american music - 1800's

NameWednesday, October 28

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American Music - 1800'sBy Sharon Fabian

American music, in most of its various forms, can be traced back to the music of the earliest African-Americans.Even though these Americans came here under the worst of circumstances, they still brought with them traditions,and developed new traditions of their own, that have grown into what is recognized around the world today asAmerican music.

Musicians, like other artists, are usually quick to give credit where credit is due. Just as a writer quotes his sources,a musician credits those musicians who inspired him. In the case of the early African-Americans, that is not alwayseasy. Many of the slaves who brought musical traditions from Africa will never be known by name. No one wrotetheir history. Many of the slaves who sang work songs in the fields will never be known by name. No one wrotetheir history either.

However, there is a lot that we do know.

The first well-recognized form of African-American music was spirituals. Spirituals are religious songs. They aresongs that tell a story or express emotions. Spirituals have a strong rhythm. They are often sung by a group,sometimes with a leader who sings a line or two alone and a chorus that sings the refrain. Spirituals originated inthe Southern United States.

Spirituals sung by slaves often expressed the hope for freedom that was so important in their lives. Well knowspirituals include "Go Down Moses," "Deep River," and "Swing Low Sweet Chariot."

After slavery ended, spirituals began to spread to other parts of the United States. Harry Thacker Burleigh was oneof the first singers to perform spirituals on stage in a concert. Marian Anderson, well known for her classicalsinging, helped spirituals to gain a wider audience too.

Spirituals influenced the development of another well-known form of American music - the blues. The blues werea more individual style of music than spirituals. Blues were often sung solo, and sometimes they wereaccompanied by guitar music. As the name suggests, the blues were often about sadness and facing troubles.However, the blues could also be funny, positive, and even defiant. One blues singer, loved for her strong,beautiful voice, was Bessie Smith. Another early blues musician was W. C. Handy. Handy was not only amusician, he also wrote music, promoted concerts, and published blues songs.

During the time that the blues were spreading across the country, another style of music was also quickly gainingin popularity. Ragtime was energetic music with a complicated, syncopated beat. Often played on the piano,ragtime was the latest and most sophisticated in American popular music. The best-known ragtime musician wasprobably Scott Joplin, who wrote many hit ragtime pieces for the piano including "Maple Leaf Rag."

Eventually, elements from all of these forms of music and more came back together. In their own kind of meltingpot, African rhythms, slave work songs, spirituals, blues, ragtime, and other influences recombined to form thebeginnings of that truly American art form - jazz. In the late 1800's jazz was just beginning, but not long after theturn of the century, it would be the most popular American music. It would go on from there to worldwidepopularity. Jazz would branch out into many forms, and it would influence future styles of American music.

Many musicians today credit earlier musicians such as Scott Joplin or Bessie Smith with inspiring their music. It'sa shame that they can't also name the earliest African-Americans who really began the traditions that led to theAmerican music of today.


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American Music - 1800's

Questions

1. Harry Thacker Burleigh invented the spiritual.

A. falseB. true

2. Scott Joplin invented ragtime.

A. trueB. false

3. Bessie Smith was a famous blue singer.

A. trueB. false

4. "Maple Leaf Rag" was a piece of ______ music.

A. jazzB. ragtimeC. bluesD. spiritual

5. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" was a piece of ______ music.

A. spiritualB. jazzC. ragtimeD. blues

6. The American music traditions that eventually developed into jazz music began ______.

A. around 1900B. in 1800C. during the 1800'sD. during the early years of slavery

7. Spirituals were ______.

A. religious songs that told a story or express emotionsB. often sung solo, and sometimes were accompanied by a guitarC. syncopated piano tunesD. none of the above

8. The blues were ______.

A. religious songs that tell a story or express emotionsB. often sung solo, and sometimes were accompanied by a guitarC. syncopated piano tunesD. none of the above


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Who Is Lady Liberty?By Erin Horner

A small island in New York Harbor is the home of a famous tall lady.At 151 feet, she is as tall as a fifteen story building! She is dressed in arobe like an ancient goddess and wears a crown on her head. Thoughthis lady is not real, she stands for something real. She is the Statue ofLiberty, and she stands for freedom. The Statue of Liberty was a giftfrom the people of France. One night in 1865 a French sculptor decidedto make this statue. His name was Frederic Bartholdi. It took more than21 years to complete this famous gift. He made this great statue verysymbolic. Lady Liberty's crown has seven points. These stand for theseven seas and the seven continents. She also holds a torch. Thissymbolizes freedom. In her left arm she holds a tablet. On this stone,"July 4, 1776" is written. That was an important day for America. Onthat day the Declaration of Independence was signed. This lovely ladyfrom our friends, the French, stands tall to remind us of our freedom. What a great gift!

