Social Studies Ch 4 Lesson 1 Notes

A Changing Way of Life

How has life changed for California Indians?
Groups of newcomers to California wanted different things:
1. Spain - wanted Indians' land & resources & to change their way of life: in the 1700s they built missions to share the Catholic religion with Indians
2. Eastern USA - 1848 they came looking for gold, fought with California Indians over land
The US government set up reservations to stop the fighting for land, but many Indians had to move far away from where their tribe was from and had difficulty surviving there
Life on a Reservation
- most Indians there were poor
- most of the land isn't good for farming
- they didn't have the natural resources they needed to trade
Today: some have post offices, stores & government buildings
- many people are still poor, but more people are finding ways to create jobs & get money
Tule River Reservation: Yokut Indians live there, they have built many places (airport, a place to build & repair airplanes) that provide jobs
Rancherias are small reservations that started as Indian villages and they now run many companies like hotels & golf courses
California has more than 50 rancherias

Today Ca Indians live like other Americans
Many live in large cities, but still learn the art forms, dances, & language of their ancestors to honor their past
They wear the kind of clothing their ancestors wore on special days
Powwows are one way to learn about different tribes
- when people gather to sing, dance & learn about different tribes
- they are sometimes held on reservations or near large cities
- they were started by American Indians who came to Ca from other places

Studying Multiplication Facts Part 2: Learn the Multiplication Table in 21 Days

In the last blog I offered advice from my perspective on how to master the multiplication facts. In this blog I wanted to share an article I found online with different suggestions about "how to master multiplication in 21 days". This article is another suggested method to enhance your child's learning for any parents who are looking for additional ideas later on. I hope it helps!

Multiplication Tables in 21 days!  (By Deb on About.com)      Let's face it, when you don't know your times tables, it slows down your progress in math. Some things you just have to know and committing the times tables to memory is one of them. Today, we're in an information age, information is doubling faster than it ever used to. In case you haven't noticed, the math curriculum is much larger than it ever was. Students and parents need to work together to commit the times tables to memory. So let's get started:

Step 1 First of all, you will need to be able to skip count or count by a certain number. For instance 2,4,6,8,10 or 5, 10, 15, 20, 25. Now you will need to use your fingers when skip counting. Remember back in grade 1 when you used to use your fingers to count to 10? Now you'll need them to skip-count. For example, use your fingers to count by 10. First finger or thumb is 10, second is 20, third is 30. Therefore 1 x 10 = 10, 2 x 10 = 20 and so on and so forth. Why use your fingers? Because it's an effective strategy. Any strategy that improves speed with your tables is worth using!

Step 2  How many skip counting patterns do you know? Probably the 2's, 5's and 10's. Practice tapping these out on your fingers.

Step 3  Now you're ready for the 'doubles'. Once you learn the doubles, you have the 'counting up' strategy. For instance, if you know that 7 x 7 = 49, then you'll count up 7 more to quickly determine that 7 x 8 = 56. Once again, effective strategies are almost as good as memorizing your facts. Remember, you already know the 2's, 5's and 10's. Now you need to concentrate on 3x3, 4x4, 6x6, 7x7, 8x8 and 9x9. That's only committing 6 facts to memory! You're three-quarters of the way there. If you memorize those doubles, you'll have an effective strategy to quickly obtain most of the remaining facts!

Step 4  Not counting the doubles, you have the 3's, 4's, 6's, 7's and 8's. Once you know what 6x7 is, you'll also know what 7x6 is. For the remaining facts (and there aren't many) you will want to learn by skip-counting, in fact use a familiar tune while skip counting! Remember to tap your fingers (just as you did when counting) each time you skip count, this enables you to know which fact you're on. When skip counting by 4's and when you've tapped on the fourth finger, you'll know that it's the 4x4=16 fact. Think of Mary Had A Little Lamb in your mind. Now apply 4,8, 12, 16, (Mary had a....)and continue on! Once you've learned to skip-count by 4's as easily as you can by 2's, you're ready for the next fact family. Don't worry if you forget the odd one, you will be able to fall back on your doubling strategy and counting up.

Remember, being able to do math well means having great strategies. The above strategies will help you learn the times tables. However, you will need to commit daily time to these strategies to learn your tables in 21 days.

Try some of the following:

· Each day when you wake up, skip count the fact family you're working on.

· Each time you walk through a doorway, skip count again (silently)

·  Each time you use the washroom, skip count!

