Black Friday Frenzy

          In the United States, the day after Thanksgiving is known as the first day of traditional Christmas shopping.  It is known as "Black Friday."  It is the day when crowds of consumers go out to find special offers made by the majority of retailers.  In the past few years, retailers have extended normal business hours in order to keep up with the competition.  Some stores may open up as early as 8 pm on Thanksgiving day and remain open overnight until Friday night.  Even though retailers have incredible deals, I believe it can be extremely dangerous.  People act like maniacs both on the road and in the stores.  People are obsessed with getting their hands on hot deals, even if it means camping outside of a store in the freezing cold the night before the store is supposed to open.  In previous years, there have been many tragedies that have occurred in stores during "Black Friday." This is one of the reasons why I will not go out shopping on this day.  Is it really worth it? Are you still able to get good deals in stores on a different day?     

Vocabulary

traditional- something that has been around for a long time and became a part of the culture

consumers- a person who buys goods and services for personal use

retailers- stores or companies that sell goods bought by consumers

competition- the activity or condition of fighting against someone or something

incredible- difficult to believe

maniacs- a person who demonstrates wild behavior

obsessed- when the mind is focused on something and can only think about that one thing

tragedies- an event that causes suffering

Vocabulary Exercise

Directions:  Fill in the blanks with the correct vocabulary word

1. Many horrible ________________ occur on Black Friday.

2. Many ________________ have been victims of credit card scams. 

3. It is __________________ how much damage a storm can cause. 

4. Pumpkin and apple pies are ______________ deserts served on Thanksgiving.

5. People are _____________ on the road and in the stores during Black Friday.

6. ______________ adjust their prices when the competition beats their low prices.

7. The lady realized that her biggest _______________ was her sister. 

8. I will never understand why people are ______________ with going shopping at 2 am.

Grammar Point 

There are many different kinds of sentences.  To make a statement, use a period (.).  For questions, use a question mark (?).  For exclamations, use an exclamation point (!).

Grammar Exercise

Write 2 statements, 2 questions, and 2 exclamations about the picture below.  Make sure to use the correct punctuation.

Writing Activity

Have you ever gone shopping on Black Friday? If so, tell me about your experience.  Is there a day like Black Friday where your from? If so, what is it like? 

Hospitals

    
        Doctors are medical professionals who help us when we are sick by giving us medicine to make us feel better.  I am someone who is not a big fan of doctors.  However, it is important to go see a doctor for a yearly check up to make sure that you are in good health.  Doctors sometimes give you good or bad news.  The worst thing a doctor can say, in my opinion, is hearing the doctor say the words "surgery" or "cancer."
        Over the weekend my family and I took my little sister to the hospital after she was not feeling well on Friday.  We found out that she needed to have her appendix removed.  The doctor said we brought her in at the right time.  Her appendix could of burst.  She needed emergency surgery. Her doctor made it seem like it was no big deal.  But for my family and I, any kind of surgery is a huge deal.  My mother was a mess when we found out.  My father and I tried to maintain calm because my sister was terrified as soon as she heard the word surgery. Keeping a poker face in front of my sister was difficult.  I told her everything was going to be ok and that she had nothing to worry about.  But inside I was nervous and scared. The worst part about this whole experience was waiting for my sister to come out of surgery.  All we wanted was to hear the doctor say to us that everything went great.  I am grateful that everything turned out ok.   My sister was on the road toward recovery and was able to go home Sunday afternoon.

Vocabulary

Medical professional- a group of individuals who practice medicine
Surgery- an operation when an organ or tissue is taken out or replaced from your body
Appendix- an organ attached to the lower end of your large intestine in humans
Burst- when something explodes or pops
Emergency- something serious, unexpected and a dangerous situation that needs to be taken care of immediately
Terrified- extremely scared of something or someone
Poker face- your face does not show how you are really feeling
Recovery- return to a normal state of health, mind or strength 

Vocabulary Exercise

Med Jumble! 

Directions: Unscramble the vocabulary words 

1. cmeladi lposnifrsae                 _________________

2. ekpro cfae                             _________________

3. yrsuger                                  _________________

4. eygmenrce                             _________________ 

5. nxapidpe                                _________________

6. strbu                                      _________________

7. deirtierf                                  _________________

8. yevroecr                                _________________

Grammar Point and Exercise

Let's practice changing the verb" to be" in the past tense.  

I was                      we were

you were                you were

he/she was              they were

it was  

For example: This is an easy exercise.          
                     This was an easy exercise. 