Who Is Lady Liberty?

Questions

1. Who is Lady Liberty?

2. The seven points on Lady Liberty's crown stand for ______.

A. the seven continentsB. the seven seasC. all of the aboveD. none of the above

3. What is this passage mainly about?

A. How the statue was madeB. The French sculptor who designed the Statue of LibertyC. The symbolism of the Statue of LibertyD. Why the French gave the U.S. the Statue of Liberty

4. Which of the following statement about the Statue of Liberty is NOT true?

A. The Statue of Liberty took more than 21 years to complete.B. The Statue of Liberty is very symbolic.C. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France.D. The Statue of Liberty is not very tall.

NameThursday, October 29

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Abraham LincolnBy Meg Leonard

Abraham Lincoln was our sixteenth president. He was born in 1809 in Kentucky.His family moved to Indiana when he was eight. Lincoln had to work hard to getan education. Lincoln was also known for his honesty. Lincoln moved to Illinoiswhen he was a young man. He served in the Illinois legislature. He was also alawyer. Lincoln decided to run for the Senate. He debated a man named StephenDouglas. Lincoln lost this election. The debate made him famous. He wasnominated for president. He won this election. At first he was not a very popularpresident. Southern states began to leave the Union. The Civil War began shortlyafter his election, too. Lincoln was a strong leader during this time of war. He freedthe slaves in the South. He vowed to reunite the country after the war was over. Hewas elected for a second term. April 14, 1865 was a sad day for the country.Lincoln was shot while at the theater. He died soon after this. This happened justfive days after the Civil War ended.

Abraham Lincoln

Questions

1. Who was Abraham Lincoln?

A. fifteenth presidentB. tenth presidentC. sixteenth presidentD. twentieth president

2. What was one job that Lincoln had in his life?

A. lawyerB. doctorC. barberD. shoemaker

3. In which state's legislature did Lincoln serve?

A. KentuckyB. KansasC. IndianaD. Illinois

4. During which war was Lincoln president?

A. American RevolutionB. War of 1812C. Mexican WarD. Civil War


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5. What were some of Lincoln's struggles?

Lincoln was known for his honesty. Write a story about someone you think is the most honest person in theworld. This person could be real or imaginary.


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Surfing for AllosaursBy Brenda B. Covert

Dinosaurs had fascinated Fletcher Lindahl all his life. As a child he had read"Danny and the Dinosaur" by Syd Hoff. He had wished that he could be likeDanny and play with a real, live dinosaur! He read, "If the Dinosaurs Came Back,"by Bernard Most, and dreamed of a world where dinosaurs roamed free and helpedpeople. However, those were children's stories. Fletcher was an adult now. Hepreferred facts over fiction about dinosaurs.

Of all the ways Fletcher could study dinosaurs, his favorite was to surf the Internetfor new information. He bought books and magazines, but the quickest way to findnewly discovered facts was to sit at his computer and go online. There he mightfind recent newspaper articles, a scientist's research site, or a dino fan's newsletter.

Fletcher sipped his coffee, and then set it away from his keyboard. The sun hadset, and he had washed and put away his supper dishes. Now he could satiatehimself in his favorite pastime for a few hours before bedtime.

A thought suddenly struck Fletcher. If it weren't for the Internet, how would he find out about new discoveries? Itnormally took more than a year for a book to be published-who wanted to wait that long? New discoveries mightbe mentioned in a news report on TV, but what if he were watching the wrong channel-or not even watching TV atall? He would miss it! A radio announcement could be easily missed as well. As for newspapers, he would have tosearch a lot of them every day with the hope of coming across a news story about dinosaur finds. Besides,newspaper articles were usually short and to the point; they wouldn't provide all the details. Fletcher wanteddetails. He wanted every detail of every find. That made his computer his most prized possession.

Besides being a dinosaur fan, Fletcher was also a trivia buff. He collected facts like some people collect gamecards. One fact that he found particularly interesting pertained to the Internet. The Internet had been created in1969. On October 29, 1969, it was first tested. The testers were trying to communicate with a computer 400 milesaway by keying in the words "log in." The people at the other computer were able to receive the first two lettersbefore their computer crashed. Computer technology had made significant advances since that day. Thankgoodness the inventers kept trying!

Fletcher typed in the words "new dinosaur discoveries" to do a word search. A long list of websites popped up.Many of them were well-known to him. And, they were NOT new. With a sigh he tried searching for "dinosaur,"but that gave him lots of dino merchandise mixed in with articles. He decided to narrow his search by focusing onjust one type of dinosaur.

Opening his dinosaur dictionary, he blindly pointed at a page. When he looked, he saw the word "allosaur"directly above his finger. So he moved his fingers to the keyboard and typed the word into the search engine. Thenhe waited for the results.

