Eye no two many words

Notice anything weird about the title of this blog post? I used some homophones incorrectly.

For homework, I had asked you to create riddles or tongue twisters using homophones from your spelling list. Please share some of your silly sentences in your reply to this blog.

Please remember to include your initials. Thank you.

If I met the President of the United States

Many people have been fortunate enough to meet and speak with the President of the United States. Next Tuesday, President-Elect Barack Obama will take the oath of office and be sworn in as the next president.

If you had an opportunity to speak to him, what would you like to discuss? Or, perhaps you would like to show him something around your community if he came to visit Roswell.

In your reply, please complete this statement: If I met the president...

Please use descriptive language and details, and don't forget your initials so you receive credit for your reply.

Thank you.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2009! Many of you traveled over the winter break, and I hope that you had a wonderful time visiting with your friends and families. For those of you who stayed home, I hope you were able to relax and have fun.

I'd like you to think about your goals for the remainder of the school year. What would you like to learn or accomplish before the summer break?

Please respond to this blog post and share your goals or resolutions for the school year. Please remember to include your initials so you can receive credit for the post. Your post is due by the end of the school day on Friday, January 9.

Thank you

Family Traditions

Friday is our last day of school before a much needed winter break. Some of you may be taking a trip to visit relatives, others may stay home but enjoy family traditions and celebrations. In your response, I'd like you to share what you'll be doing over the break.

Your responses needs to include details (where you go, who you see, and what you do), and needs to be written in complete sentences (with attention to editing).

Please remember to include your initials so we know who does what.

Too Hot to Handle

During the next two weeks we will explore heat (yes, I realize it is 20 degrees outside). For this blog, I would like you to research some heat-related appliances you use everyday at school and at home. Talk with your parents about the heating unit for your home. Does it run on electricity or gas? What is the thermostat? What do you do at home to help conserve heat?

Write your responses to these questions in your blog reply post. Feel free to share other information how learned.

Please remember to include your initials in your blog reply.

Thank you

The whole rock, and nothing but the rock

We've already learned that there are 3 types of rocks - sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. This week you will be a geologist and will have to test and identify different types of rocks. Spend some time researching different rocks and use the information you find to reply to this post. You may also want to review the information on these websites:

Rocks and Minerals

Identifying Rocks and Minerals

Your reply must include the following information to receive full credit:

1. Your initials

2. The name of your rock (example: granite, limestone, etc)

3. What type of rock is it? (sedimentary, metamorphic, igneous)

4. What minerals are in your rock?

5. Describe your rock: hardness, color, shape, texture

Bonus: If you have an example of the rock you are writing about, use the tests we learned about to identify your rock and its characteristics. All of the testing materials are available on the science table.

Replies are due by Tuesday, November 25

We Rock!

This week we will begin our science unit on Rocks and Soil, and we will start our next SEM unit on dinosaurs and fossils.

To get you started on our "rocking" adventure, I'd like you to think about different rocks you have found (and maybe even kept). How would you describe them, sort them, or classify them? Try to use words that describe the texture, density, hardness, and coloring of the rock. Try to avoid words like "big", "heavy", or "cool".

In your reply to this post, please list 15-20 words that could be used to describe, sort, or classify different kinds of rocks. We'll be using your lists to help us as we begin our rock collections so think about your choices carefully.

Please remember your initials at the end of your reply. Please post your reply by Friday, Nov. 7th so you can get full credit.

Thank you

If you were the president...

We've spent several weeks talking about our government and the responsibilities of our nation's leaders. Think about what you've learned and respond to this post:

If you were the new president, what would you do first to help the citizens or country?

Be sure to include details explaining how you would accomplish your goals, and tell why you think this goal would be important for our country.

Please include your initials at the end of your reply. Your reply is due by Friday to earn full credit.

Service Animals

In our story this week, "Rosie, the Visiting Dog", we learn about how one dog helps people. Think about what Rosie does in the story and why she does it.

List at least 5 things dogs (or another service animal) can do to help people. Be sure to explain how the animal's training helps people.

For example, training a dog to pull on a rope can help someone open a door because you can tie a piece of rope to a door for the dog to pull so it opens the door for someone who can't do it for themselves.

Don't forget your initials.

Thank you

World Famous Paleontologists

You are a member of a famous paleontology team who has just discovered a dinosaur bone! The Paleontology Society has asked you to write about your search and recovery of such an amazing fossil for their monthly newsletter. Remember, this is a well-respected publication so spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and the accuracy of your facts are important.

You need to use at least 3 singular nouns, 3 plural nouns, 3 pronouns, and 2 proper nouns. Make sure you put your initials (for each member of the group) at the end of your article.

Remember, the editors are very picky and will not publish anything that is not correct. You may want to write your article on paper first so your group can edit and revise before you post your article to the blog