BASALDUA NEWS
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Feb 07, 2012
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WELCOME TO MRS. BASALDUA'S 5TH GRADE CLASSWIKI
This technological extension of the classroom is here to help you meet your classroom needs. I am sure that you will find an answer to most any question you may have. And if you don't, please feel free to contact me - Terry Basaldua. I hope you visit often.
February 6, 2012
Good morning!
1. Take a Target Reading Paper from my desk and begin working on it. 8:05/10:50
2. You will need your own dictionary to play our game.
February 3, 2012
1. Take out your TARGET READING papers for Week 1. Complete the section for "Friday." Be ready to discuss your answers.
2. Take a reading pack from my desk.
3. Work on your Social Studies Ten Amendments paper. It is due today!
February 2, 2012
1. Take out your TARGET READING papers for Week 1. Complete the section for "Thursday." Be ready to discuss your answers.
2. Take a reading pack from my desk.
3. Work on your Social Studies Ten Amendments paper.
February 1, 2012
Are you PREPARED?
1. Take out your TARGET READING papers for Week 1. Complete the section for "Wednesday." Be ready to discuss your answers.
2. When finished, take out your red Reading Student Handbook. Turn to page 15. Read directions and complete. Graded.
3. You will need your "Making Connections Across Text" example sheet, "Making Connections Across Text" Worksheet with the three stories, and your expository writing papers.
January 31, 2012
1. Take out your TARGET READING papers (2). Read both articles for Week 1. Complete the section for "Tuesday." Be ready to discuss your answer.
2. Take out your "Connections" example paper and put it on your desk.
3. Read a book or take AR tests. Today we will be going to the library. Have your books on your desk.
January 30, 2012
1. Place your Reading Calendar on my TABLE. Make sure your name and the date is on it.
2. Take the Analogy Worksheet from my desk and complete it. You may work with a partner. Be sure your name is on it. Do NOT draw on this paper. When you have finished it, hold on to your paper to grade 8:10/10:55.
3. Take a paper on my desk that looks like a giant stamp. Select ONE of the Bill of Rights to illustrate and color. You will have a few minutes each day to work on it. It is due no later than Friday. You may not work with a partner.
Spotting an unreliable website.
January 26, 2012
READ and COMPLETE the following tasks.
1. Write in your Assignment Book: Reading Calendar due Monday.
2. Take the Social Studies worksheet titled, "The Bill of Rights" from my desk. Use page 371-372 in your textbook. You may also use the paper from yesterday.
Pick one person to work with you, or you may choose to work alone. All work must be completed by 8:20/11:o5.
I will collect and grade your papers. If you finish early, read your book. We have lots to do today, so begin work quickly.
January 25, 2012
READ AND COMPLETE the following tasks.
1. Place your homework in the white box on top of my desk.
2. Please take the paper "The Bill of Rights" from my desk. Find your Word Study partner to work on it together. Read the directions and complete the worksheet.
"How to Play Uno"
1. What does the phrase there is a hitch mean as it is used in the Wild Draw Four Card section of the passage?
2. What information in the passage supports the conclusion that a Wild Draw Card is the best card to have compared to all the other cards?
3. What is the best paraphrase of the section Going Out?
A. A player must say UNO before the next player begins his turn. Beginning a turn means that the player has taken a card from the DRAW pile. A player must draw cards if the last player plays a Draw 2 card. Reshuffle and play.
B. You may not catch a player for failure to say UNO until his second to last card touche the DISCARD pile.
C. A player must say UNO before the next player begins his turn. You cannot catch a player for not saying UNO before his turn is over or after another player begins his turn. If the last card played is a Draw Two or a Wild Draw Four card, the next player must draw the cards and count the points. If there are no more cards on the DISCARD pile, reshuffle and continue playing.
D. A player who forgets to say UNO before his card touches the DISCARD pile, but "catches" himself before any other player catches him, is safe and is not subject to the penalty. You may not catch a player for failure to say UNO until his second to last card touches the DISCARD pile. If the last card played in a hand is a Draw Two or Wild Draw Four card, the next player must draw the two or four cards. These cards are counted when points are totaled. If no one is out of cards by the time the DRAW pile is depleted, reshuffle and continue play.
What is wrong (if anything) with the following sentences?
4. My daughter took a foto of her as an eighth grader to school to show her class how she looked back then.
5. My brother, Louis, likes to sign his name as L. d. Bratton.
6. I really enjoy teaching and I look forward to several more years of teaching.
January 24, 2012
Word Study Concentration
1. Get with your partner. If your partner is not here, get started without him/her.
2. Take the bag of Greek and Latin prefixes and suffixes and their meaning out of the pocket. Find a place to QUIETLY play the game with your partner.