He went down the list and clicked on a few links, scanning various websites. One caught his eye in particular. Thelargest allosaur to be found so far, including its giant skull, was found in May 2002 in Colorado. Fletcher read thearticle eagerly. It was only the fourth allosaur skull to be found in the world! The article said that unfossilizedorganic material was mixed with the skeleton. If so, then the allosaur would be thousands, not millions, of yearsold!

Fletcher's mind whirled with the possibilities. At that moment he wished he were a paleontologist so that he couldmake exciting finds like that. He wondered if they whooped and hollered when they found rare bones. He wascertain that he would shout the loudest.

He checked the clock. It was time to turn off the computer and go to bed. As Fletcher backed up his wheelchairand maneuvered his way down the hall, his mind was on all the hidden fossils that were still waiting to be


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discovered. Though he couldn't dig for them himself, the Internet allowed him to be a part of the excitement, andfor that he was truly thankful.

Surfing for Allosaurs

Questions

1. Approximately how many years ago was the Internet created?

A. twenty yearsB. thirty yearsC. forty yearsD. ten years

2. Which of these best describes Fletcher Lindahl?

A. nervousB. eagerC. researcherD. disabled

3. What is the main idea of paragraph 4?

4. What type of material was found with the allosaur bones?

5. What simile was used to describe Fletcher?

6. Using only the context clues in paragraph 3, what does the word satiate mean?

A. to overindulgeB. to educateC. to satisfy one's selfD. to insinuate


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7. Which of these is a fact in this story?

A. October 29, 1969 is a very interesting date.B. The Internet tester's computer crashed when they tried to log on.C. The allosaur was discovered in ConnecticutD. Fletcher tried three searches before finding the story of the allosaur.

8. What did Fletcher want from his research? Choose the best answer.

A. factsB. informationC. excitementD. details

Why do you think Fletcher got some old website links when his search was for "new dinosaur discoveries"?What are your ideas for keeping information on the Internet current?

NameFriday, October 30

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Where's Robbie?, Chapter 1By Kathleen Redman

On Monday, September 7, 1999, nothing special happened at Kenty Middle School. At least, nothing specialhappened until fifth period.

"Marisa?"

"Here."

"Lane?"

"Here, Mr. Cole."

Mr. Cole was the only teacher at Kenty Middle School that still called roll every day. The other teachers justlooked over their classes and wrote down the names of absent students.

"Danny?"

"Present and accounted for!"

"Danny, here or present will be enough. Charla?"

"Here, sir."

"Robbie? Robbie? Where is Robbie?"

Everyone looked up at Mr. Cole. Where was Robbie?

"I think he was here first period, Mr. Cole."

"No, he wasn't," Marisa said. "He hasn't been here all day. I don't know where he is. Maybe he is sick."

"I'll ask the front office," Mr. Cole said. "Now, let's get on with the lesson. Turn to page 381 in your books."

The class groaned and pages rustled as books were opened.

The rest of the day passed and finally school was over. Mr. Cole walked to the school's main office.

"Does anyone know where Robbie Evans is today?" he asked.

"No," said Miss Lane. "I called his house this morning, but no one was at home. I haven't had time to call hismother or father at work."

"I'll try," Mr. Cole said. He picked up a phone and called Kenty High School where Mr. Evans was the assistantprincipal. When Mr. Evans came to the phone, Mr. Cole asked him if Robbie was sick.

"What do you mean?" Mr. Evans asked. "Robbie isn't sick. He was fine when he left for school this morning."

"He wasn't at school today, Mr. Evans."

"He had to be at school. Perhaps you just didn't see him. Maybe he had to stay in another class."

"No, sir. I checked with the office. He wasn't here all day."


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"I'm sure there's a good explanation," Mr. Evans said. "He doesn't skip school. I will call his mother. She will knowwhere he is."

"You are probably right, Mr. Evans. Just send a note with him tomorrow."

Mr. Evans hung up the phone. He immediately picked it back up and called his wife. She would know whereRobbie had been all day. He listened to the phone start to ring.

Mr. Evans was wrong. Mrs. Evans didn't know where Robbie was, either.

