Title:  6-5  Cesar E. Chavez  by: Don McLeese

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Summary:  In this biography, we learn about Cesar Chavez, another human rights leader.  His parents came to America to make a better life for themselves.  He was born to poor farm workers, moving from school to school, and watching his parents struggle.   As he grew, he was forced to drop out of school in order to help support his family.  He began to fight for farm worker’s rights.  He led strikes against owners in order to ask for fair wages for himself and others.    He formed a huge union, asked for boycotts, and changed right for many people.

Spelling Words:  Review lessons 6:1-4.

Words:  law, low, boot, book, doom, door, allow, arrow, string, spring.

Challenge Words:  describe, strict.

Vocabulary Words: 

Treated (v)  to behave toward or deal with in a certain way.    Border (n):  a line where one country or another area ends and another begins.   Weakened (v):  to grow less strong.  Strike (v): to stop working in order to get better pay and working conditions.  Union (n):  a group of workers who join together to get better pay and working conditions.  Boycott (v):  to refuse to buy something until workers are treated better.  Crops (n):  fruits, vegetables, or other plants that are grown on a farm and sold.  Awarded (v): to give a prize.

Grammar Concept:  I can use proper punctuation when writing a letter.  I can identify an adverb and what it does.  When writing a letter, introductions and closings should be capitalized.  Commas should be placed in the proper place.  Dear Aunt Sally,   TEXT   Love, Maria    Adverbs clarify how, when, and where.  My dog jumped up happily.  How did he jump?  Happily.

Title:  6-4  Jingle Dancer  by: Cynthia Leitich Smith

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Summary:  A young Native American girl wants to dance at Powwow like many of her relatives have over the years, but cannot because her dress does not have jingles.    She goes from one family member and friend to another to find out a way to give her dress a voice without taking the voice from their dresses.  When she goes to the Powwow, she dances for all those who gave her dress a voice.

Spelling Words:  Contrast sounds:  /aw/ and /ow/.

Words:  tawny, tower, pause, pounding, shawl, shower, claw, clown, awe, owl.

Challenge Words:  applaud, awkward.

Vocabulary Words: 

Calves (n):  the back part of the lower legs.    Ached (v): to hurt with a dull, steady pain.  Pounding (v):  beating.  Pale (adj):  light in color.  Glimpse (n):  a quick view or look.   Shuffled (v):  to drag the feet while walking.   Slipped (v):  to put on.  Strolled (v):  to walk in a slow, relaxed way.

Grammar Concept:  I can identify when the subject and verb in a sentence agree.  I can understand the meanings of contractions.  Sentences that have a singular subject must have a verb that in also singular.   Incorrect:  Joshua are going to school.  Singular/ plural.   Correct:  Joshua is going to school.  Singular/ singular.    Contractions:  Can’t= can not   I’ll= I will  She’s= she is.

Dancers from Blackfoot schools 2013-14 school year (my cell phone).

Title:  6-3  A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. 

by: David Adler

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Summary:  In this biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. we explore the life of this historical human rights leader from the time he was a young man to his death.  We learn the reason behind his passion, his education, his speeches, and a few of important people to him, including Rosa Parks, Abraham Lincoln, and Harriet Tubman.

Spelling Words:  3-letter consonant blends.

Words:  straw, split, scrape, stretch, splash, scream, sprawl, sprout, strange, scratch.

Challenge Words:  strength, spry, screen.

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Vocabulary Words:

Demanding (v):  asking for forcefully.    Fair (adj):  not favoring one more than another.  Laws (n): rules made by a government.  Graduated (v):  to finish school.  Arrested (v): to be held by authority of the law.  Prejudice (n):  unfair treatment of a group of people.  Content (n):  what is in something.   Section (n): a part.

Grammar Concept:  I can use plural nouns correctly.  I can identify the proper comparative adjective to use in a sentence.  When using plural nouns, remember, most nouns just have an “-s” added, however, some have an “-es” added.  Other rules may apply, like changing a “y” to an “i” before adding the “-es” or “f” to a “v.”  When using comparative adjectives here is a hint:  -er (two letters) is on the end of the adjective when comparing two things.  –est (three letters) is on the end of adjectives when comparing three or more.  Me & my sister—two things.  My sister is taller than me.   Me, my sister, and my brother.  My little brother is the shortest of the kids.

Title:  6-2  New Hope  by: Henri Sorensen

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Summary:  In this historical fiction story, we learn the history of a town called New Hope.  The town begins when a family is journeying across the country and their axel on their wagon breaks.  They notice that it would be a great place to settle.  As their hopes rise, more and more new people come to settle too and a new town starts.

