Merin Says
by Kiki
I'm super hungry
I want some hay and carrots
Fill my food bowl
I want to get out
So I can hop everywhere
Hopping is so fun
The dogs are scary
They are big and so furry
They try to eat me
Monday, July 9, 2012
7/9/12 Weekly Blog Post #3
7/9/12 Weekly Blog Post #2
Haiku time! I want you to write a three-stanza haiku poem in honor of Merin the Bunny, but with a twist. Each of the three haiku poems need to be from the perspective of Merin-- like she wrote the poems. Remember, the syllable count for a haiku poem is 5-7-5.
7/9/12 Weekly Blog Post #1
The map you see above is of the country Madagascar. Unlike what the movies would have you think, Madagascar is not just a home to crazy talking animals. It's actually a real country with a real economy and its own issues.
For today's blog post, I want you to write a short report on Madagascar. You can focus on any aspect of it you want: the culture, the history, the economy, the people, etc. Your report should be four paragraphs long.
Use wikipedia, factmonster and/or google to find links.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Avery: Weekly Blog #2
The French and Indian war was mainly fought between the colonies of British America and New France. Both of the sides had some of the military in it. Although just a little bit later on, the Native Americans joined in with the french people. The people from the British America had a few Native Americans, but not very many. They were using them as slaves. The Indians didn't like the British because they were trying to take their land too.
The war was fought over land (like most wars). The British wanted the French and Indian land in North America. They also wanted to take over other little things in their land like the fur trade. Of course the French didn't want them taking their land, so they fought back with what they had. It didn't go very well and lasted for seven years. That would explain why some call it the Seven Year War.
The war ended when the British Major General captured Quebec. In 1763 they signed a peace treaty and the British got most of the french land in North America. They also took the Indian's land. Ending the French and Indian war.
The war was fought over land (like most wars). The British wanted the French and Indian land in North America. They also wanted to take over other little things in their land like the fur trade. Of course the French didn't want them taking their land, so they fought back with what they had. It didn't go very well and lasted for seven years. That would explain why some call it the Seven Year War.
The war ended when the British Major General captured Quebec. In 1763 they signed a peace treaty and the British got most of the french land in North America. They also took the Indian's land. Ending the French and Indian war.
Marney: Weekly Blog Post #2
France and Britain were the main countries in the war but there were also some other countries like America and a bunch of native tribes. Some of the native tribes in the war are called the Iroquois and the Algonquian. Those are some of the important Indian tribes in the war because they were the main native tribes in the war.
People were stealing other land that are not theirs. People wanted their land back but no one would give each other land back. So the country that did not get their land back would take the countrys land that took theirs and it keep going on like that. So they started a war.
England won the war and became the one that is in charge of north america. So that meant that the person that won got to chose who they wanted to have as land then England won and chose America.
Some important people in the war are George Washington, William Pitt, James Wolfe and William Johnson.
Connor: Blog Of The Week #2
The French and Indian war was actually part of the Seven Years War. This war was France's attempt to conquer the British colonies. The native Americans on the other hand were fighting on both sides. This war in America was named after the enemy instead of King George. This was because there had already been a King George's war. The countries involved were Britain and France, Spain and Prussia. America was also involved, albeit split betwixt both sides. The native tribes, which were in a way like little countries all their own, were fighting each other.
The war was primarily fought for rights to North American soil. The British wanted control of all of North America. The French wanted control as well and had already made colonies in Canada. The British had their colonies in what would later become the United States. Spain had it's colonies in Mexico and that would be the target in last two years of the war. The war with the French lasted seven full years and then two years after the surrender of Canada to Britain the treaty of Paris was signed.
The war went on for seven full years. Starting in 1754 and ending in 1761. In 1754 George Washington, the man who would become president twenty nine years later, had ambushed some of the French soldiers. Between America and Britain, France was getting their butt kicked. The end of the war came when France had surrendered most of Canada. America had stopped fighting, but the British wanted to defeat Spain and Prussia.
After defeating France Britain set its sight on Spain and Prussia, France's allies. Spain owned the Caribbean and Louisiana, for a short while. It took only two years for Britain to defeat Spain in Europe. However Spain still had control over a bit of America, Mexico to be more precise. The result of the war was that Britain needed more money for the war had cost a lot. Britain would not have enough until the tea tax was put into place in eleven years. That would eventually lead to the American Revolutionary War in which the British colonies would become independent from Britain.