Where's Robbie?, Chapter 1

Questions

1. How old is Robbie likely to be?

A. over eighteen years oldB. between six and eight years oldC. between sixteen and eighteen years oldD. between twelve and fourteen years old

2. Where does Robbie's father work?

A. Davidson MotorsB. Kenty Middle SchoolC. Kenty High SchoolD. PrimeRadio

3. What is his job?

A. principalB. disc jockeyC. salespersonD. assistant principal

4. Who is Mr. Cole?

A. one of Robbie's teachersB. the principal of Kenty Middle SchoolC. the basketball coachD. the school guidance counselor

5. Where did Mr. Evans think Robbie was that day?

A. at schoolB. at home, sickC. in the hospitalD. on a field trip

6. Who did Mr. Evans call?

A. the guidance counselorB. the principalC. his lawyerD. his wife


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Chinese Inventions - Paper & Movable Type PrintingBy Vickie

Invention is an interesting thing. Sometimes, an invention was developed to fulfill aspecific need. Other times, it was simply a chance discovery. Looking back in history,there are two Chinese inventions that fell into the first category. They are paper andmovable type printing.

Long before paper was invented, the ancient Chinese carved characters to record theirthoughts on tortoise shells, animal bones, and stones. Since those "writing boards" wereheavy and not easy to carry around, they switched to writing on bamboo, wooden strips,and silk. The new alternatives were clearly better, but they were either still heavy or verycostly. Then, during the Western Han dynasty (202 B.C. - 8 A.D.), paper made its debut.Its inventor is unknown.

When paper first came out, it was not easy to produce in large quantities. And its qualitywas poor. Several decades later, a palace official named Tsai Lun (also spelled as CaiLun) had a breakthrough in the papermaking process. He experimented with differentmaterials and eventually settled on using tree bark, rags, and bits of rope to produce paper. He presented his firstbatch of paper to the emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in 105 A.D. Tsai Lun's technique of making paperbecame an instant hit! It was quickly introduced to Korea and other countries nearby. In 751 A.D., Arabs learnedthe technique from the Chinese soldiers they captured in a war. They passed it on to Europe and, eventually, otherparts of the world.

With the invention of paper, the ancient Chinese began to have books. But to have a book, they needed tomanually copy the text onto sheets of paper word by word. The entire process was time-consuming and prone toerrors. To solve the problems, they first wrote the text on a piece of paper and glued it facedown onto a woodenboard. Then they carved out the characters or even pictures, and made the board a printing plate. Each plate was apage of a book. Once they were done with all the pages, they brushed ink evenly on a printing plate and carefullylaid a piece of paper on top of it. They lifted up the paper and let it dry. They repeated this step until they finishedprinting the entire book. This printing method was called block printing. It first appeared in China during the Suidynasty (581 A.D. - 618 A.D.) Its inventor is unknown.

Without a doubt, the block printing technique helped the publishing industry thrive. But it had its drawbacks. First,it took time to carve out the entire text of a book. Second, it was impossible to correct a mistake without throwingaway the whole plate and starting it all over again. Third, it was difficult to store printing plates, given that theirwooden material was termites' favorite food. Seeing all these problems about block printing, a smart man named BiSheng (also spelled as Pi Sheng) of the Northern Song dynasty (960 A.D. - 1127 A.D.) came up with an idea in the1040's. Instead of carving the entire book onto wooden plates, he carved one Chinese character at a time onto asmall block of clay. After he made enough blocks bearing different Chinese characters, he burned them and turnedthem into durable ceramics. He assembled the characters on an iron plate with a kind of detachable glue. After hefinished printing that page, he broke up the characters and re-assembled them to form the content of another page.The new approach was called movable type printing.

The printing techniques, both block printing and movable type printing, were first introduced to Korea, Japan, andother countries around China. Later on, they were brought to Central Asia, Persia, and Egypt. In 1455, a Germannamed Johannes Gutenberg published the first book in Europe using movable type printing. The book he publishedwas a Latin Bible. Because the Bible he made had forty-two lines in two columns on each page, it was also calledthe "Forty-Two-Line Bible."

Though Johannes Gutenberg might not have learned about the Chinese invention when he came up with movabletype printing, it was evident that his creation was more than 400 years behind Bi Sheng's. So, to be fair, the trueinventor of the movable type printing technique is really Bi Sheng, not Johannes Gutenberg.

Paper and the movable type printing technique are two crucial Chinese inventions. They represented two


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significant milestones in the development of civilization. Together, they rocked the world -- literally!

Chinese Inventions - Paper & Movable Type Printing

Questions

1. Who invented paper?

A. Bi ShengB. Johannes GutenbergC. Nobody knows.D. Tsai Lun

2. Tsai Lun did not invent paper. He simply improved the way of making paper.

A. FalseB. True

3. When was paper invented?

A. During the Sui dynastyB. During the Western Zhou dynastyC. During the Western Han dynastyD. During the Eastern Han dynasty

4. Which of the following was NOT a material the ancient Chinese used to write on before paper wasinvented?

A. StoneB. SilkC. Tortoise shellD. Candle stick

5. Who invented movable type printing?

A. Tsai LunB. Nobody knowsC. Johannes GutenbergD. Bi Sheng

6. The block printing technique used a more durable material than the movable type printing technique.

A. FalseB. True

7. What year did Johannes Gutenberg publish the first book in Europe using movable type printing?

A. 1546B. 1455C. 1544D. 1454

8. When was the movable type printing technique invented?

A. During the Southern Song dynastyB. During the Tang dynastyC. During the Western Han dynastyD. During the Northern Song dynasty


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9. Who introduced the technique of making paper to Europe?

