Back to School 2011

I would like to welcome each of you to my classroom and wish you a "Happy School Year!"  I am very excited about this year at CMS.  In this class, we will be working together to become better readers.  In order to do this, I have several goals for you:

1. We will read fluently (clearly, and at a good speed-- not too fast, not too slow)
2. We will read accurately (pronouncing each word correctly the first time, and recognizing our mistakes when we make them).
3. We will read using comprehension skills (learning ways to understand what we are reading, and being able to discuss, answer questions, and write about what it is that we have read).

I know that if we work together as a class, we will be able to achieve these goals. 

With that said, in the comments section below, write 3 goals that you would like to set achieve for yourself during the next school year.

Ancient Greece: The Birthplace of Democracy

Over 2400 years ago, the famous Greek general, Pericles, said, "It is true that we (Athenians) are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not the few, with equal justice to all alike in their private disputes."

The Greek democracy that Pericles spoke of was the first democracy in the history of the world.  Our form of government was invented by the Greeks, but there were differences between our governments.  For example, in Ancient Greece all were required by law to vote.  In America people only vote if they want to, and sometimes not very many people vote on a law or election.

Which way do you think is better?  The Ancient Greek way of being required to vote or the American way of choosing  to vote?  Explain why you feel the way you feel.

The Olympic Games

The first olympic games were held in Ancient Greece.  They were a HUGE part of Greek culture.  Each city-state sent athletes to compete for them.  Go to this website http://greece.mrdonn.org/olympics.html and read about what life was like for athletes in each different city-state.  Write a paragraph telling which state you would have wanted to represent and why.

7 Wonders of the World

The Ancient Greeks were the first people to create a list of "Seven Wonders of the World."  This was kind of like a travel guide of must-see places.  Make a list (use a search engine such as Google to help with your research) of these "Seven Wonders" (be sure to look for "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World" since there is a modern list too).  Out of all the places, which one would you most like to visit and why?

The Twelve Olympians

Which twelve Greek gods and goddesses make up the original twelve olympians?  Make a list; then, write a paragraph explaining which god or goddess is your personal favorite and why.

Artemis: Goddess of the Hunt

The goddess Artemis offered Bianca di Angelo a choice the other day:  Join me and my huntresses and you will become immortal.

Immortality, however, comes with a price.  Bianca will stop growing.  She will be a young, middle-school aged girl forever.  She must promise to follow Artemis wherever she may go.  She may see her brother, but only on occasion since boys are not usually allowed in Artemis's camp.  She can never fall in love and never marry.  If she breaks the rules, she breaks the bond with Artemis and dies.

However, if she chooses to pledge herself to Artemis and become a huntress, the only way she can die is in battle.  Which, Artemis promises, hardly ever happens.

What would you do if you were Bianca?  Considering all the things you'd have to give up, would you want to be immortal?  Why or why not?

*****Bonus*****

Google Artemis.  Make a list of all the things that she is the goddess of. 

Hermes: God of Travel

We've learned in "The Sea of Monsters" that Hermes is the god of many things-- medicine, thieves, shipping & mail delivery, trickery, etc.  He's also the god of travel and travelers.  Because of this, he helps Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson start their Quest to save Grover by packing for them.  He says that he is an "expert packer."  

If you knew that you were going to be trapped on an island in the middle of the Sea of Monsters what 10 items would you pack?

***BONUS***
Use the internet to research Hermes.  Make a list of all of the things that he is the god of.

Reviews of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

A review is one person or group's opinion of a book, movie, play, song, concert, etc...

The following are reviews of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. 

"The escapades of the Greek gods and heroes get a fresh spin in the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, about a contemporary 12-year-old New Yorker who learns he's a demigod. Perseus, aka Percy Jackson, thinks he has big problems. His father left before he was born, he's been kicked out of six schools in six years, he's dyslexic, and he has ADHD. What a surprise when he finds out that that's only the tip of the iceberg: he vaporizes his pre-algebra teacher, learns his best friend is a satyr, and is almost killed by a minotaur before his mother manages to get him to the safety of Camp Half-Blood--where he discovers that Poseidon is his father. But that's a problem, too. Poseidon has been accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt, and unless Percy can return the bolt, humankind is doomed. Riordan's fast-paced adventure is fresh, dangerous, and funny. Percy is an appealing, but reluctant hero, the modernized gods are hilarious, and the parallels to Harry Potter are frequent and obvious. Because Riordan is faithful to the original myths, librarians should be prepared for a rush of readers wanting the classic stories." ~Chris Sherman


"Packed with humorous allusions to Greek mythology . . . along with rip-snorting action sequences, this book really shines." ~Horn Book Magazine


"[A] riotously paced quest tale of heroism that questions the realities of our world, family, friendship and loyalty." ~Kirkus Reviews, starred review

As you can see, reviews offer a summary of the book's events, and then give the reader's opinion of the book.  For your comments on this post, I want each of you to write your own review of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.  Remember, this is YOUR opinion!  Do not read anyone else's post before writing yours!

The ♥ of the West

In Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Percy has survived middle school, caused his math teacher to vanish, found out his Latin teacher is really a centaur and his best friend (Grover) a satyr, watched his mom disappear, defeated the minotaur, learned the Greek gods are real, and discovered that somehow he is part of all of it.

That's ALOT for a kid to handle!

When Chiron (the centaur formerly known as Mr. Brunner), is giving Percy a tour of Camp Half-Blood, he explains to him that the home of the Greek gods (Mt. Olympus) follows the heart of the West.  What he means is that the gods go wherever Western civilization is most dominant.  In our time, Chiron explains, that place is America.

When people think of Western civilization, they think of democracy.  Greece was the first democracy, and now America is the most powerful democracy in the world.  Another characteristic of Western civilization is the idea that all citizens are created equal and should begin life with equal opportunities.  These are just two examples of our culture.

What, in YOUR opinon, are some of the best things about our culture (Western civilization)?

Hello Students!

I want to WELCOME all of you back to school and INTRODUCE you to our class blog! I hope all of you had an AWESOME summer. We will be using this BLOG to discuss books and articles that we are READING in class. This is my FIRST blog, so I am relying on YOUR help this year to keep it running SMOOTHLY.


A few times a month, I will POST questions about something we’ve READ or TALKED about in class. It will be YOUR job to comment on those posts. At FIRST, this will be for bonus points, but AFTER Christmas it will be a grade.


So, LET’S get STARTED!!! Here’s your first QUESTION:

What did YOU read this summer? Think about more than just books….