The Amazing Scribblers: October 2009

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Discussion Question # 2

Writing a lead to your story is a great way to hook your reader and keep them wanting more. There are many different kinds of leads, but for now we are going to focus on the SNAPSHOT lead. A snapshot lead paints a picture in the readers head by using colorful and exciting descriptions.

example of a good snapshot lead: "Icy cold waves of blue shattered against the hull as our boat tumbled forward, threatening to pull us beneath the angry sea and into the darkness below."

Your assignment is to find an example of a snapshot from the book you are reading, and post it online. Snapshots can be found anywhere, not just the beginning of a chapter, so find a snapshot that hooks you and would make you want to read the book and post it online as your comment. We will share them in class tomorrow!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Brazos River Report - Mr. Dickson's class

Panhandle News - Mrs. Blandford's class

Wildlife News - Mr. Dickson's class

CPRR news - Mr. Dickson's class

Surfs up news - Mrs. Blandford's class

MAB News - Mrs. Blandford's class

Texas Talk News Dickson's class

CPN News Blandfords class

Thursday, October 15, 2009

DISCUSSION QUESTION # 1

This is our first discussion question that you will comment on. Remember to keep your answers thoughtful and appropriate, because everyone in the class will be able to read your comments and respond to them.

todays discussion question:

How do you feel blogging can help us to learn and grow as readers and writers?

The Amazing Scribblers challenge club

This is an exciting club for students who are interested in going "above and beyond" the normal classroom expectations. It is a way to challenge the students and keep their brains active! I hope to inspire everyone to learn new things all the time--learning never ends! To become a member, choose a topic from from below. Click on the link and study until you know you've got the information in your head. Keep track of all your completed tasks on the progress chart. Everytime you complete a task you will earn a gold star on the progress chart.You can be a 1 star member, all the way up to a 100 star member. Once you have earned 75 stars you will be entered into the Amazing Scribblers challenge club Hall of Fame! This Hall of Fame will be displayed in my classroom until I retire! Good Luck and have fun!!!

SOCIAL STUDIES

1. Name the 7 continents.

http://www.cedarville.edu/academics/education/resource/geo/intermain/pbwebsmk.htm

2. Name 20 countries of the world.

http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/

3. Name 25 major world cities. http://www.worldatlas.com/citypops.htm

4.Name 15 types of dwellings.

http://www.104english.com/Back_Issues/Issue003_Mar5.htm

5. Name all the countries in South America

South America Country Map Central America Map

6. Name 10 countries bordering the Pacific Ocean.

Country Maps

7. Name all the countries in Europe.

European countries quiz game Click on the correct European country game

8. Name all the countries in Africa.

Click on the correct African country game

9. Name 10 major bodies of water.

Oceans and Seas

10. Name 10 major world rivers.

Fact Monster - Principal Rivers of the World River Systems of the World

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11. Name 10 large deserts of the world.

FactMonster deserts of the world Desert maps

12. Name 10 large lakes in the North America.

U.S. Lakes.com Lakes of the world

13. Name 10 major mountains or mountain ranges.

World Mountain Maps - click a mountain Highest Peaks

14. Name the 50 states.

50 States Quiz

15. Write the names of the 50 states on a map.

Explore the States

16. Name the state capitals.

State Capitals - Homework Spot States & Capitals Game

17. Name the 13 Colonies.

13 Colonies Homepage List of the 13 Colonies 13 Colonies Quiz & Map

18. Name 10 Native American tribes.

Native American Nations

19. name 10 Texas Landmarks and locate them on a map.