A. ArabsB. MongolsC. JapaneseD. Indians

10. What was Johannes Gutenberg's first publication also called?

A. The Forty-Four-Line BibleB. The Forty-Two-Line BibleC. The Forty-Five-Line BibleD. The Forty-Three-Line Bible

In your opinion, what is the most important invention ever made? Describe what the invention is, and explainwhy you chose it.

NameMonday, November 2

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Taming the Wilderness - The Life of Daniel BooneBy Toni Lee Robinson

In the early 1700s, America was small. It was a group of tiny colonies--little morethan a narrow strip of people clustered along the Atlantic coast. Settlers still had tocarve farms and homes out of the forests. In 1734, a boy named Daniel Boone wasborn in this new land.

Daniel was the sixth of twelve children. He spent his early years on a Pennsylvaniafarm. Like many farm kids at the time, he never really went to school. Instead, helearned life skills like blacksmithing and farming. Later, he learned to read and write.

As he grew, the boy spent much of his time roaming the forests near the farm. Hemade friends with people of the native tribes in the area. He also studied the habits ofwild animals. He was known as a first-rate hunter. The traits that made Daniel at homein the wild also set the path for his future. He never liked big groups of people. He wasnever one to stay in one place too long. He hardly ever did things the easy way.

The Boone family moved south, to a fertile valley in North Carolina. Daniel grew intoa young man. His love of wild places grew with him. From time to time he went on"long hunts," vanishing into the woods for months at a time.

At that time, the Appalachian Mountains marked the outer edge of the known world. Anyone who traveled overthem had to hack out his own trail. Beyond the mountains lay the untamed area of Kentucky. Daniel had heardstories about it. The stories said that its forests were alive with wildlife. As he worked on the farm, the young mandreamed of slipping like a deer through the deep forests of Kentucky.

Before he could escape, however, another creature caught his eye. Daniel met Rebecca, a neighbor girl. Later,Daniel would claim that, at first sight, he'd mistaken Rebecca for one of the graceful deer he hunted. He'd neverseen a deer with blue eyes before, though. Entranced, he'd followed her home. As Daniel told it, he just keptfollowing her around, staring. Lucky for him, he said, the girl finally agreed to marry him. The two were wed in1756.

For a while, Daniel settled for farming. His long hunts still took him into the forest for months at a time. Rebeccausually stayed home, looking after things. One after another, children came along. In all, the couple had six boysand four girls. Daniel loved his family. But the voice of the wilderness still whispered to him. In his hunts, hebegan to venture into the eastern edge of Kentucky.

Over the next few years, Daniel made several treks into the territory. Twice he was captured by the Shawnee.Daniel seemed undaunted by the trouble. He brought his family and others to settle in Kentucky. During oneShawnee attack, James, Daniel's oldest son, was killed. Heartbroken, Daniel and his family returned to the farm.

In 1775, Daniel ventured out again. He led a party to cut a road through the wilds of Kentucky. The trail wascalled the Wilderness Road. At the end of the trail, the town of Boonesborough was established. Daniel settled hisfamily in the new town. Thousands of people came through, pushing west over Daniel's road.

For several years, Kentuckians struggled with two enemies-British soldiers and native fighters. The Boones foughtand worked alongside their neighbors. Daniel served in the legislature. The Boones' second son, Israel, was killedin the Battle of Blue Licks, one of the last battles of the Revolutionary War.

Finally, the hostilities were over. After that, Daniel's worst battles were with lawyers and debt collectors. He neverquite mastered paperwork. His land in Kentucky was lost through legal problems. The Boone family moved on.After rambling for a while, they ended up in Missouri.

When he was 76, Daniel joined a party of old friends canoeing upriver. For six months, Daniel did what he loved


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most, hunting and roaming. The party came back in the spring, their canoes heavy with beaver pelts. Danielhappily told his family he had seen the mouth of the Yellowstone River (in present-day North Dakota).

In 1813, Daniel's beloved Rebecca died. After that, the old frontiersman spent long hours by her graveside. He justliked to be near her, he said. In September of 1820, he died, too. He was laid by Rebecca's side in a quiet spot inthe woods near their home.

