Family Vacation 

The Chow family is on vacation. They are staying in Hawaii for five days. They rented a hotel room on the beach in Maui. Everyone is excited. The kids want to go on a submarine tour and see the fish in the Pacific Ocean. Mrs. Chow wants to go shopping and take a sunrise tour of Haleakala Crater. Mr. Chow wants the family to go hiking in the morning, visit museums in the afternoon, and have a barbecue on the beach in the evening. He is worried about spending too much money. Mrs. Chow thinks her husband worries too much about money. She wants him to relax and forget about money while they are on vacation. What should Mrs. Chow do? How can she solve her problem? 

B. True or False
1. ________ Mr. and Mrs. Chow are married.
2. ________ The Chow family is going to Hawaii for a week.
3. ________ Haleakala Crater is in Maui, and Maui is in Hawaii.
4. ________ Mr. Chow is concerned about the family’s budget.
5. ________ Hawaii is in the Atlantic Ocean.

C. Yes or No – What about you?
1. ________ I went to Hawaii on vacation.
2. ________ I like to stay in hotels.
3. ________ Unfortunately, I can’t afford a vacation this year.
4. ________ I am saving money to take a trip.

January

The first day of January is New Year's Day. This federal holiday celebrates the beginning of each New Year. People in the U.S. sometimes spend this day watching college football games and parades. On the third Monday in January, we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday as a federal holiday. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked to change laws so that all people in the U.S. would be treated fairly. He worked for change in the 1950s and 60s when many states had laws separating black people and white people. Martin Luther King taught people to use peaceful demonstrations to change laws, instead of violence. Many laws were changed because of his work. Many people worked with him in the hope that the U.S. could be a fair country for all people

Federal- form of central government
celebrates- to do something special or enjoyable
parades- a public celebration of a special day
holiday- a special day of celebration.
laws- a set of rules made by the government
treated- to show an action towards a person
fairly- a way that is right or proper
separating- not joined or not together
taught- to have helped someone learn something
peaceful- quiet and calm
demonstration- the act of showing someone something
instead- used to say that one thing is chosen and not the other           one.
hope- to want something to happen or be true

1) On Thanksgiving there is a _____________ with many large floats.
2) The _______________ government is more powerful than state government.
3)  The water is _____________ from the oil.
4) Everyone should be treated ________________.
5) My mother ____________ me manners.
6) Christmas is my favorite ______________ of the year.
7) The snow make me feel ___________ and calm.
8) Everyone should be _______________ fairly.
9) ____________ of broccoli I chose chocolate.
10) The government makes many ___________ for the country.
11) Some people ________________ halloween.
12) The teacher uses ________________ to teach the students how to multiply.
13) I ____________ that there will be no school tomorrow.

                                  Silly Bear Story 

The Kirkland family went camping in Yosemite National Park in northern California. They 
found a beautiful spot near a stream, and they set up their tent and started a fire. Mr. 
Kirkland left to search for more fire wood. When he returned, he saw his wife and son up 
in a tree. A mother bear was roasting hot dogs over the campfire and a baby cub was sleeping in a sleeping bag. The mother bear roared when she saw Mr. Kirkland. He was so afraid that he climbed up the same tree that held his wife and son. Do you think this is a true story? Is it fact or fiction?  

True or False 
1. ________ Yosemite National Park is in California. 
2. ________ A baby bear is a cub. 
3. ________ In the picture, the mother bear is sitting on a log. 
4. ________ The Kirkland family is afraid of bears. 
5. ________ Bears can roast hot dogs over campfires.                         

What about you?                               
1. ________ I have been to a National Park. 
2. ________ I am afraid of bears. 
3. ________ I like to go camping. 
4. ________ I like to eat hot dogs that are cooked outside. 
5. ________ I have a pet.

Adjectives

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ANGRY	BEAUTIFUL	BRAVE
CAREFUL	CARELESS	CLEVER
CRAZY	CUTE	DANGEROUS
EXCITING	FAMOUS	FRIENDLY
HAPPY	INTERESTING	LUCKY
OLD	POOR	POPULAR
RICH	SAD	THIN
UGLY	UNLUCKY	YOUNG

           Six ways dogs can help ease depression symptoms

There have been many conversations about how dogs can help with depression. Dog's can be very intuitive. Some ways that dogs can help with depression are simple yet effective. The first reason is that dogs offer unconditional love. Dogs do not have an opinion or criticize, they will love you no matter what.  Dogs can alter our behavior. If a person is having a bad day and is greeted by an excited dog, it can change a persons mood and distract us of our worries.  Dogs can promote touch. It is said that stroking a dog can reduce stress, blood pressure and heart rate. Dogs make us responsible. Taking care of dogs promotes structure and promotes mental health.  Dogs can lower our blood pressure. Research shows that dog owners have lower blood pressure.

Conversation:a talk between two people or a group of people

Depression: a state of feeling sad

Intuitive: ability to know or understand things without evidence

Effective: successful in producing a desired result

Offer: to present something to someone

Unconditional: not limited in any way

Criticize: to express disapproval

Alter: to change

promote: to change to a higher position

Stroking: to rub gently in one direction

Reduce: to make something in smaller size

Stress: a state of mental worry

structure: the way something is built

research: a careful study to find something

Building Schools in the Clouds

Are students learning from an obsolete curriculum?

As technology advances, are schools and teachers teaching materials to students that are becoming obsolete? In this Edtalk video, Sugata Mitra talks about how schools were developed many years ago in a universal way in order for people to learn the same material and in the same manner.  For example learning writing, reading, math are a universal components that all students will learn in schools. Individual who have learned in this manner can be moved from one location to a different location and will be knowledgable and functional in any location. As technology becomes more significant in our every day lives, do we need to learn about other subjects that the internet can do the searching for us? Math for example is a subject that a computer can do the work for us. Sugata Mitra talks about how students will learn on their own based on their curiosity. He has created a method called SOLE. This method shows how teachers give students an objective and tools in order to finish a goal. The teacher then asks them to come up with an answer. Many students interacted with each other, discussed and concluded to their own solution. Mitra gave an example that discussed how Galileo has contributed to astronomy based on simple observations and curiosity of stars. This curiosity is what needs to be implemented into curriculums at schools. What do you think?

VOCABULARY

Advances- to move forward 

Obsolete- no longer used

universal- done by all people

developed- to make larger or more advanced

component- a part of a larger part

individual- single or separate

Knowledgeable- well informed, intelligent

functional - having a special activity or purpose

significant- an importance

curiosity- wanting to know something

method- a way of doing something

objective- a goal 

interacted - to talk or do things with other people

discussed- talked about

concluded - when a person comes to a result

contributed- to help to cause something to happen

astronomy- the scientific study of stars, planets and other objects in outer space

observations- a statement about something you have noticed

implemented- something used to do work

curriculum- courses taught in schools

Why I love traveling

Travel is good for many things, but it can also increase mental well-being - and not just in the short-term. Whether you’re traveling for business, on a one-week family holiday, or have sold everything to pursue a life on the road, traveling can make you a happier person by building self-confidence, providing new experiences and memories, breaking routine and allowing you to meet people from all over the world.

Vocabulary:
pursue (verb)- to try to get or do something over a period of time.
self-confidence (noun)- confidence in oneself and in one's abilities
providing (Conjuction)- used to say that one thing must happen in order for another to happen.
routine ( noun)- a regular way of doing things in particular
increase (verb)- to become larger or greater in size, amount, number 
short term (noun)- a short period of time at the beginning of something
routine (noun)- a regular way of doing things in a particular order