Directions
3. Face all the cards print side down on your desk in even rows and columns. Take turns turning two cards over at a time. If they match the correct prefix or suffix with its meaning, keep the two cards. If they do not match, turn the cards back over in the same place.
4. Now it is the other partner's turn.
5. Continue playing until all cards have been matched or time is called.
6. The partner with the most cards wins!
January 23, 2012
There are now 4o INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS until your STAAR for Reading on March 28. Are you ready to SHINE?
Have your Reading Calendar ready to collect. Pick up a new one for this week.
This week will are talking about summarizing. Check out this online lesson at tv411 - Summarizing.
Try this Online Activity for Synonyms, Antonyms, and Homonyms.
Questions for "What are Freshwater Wetlands?"
1. What is the purpose of this passage?
To gain information about the characteristics of wetlands.
2. What is the main idea for paragraph 3?
A marsh has grass and no trees.
3. The author of "What are Freshwater Wetlands?" has included many details about the area called the wetlands. After reading such an article, how could you determine that the details are facts?
A. Send an e-mail to the author of the article.
B. Read a story set in the Wetlands.
C. Reread the article and list the details that are facts.
D. Consult an encyclopedia for the topic Wetlands.
4. What is the meaning of the word frequent as it is used in the sentence, Minks and otters frequent wetlands.
often goes to
5. How does the text structure in "What are Freshwater Wetlands?" help the reader to comprehend the message within the text?
A. Since the structure is in order of importance, the reader knows that the animal life is more important than the water.
B. Since the structure is a sequence of events, the reader can determine that first, animals came to the wetland, then they planted grass and trees and, finally, water collected in the area.
C. Since the structure is compare and contrast, the reader can determine that the wetlands is in danger of drying up.
D. Since the structure is description, the reader can determine that the article is creating an image of what the different types of wetlands are like.
January 18, 2012
Did you read for 20 minutes last night? What did you read? Did you add it to your calendar?
Questions for Dolores Huerta: Yes, It Can be Done and Marty and Mars
1. The author probably wrote the article, Dolores Huerta: Yes, It Can be Done to
A. teach readers about the National Farm Workers Association.
B. convince readers to fight for workers' rights.
C. inform readers about Dolores Huerta's efforts to help others.
D. persuade readrs that Dolores Huerta' did more for workers than did Cesar Chavez.
2. To explain the third-person point of view in Dolores Huerta: Yes, It Can be Done, the reader needs to know that the narrator
A. retells events that happened to the characters in the story.
B. was the main character of the story.
C. is Dolores telling her story.
D. wrote the story.
3. Dolores Huerta did not like seeing her students coming to school without warm clothing and not having enough food to eat. What additional action did this cause?
4. What does the word deter mean in the sentence, "You cannot let what people say deter you from your goal."
5. The role of the Marty's father in the poem Marty and Mars, is to
A. explain how to become an astronaut.
B. introduce doubt into the poem.
C. help Marty not to worry about what others say, but to believe in himself.
D. be someone for Marty to follow because his father was also an astronaut.
6. What is the common theme of Dolores Heurta: Yes, It Can be Done and Marty and Mars?
What is wrong with the next two sentence?
7. I read all three books in The Hunger Games series, and I can't wait for the movie to come out.
8. The worker fell off the ladder and had to be taken away by abulence.
9. Dad said to me, "Hold on with all your might. Don't ever let it slip away."
10. "He helped design a spaceship that could fly him to the stars and with that ship he was the first to ever land on Mars."
January 13, 2012
Did you read last night?
Rock Island in a River Picture
Meeting Mrs. Pierce
1. On the last page Mrs. Pierce says..."it's not wise to dawdle." What is the meaning of the word dawdle?
2. What does Mrs. Pierce mean when she says, "Now, let's hurry and vote; at my age, it's not wise to dawdle"?
3. The role of the Mrs. Pierce in the drama Meeting Mrs. Pierce, is to
A. explain the beginning of the suffage movement.
B. introduce men into the story.
C. protect Charlotte from being arrested.
D. be someone for Charlotte to follow her example.
4. After the Girls' Suffage Society was formed, Charlotte wanted to volunteer her group for a school assembly. The Headmistress turned her down. What additional action did this cause?
5. What is the theme of Meeting Mrs. Pierce?
What is wrong with the next two sentence?
6. "MRS. Pierce is one of the founders of the suffrage movement, Charlotte."