http://www.senate.state.tx.us/kids/KIDS.htm

20. Label 10 Texas cities on a map.

Http://www.senate.state.tx.us/kids/KIDS.htm

21. Label the border rivers of Texas on a map.

http://www.senate.state.tx.us/kids/KIDS.htm

22. Name the six flags that have flown over Texas

http://www.senate.state.tx.us/kids/KIDS.htm

23. Sing or perform all the words to Texas, Our Texas

http://www.senate.state.tx.us/kids/KIDS.htm

24. Name 8 explorers.

Zoom Explorers

25. Name 8 Civil War battlefields.

Civil War Battlefields & information Civil War battlefields A to Z

26. Name the 1st - 10th presidents in order.

http://www.kidskonnect.com/

27. Name the 11th - 20th presidents in order.

http://www.kidskonnect.com/

28. Name the 21st - 30th presidents in order.

http://www.kidskonnect.com/

29. Name the 31st - current presidents.

http://www.kidskonnect.com/

SCIENCE

Here's a Web Site to Assist You in Your Research.......

30. Name 15 kinds of fish.

Northeast Fisheries Science Center KidsKonnect.com - Fish

31. Name 15 marine creatures.

KidsKonnect.com - Aquariums

32. Name 15 mammals.

All About Mammals

33. Name 15 vertebrate animals.

List of vertebrate animals Vertebrate animals & photos

34. Name 15 desert animals or wildlife.

Loads of desert animal information

35. Name 10 amphibians.

36. Name 10 reptiles.

Reptile Database

37. Name 10 dinosaurs.

Dinosaur Pictures KidsKonnect.com - Dinosaurs

38. Name 10 types of birds.

State Birds of the U.S.A.KidsKonnect.com - Birds

39. Name 10 rain forest birds or mammals.

Rainforest Wildlife Zoobooks - Rainforest Mammals Crossword Puzzle KidsKonnect.com - Rainforest

40. Name 10 deciduous trees.

41. Name 10 rocks or minerals.

Mineral Gallery - see photos Rock Hounds - How Rocks are Formed KidsKonnect.com - Rocks & Minerals

42. Name 15 chemicals and their chemical symbols.

www.chemicool.com/elements

43. Name 10 constellations.

Choose a constellation then "constellation lines"More constellation pictures Another constellation site

44. Name 10 organs in the human body.

Tour of Human Body - Think Quest

45. Name 8 types of clouds.

More about clouds

46. Name 10 inventors and their inventions.

National Inventors Hall of Fame Timeline

47. Name 5 human body systems

Virtual Body

48. Name the stages of the water cycle.

Brain Pop - Watercycle

49. Name the order of the colors in the rainbow.

About Rainbows

50. Label the major bones of the skeleton.

Human Skeleton - Enchanted Learning Mr. Bones Assembly Activity

51. Name the order of the planets in the solar system.

Introduction to the Nine Planets

LANGUAGE ARTS

Here's a Web Site to Assist You in Your Research.......

52. Name 20 verbs.

What is a Verb?Play the "Nouns or Verbs? game

53. Name 20 adjectives.

What is an adjective?More adjective info.

54. Name 10 adverbs.

Adverbs More about Adverbs

55. Name and define 5 different genres of literature.

Genres

56. Name 10 common nouns & 10 proper nouns.

Nouns Noun activities to quiz yourself with

57. Name 10 famous authors.

Children's Authors KidsKonnect.com - Authors

58. Give 2 examples each of alliteration, personification, simile, metaphor, and onomatopoeia.

Simile, metaphor, personification Onomatopoeia

59. Count to 20 in Spanish.

Count to 20 & listen

60. Count to 20 in French.

Click "Écoutons" to listen to the numbers & then click "Répétons" and finally, "Praticons" to play a game - neat site!

61. Use sign language and "sign" the alphabet.

Animated sign language on the Net Sign the word you'd like here

62. Write 20 sentences using the current spelling list.

MATH

Here's a Web Site to Assist You in Your Research.......