The war was primarily fought for rights to North American soil. The British wanted control of all of North America. The French wanted control as well and had already made colonies in Canada. The British had their colonies in what would later become the United States. Spain had it's colonies in Mexico and that would be the target in last two years of the war. The war with the French lasted seven full years and then two years after the surrender of Canada to Britain the treaty of Paris was signed.
The war went on for seven full years. Starting in 1754 and ending in 1761. In 1754 George Washington, the man who would become president twenty nine years later, had ambushed some of the French soldiers. Between America and Britain, France was getting their butt kicked. The end of the war came when France had surrendered most of Canada. America had stopped fighting, but the British wanted to defeat Spain and Prussia.
After defeating France Britain set its sight on Spain and Prussia, France's allies. Spain owned the Caribbean and Louisiana, for a short while. It took only two years for Britain to defeat Spain in Europe. However Spain still had control over a bit of America, Mexico to be more precise. The result of the war was that Britain needed more money for the war had cost a lot. Britain would not have enough until the tea tax was put into place in eleven years. That would eventually lead to the American Revolutionary War in which the British colonies would become independent from Britain.
Mason: Weekly Blog Post #3
July 10, 1755
Outside Fort Duquesne
I am a British soldier and I have survived the attack on the Fort Duquesne. What happened was that we were marching and heading to destroy the fort. We were led by General Edward Braddock. We were almost there when suddenly the French and Indians attacked us. They killed most of the men and they killed Edward Braddock. I am one of the lucky ones who survived it.
How I felt about it was I felt sad that most of the men died and that Edward Braddock died. I felt mad at the French and want to kill them. I hope we win this war.
I really miss my home and my loved ones. If I survive this war I will go see them.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Mason: Weekly Blog Post #2
French and Indian War
The countries that fought in the French and Indian War are the French and the British. There were Native American Indians fighting on both sides of the war.
The reason the French and the British were fighting was that the French settled on land in North America and the British claimed that they owned that land.
The result of the war was that the Treaty of Paris was signed and the French gave up all claims to Canada.
The key figures were George Washington, Jeffery Amherst, James Wolfe, Marquis De Montcalm and General Edward Braddock. General Braddock was a British soldier who died during the war when he was trying to take over a French fort. They were marching straight to the fort and the French were hiding behind the rocks and trees around the fort and killed them.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Mommio: Art Class- Mondrian
Today in our Artistic Pursuits class we learned about the abstract artist, Piet Mondrian.
Mondrian grew up in the Netherlands in the late 1800's in a family of artists. He went to traditional art schools where he studied how to portray landscapes, people and animals as "real". However, inspired by the cubist movement, Mondrian wished to take his art in another direction. As he matured he became tired of nature and developed his own ideas of beauty. He felt that the intellectual side of our minds represented true beauty, and that this should be portrayed with straight lines and primary colors.
We took a look at one of his famous paintings, Broadway Boogie-Woogie 1942, and discussed how the picture portrays the busy streets of New York City. If you look at the painting closely the squares seem to move and shift much like traffic patterns would. Modrian's art later had great influence on furniture, housing and clothing designers. For our Mondrian inspired project the kids did a paper weaving project using black and primary colored paper. First, the kids folded a piece of black construction paper diagonally and cut off the end to form a square. They folded the square in half and used a ruler to draw a line across the top edge, creating a line they would stop at when cutting.
Next they used a ruler to make straight lines from the fold to the edge line in varying widths and then cut these lines and unfolded the square.
The kids cut strips of primary colors in different widths and then starting weaving them through the slits in the black paper, gluing the ends of each to the black paper and cutting off any extra.
This simple weaving process created some very nice Mondrian inspired art!
Marney: Weekly Blog Post #1
Women's Swimming
The women's swimming Olympics is through July 28 and August 4. Then they have a marathon on August 9. The swimming in the Olympics is going to be at the Aquatics Centre. The Aquatics Centre has a wave like roof because it is where the you can swim and dive if you want to be in the Olympics. The building has a 50 meter pool and was built in July 27, 2011. The Aquatics Centre is in London for the London 2012 Olympics.
