Tuesday, December 15, 2015

"The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect." ~Charles N. Barnard



". . .For Christmas is tradition time--
Traditions that recall
The precious memories down the years,
The sameness of them all."
 ~ Helen Lowrie Marshall

That's it, you know.  The wonderful sameness.  

Every year, we go to our favorite tree farm and cut down the perfect tree.  (The selection process is quite complicated and involves a great deal of walking, contemplating, eenie-meenie-minee-moe-ing. . .) 

Then it's on to decorating.



In and among the sparkle and glitter of new ornaments on my tree are all the ornaments of old -- the traditional Christmas Pickle, placed discretely within the branches, that my children once raced to be the first to find; hand-made ornaments (some a little the worse for wear) from various stages in their childhood. . .  It's a memories tree, and every year we can relive them as we place each precious ornament on the branches.

And then there's the Birds' Tree.  I'm not sure exactly how THIS tradition started, but it's become a major part of our "hall-decking" (fa-la-la-la-la. . .)  It's an artificial tree covered with lifelike replicas of at least a dozen species of birds.  About 12 of most and twice as many of my favorite bird, the cardinal! 

Glittered twigs, white poinsettias, delicate snowflakes, and white lights add to the adornment.  It's really beautiful.


That being said, there WAS a problem this year. . .

Never mind all the colored lights we ended up having to replace.  The worst was wrapping the entire Birds' Tree in a gazillion white lights, inside and out, and having them all, at the most inopportune time (i.e. when the tree was fully decorated), mysteriously go out.  

The prospect of taking everything off, disassembling the tree (we wrap each layer in lights as we go) and starting over was just too much for this weary decorator. It was my good fortune to find that the very bottom string was the culprit.  I just tucked those babies inside and called it good. After all, I had a gazillion lights; a few less wouldn't matter.



Me and my stories, huh? . . .  Still, sharing stories is entertaining and validating.  We've been validating each other like crazy this month. . .

For more on the illustrious Christmas tree, go HERE  and HERE.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The best night for viewing the Geminids meteor shower was the 14th and it was raining; I missed the whole thing! Did you? 
  

HERE's some interesting information about Meteor Showers and a list of  dates for future reference! Mark them on your calendars!

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/meteor-shower/en/


CRAZINESS FOR 
THE WEEK OF 
DECEMBER 14-18

Annual Craft Extravaganza
the afternoon of Wednesday, December 16th



Winter Holiday Celebrations Around the World
the afternoon of Thursday, December 17th.
Class Holiday Party
the afternoon of Friday, December 18th.



NUMBER YOUR PAPER FROM 1 TO 24 AND SEE 
HOW MANY CHRISTMAS SONGS YOU CAN NAME!






A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Charles Dickens

1910 Silent film from www.archive.org

&
1984 Movie adaptation featuring George C. Scott

  • I can recognize movie techniques (lighting, sound, camera angle, etc.)
  • I understand the difference between tone and mood and can identify how they are communicated in film.
  • I know that authors develop tone and mode in written works through their choice of words (in describing actions and setting).
  • I know that  tone and mood are techniques through which authors communicate the "theme" or purpose.
  • I know which story elements are important for summarizing.
1910 Version


DIRECTIONS:  Watch this silent film and answer the following questions.
  1. What kind of a person is Scrooge?
  2. What is the purpose of the ghosts?
  3. Does the music match the plot?  Explain your answer. If it doesn't, explain how you would change it.
  4. The camera position does not change.  How does impact the viewer?  How would you change this to make it better (more aligned with the author's tone)?

1984 Version




Activities:  Movie quiz



Stay safe and warm
this holiday season!


LOOK BELOW THE ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE FOLLOWING VIDEOS: 
THE HISTORY OF NEW YEAR'S EVE
THE HISTORY OF NEW YEAR'S EVE IN TIMES SQUARE
THE HISTORY OF CHINESE NEW YEAR
(Directions for making Chinese lanterns can be found HERE.)

Shortened Week's Assignments


Language Arts:  The Powers of Persuasive Writing -- A Holiday Plea

Social Studies:  Pyramid, by David Macaulay. Pages 28-41 and accompanying activities packet.

Reading:  Because of Winn Dixie:  Chapters 7/8.  Answer questions associated with these chapters located in your packets.

For Later. . .


Math: Grade 6 -- Chapter 4: Ratios and Rates. 4.1 & 4.2



Ratios and Rates



The History of New Year's Eve


The History of New Year's Eve in Times Square (1904)


The History of Chinese New Year



Directions for making Chinese lanterns can be found HERE.




History.com Staff. "History of Christmas Trees." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 15 Dec. 2015. .
A Christmas Caroll lesson ideas from HERE     Intro image     How Many Carols Can You Name?    guy behind tree   animated flying bird    Christmas lights cartoon.1  guy with lights   Christmas pickle  dancing Santa & Reindeer    Christmas Song Trivia      Answers    snowman    ball decorative line     Christmas lights border   pine bough with white lights  under construction gif  argh   fyi small lit tree




Sunday, December 6, 2015

"Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars and see yourself running with them." Marcus Aurelius



Skywatchers got a treat at dawn 
on Sunday, December 5 as the moon paired up 
with Mars and its sister planets. 
The annual Geminid Meteor Shower officially arrived on Saturday, December 5th!  Though the shower is more like a dripping faucet in the beginning, it will intensify in the coming days until it peaks on December 14th.  Get ready, because at that point, "the shower will become one of the premier astronomical events of the year!"1.