63. Draw the lines of symmetry for the capital alphabet.

Symmetry of Capital Letters

64. Compute area of squares, rectangles, circles, and triangles.

Math.com - Area Formulas

65. Name the perfect square numbers up to 225.

Learn Your Square Numbers

66. Write in Roman numerals up to 100.

Roman numerals Know your Roman numerals Take a Roman Numerals Interactive Quiz

67. Name 5 famous mathematicians.

Four famous mathematicians A long list of mathematicians

68. Earn 100% on the area & perimeter of rectangles quiz.

Area of rectangles Play "Shape Surveyor" to practice both Area & perimeter - under "Free Activities", click "Area" to watch a cool slide show

69. Earn 100% on the square roots test.

Learn about square roots Square roots flashcard game

70. Earn 100% in 4 minutes on the addition basic facts test.

Arithmattack

71. Earn 100% in 4 minutes on the subtraction basic facts test.

Arithmattack

72. Earn 100% in 4 minutes on the multiplication basic facts test.

Arithmattack

73. Earn 100% in 4 minutes on the division basic facts test.

Arithmattack

MISCELLANEOUS

Here's a Web Site to Assist You in Your Research.......

74. Name one career for each letter of the alphabet.

A HUGE list of careers Jobs Kids Like

75. Name the birthstones for each month.

Birthstones

76. Name 20 different modes of transportation.

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0909591.html

77. Name 15 breeds of horses.

Horse Breeds of the World

78. Name 15 breeds of dogs.

Dog breeds from A.K.C.

79. Name 10 winter and 10 summer Olympic events.

KidsKonnect.com - Olympics

80. Name 10 large U.S. corporations.

Career Lab – Corporate Clients
81. Name 10 instruments in a marching band.
Instrument Encyclopedia
82. Name 10 instruments in a symphony orchestra.
Sounds from the Orchestra - neat site!
83. Name all the NFL football teams and their cities.
National Football League.com
84. Name all the NBA basketball teams and their cities.
National Basketball Association.com
85. Name all MLB baseball teams and their cities.
Major League Baseball.com
86. Name all NHL hockey teams and their cities.
http://www.nhl.com/
87. Name all the soccer teams and their cities in the English Premier League
http://www.premierleague.com/page/Home/0,,12306,00.html
88. Name 10 operas and their composers.
http://www.dallasopera.org/learn/famous_composers.html?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=550&width=720
89. Name 15 Elvis Presley songs.
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/elvis-presley-songs.htm
90. Name 10 painters and one of each of their works.

Their are ten grand master challenge questions. You receive a diamond star next to your name for each question you answer correctly. If you answer 5 grand master questions correctly, then you will receive 5 diamond stars.
*91. Name and locate on a map all the countries of the world.
a)http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/
b)http://www.5min.com/Video/Animaniacs-a-Fun-Lesson-on-Geography-919923
*92. Label all of the elements on the periodic table.
http://elements.wlonk.com/Elements_Pics_Simple_11x8.5.pdf
*93. Recite William Barrett Travis' famous letter, "To the people of Texas and All Americans in the World". http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/ssc/primary_resources/pdf/texas/Travis_Letter.pdf
*94. Recite William Shakespeare's Sonnet 18.
http://classicpoetryaloud.podomatic.com/entry/2007-06-09T08_45_01-07_00
*95. Recite or write down the Bill of Rights.
http://memorize.com/bill-of-rights
*96. Recite the Gettysburg Address
http://memorize.com/gettysburg-address
*97. Name all of the James Bond movies and the actor who played him in each.
http://www.klast.net/bond/filmlist.html
*98. Recite the poem, Bleezer's Ice Cream by Jack Prelutsky.
http://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/jack-prelutsky/bleezer-s-ice-cream/
*99. Succesfully prepare and bake a spinach souffle. (Mom and Dad can watch but NOT help)
http://www.housebeautiful.com/kitchens/recipes/spinach-souffle
*100. Spend one day doing a charitable activity such as: serving soup to the homeless, fundraising (thank you Kyle Chang for the suggestion), volunteering at a goodwill or MAM, help sort clothes during a clothing drive, etc...The goal for this one is simply to get you thinking about the importance of helping others. Time is the one thing that anyone can give that doesn't require any money at all!!