·  Each time the phone rings, skip count!

·  During every commercial when you're watching TV, skip count! When you go to bed each night, skip count for 5 minutes.

Practicing multiplication facts for 25-30 minutes a day can sound daunting, but if you break it down into 5 short study sessions a day for 5 minutes at a time you’ll hardly notice that you are taking extra time out of your day.

If you stick it out, you'll have your tables memorized in 21 days!

Studying Multiplication Facts Part 1: A Guide for Making Studying Effective

Dear Parents,

  As partners in education, we have a big task before us for the new trimester! In the 2nd trimester our mathematical studies will turn to focus on multiplication. Your child's success in math will now largely be determined by their ability to study, retain, and quickly recall multiplication facts. What can you do to help your child get prepared? Teach them how to study and make sure that they follow through. 

      Before we went on break, I gave the students a turkey to practice their multiplication facts with and told them that they needed to get "Turkey Time" every day. Some families will prefer to use the turkey, others may use flash cards, computer/iPad games, songs, rhymes or other studying techniques. Whatever you choose to use, be persistent in making studying a daily habit. After working with 3rd graders for more than 6 years, my #1 recommendation is to study multiplication facts for a minimum of 30 minutes a day. I know what you're thinking - "30 minutes a day! How are we going to fit that in to our schedule?" 30 minutes a day sounds like a lot of time, but if you spread the minutes out in small chunks throughout the day it will build your child's confidence, reduce your child's stress over committing the facts to memory, create good studying habits for your child, and help them be successful. Brain research shows that studying is more effective when it's done in short periods of time and when it's done frequently. The more times your child accesses a particular piece of information in their brain, the faster their brain will know where to find it when they need it the next time. When it comes to learning the times tables, it really is a matter of "practice makes permanent"! 

Here's are my recommendations for scheduling fact practice:

  1. Limit the number of facts your child studies each day: if they have a timed test on the 2's coming up in 3 days, start studying today! Choose 6 facts for them to study today (Ex: 1 x 2, 2 x 2, 3 x 2, 4 x 2, 5 x 2, 6 x 2) and save the next 6 facts for them to study tomorrow. On the third day (the day before the test) have them review all 12 facts or just the ones they still seem to be struggling with. 

2. Don't just quiz them auditorily:  Many times children need something to touch, see, do, and hear to remember something. Remember to try a new method of studying if one type of studying isn't working for them. If you need more ideas, please come see me!

3. Study in 5 minute concentrated chunks throughout the day:  

    A. Study for 5 minutes when they wake up / are eating breakfast / brushing their teeth, etc. Make multiplication practice part of their morning routine. 

 Even if they have to wake up 5 minutes earlier, it will be worth it in the long run!

    B. Study for 5 minutes on the way to school - have them use the turkey, a song, or flash cards. Remember your child can study facts on their own in the car so you can focus on the road :)

    C. Study for 5 minutes on the way home from school or when you get home before beginning homework time.

    D. Study for 5 minutes in the middle of homework: give them a writing break by having them say the facts to the Mexican Hat dance, or while touching their head, shoulders, knees and toes, or while doing jumping jacks. Get them up out of their seat to get the blood flowing, stimulate their brain, to make it more fun for them, and to give them exercise. 

     E. Study for 5 minutes before dinner: have them say the facts while they set the table or pour drinks for everyone in the family. The more ways that you can build fact practice into daily routines, the easier it will be to remember to do it!

     F. Review facts for 5 minutes before going to sleep: quietly going through flash cards or looking at the facts written on the bathroom mirror (in dry erase marker) while brushing your teeth are both great ways to wind down and cement the facts in during one last studying session for the day.

   Remember this studying routine is a suggestion to help your child be successful and feel confident about their math facts. Studying is a process. If you don't immediately see success, give it some time. If they don't work for your child after trying out these methods for a while, adapt them! If you need more suggestions, ideas, or help - just ask. We're hear to work as a team to make each child successful and to help them learn. 

   Don't forget, once they start getting good studying habits, they will need less reminders to study. Eventually the goal is for each child to take responsibility for their own studying habits. Chances are they aren't there yet and they don't have all of their facts down, but they will get there and we can all take pride in knowing we helped them be successful.

