Holidays around the world!

Americans are not the only ones who celebrate this time of year. Click the link below to read about different ways the holidays are enjoyed in different places.

http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/worldxmas/

Assignment: Africa

http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/teachers/countries/

Are you looking for information about an African country? Go to the above link and click on the name of the the country you have chosen.

On to Asia!

We'll spend the next couple of weeks studying about Asia! Start practicing your Asia map using the link to the right! We'll test on November 19th!

THANK YOU, VETERANS!

All veterans are American heroes. Through war and peace, these are the men and women who have been willing to risk their lives to protect our country!

On November 9th, we will honor their sacrifices. I hope that most of you are going to participate in the CMS Veterans' Day salute. Posters are due Monday, November 2nd. Below are the basic guidelines. If you plan to make a poster, please make sure that you get a poster entry form from me.

-red, white, or blue half poster

-The poster must honor a U.S. veteran, living or deceased.

-The poster should include a picture of the veteran or something that symbolizes their service.

-Include the veteran's name, rank, branch of service, and time/place they served.

-On back, left corner of sign, write student's name and attach envelope with money in order to provide funds for the PTSA to stake and mount your poster outside on Nov. 9th.

-If you want your sign to hold up long-term (it would make a great gift to the veteran you are honoring following Veteran's Day), you may laminate your poster.

*Students who complete project will receive ten bonus points and a field trip during class to view posters.

Everyone is invited to our school on November 9th for our Veteran's Day assembly.

EUROPE MAP TEST!!

Click on the Europe map game link in the upper, right corner of the screen.

After the test:

1. Click on the Europe map game link again. Instead of choosing “countries,” choose “capitals” (lowest level - tutorial).

2. Go through all of the names of Europe’s capitals.

3.Choose one capital city in Europe. Use the Internet to find some more information about this city.

4. In your “first things first” tomorrow, you will write the name of a European capital and tell me two facts (anything you thought was interesting) about that city. You will have to remember this information from your research today, so be sure to pay attention today as you read about this city.

Google Wave

Is this the next big thing?

Read the article linked below and decide what you think about Google Wave. Will this change the way you use the Internet? What are some problems this new format could cause? Doesn't this leave you wondering what is coming next? It is both exciting and scary to think how quickly technology changes the way we live.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/29/google.wave.beta/index.html

Globalization.

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20081003-91378.html

Check out these articles. How do they relate to our discussions about globalization?

You won't believe what this is!

Some people looked up into the night sky this week and saw a strange light. You will never guess what they were actually seeing! Click the link to find out!

http://news.aol.com/article/glow-in-sky-was-astronaut-kevin-fords/667880?icid=mainhp-laptopdl1link2http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fglow-in-sky-was-astronaut-kevin-fords%2F667880

The President's Message

For many kids around the country, tomorrow (Tuesday) is the first day of school. President Obama is delivering an address to you (American students) about taking responsibility for your own success! If you choose, you may view the speech after tomorrow on the White House's home page. Here is the link:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediaresources/

Cool kids!

Watch these kids sing!
http://www.schooltube.com/video/12420

If you have trouble with this link, go to youtube and search "PS 22 choir."

The Water Planet

This week, we have been talking about the importance of water to life on this planet. As we learned, about 70% of our planet is water. Of that only 2% of that water is ready for human consumption. Here is another interesting fact:

Less than 1% of that 2% (fresh water on the earth) is readily accessible for direct human use. In fact, millions of people die each year from drinking unsafe water. Read more about this problem by following the link below.

http://water.org/facts

What are some creative solutions that might solve this water problem and reduce (or end) human suffering in the world related to water shortages?

The last Kennedy brother is gone

Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy, brother of John F. Kennedy, has passed away. A member of what was perhaps the most influential political family in American history, Ted Kennedy was the only Kennedy brother to survive beyond middle age. His most famous brother, commonly known as JFK, was shot during his presidency and another brother, Bobby, was shot while campaigning for that office. Ted Kennedy never reached the White House himself, but he did remain a very powerful U.S. Senator for many years. After surviving much personal tragedy, including a plane crash that almost killed him, he lost his life at age 77 from brain cancer.

Link to article.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-08-26-ted-kennedy-obit_N.htm

-How do you think the Kennedy family became so powerful and famous?

-Do you think Ted Kennedy was an American hero?

-Do you believe in the idea of a "Kennedy family curse?"

-Do you know how many Kennedy brothers there were and how each died?

Vacation planning project

Assignment: Plan a vacation to any destination in the world!

Due: end of class Thursday (Class will be held in library computer lab Thursday!)

Instructions are below.

Search the Internet and decide where you would like to go on vacation. Here are some sites you might like to visit in order to make a decision: http://www.travelocity.com/, http://www.expedia.com/, http://www.orbitz.com/, http://www.delta.com/, http://www.travelchannel.com/, http://www.europeanworldtravel.com/, http://www.windstarcruises.com/, http://www.away.com/, http://www.1000beforeyoudie.com/! Or, just surf the web until you find something that looks exciting!

Once you have chosen a place, record your travel itinerary (detailed plan) on your own paper. Be sure to include the following things:

(1) Name of city or cities you will visit. For each city you visit, include the country and continent where that city is located.

(2) time and length of trip (When are you going, and how long are you staying?)

(3) transportation (How are you getting there? Air, boat, train?)

Include departure and arrival times, price, etc.. You may want to go to http://www.expedia.com/ or http://www.travelocity.com/ to "book" your flight! (This is just pretend, so price does not matter!)

(4) accommodations (Where will you sleep?)

How many nights are you staying? Are you staying in a hotel, house, or cabin? How much does it cost? Again, http://www.expedia.com/ or http://www.travelocity.com/ may be helpful!

(5) attractions (What will you see?)

Are you going to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Pyramids in Egypt? Will you visit the native Aboriginees in Australia or dine with the Queen of England? How much will these adventures cost?

(6) total cost of travel

Calculate the total cost of your trip!

Bon voyage!!! I can't wait to hear about your trip!

Hurricane tracking

This week, we will likely experience some wet weather as a result of Atlantic tropical storm activity. If you are like me, you think that tropical storms -- especially hurricanes -- are fascinating! I like to check the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website frequently during tropical storm season (which we are in right now). If you go to the link below, you can monitor what is happening in the Atlantic Ocean at any given moment. Not only can you track storms that are on the verge of making landfall, but you can also learn about storms that are in the early stages of development.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Travel the World!

This semester as we study world geography, I'd like for us to think of our studies as an exploration of the amazing world we live in! We will complete a "Plan a vacation" project, where you will be able to plan a trip to any place in the world you wish you could go.

Follow the link below for ideas about some countries you might want to explore. These nations are just a small sample of the possibilities our world offers! If you click on individual countries' names and click on the "sightseeing guide," you might get some ideas about where you would like to go.

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/hh/goplaces

Free at last!

Read this article.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=7781017

1. What profession do Laura Ling and Euna Lee share?
2. What happened to them while working on an assignment for their job?
3. Do North Korea and the United States get along well?
4. Why do you think the familes of Laura and Euna were so frightened?
5. Do you know how this story ends? If you watched the news recently, you would know. If you don't know, do an online search (Google or other) for their names.

Read more about life in North Korea and about the country's leader, Kim Jong Il. This semester, we will talk more about North Korea and many more countries around the world.