The Beach Is a Place I Can Go To....

My favorite place in the world is the beach. Ever since I was younger I loved walking on the boardwalk and swimming in the ocean. I love feeling the warm, tan sand between my toes and the bright, yellow sun shinning on my face.

The beach is a place I can go to relax.  Listening to the waves crashing makes me feel calm, especially if I had a overwhelming day at work. I love to watch the sun set over the deep, blue sea and the sky change from a pale blue to a orange and pink mix.

The beach is a place I can go to feel happy. Whenever I'm sad, I like to walk into the water and stare out to the horizon. My problems seem small compared to how vast the ocean is. I often ask my friends to meet me at my favorite beach early in the morning to watch the sun rise. Seeing the sun come up and brighten the sky reassures me everything will be okay.

The beach is a place I can go to feel connected. Even though the ocean is so big, it reminds me of how connected our world can be. I sometimes stop to think about how I share the same ocean as people living in England, despite being hundreds of miles away. 

The beach is a place I can go to have fun. I cannot think of a better way to spend my day than laying on the sand and getting a tan. My friends and I can spend hours on the beach playing volleyball, going swimming, and tanning under the gigantic, hot sun.

Vocabulary-
Boardwalk (noun)- wooden walkway across sand
Relax (verb)- rest
Calm (adjective)-  peaceful, at ease
Overwhelming (adjective)- stressful, demanding
Horizon (noun)- where the sky and ocean meet
Vast (adjective)- large, immense
Reassures (verb)- takes away any fear
Connected (verb)- close

Despite (preposition)- even though
Tanning (verb)- laying under the sun while your skin gets darker

Vocabulary Activity- Find these vocabulary words in the word search below. Use the first three words you find in a sentence.

K G Y P T E Q S W O P M W W Q 
I N W J O I Y F A E D L T R E 
G I R E A S S U R E S A Y F T 
I M S I G C O Z S S K C T Q Z 
L L S C T Z O P T L E S C M N 
A E I V X B I N A X A X J V G 
F H T Y G T N W N V C M L V Q 
O W F P E K D G H E D U N O H 
I R J Q C R P D Q I C F V L O 
Q E M P A G N I N N A T O D R 
S V X O Y Q Q A T C Y Q E U I 
S O B A H F G X H S R A S D Z 
E F X Z L B V Q M Q Z T N R O 
R M E M K E J Q Y P B T E J N 
L S D G Y E R M L Z J X D C V 

Grammar Point
Adjectives are used to describe nouns. They can change the quality of a person, place, or thing. In order for them to make sense in the English language, they must be written in a certain order. When using multiple adjectives, separate each word with a comma (,).

Example: bright, yellow sun
bright is an opinion
yellow is a color

Your Turn: Underline the adjectives in each sentence. Rearrange the adjectives so they appear in the correct order.

1. My new, red, small sleeping bag.
2. An old wooden lovely chair.
3. Can I try a piece of the round, purple, small fruit?
 

"Billy Joel Touched My Hand"

It's no surprise I love concerts. I probably spend way too much to go see my favorite artist or band live. One of my most memorable concert experiences was seeing Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden. My friend Amanda and I used to sing along to his songs on our road trips up to school. Our other friends would laugh because 1) we are terrible singers and 2) his songs are not our typical music choice. Because I knew Amanda loved him so much, I surprised her with tickets for her birthday. I couldn't get the best seats in the house, but she was so grateful and happy to be going. We both knew it was going to be the best night ever!

On our way into the stadium, our night took an unexpected turn. A worker from Billy Joel's team stopped us and offered us front row tickets to the show. We were so excited we could hardly speak! Right away we said yes and called our parents to tell them the amazing news! It was so cool sitting so close to such a great performer, and hearing him sing live. We took one million pictures and danced non stop to every song. At one point, Billy Joel came to the edge of the stage and reached out to touch the audience's hands. We shrieked with happiness when he made his way to our section. "Oh my gosh," I remember Amanda saying, "Billy Joel touched my hand. I am never washing this hand again!" Seeing Billy Joel live is an amazing memory that I am so thankful to have experienced. 

Vocabulary
Artist (noun)- singer
Band (noun)- group of people singing and playing music
Most memorable (adjective)- easily remembered
Road trips (noun)- long car rides
Typical (adjective)- usual
Grateful (adjective)- thankful
Unexpected (adjective)- not what we thought was going to happen
Offered (verb)- gave
Shrieked (verb)- screamed

Vocabulary Activity- Fill in the blank with a vocabulary word.
1. The _______ is going to play a song tonight on his own.
2. The _________ is made up of a singer, drummer, and two boys playing the guitar.
3. The ______ ____________ day of my life is my wedding day.
4. We took a ______ ______ across the country.
5. It is ______ for Anna to go out for lunch since she buys pizza every day.
6. I am ________ for the opportunity to go to college.
7. Winning the lottery was an ________ surprise since Joe usually has bad luck.
8. She _____ me half her sandwich since I forgot my breakfast.
9. I _________ when I saw a spider on my purse.

