My Side of the Mountain

In 1959, My Side of the Mountain, written by Jean Craighead George, was published. She has written many great books about nature such as On the Far Side of the Mountain and Julie of the Wolves, and she has won many awards. The book tells the story of a boy named Sam Gribley, who lived in a city in New York. Because he hated cities, he ran away and started living in the woods in the Catskill Mountains. While he was there he wanted a peregrine falcon to help him hunt. Fortunately, he discovered a nest with peregrine falcons in it. He cautiously climbed a tree and stole an eyas, which is a baby falcon. The falcon, which he named Frightful, became his trustworthy hunting companion.

While living in the woods, Sam made a home for himself inside the trunk of a tree. Because he had read many nature books, he learned to forage for food, fish, and trap animals. From the skin of a deer which he had captured, he sewed his own clothes. Amazingly, he even fashioned his own warm winter underwear from rabbit skin. Sam Gribely was a hermit kind of person, but very brave. Frightful, a courageous, friendly bird, wasn’t afraid of anything. Together, they made a great team. They hunted and they lived happily through the winter without any hunger pains.

Frightful was also a beautiful bird, and any other falcon that saw her wanted to mate with her; one time she mated with another falcon and had eyas! But that’s another story. From this awesome story I learned to always be adventurous, but never live alone, because later in the story Sam really wants someone to live with, although he doesn’t really know it. This truly is a great story which I recommend to all ages from 10 and up. This book exudes adventure and excitement. Completely deserving of its Newberry Honor Award, this well written book is a terrific read, and probably is my favorite book ever.

The Prodigal Son

A father had two sons. One of the sons requested his share of the inheritance immediately so he wouldn't have to wait for his father to die. The father, who loved the son unconditionally, gave him his share of the goods and the son peregrinated to a foreign land. Foolishly, the son spent all his money on parties with his friends. After a time, a great famine came across the land. So the son desperately searched for work, and finally he found it! His work involved feeding pigs, which is quite a messy job. But the son was so hungry that he started eating the pigs’ food!

Finally, the son, whose pride had turned to mortification, came to his senses and said to himself, “I have been very foolish and I need to go back to my home, because my father’s workers at least have something to eat. I will humbly tell my father that I am not a worthy son anymore, and I will work as one of his servants.” In humiliation, he began traveling back to his home which was very far away.

When he was nearly home, his father sighted him and ran and hugged him, but the son cried, “I am not worthy to be your son anymore, please accept me as a servant.” But his father commanded his servants to kill the calf they had been fattening and to prepare a feast! The other son, who had been working in the fields, arrived home later and asked his father why he had killed the calf and prepared a feast. With joy his father replied, “Your brother is home and we are celebrating!” But the older son angrily declared, “I have worked for you all my life and never questioned your authority, but when my brother comes home you prepare a feast for him?” Gently the bewildered father replied, “You have always been with me and everything I have is yours, but he was once lost and now he is home; let‘s be happy about it!”

Government

North Carolina’s government is divided into three branches: the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch.  The Executive Branch is led by the governor of the state.  She has lots of responsibilities, such as enforcing state laws, proposing or vetoing laws, planning a budget, and commanding the state military.  

The Legislative Branch makes all the laws.  The laws focus on education, roads, healthcare, crime, and other things.  The people that make these laws are part of the General Assembly.  The General Assembly is divided into two houses:  The House of Representatives, which has 120 members; and the Senate, which has 50 members.

The Judicial Branch is the court system, and it interpret laws.  First, there are the District Courts which handle small cases.  Second, the Court of Appeals handles larger cases and has twelve judges.  The last one, the Supreme Court, handles the biggest cases, and it has seven judges.  All of the judges are elected by the people living in the state.  

The three branches of our state government are similar to the branches of the federal government.  Having three branches of governments preserves our system of checks and balances. 

