Studying Latin America and Other Interesting Topics

The climate regions of Latin America were discussed in Social Studies today. We reviewed the factors that influence climate; elevation, distance from an ocean, and distance from the equator. We studied Latin America's land regions, and looked at climate and vegetation maps. Since South America is so huge, there are a variety of climate regions. The one that fascinates us the most is the tropical wet area of the Amazon river basin, probably because it is so different from where we live, and of such great importance to the world. Please check out the new link to your right to learn more about the rainforest areas.

Mr. Barzan stopped in for a second visit to share more about tobacco. Today, he zeroed in on the dangerous chemicals that are in cigarettes. He itemized the ingredients hiding inside cigarettes, as well as what they can do to your body. Diseases that can result from cigarette smoking were discussed, and to illustrate what the diseases may feel like, Mr. Barzan conducted a demonstration. Each student was given a very thin straw. They were asked to stand and jog for awhile in place. Afterwards, the students were asked to breathe only through the straw. Many felt that it was difficult to do, and they felt pressure in their chest that they normally didn't. Most agreed that it didn't feel good. The students and I always appreciate Mr. Barzan's visits. His lessons are so important to our health and well being.

In Language Arts, we're moving onto a new story! It's a survival story titled 'From a Spark' that is an excerpt from the award winning 'Hatchet' by Gary Paulsen. To prepare for the story, we reviewed the skill of making predictions. New spelling words that are a bit tricky were assigned for the coming two weeks. They're tricky because they have some silent consonants and vowels. Spelling City will be an excellent tool for practice.

Homework:
Reading - Share your new 'Family Times' paper. Also, read the remaining chapters of Number the Stars. Complete your role for Thursday's cafe.
Math - Finish decimal worksheet for tomorrow.
Spelling - Trace +2 due tomorrow.
Science - Worksheet (use passage from the other paper).
Wellness - Finish Tobacco paper for Mr. Barzan for next week.