Even today, Daniel Boone's legend lives on. Behind the stories lies a very real man. Daniel failed at some things inhis life. What he succeeded at, however, was most important. He was one of those who blazed the trails toAmerica's future. It turned out that he was just the kind of person to help America grow.

Taming the Wilderness - The Life of Daniel Boone

Questions

1. Describe America at the time Daniel Boone was born.

2. As a youngster, in which place would Daniel have been most comfortable?

A. The woods-he loved to be by himself in the wild placesB. A classroom-he loved schoolC. The forge-he found blacksmithing to be satisfying workD. A field-he loved working with his father on the farm

3. How did Daniel's character lead to his path in life?

4. In Daniel's teenage years, ______ marked the edge of known territory in America.

A. The Great DivideB. The Missouri RiverC. The southern border of North CarolinaD. The Appalachian Mountains

5. Do you think Daniel really mistook Rebecca for a deer? Why would he say so?


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6. What important part of American history was taking place around the same time Daniel Boone forged theWilderness Road through the wilds of Kentucky?

A. The colonies declared independence from Britain and the Revolutionary War began.B. George Washington became the country's first president.C. Kentucky became a state.D. The Lewis and Clark Expedition was launched.

7. Daniel Boone's name is strongly linked to the settling of Kentucky. How did he come to be buried inMissouri?

A. Legal problems had caused him to lose his property in Kentucky.B. His body was moved to Missouri after he died.C. He was just visiting there when he died.D. He was confused when he made prearrangements for his funeral.

8. Daniel Boone's deeds made him a legend, but he was also a real person with strengths and weaknesses.What weaknesses do you see in him? Strengths? Would you have liked to be a part of his family? Why orwhy not?

Name DateMonday, November 2

Save the AnimalsWritten by Patti Hutchison

"What interesting things did you do in school today?" Jeremy's mom asked him.

"We started a really cool project about endangered animals," Jeremy replied.

"That does sound interesting," Mom said. "Can you tell me more about it?"

"We learned that over 1500 species are endangered today. The rate of extinction has gone upquickly, especially since 1900," Jeremy told his mom.

"Why is that?" Mom asked.

"Some animals and plants have become extinct because of indirect destruction. The more humansthere are, the more we damage the planet. We take over their habitats and pollute theenvironment. The plants and animals die out because of us," Jeremy explained.

"What else has caused extinction?" Mom asked.

"There has also been direct destruction, especially of animals. Humans hunt them and capturethem for trophies, meat, and clothing. The invention of guns has really been dangerous for manyof the world's animals," Jeremy said.

"Can you give me some examples?" Mom asked.

"Sure. There are lots of examples. The blue whale is one of the largest mammals on the planet.They have been killed by whalers. They are protected now, but it's going to take a hundred yearsof protection to make sure they won't become extinct. Loggerhead turtles used to be hunted fortheir shells and their meat. They are protected now, but humans still disturb the beaches wherethey lay their eggs. They also get tangled up in fishnets and die," Jeremy told his mom.

"It sounds like you are very interested in this project," Mom said.

"Our teacher says that if these endangered species are going to be protected, it is up to us kids,"Jeremy explained.

"So, what do you have to do for this project?" Mom asked.

"We have to choose one species from the endangered list. Then we have to plan a way to helpkeep it from becoming extinct," Jeremy replied.

"Which animal will you choose?" Mom asked.

"I think I'm going to choose the..."

Name DateMonday, November 2 Save the Animals

Answer the following questions before you finish the story.1. Which animal will Jeremy choose for his project?

2. Describe this animal.

3. What is this animal's habitat?

4. Why is this animal endangered?

5. What will Jeremy do to help this animal?


Using the ideas you wrote for the thinking questions, write an ending to the story. Include dialog inyour ending. Be sure to write in complete sentences and use correct punctuation. Be creative and usethese two blank pages.

NameTuesday, November 3

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Raptor RehabBy Mary Lynn Bushong

Caption: a red-tailed hawk

Angela held onto the large bird firmly. His large, golden eyes watched her withgrowing annoyance. She kept an eye on his large, hooked beak.

"Just hold still a moment longer, and we'll be done," she assured the hawk.

"There," said Cathy, the vet tech at the wildlife rehab center. "We'll get hisblood sent off and tested for diseases like West Nile. He needs a full checkup tosee what is wrong with him."

"Maybe he just wanted company," joked Angela.

Cathy didn't say anything. Instead, she just gave Angela a look that said, "Let'snot be silly."

"You did do a good job at holding Emil still. He thrashed a lot when we tried todo a blood draw earlier," said Cathy.

"How did he come to be here?" asked Angela as they put the red tail back in his enclosure.

"We got a call from someone who found him on the ground. He did not seem able to fly, and they were afraid adog or other creature might get him," said Cathy.

