HW Helper

Week of May 21,2012





 




Review Words for Unit 5 -Tested Friday

summer, winter, little, October, travel, color, flower, people, begin, again, around, before, away, about, they, weren't, she's, wasn't, I'd, shouldn't, let's, it's, you're, we're, they're, that's

** These are review words! You should know all of the words! You will be tested on 15 of them!**


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Week of May 14, 2012

There will be NO testing this week! 

It is INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL FAIR WEEK! FINISH YOUR PROJECT... DUE WEDNESDAY!
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Week of May 7, 2012
By: Beverly Cleary
Comprehension Skill: Making Generalizations

Comprehension Strategy: Summarize
Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

ceaseless- not stopping; constant
companionable-friendly
discouraged- having little hope or enthusiasm
dismal- gloomy, miserable
dreary - gloomy; bleak; dull
exhausted -very tired
pelting- beating against again and again
sullenly- in a bad-humored way; not happily; gloomily










Spelling Words - Test Friday
Contractions
You are expected to know how to spell the word AND it's meaning!

I'm= I am, he's= he is, aren't= are not, couldn't= could not, won't = will not, o'clock = of the clock, can't = can not, isn't= is not, wouldn't=would not, weren't= were not, she's = she is, wasn't= was not, I'd= I would, shouldn't= should not, let's = let us, it's = it is, you're= you are, we're= we are, they're= they are, that's= that is






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Week of April 30, 2012
By: Angela Shelf Medearis
Comprehension Skill: Drawing Conclusions

Comprehension Strategy: Predict Infer
Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

draped- hung loosely in folds
fabric-cloth
hem- to fold back and sew down the edges
mended-repaired by sewing
pattern - a repeated design or decoration
plaid -a pattern of stripes that cross each other
rustling- quick, soft, fluttering sound













Spelling Words - Test Friday
Words Beginning with a/be

begin, again, around, before, away, about, they, want, alive, because, ahead, between, behind, ago, awhile, beyond






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Week of April 23, 2012
By: Ofelia Dumas Lachtman

Comprehension Skill: Problem Solving

Comprehension Strategy: Evaluate
Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

language- spoken or written human speech
Spanish-a language
tacos- tortillas folded around a filling such as ground meat or cheese
enchiladas-tortillas rolled around a filling, then covered with spicy sauce
salsa-  a spicy sauce usually made with tomatoes, onions, and peppers
tortilla -a round, flat bread made of corn, from Mexico and Central America
tamales-cornmeal dough wrapped in a corn husk or leaf around a filling and steamed












Spelling Words - Test Friday
VCCCV Pattern

summer, winter, little, October, travel, color, flower, people, apple, able, November, ever, later, purple, thermometer, mumble






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Week of April 16, 2012
 FCAT - THIS WEEK!
Monday- Reading
Tuesday- Reading
Wednesday- Math
Thursday- Math


1. Get a good night's sleep.
2. Eat a healthy breakfast.
3. Wear comfortable clothing. (Bring a jacket if you get cold.)
4. Do not forget to take medication prescribed by your doctor.
5. If you are supposed to wear glasses or contacts, wear them.
6. Be on time to school!
7. Think positively!!
8. Relax!!!!
  

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 Week of April 9, 2012


FCAT Vocabulary Review #2

These are words that may appear on the Reading FCAT that students need to be able to read AND understand. We cannot read anything for your child on the FCAT. They have to be able to work well independently.
1. base word: a complete word that can stand alone; affixes can be added to form new words
2. simile: a way writers compare things by saying one thing is like another
3. fable: stories that teach lessons, usually with animal characters that act like people
4. autobiography: true story that someone writes about his/her own life
5. suffix: letters added to the end of a base word that change the meaning of the base word
6. synonyms: words that have the same or almost the same meaning
7. fiction: a made up story
8. prefix: letters added to the beginning of a base word that change the meaning of he base word
9. antonyms: words with opposite meanings
10. nonfiction: stories about real people and real things that happen
11. biography: story about a person’s life written by someone else
12. genres: different kinds of writing/stories

Vocabulary Quiz Friday
FCAT Week of April 16th

Homework: Work on www.FCATexplorer.com for 20 minutes each night. For those students without internet access he/she will be given time in class to work FCAT explorer.
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 Week of April 2, 2012


FCAT Vocabulary Review #1

These are words that may appear on the Reading FCAT that students need to be able to read AND understand. We cannot read anything for your child on the FCAT. They have to be able to work well independently.