Star Spangled Banner                                              

In 1814, during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key boarded a British ship to try to obtain the release of his friend, Dr. William Beanes.   Key was detained onboard  the ship, because he overheard the British plans to attack Fort McHenry.  While Francis watched the British bombard the fort, he saw a small American flag flying and wondered if it would be there in the morning.  When morning came, he saw that not a small flag, but a large flag, was flying on the poll! (This was the American way of saying, “We ain’t done with you yet!”)  This is when Francis Scott Key wrote the famous poem, “The Star Spangled Banner”, but at the time he called it “Defense of Fort McHenry”.  Later on, music was added to it, to the tune of a famous British song, and it was printed. (Only two original copies are known left  in the world)  This famous poem was made into the National Anthem in 1931, 116 years after it was written.  

My Bedroom

Most of the time my bedroom is very dirty.  It looks like a tornado ran through there!  My legion of bionicles are warriors surrounding my room.  With the mountainous pile of clothes and the bionicles thrown everywhere, it’s almost as bad as my brother’s!  And you would never want to look into my brother’s room… it looks as bad as a toxic swamp!  Once in a while my mom goes into my room and starts screaming.  This is not good.  I go up to my room to find my mom’s head steaming… this is definitely not good!

Maybe I should clean my dirty bedroom more often.

My Dog, Jack

Some people might say that my dog is the meanest thing in the world!  But he’s my hero!  He always tries to protect me, and growls at anything that might threaten me.  He’s reasonably fit, and has more bark than bite. He loves to play with his Big Brute Toy and shake it around.  Most of the time I find him staring out the window barking at cars. He thinks he is a Great Dame, and can beat up anyone.  But, he is actually a Miniature Schnauzer, and quite small.   He is a salt and pepper Schnauzer and has a very shaggy beard.  When my mom gives him a hair cut, it shortens his beard, and his legs seem WWWAAAYYY too small for his body.  It looks so weird!  But when it comes to a good dog, Jack is the best!      

The Boasting Traveler

A man, who had traveled to a far away land, boasted when he returned home.  He had been to many places and performed many heroic acts.  He said that when he went to Rhodes he leaped such a distance that no one could beat him, and there were many so called witnesses.  Just then, a bystander interrupted him saying, “ There is no need for witnesses, show us right here and now!”      

United Nations

The United Nations is an organization that is supposed to solve world problems like world wars. The Allies set it up in 1945 after World War II.  The headquarters of the UN is in New York City.  There are 192 member nations, which is most of the countries in the world.  Each country is part of the General Assembly.  Fifteen of  them are in the Security Council to keep the world at peace; the US, China, Britain, France, and Russia are permanent members of the Security Council. So far they have not done a good job.

The flag of the UN shows a world protected by laurel leaves of peace.       

The Fox and the Grapes

A fox, famished with hunger, saw some large juicy grapes hanging out of his reach.  Eager to eat them, he resorted to all kinds of tricks to reach them.  All his efforts were in vain.  He turned away, hiding his disappointment.  He said, “Those grapes are sour anyway and not even ripe.” 

 Moral: It is easy despise what you do not possess.              

 

The Bat and the Weasels

A bat fell off of a tree branch, but a weasel caught him, and the bat pled for his life.  The weasel refused him saying, “It is my nature to be an enemy of all birds.”  The bat replied, “ I am not a bird, but a mouse.”   So the bat was set free.  But again the bat fell and was caught by another weasel, who intended to eat him.  The weasel said he felt a special hostility to mice.  The bat said, “I am not a mouse, but a bat.”  And the bat escaped again.

Moral:  It is wise to turn circumstances to good account.   

Chemistry 2

All matter in the world is composed of elements.  Each element is made up of its own kind of atom.  All of the elements on the earth are known.  In 1867 Dmitri Mendeleev made the Periodic Table of Elements.  He lined up elements in rows from left to right, according to their atomic number.  The atomic number of an element is equal to the number of protons in its atom.  Elements in the vertical columns have similar chemical properties.  For example, the alkali metals give electrons, but the noble gases do nothing.   

The symbol of an element represents its name.  For example, C stands for carbon, but some of the elements’ symbols come from other languages.  Tungsten’s symbol is W, which comes from the Latin word, wolfram.   The atomic weight of an atom is the sum of its protons and neutrons.  For example, hydrogen has the atomic weight of 1, which means it has one proton and no neutrons.  Another element, Uranium, weighs 238 atomic mass units, which means that it has 92 protons, and 146 neutrons.     