"He didn't have any injuries?" asked Angela.

"None that we have been able to find," said Cathy. "Of course, there are still tests to run, but he has no brokenbones or other obvious injuries like wounds from a gun. We'll get ophthalmologists in to check his eyes. It could behe has a problem there. He is really underweight."

Andrew poked his head in the infirmary door as Cathy began packing up the vial of hawk blood to send to the lab.

"Can I borrow Angela for a little while? It's feeding time, and the other volunteers turn a little green over feedinglive prey," he said.

"Sure, she can help with that if she wants," said Cathy sympathetically.

Angela nodded. When she had first begun helping at the rehab center, it had seemed cruel to her to feed live mice,rabbits, and other prey to the hawks, eagles, owls, and falcons. Then she realized it was their natural way to eat. Ifthere was any hope for them to return to the wild, they needed to keep eating that way. Besides, it was the best wayto keep all the birds in good health. Angela concentrated on the speed and grace of those who could fly.

Later on they would collect the pellets of regurgitated bones, feather, and/or hair that were not digested by theowls. One of the other new volunteers thought it was poop. "Silly girl," thought Angela. By dissecting those drypellets, you could see what the owl ate. It was pretty fascinating. Perhaps she should study to be a raptor biologist.Then she could work with birds like this all the time.

Angela checked her watch. If she hurried, she could help give Waldo the eagle a foot soak in oil. She thought ofher friends who preferred to do more "normal" activities. Then she smiled. Working at the raptor rehab centerwasn't a job; it was an adventure!


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Raptor Rehab

Questions

1. What kind of hawk was Emil?

2. They were drawing blood to see if Emil had a broken bone.

A. FalseB. True

3. Why was Emil brought to the rehab center?

A. He was sitting in the road.B. He would not fly.C. He was killing chickens.D. He was chasing dogs.

4. An ophthalmologist would check Emil's:

A. FeetB. EarsC. EyesD. Stomach

5. Why was feeding time hard for some volunteers?

6. Birds of prey would normally eat large mammals.

A. TrueB. False

7. Which of these is not a bird of prey?

A. HawkB. StorkC. OwlD. Eagle

8. Owl pellets are regurgitated food the owl could not digest.

A. TrueB. False


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ResourcefulnessBy Brenda B. Covert

Pepper asked the server for a box to put the rest of her meal in. "Thereis enough left for my lunch tomorrow," she observed.

T.C. admired his friend's new skateboard. A new board would be great,but he could make do with the one he had. All he needed to do was totighten the trucks as well as tighten and oil the wheels. Then they couldhave a race!

Kessa carefully stacked the old newspapers and placed them in arecycling box. Then she put her rinsed-out plastic bottles in therecycling box for plastics.

Jamal stopped his little brother from throwing the burger wrapper on the ground. "It's not that far to the trash can,"he said. Then he took the balled-up wrapper and tossed it into the can.

Breezy took her favorite jeans to her mother. "Can you fix these? The zipper broke," she said. Her mother smiled.Fixing broken zippers was easy. She appreciated Breezy for asking for a repair instead of asking for a new pair ofjeans.

Lucas felt sorry for the kids who didn't have warm coats for winter. He decided to donate one of his sturdy jacketsto the needy. After all, he really only needed one.

Each of the six students above demonstrated resourcefulness. Resourcefulness is a willingness to use up, wear out,make do, or recycle. Resourceful people find practical uses for things that others might overlook or throw away.Another word for resourcefulness is ingenuity. The opposite of resourcefulness is wastefulness.

Resourcefulness is not only a practical character trait to possess; it can be creative as well. Recycling sparkscreativity. Turning leftover food into another meal shows creativity. Thinking of new ways to use the resources onehas demonstrates a creative mind.

There are six steps to developing resourcefulness. They are as follows:

1. Don't waste food. Don't take more than you can eat. Save leftovers for another meal. 2. Reuse what you can. Something that is in good condition doesn't need to be replaced. 3. Recycle whenever possible. 4. Don't litter. Put trash in the proper receptacle, or better yet -- recycle! 5. Repair what is damaged or broken and continue to use it. 6. Give away or sell what you don't use or don't need.

Teachers are often resourceful people. They find ways to make paper and chalk last longer. They find creativeuses for items they have on hand. Your teacher may be able to give you other tips on resourcefulness.

Resourcefulness can save money. It can also keep landfills from filling up as fast; after all, less waste is lessgarbage. Imagine what the world would be like if more people were resourceful!


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Resourcefulness

Questions

1. What is a synonym for resourcefulness?

2. What is an antonym for resourcefulness?

3. Who is not being resourceful?

A. Chip fixed his bike so that it was as good as new.B. Trip dropped his milk carton in the bin for recyclables.C. Pip enjoyed leftover stew for supper.D. Skip got a new cell phone that had more features than his boring, old one.