1. multiple meaning word: words that can have more than one meaning
2. mood: the feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for a reader
3. cause and effect: a relationship when one thing happens, it causes something else to happen
4. compare: explains how things are alike
5. contrast: explains how things are different
6. prediction: use what you already know to tell what is going to happen
7. theme: It is bigger than the main idea. It doesn’t tell who did what. It connects the story to all people. (A lesson learned…)
8. fantasy: genre about things that could not happen in real life
9. realism: genre about things that could really happen
10. author’s purpose: the author’s reason for writing
11. main idea; what the passage is mostly about; the most important idea
12. sequence: what happens first, second, third, and so on….

Vocabulary Quiz Wednesday!
FCAT Week of April 16th

Homework: Work on www.FCATexplorer.com for 20 minutes each night. For those students without internet access he/she will be given time in class to work FCAT explorer.

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Week of March 26, 2012
The Island-below-the-Star
A Wild Ride


Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

harpoons- spears used to hunt whales and large fish
seaworthy- safe for sailing in
calabashes- large, round bowls made from a gourd
awe- a feeling of wonder and respect
hull-the body of a boat
roiling- moving roughly in many directions
territory-land controlled by a certain group; a part of the united states that is not a state
slogging- moving slowly
territory- a short movie about recent news





Review Words for Unit 5 -Tested Friday

grew, daughter, until, cook, ought, forgot, balloon, caught, dollar, boot, window, taught, flew, brought, hello, tooth, Monday, pretty, chew, sudden, order, spoon, thought, happen, bought, brook, expect, loose, stubborn, granddaughter

** These are review words! You should know all of the words! You will be tested on 15 of them!**


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Week of March 12, 2012

By: Michael McCurdy
Comprehension Skill: Text Organization
Comprehension Strategy: Monitor/ Clarify
Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

barren- having little plant or animal
crevasse-deep hole or crack
deserted- empty; not lived in, or having few or no people
floes- large sheet of floating ice
grueling-  very tiring
impassable -not able to be crossed or traveled through
perilous-very dangerous
terrain - land, ground, or earth










Spelling Words - Test Friday
VCCV Pattern

Monday, sudden, until, forgot, happen, follow, after, funny, dollar, window, hello, market, pretty, order, stubborn, expect




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Week of March 5, 2012

BENCHMARK TESTING!

We will be taking the Benchmark Test this week! We will NOT start a new story or have new vocabulary words. There will NOT be a spelling test! 


We will be taking a break from our regular routine and focusing on doing our best on the Benchmark! Please make sure that your child is well rested and eats breakfast each morning! Also, please make sure that your child is at school on time each day!

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Week of February 27, 2012

By: Sook Nyul Choi
Comprehension Skill:Predicting Outcomes
Comprehension Strategy: Predict/ Infer

Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

bustling- full of activity; busy
custom-a tradition; a way of doing something that many people follow
foreigners- people who come from another country or place
passport- a government document that allows a person to travel in foreign countries. 
sightseeing-  visiting interesting places; touring
skyscrapers -very tall buildings
vendor -someone who sells something







Spelling Words - Test Friday
Vowel Sounds in bought

caught, thought, bought, laugh, through, enough, teeth, was, fought, daughter, taught, brought, ought, cough, sought, granddaughter




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Week of February 21, 2012
The Mayflower Journey