Directions: Change to the past tense; write the correct form of the verb in the blanks.

1. He is a good student.                        

    ___________________________.

2. Mary and Jennifer are good students.  

    ___________________________.

3. I am very hungry.  

   ___________________________.

4. Both doors are closed.  

    __________________________.

5. There is a magazine on this desk.  

     __________________________.

6. Helen and Roger are in the same class.

    __________________________.

7. There is a magazine on the table.

    __________________________.

8. There are many students in our class.

    __________________________.

9. Ms. Palacios is our teacher.

    __________________________.

10. The windows and doors are open.

     _________________________.

Creative Writing

Do you like doctors? Why or why not. In a paragraph or two answer these two questions.  You can also share a story of a good or bad experience you might of had with a doctor.  

Turtles

          Turtles are my favorite animal.  At home I have a nice collection of turtle figurines and stuffed animals.  I used to own little red eared slider turtles named Daisy and Flipper.  They were cute, fast, and loved drying off outside, under the warm sun on top of rocks.  I think about them all the time, especially during the winter season because they loved to be outside on a sunny day. 
         There exists about 300 species of turtles in the world.  They hibernate through the winter.  They get their body heat from their surroundings such as air, water or ground.  They need to be warm to move around and eat.  If they are cold their body slows down and they can't eat and digest their food.  Their heart and lungs also slow down.  Turtles that live in places that get cold and snowy, need to find a way to keep themselves alive.  Different kinds of turtles hibernate in different ways.  Most turtles prepare for the winter by going deep into the water or by digging a deep burrow.  Their body, heart, and breathing slows down, and they hibernate for as long as the weather is cold.  When spring comes, turtles will warm up and become active again.

 

Vocabulary



 

collection- to have a lot of something

figurines- a small figure made of metal or plastic
species- a group of animals that have the same kind of characteristics
hibernate- when an animal sleeps during the winter
surroundings- what is around you, your environment
digest- the break down of food
digging (dig)- the action of making a hole in the ground
burrow- a hole or tunnel made by an animal
active- physically moving around

Vocabulary Exercise

 

Directions: Fill in the blanks with the correct vocabulary word.

 

1.  Ms. Palacios has a _______________ of turtles in her home.

2.  The mole stored the food in his _____________ in the backyard.

3.  Frogs also ______________ for 3 to 5 months.

4.  In order to stay healthy you must remember to be physically ___________ everyday.

5.  This ______________ of animal is unique in the area.

6.  Tomorrow I will be ______________ a hole 4 feet deep.

7.  The fine crafted turtle ______________ will make a great addition to your collection.

8.  The natural _______________ make it a great stop for visitors looking to relax and enjoy the

     physical environment.

9.  Eating foods that are low fat are easier to _____________.     

 

 

Grammar Point and Exercise

 

An adjective is a word that describes or identifies a noun or a pronoun.  For example: They live in a beautiful house.  The adjective is beautiful.  It is describing the noun, house.

 

Directions: Circle the adjectives in the following sentences. 

 

1.  Lisa is wearing a sleeveless shirt today.

2.  Linda's hair is gorgeous!  

3.  The crown had hundreds of sparkling jewels. 

4.  Martin felt embarrassed by his explosive outburst.

5.  The students in Ms. Palacios's class are intelligent.

6.  The baby's loud cries wouldn't let anyone sleep.
7.  It was a warm and sunny day today.
8.  Sam has blue racing bicycle.
  

 Creative Writing

 

Write a paragraph or two about your favorite animal and share interesting facts or information about them.

Flipper
Red Eared Slider Turtle

       

 

New York City

        New York City is a dream destination for any tourist.  It has many historical landmarks, museums and Broadway shows.  In my opinion, everyone must go to Central Park, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Empire State Building when visiting NYC.  I have lived in New York my whole life and there are places of the city I still have not seen or experienced.  For example, on Sunday I will be going to the city with two of my co workers to walk the New York City Highline.  It is a public park that was built on a historical freight rail line located above the streets of Manhattan's west side.  Other then walking the Highline, we plan on making a few stops that are a part of The Cup Cake Tour of New York.  Along this tour you make stops at different cup cake shops throughout the city.  This is something that I am looking forward to because one thing I love is eating sweets.   Trying a variety of cup cakes sounds really bad but delicious at the same time.
        Besides sightseeing and eating, we will also be doing some shopping.  In New York City shopping maybe expensive, but there are many places you can go and buy things at a decent price.  I have found that you are able to find the best deals on unique vintage and antiques at flea markets.  There are a multiple number of vendors at every flea market, that you don't know where to begin.  I am really excited for a fun filled day in the city that I love so much.         