4. Resourcefulness will not:

A. cause pain and sufferingB. save moneyC. decrease the garbage in landfillsD. demonstrate creativity

5. Amy received a lot of art supplies for Christmas. What might she do to demonstrate resourcefulness?

A. share them with her friendsB. make lots of artwork to hang on the wallsC. throw away the cheaper supplies and only use the expensive onesD. all of the above

6. Todd was invited to a costume party. What type of costume will show the most resourcefulness?

A. the expensive one that no one else could afford to buyB. the one left over at the store because it had a small tear in itC. the one Todd made out of items from around the houseD. the one he bought with a $10 off coupon

7. Chelsea's necklace broke. What should she do?

A. throw it awayB. cry and beg for another oneC. turn it into an anklet or a braceletD. give it to a friend


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8. In what way is your teacher resourceful?

In the animal kingdom, there are a number of animals that display resourcefulness. Choose an animal andexplain how that animal demonstrates resourcefulness.


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Scheduling Study TimeBy Patti Hutchison

Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you growl at anyonewho talks to you before 11 A.M.? Do you droop about 3 P.M. but thenget a second wind? These factors are all important as you considerwhen to study. Along with the million other things you have to do eachday, you need to schedule some study time in addition to homeworktime.

When deciding on a study schedule, take a look at your whole day.Some of it is already scheduled for you. For example, you know youhave to be in school between the hours of 8 A.M. and 3 P.M. It takesyou an hour and a half to get ready and get to school. You don't gethome until 3:30. So, from 6:30 A.M. until 3:30 P.M., your day ispretty busy.

What else do you do during the day? You probably eat lunch anddinner at certain times. Is there a special TV show you like to watch?You need to schedule study time around these activities.

Next, consider when you are most alert. Can you get up extra early and study before school? If not, you'llhave to study after school. But are you burned out when you first get home? Do you need just a little break fromschool work? Maybe you're so tired, you need a nap. You need to take these things into account whenscheduling your study time.

How much sleep do you need every day? Most people need between seven and nine hours each night. Sleeptime is part of your daily schedule. It is not a good idea to study right before bedtime. You will probably not bevery alert. If you are struggling with your studies, worry might keep you from falling asleep.

So, how do you decide when to study? Start with a daily chart. Put the time you get up at the top. Then markit off in one-hour blocks until the time you go to bed. Next, fill in any hours that are already scheduled for you,such as school, dinner, your favorite show, etc. However, if you have a study hall during school time, keep thatblock open. (Yes, you can study in school!) Now you can see exactly when you have time available for studying.No, this doesn't mean you have to spend all of this time studying!

Think about how much time it takes you to do your homework each night. Do you like to complete it all atonce, or do you like to break up homework time with other activities? Block your homework time off in yourchart. Now, decide how much time you should devote to studying each night.

Study time should be scheduled in addition to homework time. Homework is for practice. Actual studyinginvolves understanding concepts and memorizing important information. Take time to study each night. Useactivities that relate to your learning style to "digest" the information you learn each day. This way, you willreduce the time you need to cram before the test. If you study nightly in small chunks, you will remember muchmore. This will also give you a chance to formulate questions about anything you don't understand. You will beable to ask them the next day in class, instead of putting it off until it's too late.

Once you've decided how much time you need, think about whether you want to do it all at once or in littlechunks. Maybe you can take one subject at a time with short breaks in between. Either way, block the time intoyour chart.

Next, expand your daily schedule to cover the entire week. Be sure to block off any appointments, dancelessons, music lessons, or sports practices. Don't forget to include weekends. Fill in your study time for each day.Try to study the same amount every day, taking a little more time the night before a big test.


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Try out this new schedule for one week. Make any adjustments you need. Once you decide on a study schedule,stick to it. If things come up that interrupt your schedule, try to steal time from other activities. Try to study thesame amount each night.

There's a joke that goes like this: "My teacher is hard to figure out. When I don't study she gives me a hard test.When I study real hard, she gives me an easy test!" When you set aside study time each night, you'll be surprised athow much easier your tests will get!

Scheduling Study Time

Questions

1. Name three things that are already scheduled for you during your day.

2. A good rule for everyone is to always study as soon as you get home from school.

A. falseB. true

3. How much sleep do most people need each night?

4. Studying just before bed time is a good idea.

A. trueB. false

5. You should schedule study time:

A. instead of homework timeB. in addition to homework timeC. during homework time

6. You should try your study schedule for one week and:

A. make adjustmentsB. stick to it rigidlyC. add more study time each night

american music - 1800's

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