7. "Charlotte and Elyse began inviting the girls whose parents were involved with the movement and then other girls began showing interest."
January 9, 2012
Non-passing to Passing
There are 1,440 minutes in each day.
Use 20 of them to READ.
Odysseus and the Bag of Winds
1. What is the meaning of the word monumental as it is used on Page 5?
2. The author describes Odysseus differently in the two parts of the reading. How is the central theme of Odysseus different in the two sections?
A. In the first part, Odysseus is a Greek God. In the second part, Odysseus is a sailor.
B. In the first part, Odysseus wins the war against the Greek gods. In the second part, Odysseus show his courage by running away from battle.
C. In the first part, Odysseus is a Greek hero. In the second part, Odysseus is not trusted by his men.
D. In the first part, Odysseus is the name the Greeks give the Trojan Horse. In the second part, Odysseus looses the battle against Troy.
3. The role of the Aeolus in the passage Odysseus and the Bag of Winds, is to
A. introduce Odysseus to the god of the winds.
B. award Odysseus for telling him many stories of the war.
C. introduce Odysseus to the men who would be sailing his ship.
D. explain who are the Greek gods.
4. To explain the third-person point of view in Odysseus and the Bag of Winds, the reading needs to know that the narrator
A. retells events that happened to the characters in the story.
B. was the main character of the story.
C. is the god, Aeolus.
D. wrote the story.
5. After siting his home of Ithaca, Odysseus fell asleep because he was exhausted after sailing for 9 days and nights. What additional action did this cause?
January 6, 2012
Acropolis Adventure
1. What is the meaning of the word jostled in Paragraph 2?
2. After reading Page 6, what can the reader conclude about Brady's attitude?
3. What is the main idea of the following passage?
4. After Page 7, the author begins a tour of three sites in Athens. How should the reader's purpose for reading change after Paragraph 4?
5. Brady says that the Marble Calendar is cool on Page 12. What additional action did this cause?
January 5, 2012
1. What is the meaning of the word scurrying in Paragraph 1?
2. The role of Mrs. Brickle in the passage The Trouble with English is...
3. What is the point of view of The Trouble with English? What does the reader need to know about the character telling the story?
4. After reading Page 9, what can the reader conclude about what will happen in the rest of the story?
5. What is the theme of the story?
January 4, 2012
1. The role of Miss Chang in the passage Cali and Wanda Lou is to
b. protect Cali from the spotted leopard.
c. introduce animals to the story.
d. explain the Reclining Buddha and why it is laying on his side.
2. Wanda Lou enjoys visiting the three cities in the Orient. What is the central theme of Cali and Wanda Lou?
Greek and Latin Roots and Suffixes Review Game
For January 3, 2012
1. In Paragraph 2 what is the meaning of the word carpetbag?
2. After reading Paragraph 1, what can the reader conclude about what will happen in the rest of the story?
3. What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?
4. After Page 6 the author begins telling about the Orient. How shoulc the reader prepare for a reading change after Page 6?
5. Wanda Lou lost Cali in a crowd. Miss Chang found her and picked her up. What additional action did this cause?
6. What does the reader need to know about the narrator to explain the first person point of view?
Here are some websites to help you with crafting your own handmade gift to give to your Box Buddy.
Eight crafts you can make from Education.com
It's too Late to Apologize Patriots Video
It's too Late to Apologize Lyrics
School House Rock Shot Heard Around the World
Word Study
Greek Word Sort
Word Study Notebook – Work with your partner.
There are TWO different word sorts today. Choose four words from each.
1. Get your word study handout Greek Word Sort.
2. Underline the common word part in each word.
3. Divide each into syllables.
4. What is the word part, and what does it mean?
5. Write ALL words into the first column of your “Three Finger Cover.”
6. Take turns giving each other the words to spell.
7. Check your own words.
8. Correctly spell any words you missed.
9. Why is it important that readers and writers build their knowledge of words?
10. Glue your handout into your Word Study Notebook.
Articles from Social Studies for Kids
Students on Buses Keep on Learning
Halloween Candy Doesn't Last Forever
N. Y. Toys Fair: What's Old is New Again, and Vise Versa
Taking Outdoor Education Up a Notch
More Adages Matching Game from Quia
More Idioms Matching Game from Quia
Try these quick games from Bitesize.
These two stories are from The Moonlit Road website.
Pseudonymous Bosch - Contradiction
Anti-marijuana Commercial with Parallelism
Merriam-Webster.com - definition for contradict
Thesaurus.com - synonyms and antonyms for contradict
T-Mobile Commercial - Comparisons
I Have a Dream Speech - Parallelism
Parallelism in M. L. King Jr.'s speech -
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
Turn! Turn! Turn! Video - Parallelism
Tell Me about Yourself Jeopardy!
