples of Regular Verbs:

1. establish ---> established
2. include --->included
3. receive -----> received

Examples of Irregulars:

1. see ---->saw
2. think--->thought

Write a paragraph about what you did this past weekend using the past tense of verbs!