By:Jean Van Leeuwen
Comprehension Skill:Making Inferences
Comprehension Strategy: Question

Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

anchor-a heavy metal hoot attached to a ship and dropped overboard to hold the ship in place
cramped- crowded; not enough room to move about
journey- a trip from one place to another
seeping-slowly leaking; oozing
settlement - a small community in a new place
survive - to stay alive; to hold up or withstand
weary- tired; needing rest

















Spelling Words - Test Friday
Vowel Sounds in tooth/cook

tooth, chew, grew, cook, shoe, blue, good, soon, boot, flew, shook, balloon, drew, spoon, loose, brook


Spelling Homework Menu

Week of February 13, 2012
Alejandro's Gift
The Living Desert


Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

companion-friend
refresh- to make like new again
cherish- well loved
furrows- long, narrow grooves cut in the ground
dwellers- people or animals who live in a place
drudgery- hard, boring, or unpleasant work
shunned-avoided on purpsose
saguaro- kind of catus
environment- a place where animals, plants or people live
moisture- wetness
tenants- people or animals who live in a place
behavior- the way a person or animal acts
cope- deal with





Review Words for Unit 4 -Tested Friday

pair, unhurt, grinning, air, smiled, sadly, care, retell, babies, bear, unlike, cared, scare, hopeful, parties, pear, remake, chopped, bare, unhappy, joking, chair, friendly, carried, helper, farewell, flair, moving, libraries, silently

** These are review words! You should know all of the words! You will be tested on 15 of them!**

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Week of February 6, 2012
By:Harriet Peck Taylor
Comprehension Skill:Making Judgments
Comprehension Strategy: Monitor and Clarify

Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

appreciate-to enjoy and understand
grazing- eating growing plants
population- relating to the number of people or animals living in a certain place
starve-to suffer or die from not having enough food
surrounding - on all sides of
territory - an area of land
wander- to move from place to place without having a special destination













Spelling Words - Test Friday
Words that have a prefix or a suffix.
 helper, unfair, friendly, unhappy, remake, careful, hopeful, unlike, retell, sadly, farmer, unhurt, unimportant, silently, *have, *said

(* have and said are review words)


Spelling Homework Menu


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Week of January 30, 2012
By:Michael Foreman
Comprehension Skill: Compare and Contrast
Comprehension Strategy: Summarize

Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

basked-rested in pleasant warmth
buffeted- struck powerfully, blown about
horizon- the line where the sky seems to meet the sea and Earth
quay -a dock where ships are loaded and unloaded
surf - to ride on waves, often on a surfboard
swell- a long wave that moves without breaking
swooped- moved with a sudden, sweeping motion


Spelling Words - Test Friday
Word Endings -ed and -ing


cared, babies, chopped, saving, carried, fixing, hurried, joking, grinning, smiled, wrapped, parties, moving, libraries, making, stopped


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Week of January 23, 2012
By: Bruce McMillan
Comprehension Skill: Fact and Opinion

Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

ashore -on or to the shore ( from the water)
burrows - holes or tunnels dug in the ground by small animals
instinctively - acting on an inner feeling; doing without thinking
launching - throwing;sending forcefully upward
stranded - left in a helpless or difficult position
uninhabited - having no people living there
venture- to set out to do something even though it might be dangerous


Spelling Words - Test Friday 1/27
Vowel + r Sound in hair


hair, care, chair, pair, bear, where, buy, could, scare, air, pear, bare, fair, share, flair, farewell


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Week of January 16, 2012

Due to this being such a short week..( No School Monday or Friday) we will NOT be testing a new Reading story or have new Spelling words . We will be reviewing benchmarks and skills that we need remediation on! We will also take the unit 3 Benchmark test in Reading this week!

Your child should be reading his her chapter book and logging it. He/she should also be practicing multiplication facts. ( Working  on fluency of facts and speed!) 

I encourage you to allow your child to work on Destination Success or Compass Odyssey at home!