Analogy Quiz Please type your first and last name in the boxes. Use capital letters.
Try out these typing games to help improve your keyboarding.
Dance Mat Typing Start with Level 1.
You'll need headphones for this.
Keyboarding Triathlon
Begin with three timed tests.
Frogs Stay on a Diet
Help frogs stay on their diet by typing the correct letters.
Fling the Teacher Figurative Language
Take this Quia Quiz about Context Clues. Be sure to type your name using capitals.
Island of the Blue Dolphins Voki
Fling the Teacher Figurative Language
Fling the Teacher Prefixes and Suffixes
Fling the Teacher Math Problems
Figurative Language goes beyond the literal, or actual, meaning of words and phrases to create interesting writing. The reader must use his/her background knowledge to understand what the writer is saying through the use of figurative language. Writers may use metaphors, similes, and/or idioms in their stories.
Similes, like the word similar, refer to people or things being alike. Like and as are two words that are used in similes to compare two things.
Example: The sky is as angry as a baby having a temper tantrum.
Metaphors compares two wildly contrasting images to create a new idea in the reader's mind. This comparison is implied and does not use the words like or as.
Example: The sky is angry.
Idioms are sayings that have been used for generations and have become part of our everyday language.
Example: She's a wolf in sheep clothing expresses an idea that the girl is someone who cannot be trusted as a wolf dressed as a sheep may look harmless, but is really very dangerous.
Try to find the use of figurative language in the following paragraph. The sentences have been numbered. Write the number of the sentence that uses figurative language and identify is as a simile or a metaphor.
1. Perhaps the most interesting part of our weekend was going to our very first ice hockey game. 2. We were as excited as bees as we made our way to our seats. 3. Paul treated us to front row seats right in the middle section. 4. Before the game started, we bought popcorn, hot dogs and drinks. 5. The popcorn was dry dirt. 6. The hot dogs were like brittle twigs. 7. This, however, was not enough to squelch our excitement. 8. We learned that ice hockey is a very fast game. 9. Many times we saw players fighting. 10. Two players were so mad that they threw their sticks, gloves, and helmets to the ice. 11. Then they skated over to the center of the court along with two referees. 12. They punched each other like two angry pit bulls in a fight. 13. When it was over, one man's face was hamburger meat. 14. The game could not continue until the blood on the ice was cleaned up. 15. It was really exciting to see the players fighting over a small hockey puck. 16. They bunched up right on the other side of the glass and fought with all their might. 17. They often crashed into the glass with such fierceness I was frozen to my seat. 18. I would definitely go to another ice hockey game. 19. It was as fun as thrilling as a roller coaster ride that would not stop!
Yes, this is what we did in Wichita Falls this past weekend.
Answers:
2. Simile 5. Metaphor 6. Simile 12. Simile 13. Metaphor 17. Metaphor 19. Simile
View my Reading Commercial on YouTube.
Check out this really great site. Guys Read
Here are some suggestions to help you do your best.
Before the test:
- Visualize yourself doing well on the test. Feel how good it is going to be when you are informed about the results.
- Get lots of exercise the day before the test.
- Get plenty of rest the night before a test.
The day of the test:
- Eat a good breakfast. Stay away from sugary foods.
- Arrive on time. Relax.
- Wear glasses and take any medications.
- Leave cell phones at home or turn off and turn in to your teacher.
- Check with your teacher to see if you will need your book bag.
During the test:
- To help with nervousness, take deep breaths. Take in a deep breath and hold it as you slowly count to ten. Do this several times any time during the test as long as you do not disturb anyone.
- Take breaks. Give your eyes a rest every few minutes. Look at something colorful or close your eyes.
- Follow the strategies for each test. Work out each problem.
- Read and think about all the choices before selecting one. Elimate those you know are wrong. Be sure your answer fits the question.
- Words that are printed in bold type, italics, or are underlined are very important.
- Be sure to answer all the questions without leaving any blanks. If you don't know an answer, make a best guess.
- Avoid stress. You may wish to select your clothes the night before.
- Find the evidence. Make sure that your choice answers the question.
- Remember -
- Skim the passage. Circle key words.
- Rthe questions and circle two or three key words.
- Read the passage. Make short notes about long paragraphs.
- Summarize the passage.
- Answer the questions.
One more thing. The name of the game is endurance. Stay strong all the way until the end.
Main Idea and Supporting Details
Author's Purpose
Cause and Effect