Grammar PointA hyperbole is a exaggeration or extravagant statement used for effect. With hyperbole, the literal meaning is not the intended meaning. One example of a hyperbole is We took one million pictures... Although we did not literally take that many pictures, I am using an exaggeration to show we took a lot of pictures.

Your Turn: Find another hyperbole in the paragraph above. Tell me the literal meaning and how the exaggeration is being used for effect.

Snoopy

             

What do you wish for before blowing out the candles on your birthday cake? Ever since I was ten, I wished for a puppy. My mom thought I was crazy because I used to be terrified of dogs. I once locked myself in the bathroom and cried because I was convinced my aunt's dog was evil! Thankfully I was able to overcome this fear. This led to me begging my parents to get a dog.  Then, on my fifteenth birthday, my birthday wish came true!

My parents bought me an eight week old Maltese puppy who we named Snoopy. My dad came up with his name because he is "a little white dog with attitude." I like to call him "Snoop Dog." Even though he was my birthday present, he is the family dog. Snoopy has created a special bond with each member of my family.

Snoopy loves to go on walks in the neighborhood with my dad. His favorite part is greeting people on the street.  He barks at everyone that passes by. Snoopy loves to sit in the kitchen when my mom cooks. He always eats the scraps that fall on the floor when she makes steak, his favorite meal. That's probably why he is considered large for his breed! Snoopy and my sister can sit and watch TV in bed all day. He loves to be pet and snuggled under the warm blankets.

I might be biased, but I think Snoopy and I have the best relationship out of everyone. We love to go on runs together, play outside, and go to the beach. He'll even sit with my if I am doing homework or just want to talk. We spend most of our time together and he always knows how to cheer me up. 

After spending the last six years with Snoopy I can't imagine not having him in my life. Who else would protect me, make me laugh, and give me slobbery kisses every day?

Vocabulary
Terrified- scared
Convinced- fully believed
Begging- asking over and over again
Bond- relationship
Neighborhood- area where you live
Scraps- extra pieces
Considered- looked at
Snuggled- sit close to
Biased- in favor of
Cheer me up- make me happy
Slobbery- wet

Vocabulary Activity- Draw a line from the vocabulary word to its definition.


Grammar Point
Punctuation is the symbols we use to end a sentence.
If we are asking a question, we use a question mark (?)
For example, I asked: What do you wish for before blowing out the candles on your birthday cake?

If we are showing something with a lot of emotion, we use an exclamation mark (!). Some types of emotions we want to show is excited, scared, angry, shocked, or amused.
In the sentence, I once locked myself in the bathroom and cried because I was convinced my aunt's dog was evil!  I am showing that this situation was scary at the time but funny now.

A period (.) is used to end a sentence without any additional meaning.
Snoopy loves to go on walks in the neighborhood with my dad. The purpose of this sentence is to just share a fact about my dog, nothing extra.


Your Turn: Write one sentence using a question mark, one using an exclamation point, and one using just a period.

Comparing Sweet Treats

On a hot summer day, everyone loves to snack on something cold and delicious. In America, you might scoop yourself a bowl of ice cream. In Italy, you would stop by a gelateria for some gelato. Although it is similar to ice cream, there are many differences between the American and Italian sweet treats.

Gelato is the Italian word for frozen ice cream. Like ice cream, it is made with milk, cream, and sugar. However, gelato uses more whole milk than cream. Another difference is gelato is churned slower and has a dense but whipped texture. Ice cream is usually lighter, fluffier, and contains more air. Therefore, gelato has a more intense flavor than ice cream does. Finally, gelato is made to be served fresh while ice cream can be stored for months. Because of this, gelato is served at a warmer temperature than ice cream. This makes gelato smoother while ice cream is harder.

Vocabulary
Delicious: taste good, yummy
Gelateria: Italian ice cream store
Gelato: Italian word for frozen ice cream
Similar: almost the same as
Churned: stirred
Dense: heavy, filled
Intense: strong, rich

Vocabulary Activity-




Grammar Point 
Adjectives are words that are used to describe nouns. The word hot describes a summer day, and the words dense and whipped describe the texture of gelato. We can use our five senses (smell, taste, feel, hear, and see) to help us come up with words to describe nouns.

Your Turn: Write 3-5 sentences about your favorite type of food. Use adjectives to describe what that food smells like, tastes like, looks like, and feels like.

King of the Jungle

 Lions are known as the "king of the jungle." However, lions usually live in savannas or grasslands. These habitats work best because are open areas which allow lions to roam freely. Lions are nicknamed "king" because they are strong and powerful. Their size ranges from four to nine feet long, and they can weigh up to 500 pounds. Despite being so big, a lion can run as fast as 50 miles per hour and can leap over 30 feet in just one jump. These traits help lions catch zebras, wildebeests, or other types of prey. Female lions do most of the hunting, while males stay back to defend their pride. A pride can consist of over 10 lions, usually with twice as many females than males. It also includes many cubs. Lion cubs stay close to their mothers while they are young. They cannot even roar until they are two years old. Once they are older though, a lion's roar can be heard up to five miles away! 