Reading Vocabulary- NO Test This Week!





Spelling Words -NO TEST THIS WEEK



Week of January 9, 2012
Fugitives on Four Legs
Dinosaur Bob


Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

fleeing- running away
escapade- an adventurous escape
sanctuary- a safe place set aside for animals to live in
wallow- roll around happily in something, enjoy something a lot
safari- a trip to see wild animals
rendition- a performance of a song
liner-a large passenger ship
berth- a place to sleep on a ship
serenade- a musical performance that honors someone
menace- a dancer





Review Words for Unit 3 -Tested Friday

sound, crown, word, her, crack, orange, hear, our, also, girl, dark, clear, squeeze, second, here, new, soft

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Week of January 2, 2012
By: Chris Van Allsburg
Comprehension Skill: Story Structure

Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

awesome - causing a feeling of wonder, fear and respect
convinced - made to do, believe or feel certain about something
disappeared - passed out of sight or vanished
discovered - found or learned something new
incredible - too unlikely to be believed or astonishing or amazing
impossible ~- not able to happen or exist



Spelling Words - Test Friday 1/6
Homophones- Words that sound alike, but are spelled differently and have different meanings.


hear, here, new, knew, its, it's, eye, I, our, hour, there, their, they're, seen, scene, bear, bare



Week of December 12, 2011
By: Jerdine Nolen

Reading Vocabulary- Tested WED. 12/14

appetite- the desire for food; hunger
chores -small jobs usually done on a regular schedule
harvested- picked or gathered
hitched- tied on or fastened by a knot, ring, or hook
plow- to break up and turn over dirt so that seeds can be planted

sown- scattered or planted
tended- looked after; took care of













Spelling Words - NO Spelling TEST this week!

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Week of December 5, 2011
An Italian folktale adapted and illustrated by: Tomie DePaola


Reading Vocabulary- Tested WED. 12/7

giant- a huge, strong imaginary creature
mysterious -very hard to explain or understand
pedestal- a base or support for a statue
square- an open area like a center of town, where people can get together
statue- an image made of wood, stone, or metal

weakling- a person who is not strong










Spelling Words -Tested Friday 12/9

large, gym, skin, quick, picnic, judge, rock, job, park, jeans, crack,orange, second, squeeze, courage, insect
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Week of November 28, 2011

** Please Note- Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday on Monday and a Field Trip on Thursday we will be testing this week's reading vocabulary and story NEXT Wednesday, 12/7! We will STILL test Spelling on Friday! YOU CAN do it! :)**

The Mysterious Giant Barletta
An Italian folktale adapted and illustrated by: Tomie DePaola


Reading Vocabulary- Tested WED. 12/7

giant- a huge, strong imaginary creature
mysterious -very hard to explain or understand
pedestal- a base or support for a statue
square- an open area like a center of town, where people can get together
statue- an image made of wood, stone, or metal

weakling- a person who is not strong










Spelling Words -Tested Friday 12/2

girl, clear, her, turn, dark, work, hard, morning, smart, word, hurt, serve, north, third, tornado, scurried

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Week of November 21, 2011

Due to this being such a short week..( Two days before Thanksgiving) we will NOT be testing. We will be reviewing benchmarks and skills that we need remediation on! 


Your child should be reading his her chapter book and logging it. He/she should also be practicing multiplication facts. ( Working  on fluency of facts and speed!)



Reading Vocabulary- NO Test This Week!