            Vocabulary

 

destination- the place to which someone is going or being sent

tourist- a person who is traveling or visiting a place for pleasure

historical- something having to do with history or past events

sightseeing- the activity of visiting places of interest in a particular location

expensive- costs a lot of money 

unique- being the only one of it's kind, not like anything else

antiques- something old that people collect

vendors- a person or company offering something to sell

 

Vocabulary Exercise

 

Directions: Find the vocabulary words in the word search below. Happy searching!

 

The New York City Experience

 

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ANTIQUES	DESTINATION	EXPENSIVE
HISTORICAL	SIGHTSEEING	TOURIST
UNIQUE	VENDORS

 

Grammar Point and Exercise

 

This entry includes many proper nouns.  Make a list of those proper nouns.  Remember that a proper noun is a name used for an individual person, place or organization such as Mexico or Ms. Palacios. Write about a place in New York City that you would like to visit and why.  Underline the proper nouns you used.    

 

New York City Highline

 







Technology

        Technology is the wave of the future and it's exciting when new "toys" come out on the market. However, I find that many people are obsessed with getting their hands on the new technology and will do everything and pay an obscene amount of money in order to have it in their possession.  I like new technology just like the next person but, I don't like the fact that I have to learn new programs.  I don't have the time to learn and practice using new technology.  I also know that I have to keep up with it in order to better understand how to teach my students and include it into my lessons.  After all, the younger generation relies on technology 24 hours a day, 7days a week.  Every where you look someone is either on their cell phone, ipad or computer.  It is scares me to think about how times have changed.  We rely so much on technology that we have forgotten how to think for ourselves.  I remember growing up, I would have to memorize my family and friends phone numbers and addresses, or at least write them down on a piece of paper.  Now a days we just put that information in our cell phones.  No one seems to know a phone number by heart because you don't have to memorize it.  Your phone does everything for you.
        Something that scares me about technology, is that there are individuals who know how to find out our your personal information by hacking on to our home computer.  It stinks that we have to be careful when using computers because there are bad people who are trying to take advantage of us.  Unfortunately there have been so many people who have gotten their identities stolen.  This is just one of the many reasons why I don't like technology becoming so advanced.  I wonder what the future holds for us.  Are machines and robots are going to control and do everything for us?  Am I crazy for thinking this way?

 

Vocabulary                       

technology- a machine or piece of equipment
obsessed- to think and talk about someone or something too much
obscene- a large amount or size
possession- to have or own something
generation- a group of people born or living during the same time
memorize- to learn something so well that you are able to remember it perfectly
hacking (to hack)- to gain access to a computer illegally
identities (identity)- who a person is
advanced- further in progress or ideas

Vocabulary Exercise

 

Directions: Fill in the blanks with the correct vocabulary word.

 

1.  The system has many ________________ features.

2.  They produced their passports as proof of their _________________.

3.  The actress had to _____________ her lines for the play.

4.  His books are popular among the younger ________________.

5.  The lottery player had the winning ticket in his _______________.

6.  Teachers are using new ______________ in their classrooms to motivate their students.

7.  Teenage girls are ________________ with Justin Bieber.

8.  I owe an ______________ amount of money to the government.

9.  Criminals have been ____________ into peoples computers to steal their identities. 

 

 

 

Grammar Point and Exercise

 

A noun is a part of speech used to name a person, place, thing, or idea.  Make a list of 6 nouns used in this entry.  Then write a paragraph about what you think the future is going to be like and underline the nouns you used.   

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

My New Car

           Since I was sixteen years old and I got my driving permit, I dreamt about getting a new car.  Though out the years I have owned used cars.  This year I was finally able to purchase a new car.  When you own a vehicle just like any other car owner, the last thing you are going to want is to get into an accident, or have someone hit it while it's parked.  I was one of the unfortunate car owners who had someone hit their parked car in front their home.  When it happened I was upset! The worst part about it was the fact that I had just purchased my new Toyota corolla on the 4th of July.  I have owned it for three months.  The ironic part of this situation is that my landlord was the driver who hit my car.  The day of the accident, I had been home for about twenty minutes when there was a knock at door.  When I opened the door my landlord said that she had just hit my car and that she was really sorry.  It was difficult not saying to her how I really felt.  She was shaking and couldn't believe what she had just done, so I took a deep breath and told her that it was all going to be alright.  But, inside I was furious and couldn't believe my luck.
           However, I am grateful that she came and told me right away.  She told me not to worry about how much it was going to cost because she was going to pay for the damages.  If it would of been a random individual who had hit my car, they most likely wouldn't of left a note with their name and information.  In that case, I would of had to pay out of my own pocket to get my car repaired.  The total cost of the damage to my car is 3,756 dollars.  It is going to take a total of two weeks to get my car fixed.  In the mean time, I will be driving a 2013 chevy cruse as my rental car.  Even though the rental car is nice, I miss my car!    
    