Spelling Words:  Silent letters.

Words:  listen, castle, rustle, whistle, rhino, answer, doubt, island, would, could.

Challenge Words:  chaos.

Vocabulary Words: 

Brisk (adj):  quick and lively.    Doe (n):  a female deer.  Leather (n):  material made from animal skin.  Shed (n):  a small building used for storing things.  Recycling (v):  using throwaway items for another purpose.   Fabric (n):  cloth.  Citizens (n): a person who was born in a country or who chooses to live in and become a member of a country.  Adopted (v): to take as one’s own.

click it

Grammar Concept:  Review: I can make a complete sentence that starts with a capital and ends with a correct punctuation mark.   A sentence always starts with a capital and ends with either a period (imperative or declarative), question mark (interrogative), or exclamation point (exclamatory).  A complete sentence has a subject and predicate.   Incorrect:  when she went biking  (Incomplete, no capital, and no punctuation)   Correct:  She left the library an hour ago.  (Complete, capitalized, and period).

Title:  6-1  April and her family  by: Susan Kuklin

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Summary:  This is a non-fiction story about a girl named April.  She tells of her family’s life in the U.S. as Chinese immigrants.    April attends Chinese school and Saturdays where she learns more about her heritage and culture.  She shares her experiences with the reader.

Spelling Words:  Contrast sounds with the long /o/ sound spelled ow and long /oo/ spelled oo, long /u/ spelled u and /o/.

Words:  flow, flower, cook, cube, tool, took, nook, noon, fume, loom.

Challenge Words:  moonbeam, mountain, mowing.

Vocabulary Words: 

                
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Photo Credit: Eduardo Amorim via Compfight      an  orchid    and some   sesame seeds

Explorer (n): a person who travels to a new place for the purpose of discovery.    Orchid (n):  a type of flower.  Chores (n):  small jobs around the house.  Discovered (v):  to be the first to find, learn of, or observe.  Sesame (n): a tropical Asian plan bearing small, flat seeds used as food and as a source of oil.  Popular (adj):  liked or accepted by many people.  Wiser(adj): smarter.

Common verses proper nouns.

Grammar Concept:  Review: I can use nouns and verbs properly in sentences.  A common noun is a person, place, thing, or idea.  A proper noun names a particular or specific noun and must be capitalized.  A verb is the action in the sentence.   Bob rode his bike to school.

Title:  5-5  Brave as a Mountain Lion  by: Jim Arnosky

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Summary:  This story beautifully summarizes all that we have learned in the camouflage unit.  The children get to review the animals that they have seen, check to see if they can find a few new ones, and discuss what they know.

Spelling Words:  Review lessons 4:1-4 (like a spelling bee– like Spider had in our story).

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Words:  blue, rude, frown, cookie, plow, count, duty, cool, scout, books.

Challenge Words:  looser, snowplow.

Vocabulary Words: 

Reservation (n):  land where Native Americans can live.    Dreaded (v):  to be afraid of or anxious about something.  Qualified (v):  to be able to do a job or task.  Mysterious (adj):  making others curious or surprised.  Mountain lion (n):  a large wild cat that lives in the mountains.  Stomping (v):  walking heavily.  Inform (v):  to tell.

Grammar Concept:  I can use different verb tenses to indicate when an action takes place: the past, present, or future.  Hints (but not all):  -ed is often added to verbs that are past tense.  –ing is often added to verbs that are present.    The word “will” is often added before verbs that are in the future.  I am dancing in the festival.  (present)   Jenny will sing in the choir next year.  (future)   My friend planted a flower for his mom.  (past)  

Title:  5-4  Akiak: A Tale from the Iditarod  by: Robert J. Blake

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Summary:  The Iditarod is a grueling dog sled race run in Alaska each year.  This is a fictional story about a lead dog, Akiak, who shows bravery in order to help her driver Mick throughout the race.

Spelling Words:  Words with /oi/ sound spelled oi and oy.

Words:  join, spoil, annoy, choice, boys, voyage, coin, enjoy, boil, toy.

Challenge Words:  royal, appoint, moist.

Vocabulary Words: 

Rumble (n):  a heavy deep, rolling sound.    Rugged (adj): rough and uneven.  Snowdrift (n):  snow piled up by the wind.  Burrowed (v):  dug.  Squinted (v):  look with partially closed eyes.   Shift (v):   to change positions.   Snapped (v):  to move quickly and sharply.

Grammar Concept:  I can find and use adverbs in sentences.  Adverbs describe verbs and clarify the questions: how, when, and where.   The little girl walked slowly up the stairs.  How did she walk?  slowly.