Spelling Words -NO TEST THIS WEEK


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Week of November 14, 2011
by: Dav Pilkey


Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

colossal- very big; enormous
creature -a living being, especially an animal
monstrous- extremely large; enormous
heroic- very brave or daring
terrifying- causing much fear

tremendous- very great, large, or powerful

horrifying- causing much fear








Spelling Words -Tested Friday

clown, lawn, talk, sound, cloth, would, town, small, bounce, officer, also, mouth, crown, soft, count, law

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Week of November 7, 2011
Mrs. Rumphius
Celebrating Chinese New Year


Reading Vocabulary- Tested Thursday

bloomed-  has flowers that opened up; blossomed
lupines - flowers of a certain type that grow in a cone-shaped cluster
bushels-amounts that each equal 32 quarts
headlands-points of high land that stick out into a body of water
hollows- small valleys







Review Words for Unit 2 -Tested Thursday

speak, feel, seem, most, both, know, street, lie, need, paint, hold, float, three, spread, mind, might, lay, leave, own, row, wrap, patch, tie, wild, bright, needle, tomorrow, program, kitchen, design
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Week of October 31, 2011

boastfulness-  being full of praise for oneself, one's belongings, or one's actions
clever-smart
culture - the customs, beliefs, and ways of living that belong to a people
folktale -a traditional story handed down from one generation to the next
greediness-being filled with selfish desire for more than what one needs
mischief- bad behavior

qualities-features that make a person or thing special

trickster- a character who plays tricks or pranks on others


I have also included extra vocabulary cards for words that we are working on in class. :) 



Online Trickster Quiz




Spelling Words- Tested Friday
words with the /oi/ sound

join, joy, boil, noise, spoil, choice, soil, point, foil,voice, coil, broil, coin, boy, enjoy, rejoice

Spelling Homework Menu
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Week of October 17, 2011
by: Rhonda Mitchell


Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

collection-  a group of objects gathered together and saved for display or study
embroider-to decorate by sewing designs with a needle and thread
royalty - members of a royal family, such as kings queens, princes or princesses
symbols -something that stands for or represents something else
wealth-a great amount of money or valuable possessions
flourish- an energetic or dramatic waving motion




Spelling Words- Tested Friday
Skill: 3-Letter Clusters and Unexpected Consonant Patterns

spring, knee, throw, patch, strong, wrap, three, watch, street, know, spread, write, two, strength, kitchen, catch

Spelling Homework Menu
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Week of October 10, 2011


conga -  a tall, narrow drum played by striking with the hands          
percussion-a kind of musical instrument, such as a drum, that is played by striking or shaking
performing - to present, usually in front of an audience
record -a disk on which music is stored for listening
salsa-a type of dance music that comes from Latin America


Spelling Words- Tested Friday


couch, blow, float, hold, sew, though, sold, soap, row, own, both, most, tomorrow, program, cold, snow

Spelling Homework Menu
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Week of October 3, 2011

by: Patricia Palacco


Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday


border -  a part that forms the outside edge of something           
sewn-to make, repair, or fasten something with stitches using a needle and thread
gathering - a coming together of people
scraps - leftover bits of cloth or other material
threaded-to pass through the eye of a needle or through the hooks and holes on a sewing machine
needle -a small, thin tool for sewing; it has a sharp point at the one end and a tiny hole called an eye at the other end to put thread through

Here is a copy of the  flashcards that we are using at school. You may print them and make an extra set to keep in the car, in your backpack or even on your bathroom mirror! :)




Spelling Words- Tested Friday


paint, clay, feel, leave, neighbor, eight, seem, speak, paid, lay, need, weigh, needle, crayon


Spelling Homework Menu
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Week of September 26, 2011




Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday


beats -pulses that are basic units of rhythm, used in both poetry and music            
lines- rows of words printed or written across a page or column  
pattern -a combination of features, actions, or events that are repeated in a recognizable arrangement
rhyme-to agree or correspond in sound
rhythm- a series of pulses that repeat in a regular order
stanzas - groups of lines that make up divisions of a poem

Spelling Words- Tested Friday
Review 


last, mix, stick, glance, empty, dusk, wide, grade, thick, send, class, pond, luck, drum, save, smell

Spelling Homework Menu
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Week of September 19, 2011

by: Mark Teague 


Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday


directions -lines or paths along which someone or something goes lies or points              
rumpled- wrinkled or creased     
situations -sets of conditions at certain moments in time
unusual - not usual common or ordinary
visible- able to be seen
worried - concerned or anxious

Spelling Words- Tested Friday
Skill: CVCe 


smoke, huge, save, life, wide, side, mine, come, hope, grade, smile, escape, note, cube, love, slope

* As I am sharpening my third grade saw.... I am learning right along with your child. With that said... I am transitioning our class away from the traditional spelling homework and into a spelling menu. Your child will have some choices. I have attached a link of our spelling menu for an at home resource.