Just like the Leonids were named because the meteors appear to emanate from the constellation Leo. . .


The Geminids appear tp radiate from the Gemini constellation.

Check out THIS excellent site for more information.


A WONDER TO BEHOLD!


"On December 5 and through the following week, comet Catalina 
will glide past the bright row of planets Venus, Mars, and Jupiter, 
joined by the crescent moon and the bright blue star Spica."2.
Want to find Catalina?  ". . .face southeast about an hour before local sunrise. The comet will be some 15 degrees above the horizon, about equal to the span between your pinky and index fingers held at arm’s length."2.



FYI:We're in the midst of a pretty powerful weather phenomenon known as 
El Niño 


Look HERE for 14 interesting facts about El Niño you may not know!

WATCH THESE:  
December's Sky Events
Video of Mt. Etna erupting!

And now. . .  Just for fun. . .




ASSIGNMENTS FOR
THE WEEK OF
DECEMBER 7-11
SCIENCE

Monday:   Remember these terms from last week!


Test on Friday

Go over stuff and practice, practice, practice!

Don't be this guy. . .


Tuesday: Presenting. . .

The Story of Earth and Life



Wednesday:   Here, for your learning pleasure, are the terms again. Go over them with a friend, a, parent, a sibling, your dog. . .Test on Friday. Practice, practice, practice!

Example of a baaaaad idea!



TO DO:  Complete Interactive Notebook Activity





A great introduction to Hydrothermal Vents


"Probably one of the biggest biological discoveries ever made on earth..."


TO DO:  Complete a 20-word "gist" about hydrothermal vents. 


  BHT  
on Friday!


Do not quiver, do not shake
Because this BHT you take!
If you worked hard and studied, too
The good-grade fairy will reward you!


SOCIAL STUDIES  


Journals Through History
Ancient Egypt:  Constructing Civilization



Fun to Explore


                             

Monday:  Complete Cyberhunt and turn in!
Tuesday:  PYRAMID, pages 5-13.  Complete cross-section of a tomb, labeling the Funerary Complex template, and Word Search
Wednesday:  PYRAMID, pages 14-27, Part 1. List 15 tools used by the pyramid builders. draw each one and explain its function. Which tools are still used today?
Thursday:  PYRAMID, pages 14-27, Part 2 Complete the Scrambled Tools worksheet, write a step-by-step explanation of how "True North" was located, and illustrate each step.
Friday:  Complete all activities for pages 5-27.



LANGUAGE ARTS


Monday: Completed Haiku and created the most illustrious bulletin board EVER.
Tuesday: Used this time to do Social Studies (see above).  Humongous movie this afternoon!
Wednesday: Reflections and Goals for the second marking period. Then we'll all be STARS!  (Direction-following: 4 folds and 1 cut = perfect 5-pointed star.  
Thursday: Create an art project display for bulletin board to include our GOALS' STARS!)
Friday: Finish up totally awesome goals bulletin board display.  Let's share our goals for the second trimester.


MATH 



Common Core State Standard:  6.NS.C.6b

Monday:  Ordered Pair Relationships.  Share & Show, pgs. 185-186.  Homework, pgs. 187-188.
Tuesday:  Distance on the Coordinate Plane.  Share & Show, pgs. 191-192. Homework, pgs. 189-190.
Wednesday:  Problem-Solving--The Coordinate Plane.  Share & Show, pgs. 197-198. Homework, pgs. 199-200.
Thursday:  Practice Test
Friday: Test, Chapter 3



Monday


Tuesday


Wednesday




READING  
Choose your independent book if you haven’t already.  Fill out your contract. Have your book and contract with you wherever you go!


INTRODUCING OUR NEW BOOK 
Because of Winn Dixie.

Tuesday:  Read Chapters 1 & 2 (and answer questions)
Wednesday: Use Three Elements of Characterization to describe Winn Dixie. Read Chapters 3 & 4 (and answer questions)
Thursday:  Find the list of ten things describing Opal's mother from yesterday's reading.  Match them with the "Basic Elements of Characterization" using the worksheet I provide. We'll share what we come up with.
Friday:  Go through the same process with the list of things about Winn Dixie you created yesterday. (You can include items from the Scrapbook activity below.)


Just a little extra!


For Later. . .



. . .And now, for your listening pleasure:

Celtic Christmas



and Relaxing Instrumentals





OK, ONE more cool thing. . .













1.  By Andrew Fazekas, for National Geographic PUBLISHED Mon Nov 30 15:19:00 EST 2015. "This Week's Night Sky: Geminid Meteor Shower Starts to Sprinkle." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 30 Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Dec. 2015. .
2.  By Andrew Fazekas, for National Geographic PUBLISHED Sat Dec 05 07:00:00 EST 2015. "Watch a Comet Fly By the Moon and Venus."National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 5 Dec. 2015. Web. 08 Dec. 2015. . 
paperboy    faucet dripping   Leo gif    Gemini    holiday garland border  boy studying   Egyptian border    Pyramid, by David Macaulay   el nino map for 2015-2016  holly gif   Owl reading   coordinate plane quadrants  comet animated gif   reach for the stars     Because of Winn Dixie      One More Cool Thing image   yellow squiggly line