Chemistry

Chemistry is the scientific study of matter.  Matter is anything that has mass or weight and takes up space.  Matter is made of atoms which are small uncuttable things.  Protons, neutrons, and electrons compose an atom.  The protons and the neutrons form the nucleus which contains most of the mass of the atom.  The electrons are the smallest, but they take up most of the space, which is called the electron cloud.  Also, there is the same number of protons as there are electrons in an atom.  So if an atom has four protons, it will also have four electrons.  One example is the helium atom.  It contains two protons, two electrons, and two neutrons.  The study of chemistry is quite interesting and complicated.

Theodore Roosevelt

Born into a wealthy, loving family in New York, in 1858,  Theodore Roosevelt was a weak, sickly boy who eventually grew much stronger.  His father taught him to love the outdoors, animals, and people.  At age 22, he married Alice Hathaway and lived happily for about 3 years, until she died on February 13, 1884, while giving birth to a daughter.  Later on, he married his childhood sweetheart, Edith Kermit Carow.  After the Spanish-American War, Teddy became Vice-President under President McKinley.  Shortly after he had won his second term as President, in 1901, President McKinley was shot and killed.  Roosevelt then served as President for almost 4 years and won a second term in 1904.  As President of the United States, he is most remembered for beginning the building of the Panama Canal on May 4, 1904. 

To honor one of our most sincere Presidents, the Teddy Bear toy is named after Theodore Roosevelt!  One of his most famous quotes is,   "With self-discipline most anything is possible."   He lived by his own quote, because Teddy Roosevelt was one of the toughest and most disciplined Presidents we have ever had!  How was he so tough?  For one thing, he was the leader of the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War.  Also, he was a politician, and you have to be pretty tough for that!  After living a full life he died on January 6, 1919, at the age of 60. As he lay dying, he bluntly murmured, "Put out the light.”  Then he died.  We will never forget this great President of the United States of America, Theodore Roosevelt.  

Stress Level!

Are any of these items moving? Or are they perfectly still?? 



One teacher said, "I felt like they were all moving..but slowly. Kind of like, they were breathing."

The pictures attached are used to test the level of stress a person can handle.

The slower the pictures move, the better your ability of handling stress.

Allegedly, criminals that were tested see them spinning around madly; however senior citizens and kids see them standing still.

None of these images are animated - they are perfectly still. 

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day, which is an annual holiday, is celebrated on February 1. Carefully a sleeping groundhog is prodded from his underground chamber to the ground’s surface to look for his shadow. If the groundhog doesn't see his shadow then winter is near its end. On the other hand, if the groundhog does see his shadow there will be 6 more weeks of winter. There is actually a groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania that people drag out on Groundhog Day. His name is Punxsutawney Phil. He earned his name “Punxsutawney” from his town, and his name “Phil” from King Phillip. Up to 40,000 people watch him search for his shadow. This celebration in Pennsylvania has been going on since 1883. Now that’s what I call dedication to a groundhog! I guess he discovered his shadow this year because there are 6 more weeks of winter ahead. It is ored that Punxsutawney Phil has been alive for 120 years. And how does he do this? He just drinks “Elixir of Life” every summer. He weighs about 22 pounds and is 22 inches long. There are quite a few other official groundhogs, but there are way too many to tell you about, or this would be a 10 page report! People all over the U.S. and Canada enjoy the yearly groundhog celebration.

George Moses Horton

Born in 1798 in Chatham County, NC, George Moses Horton lived in slavery until 1865. He taught himself to read and write even though it was against the law. While he was a slave he diligently worked as a school janitor at the University of NC at Chapel Hill, and when he was not working he wrote poems about how he felt. With the help of one of the professor’s wives, he published two books of poems. Through his poetry he helped people understand the sorrow of slavery. He hoped to save enough money to buy his freedom, but was never able to do so. However, in 1865 he was carried off by Union soldiers and traveled north to freedom.
George Moses Horton was truly a good man. Happily, after he gained his freedom, he became a famous newspaper reporter in Philadelphia. He died in Philadelphia at the age of 86. If ever there was a determined man who wanted to become free, it was George Moses Horton. Here is one of his most famous poems.