Spelling Homework Menu
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 I have posted a copy of the reading homework questions. I hope this helps eliminate a crisis or two!
:)

Wednesday's Homework 9/14

Name_______________________Date____________________
Guiding Comprehension - The Ballad of Mulan by Song Nan Zhang

Directions: Tonight you are going to answer the following questions. You may have to reread the story in order to do your personal best.

You will answer the questions on notebook paper. Be sure to write your name, date and number on top of the notebook paper. When you answer the questions, you need to answer them by using part of the question to start off your answer - QPA (question is part of the answer).

Answers for questions 8 - 10 can be found on page 60 - 61.

Why is the health of Mulan’s father important?

Why is it important that Mulan’s father has not grown son?

  What does Mulan’s decision to fight tell you about her character?

Answers for questions 11 - 12 can be found on page 62 - 63.

  What might the author be suggesting by having Mulan go to four different markets to buy what she needs?

  Why is it important that Mulan dresses in her armor before she rides off with the soldiers?

Answers for questions 13 - 15 can be found on page 64 - 65.

   Why do you think the soldiers camp at nightfall?

   How does the author show that Mulan is homesick?

   What does the author mean by the sound of the river crying?




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Tuesday's Homework 9/13

Name_____________________ Date___________________
Guiding Comprehension - The Ballad of Mulan by Song Nan Zhang

Directions: Tonight you are going to answer the following questions. You may have to reread the story in order to do your personal best.

You will answer the questions on notebook paper. Be sure to write your name, date and number on top of the notebook paper. When you answer the questions, you need to answer them by using part of the question to start off your answer - QPA (question is part of the answer).

Answers for questions 1 - 3 can be found on page 56 - 57.

Why does the author use the words Click-clack! to describe the sound of the loom?

Why do you think Mulan suddenly stops weaving?

How do you think Mulan’s mother can tell that something is bothering Mulan?

Answers for questions 4 - 7 can be found on page 58 - 59.

Why do you think Mulan’s mother asks again and again what is troubling Mulan?

Why might Mulan not want to tell her mother what’s wrong?

Why is the Emperor calling for troops?

Why might the author include the detail about Mulan’s father’s name being on every scroll in the market?










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Week of September 12, 2011

Retold by: Song Nan Zhang


Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday
troops - soldiers              
farewell - goodbye            
armor - body covering, often of metal, word for protection in battle   
comrades - companions who share one’s activities  
triumphant - successful
victorious - having won by defeating another  
endured - put up with or lasted through
Spelling Words- Tested Friday

much, pond, luck, drop, lot, rub, drum, sock, hunt, crop, shut, dodge, does, won, dusk





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*I went back and added the first two week's words for a reference as extra practice. :)*


Weeks of August 29-September 7, 2011

by: Jean Craighead George


Reading Vocabulary- Tested Friday

belay -   An object or a person that a climber's rope can be tied to for safety            
harness -  A set of leather straps and metal pieces used to keep a person or animal in place     
ledge-   A flat space like a shelf on the side of a cliff or rock wall
descent - The act of moving downward
rappel - To move down a cliff or the side of a mountain, using a rope attached to a rock and to a harness for safety
trek-  To make a hard, slow trip

Spelling Words- Tested Friday

mix, milk, smell, last. head, friend, class, left, thick, send, thin, stick, test, dish, empty, glance

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