The women's swimming teams have not yet been decided for the London Olympics. Also there are these two girls that are tied in 3rd place and they can not figure out who will be going to the Olympics.
The first official gold medal tie in swimming history was when two girls in Los Angeles tied in 1984. Their names were Nancy Hogshead and Carrie Steinseifer. Some people won the Olympics because they were under water for such a long time.
I like the swimming Olympics because I swim on a swim team now and I can see new moves that I have not learned. I also like swimming because it looks funny when you do a bunch of strokes but I think that I see when they breathe and it makes me better at swimming.
Avery: Weekly Blog #1
My Olympic sport I chose was "Trampolining". It is going to take place at the North Greenwich Arena (The O2), in London. The Woman's Trampolining will take place on August 4th. And because I thought it would be fun, here are the times for the compition and the finals (in London time). The "Trampoline Qualifications" will be from 14:00-15:30, and the finals will be from 15:30-16:00.
Trampolining isn't a new sport itself, but it is very new to the Olympics. The sport of trampolining was introduced to the Olympics in the year of 2000; making it one of the newest. The last three golden medals were given to Wenna He, Anna Dogonadze, and Irina Karavaeva. There were only two people who got the silver medals. And that would be Karen Cockburn and Oksana Tsyhuleva.
After the big success in the tryouts, there are going to be 36 people competing in the Woman's Trampoline. There are even some competing at the age of 16. If you ask me, I'd say that is pretty young to be in the Olympics. Not that there is anything wrong with it.
I chose this sport because when I used to do gymnastics, the trampoline was my most favorite thing there. I learned flips, jumps, and a few simple tricks too. I like to see people flipping around, doing stunts, and things like that. I wish I could do that stuff. There are people that do synchronized trampoline. It is when you (and your partner) have to do flips, jumps, tricks, etc. and try to do them at the same exact time. That is what I would like to see at the Olympics this year.
Trampolining isn't a new sport itself, but it is very new to the Olympics. The sport of trampolining was introduced to the Olympics in the year of 2000; making it one of the newest. The last three golden medals were given to Wenna He, Anna Dogonadze, and Irina Karavaeva. There were only two people who got the silver medals. And that would be Karen Cockburn and Oksana Tsyhuleva.
After the big success in the tryouts, there are going to be 36 people competing in the Woman's Trampoline. There are even some competing at the age of 16. If you ask me, I'd say that is pretty young to be in the Olympics. Not that there is anything wrong with it.
I chose this sport because when I used to do gymnastics, the trampoline was my most favorite thing there. I learned flips, jumps, and a few simple tricks too. I like to see people flipping around, doing stunts, and things like that. I wish I could do that stuff. There are people that do synchronized trampoline. It is when you (and your partner) have to do flips, jumps, tricks, etc. and try to do them at the same exact time. That is what I would like to see at the Olympics this year.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Phineas and Ferb Science: Build A Beach
We were all very excited to start our Phineas and Ferb Science class again after quite a long break! Today we watched episode 2 1/2- Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror. In this episode the boys build a real beach right in their backyard. So after watching the episode we had a lesson on beaches, how they are formed and the parts of a beach using a lesson we found on the Science Buddies website. The kids split in to teams and defined these words (here on the blog):
tide pool- a pool of water remaining after the tide has retreated
geological formation- a geological features of the earth
beach berm- a nearly horizontal plateau on the beach face
crest- The top, as of a hill or a wave
trough- A long narrow depression, as between waves or ridges
sandbar- A ridge of sand formed in a river or along a shore by the action of the waves ad currents
dune- A mound or ridge of sand or other loose sediment formed by wind
erosion- The process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of water, glaciers, winds, waves.
headlands- A high point of land or rock projecting into the sea.
Then they continued to work with their partners to answer these questions (here on the blog):
What are the different parts of a beach? beach berm, crest, face, trough
What is erosion and how does it contribute to making a beach?
Erosion is the process by which soil and rock are removed from the Earth's surface by natural process like wind or water flow and then transported and deposited in other locations. How it makes a beach is by knocking rocks, shells, and other materials together, creating sand.