Vocabulary

unfortunate- to be unlucky

purchased- to buy something

ironic- a situation that is strange or funny because it happened in a way that seems opposite of  what you expected

landlord- a person who rents an apartment to someone else

furious- extremely angry 

grateful- feeling thankful 

random- something that happens that is odd, strange or unusual

repaired- to fix something that is damaged

damage- harm or injure something or someone

Vocabulary Exercise

Directions: Unscramble the vocabulary words.

1.frunetoanut                                               

2. phrceusda                                                  
 

3. rcniio                                                       
              

4. lraloddn                                                     
       

5. iforsuu                                                       
        

6. rutaglef                                                    
       

7. omrnda                                                    
         

8. iaperedr                                                     

9. dmaega                                                     

Grammar Point and Exercise

A synonym is a word that means the same as another, for example shut is a synonym for close.  Can you find the synonyms to your vocabulary words below?  Your vocabulary words are listed under row A and the synonyms are under row B.
 

Row A                                                                                    Row B

unfortunate                                                                              thankful

purchased                                                                                broken

ironic                                                                                       extremely angry

landlord                                                                                   fixed

furious                                                                                     sarcastic

grateful                                                                                    unlucky

random                                                                                    buy

repaired                                                                                   property owner

damage                                                                                    unplanned 

Birthday Celebration

            Every year we celebrate our birthday, even though it reminds us we are getting older.  I was born on September 28^th at Winthrop hospital in Mineola, Ny on Thursday at 6:58 am.  My parents tell me that I decided to come into the world a month earlier then I was supposed to and that it was a dark and stormy night. 

Yesterday I celebrated my birthday with friends and family.  I woke up to a lit candle, flowers and a gift from my fiancé, which made me smile.  During the day I was taken to the hair salon to get my hair done, it is not something I do often.  I remember looking in the mirror and being amazed at the striking resemblance I had to my mother! Afterwards, I went out to dinner with my family to the International Buffet.  I enjoyed a variety of delicious foods; I wished I had a bigger stomach to continue eating.  The section of the restaurant I didn’t go near is where they had sushi, but my mother and fiancé visited it frequently.  I like my food cooked, not raw.  What I always enjoy when going out to dinner is ending the meal with a yummy desert.  At the buffet they had an enormous selection of deserts. I ate a piece of tiramisu cake and chocolate covered strawberries which I devoured quickly.  Upon leaving the buffet, I found myself to be in the state of food comma because it was difficult to move and all I desired to do was sleep.  However, sleeping was not an option since I had plans to go out dancing with my friends.  So to end my evening, I met up with a few close friends in Queens and danced the night away. 

Vocabulary

resemblance-  to look like similar to something or someone else

buffet- a place where there are many types of foods on a table and you serve

              yourself                                

delicious- a food that tastes really good

frequently-  happens often, a lot

enormous- really big or large

devoured (devour)-  to eat quickly or really fast

food comma- feeling tired or sleepy after eating a meal

desired (desire)- to strongly wish for or want something

Vocabulary Close Exercise

Directions: Fill in the blanks with the correct vocabulary word.

1)    A lot of people also express a __________to build their own car.

2)    She ___________appears on the list of the most beautiful women in the world.

3)    Ms. Palacios makes _________ pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving.

4)    Did you notice the ___________ between the boy and his father?

5)    The continental breakfast ___________was a nice surprise and very good!

6)    Sasha was so full after her meal that she felt like she was in ____________ .

7)    Make sure to include an ___________ amount of food and drinks for the kids after the soccer game.

8)    The wolf ___________ the large piece of steak he found in the garbage.

Grammar point

This entry includes many verbs that are in the past tense.  List those verbs.  Remember that a verb is a word used to describe an action or state of being.

Grammar Exercise

Write about your favorite birthday memory.  Make sure to write in the past tense and underline the past tense verbs you used throughout your story.