The Slave's Complaint

by George Moses Horton

Am I sadly cast aside,
On misfortune's rugged tide?
Will the world my pains deride
Forever?

Must I dwell in Slavery's night,
And all pleasure take its flight,
Far beyond my feeble sight,
Forever?

Worst of all, must Hope grow dim,
And withhold her cheering beam?
Rather let me sleep and dream
Forever!

Something still my heart surveys,
Groping through this dreary maze;
Is it Hope? -- then burn and blaze
Forever!

Leave me not a wretch confined,
Altogether lame and blind --
Unto gross despair consigned,
Forever!

Heaven! in whom can I confide?
Canst thou not for all provide?
Condescend to be my guide
Forever:

And when this transient life shall end,
Oh, may some kind eternal friend
Bid me from servitude ascend,
Forever!

Woogiworld

Woogiworld is the best place on the internet, because it teaches you internet training and safety. There are all sorts of things you can do there. You can make buddies and decorate your wigwam, you can make your woogi look the coolest of all, and you can earn coupons! It teaches you about nutrition and other cool stuff. There are also multi-player games, and one of them is called “Woogilympics.” There is a 100 meter run, and to make your woogi run fast you type fast. Then there is the hammer throw event; the faster you find the right element on the periodic table the farther you will throw. There is also a voting booth in Woogiworld. You get to vote and guess what the highest vote is! There are also some celebrities in Woogiworld, such as YY, Wiggiwalker, Bigwig, Wanda Wiggs, Mr. Wigwatts, Wallywoog, Weegor, and Dr. Wiggenstien. If there is one place on the internet that teaches you internet safety and training while also having fun, it’s Woogiworld!

A Mother and Her Sons
There was once a mother who had two sons and both of them had special requests. The older one wished that it would snow so he could go skiing. But the younger one wanted it to be warm and sunny because he was going to an outdoor party. The older boy entreated his Mother to pray for snow, while the younger son asked for clear weather. Greatly torn, the mother did not know which son to pray for.

Moral: You can’t please everybody.

God Says Row

One beautiful evening a fisherman, who had just finished his day’s work, was returning to the dock. Suddenly, the motor in the boat stopped. It had run out of gas! Countless times the fisherman tried to restart the motor as he drifted farther out into the sea. The fisherman prayed to God that He would send someone to tow him back to shore. Then he thought he heard God chuckle and reply, “Sit down, son, and row!”

Moral: God helps those who help themselves.

Fact and Fiction of King Arthur

The stories which were written about King Arthur are a mix of fact and fiction. Actually King Arthur was a tribal chief in England after the Romans left, and he bravely helped fight off invaders. Some story tellers invented fantastic myths about him. The most famous story about King Arthur is “The Sword and the Stone.” Many young s have probably read and dreamed about Sir Gallahad, the purest of knights, and the stories of Merlin the Magician are quite famous, too. But most people think that King Arthur is the real superhero. Now you are probably wondering, “Why is he called King Arthur if he doesn't rule anything?” Well, that’s where you’re wrong! With the help of the Knights of the Round Table and Merlin, King Arthur ruled a kingdom called Camelot. Many people claimed to be related to King Arthur so they could usurp the throne of England. One myth says that King Arthur never died, so some people believe that he will come and rule again when they most need him. That is why he is called, “The once and future king!” The legends of King Arthur are the best known stories in British literature.

The Boston Tea Party


On December 16, 1773, a group of men who called themselves the “Sons of Liberty”, dressed up as Indians and sneaked onto three ships in Boston Harbor. Cautiously under cover of darkness, they dumped 90,000 pounds of tea into the water. The Boston Tea Party happened because the people of Boston became angry when the British began taxing tea. It wasn’t that the tea tax was too high; it was because they had absolutely no say in the matter. The Americans resented being bossed around by England. The Boston Tea Party became a key event preceding the American Revolution.