Erosion is the process by which soil and rock are removed from the Earth's surface by natural process like wind or water flow and then transported and deposited in other locations. How it makes a beach is by knocking rocks, shells, and other materials together, creating sand.
What are dunes and what are some well-known dunes? Dunes are mounds of sand or dirt or gravel formed by wind. Some famous dunes are Kill Devil Hills and White Sands National Park.
The last task for today was for the kids to come up with a plan for how to build a small-scale model of a beach and draw up their plans with labels. Here's what they came up with:
Next time we will be using the Science Buddies lesson to build a working beach model that we can use to investigate how different types of waves effect the beaches.
Connor: Weekly Blog #1
The Discus Throw
I chose the discus throw for my blog of the day. This event will occur on the third and fourth of August for Women's events. Alternatively the event happens on the Sixth and Seventh of August for Men's events. Both of these events will occur at the Olympic Stadium in London as the games draw to a close. This event is also considered an iconic part of the Olympics in any country.
Discus throwing originated in Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics. It was created in the year 708 B.C.E. Being as ancient as it is the sport has become a tradition for the summer Olympics. Discus throwing was introduced to the Olympics in 632 B. C. E. when the games had to carry on for an extra week. The sport was originally meant for men and boys of Greece. These days it is a sport for men and women alike. The first discuses were made of varying materials. Some were made of stone, bronze, iron, or even lead making them heavy as can be! Famous discus players and winners include even the mythological character Perseus. In the first national Olympic Games in 1896 an American named Robert Garrett took home the gold for discus throwing. The silver and bronze medals went to two Greek competitors.
One member of the United States Olympic Discus Team is Lance Brooks. His personal best distance was 213 feet and nine inches. Another member of the team is Jarred Rome and his distance was 207 feet and 10 inches. The last member of the team is Jason Young. Jason Young's distance was 203 feet and 11 inches.
The age of the discus throw is what intrigues me. For the sport is over one thousand years old! I am interested in the fact that this sport is so old there's a classical myth about a man who played it. The materials that were originally used to make a discus are unbelievable! It's an ancient event that originated in 708 B.C.E. The fact that it was in the first Olympic games in 632 B.C.E. is just amazing!
I chose the discus throw for my blog of the day. This event will occur on the third and fourth of August for Women's events. Alternatively the event happens on the Sixth and Seventh of August for Men's events. Both of these events will occur at the Olympic Stadium in London as the games draw to a close. This event is also considered an iconic part of the Olympics in any country.
Discus throwing originated in Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics. It was created in the year 708 B.C.E. Being as ancient as it is the sport has become a tradition for the summer Olympics. Discus throwing was introduced to the Olympics in 632 B. C. E. when the games had to carry on for an extra week. The sport was originally meant for men and boys of Greece. These days it is a sport for men and women alike. The first discuses were made of varying materials. Some were made of stone, bronze, iron, or even lead making them heavy as can be! Famous discus players and winners include even the mythological character Perseus. In the first national Olympic Games in 1896 an American named Robert Garrett took home the gold for discus throwing. The silver and bronze medals went to two Greek competitors.
One member of the United States Olympic Discus Team is Lance Brooks. His personal best distance was 213 feet and nine inches. Another member of the team is Jarred Rome and his distance was 207 feet and 10 inches. The last member of the team is Jason Young. Jason Young's distance was 203 feet and 11 inches.
The age of the discus throw is what intrigues me. For the sport is over one thousand years old! I am interested in the fact that this sport is so old there's a classical myth about a man who played it. The materials that were originally used to make a discus are unbelievable! It's an ancient event that originated in 708 B.C.E. The fact that it was in the first Olympic games in 632 B.C.E. is just amazing!
Mason: Weekly Blog #1
Taekwondo
The event I chose is Taekwondo. It lasts from August 8th to the 11th. It is done by weight classes. Every day is a new weight class competition. The weight classes for men are -58 kg, -68 kg, -80 kg and +80 kg. The weight classes for women are -49 kg, -57 kg, -67 kg and +67 kg. Taekwondo at the London 2012 Olympics will be in a building calld ExCel. It is the largest venue in London. It has five arenas in it where they have more events: boxing, judo, table tennis, wresting, fencing and weight lifting. ExCel was built in 2001 and it was a conference center. Then in 2011 it was expanded for the Olympics.Taekwondo is one of two martial arts in the Olympics, the other one is judo. In 1988 in the Seoul, Korea games taekwondo was shown as a demonstration. Men's and women's taekwondo became an official medal sport at the 2000 Sydney, Australia games. Korea has won the most medals, 12. The USA has won 6 medals.