Although these majestic cats are a symbol of strength, their species is vulnerable and population is decreasing. Lions were once roaming all over Asia, Africa and Europe. However, today they are really only found in the sub Saharan desert in Africa. It's our job to protect these animals so they can continue to rule the jungle for many years to come.

Vocabulary
Savannas (noun)- grassy area with few trees
Habitats (noun)- animal's home
Roam (verb)- travel
Prey (noun)- animals killed for food
Defend(verb)- protect
Pride (noun)-group of lions 
Cubs (noun)- baby lions
Majestic (adjective)- beautiful, impressive
Species (noun)- type of animal
Vulnerable (verb)- able to be attacked, harmed

Vocabulary Activity-

Grammar Point Underline the numbers used in the paragraphs above. When we use numbers in our writing, we usually express the numbers zero through nine with words and use digits for the number 10 or greater.

Your Turn: Choose whether the numbers are expressed correctly. If they are wrong, correct them.

               a) 9          b) fifty-three         c) one         d) twenty one         e) 5         f) 72

Beating Procrastination

Waiting until the last-minute to do an assignment can lead to stress and does not allow a person to complete their best work.  Although it is easy to come up with excuses about why we don’t have to start a project right away, it is important that we hit the books and get to work. Procrastination is hard to overcome, but it is not impossible. Here are some tips to stay ahead of schedule:

1. Write Down Important Dates On a Calendar
   This includes test dates and project due dates. A calendar allows you to visualize your time and plan when to start studying in order to give yourself enough time.
   
   
2. Break Down Large Projects
   Knowing you have three weeks to write a ten-page paper is overwhelming. In order to make the task more manageable, aim to write four pages each week. Creating mini due-dates allows you to focus on smaller parts that are less demanding.
   
3. Create a To-Do List
   Before you begin your work for the day, write down everything you want to accomplish. As you complete each task, cross it off your list. The feeling of crossing something off your list is both satisfying and motivating because it will help you see you.

With these tips, ending procrastination will be a piece of cake!

Vocabulary:

Stress: a feeling of being upset, tired, and hopeless
Excuses: reasons to not do something
Procrastination: when a person puts off doing something
Overcome: beat
Visualize: see, create an image in your head
Overwhelming: scary
Manageable: able to do
Less demanding: require less work
Satisfying: gives you pleasure, makes you happy
Motivating: encourages you to keep going

Vocabulary Activity- Answer the following questions about procrastinating. Use a least one vocabulary word in each of your answers.

1. How you feel when you procrastinate a project?
2. How is a "To-Do List" helpful when it comes to large projects? 
3. Why should we use a calendar?

Grammar Point:

Idioms are a form of figurative language. They are common expressions that mean something different from their literal, or actual, meaning. For example, the phrase “piece of cake” literally means a slice of a sweet treat. In the paragraph above I use its figurative meaning: that something is easy. 

Your Turn: Use the images below to help you figure out the literal and figurative meanings of the idiom “hit the book.”

Next Stop...Europe!

One of my favorite activities is traveling. I love learning about new cultures and new places around the world.  My most recent trip was a spontaneous four day vacation to Europe. My cousins and I spent two days in London, England and two days exploring Ireland. While in London, we organized a self-guided tour of the city's most famous attractions. This included pictures in front of Big Ben and inside old phone booths. We were even lucky enough to go inside Buckingham Palace! Next, my cousins and I flew to Dublin, Ireland. While in Ireland, we took a bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher. The view from the cliffs was spectacular! There is so much history in Ireland, and I learned so much from listening to locals share stories. By the end of my trip I was exhausted! We had seen so much in just a few short days. I am so happy I was able to travel to these countries, and cannot wait to explore more of Europe.







Vocabulary
most recent (adjective) - did not happen too long ago
spontaneous (adjective) - last minute decision
organized (verb) - put together
self-guided tour (compound noun) - a route we created on our own
famous attractions (compound noun) - popular place where most people visit
Big Ben (proper noun) - nickname for a famous clock in London
phone booths (compound noun) - a building used to make private phone calls
Buckingham Palace (proper noun) - where the queen of England lives
spectacular (adjective) - beautiful
locals (noun) - people who lives in that area
exhausted (abstract noun) - very tired

Vocabulary Exercise
Fill in each sentence with the correct vocabulary word.

1. My friend called me and asked if I wanted to take a _________  trip to the beach in an hour.
2. I was ________ after soccer practice.
3. The Empire State Building is one of New York's most ______ ________, many people take pictures in front of the building.
4. My _____ _______ doctor visit was just two days ago.
5. I __________ a surprise party for my sister.
6. Since it was our first time in New York, we asked the ______ to recommend a good place to eat.
7. The view of the sunset was __________.


Grammar Point
Big Ben and Buckingham Palace are proper nouns. This means they are the specific names of a clock and a building in London. In the English language, we capitalize proper nouns to show they are the specific names of a person, place, or thing.

Your Turn: Label each word a common noun or proper noun by putting a check in the box.