Aaron Cook from Great Britian is number one in taekwondo in the world, but he will not come to the 2012 Olympic games because he didn't qualify. South Korea is expected to win and get the gold medal. The US team is: Terrence Jennings and he is 25 years old, Diana Lopez and she is 28, Steven Lopez and he is 33 and Paige McPherson and she is 21. Their coaches are Jean Lopez and he is 38 and Juan Moreno and he is 41.
Kiki: Weekly Blog #1
Water Polo
Water polo will happen from July 29th to August 12th. In water polo they do men's and then they do women's, they switch each day. The women's medal event, when the winner is decided, will be on August 9th. The men's medal event will be on August 12th. They do water polo at the Water Polo Arena. The building is a new building with a big pool and an inflatable roof. The building can hold 5,000 people.
Men's water polo started in the Olympics in 1900 in Paris. Great Britain won the first 4 water polo Olympics. Women's water polo started in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics.
In water polo this year there will be 156 men. They will be split into 12 teams. Each team is from a different country. There are 104 women in water polo this year, in 8 teams and from 8 different countries.
I picked water polo because I wanted to learn about it. It is interesting because they will use 800 balls in water polo during this Olympics. Only the goal keeper can hold the ball with two hands. Also, 13 players are in each team but only 7 can be in the water at one time.
7/2/12 Weekly Blog Post #3
For the second blog post for this week, you researched and wrote a brief report on the French and Indian War. For this blog post, I want you to write a fictional first-person account of the war. So pick a side and then, for your blog post, write either a letter or a journal entry as if you were a soldier involved in the war. If you want, instead of writing from the perspective of the soldier, you can also choose to write from the perspective of a loved one of a soldier. You may want to do some additional research on what colonial/native american life was like during the time period of the French and Indian War so that your letter/journal entry will seem more authentic and accurate.
Your post should be at least three paragraphs long.
Your post should be at least three paragraphs long.
7/2/12 Weekly Blog Post #2
One of the very first colonial American wars was the French and Indian war, which took place from 1756 to 1763. So what do you know know about the French and Indian War? I'm betting that you don't know much, because you know what? I don't know much about it either.
So for today's blog post, I want you to research the French and Indian War and write a short three or four paragraph report explaining the war to me. Which countries were involved in the war? Why was it fought? What was the result? You may also want to figure out who some of the key figures or individuals were in the war and write about what part they played in it also.
Use Google, Wikipedia and your other online resources to research the war.
7/2/12 Weekly Blog Post #1
The Olympics are going to start soon! As you know (or you should), the Summer Olympics occur every four years. This year they are taking place in London, England. For today's blog post, I want you to pick an event for this summer's Olympics and write a short report on that event. Your blog post should be at least four paragraphs long. The first paragraph should discuss the event you've chosen, when it is going to occur and where it is going to be held in London. The second paragraph should talk about the history of your event-- is it new? how long have they been doing it? who are the people that have won it in the past? The third paragraph should talk about who some of the competitors/teams are going to be in the event. Finally, the fourth paragraph should be about why you find the event interesting.
Here's a link to the full schedule of the summer Olympic events.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Mommio & Avery: Night Out
We finally made it to Avery's special birthday night out with mom...but first we had a big surprise for her! We snuck her BFF Kalli over today to her birthday party and to join us at the hotel. Avery was SO surprised and very excited. After Kalli arrived we had Avery's mustache birthday party.
Then we headed over to the hotel where the girls were very silly, as they usually are together.
Riding the luggage cart.
Doing illegal flips on the bed.
And then lots of swimming and time in the hot tub of course.
Afterwards we went back to our big presidential suite to watch some tv and do masks.
The girls are still giggling away and we are getting ready to go out to Chili's for dinner- where Nana and Popo are going to meet us- another surprise for Avery!
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