Your partner in education,

Miss Farmer

SS Ch 3 Lesson 4 Customs & Folklore

Vocabulary:
customs
religion
shaman
folklore
oral history
Indians had their own ceremonies and customsCeremonies: mostly religious, celebrated marriages or special times of the year
Yuroks celebrate catching the 1st salmon of the year they believed that nature was controlled by different spirits, men or women could be shamansIndians passed down beliefs and culture through storytellingchildren listened to elders tell them the folklore of their tribe
some stories taught lessons about how to act, the tribes beliefs, how the world and humans came to be, and explained why things are the way they are
Folklore includes many different types of games, stories, and art.Art: rock art - painting and carving rocks
carved furniture and tools from wood or bone, made dolls, clothing, baskets, instruments
Games: played by children and adults,
many games taught skills children would need when they grew up
might even play games to settle an argument
California Indians showed a respect for the land, Tribes had different ways of life, including different religious beliefs, ceremonies, stories, art, and games. Together, these ways of life were part of each tribe's customs and folklore.

Social Studies Ch 3 Lesson 3: Trade & government

 Here are the notes for Monday's Quiz:

The economy of California Indians included trading, gift-giving, & sharing.

If Indians needed a resource that wasn't available in their area, they bartered with other Indians to get what they needed

Northern Coast had shells, fish, salt
Inland tribes animal skins & pine nuts

Most Indians bartered with members of their own or neighboring tribes

Gift Giving Ceremonies: if a tribe had extra food the leader would invite a neighboring tribe to a feast

Indians valued: foods, baskets, weapons, canoes, rocks & minerals *(for making tools)
Obsidian was used to make arrowheads
Ca Indians used shells & beads as money

Government
- tribes had different types of governments
- Northern Coast picked the richest man to be chief
- Indian chiefs mostly gave advice rather than laws
- women & men could be chiefs
- some tribes were lead by a group of elders

Serrano & Mojave tribes had family groups called clans
each had its own chief
chiefs could be replaced if they didn't do a good job
Mojave had war chiefs who lead them into battle

SS Ch 3 Lesson 2 Notes

Social Studies Ch 3, Lesson 2

Using the Land

Early California Indians got their food, clothing, shelter, & tools from their environment.
Geography & climate affected what California Indians ate, wore, & what kinds of shelters they built.

Northern Coastal - Pomo
more than 70 villages
Lived in small, bowl-shaped shelters
- in rainy season (winter/spring) lived in villages
- built on the side of a hill to stay safe from floods
- after the rains they would burn their shelters & move
closer to a river, lake, or ocean
Tools: nets, spears, & traps for fishing, bow & arrow for hunting: birds, deer
Expert basket makers, baskets were used for gathering, storing,
& cooking food

North Central - Maidu
built villages on high ground to see strangers coming
Homes:
for cold weather - several families lived together, homes kept them warm in the winter, they were big round mound of earth with a hole in the top for a doorway, the floor was lower than the outside ground, log poles held up the roof
for warm weather - open-air shelters to let the breeze through, branches supported the rood of sticks, grass or dirt
Clothing: mocasins, animal skins & deer skins were used to keep them warm
Tools: flint knives & arrowheads
Food: hunted for bears, deer, elk, rabbits, birds
     fished for salmon, trout, & eels
    gathered plants, seeds, roots, insects, acorns, berries

Southern Coast - Gabrielino (where we live!)
built strong plank boats to carry people & goods to islands
Food: fished for swordfish, seals, & sharks
   hunted - rabbits, squirrels, deer & ducks
   acorn mush, pine nuts, seeds & fruits
Expert basket makers - baskets could carry water & cook liquids
Clothing: women made skirts of tule grass
Homes: made of tule mats & tree saplings

Desert - Mojave
Food: farmers near Colorado River - planted corn, beans & pumpkins
   gathered: wild plants, seeds & roots
   fished with traps & nets in the Colorado River
   trapped small animals (rabbits, skunks, beavers)
Clothes: for hot weather Men - cloth tied around the hips
   Women - knee length skirts of willow bark, shirts of beaver & rabbit skin in winter
Homes: no villages, built near good soil for farming, made from willow poles covered with grasses
Made: clay pots & wove baskets to cook & store food in

Summary:
Pomo - hunted & fished
Maidu - built lodges & gathered acorns
Gabrielino - built boats & cooked in baskets
Mojave - grew crops & made clay pots

Social Studies Ch 3, Lesson 1 Outline

Social Studies Chapter 3, Lesson 1: Tribes of California

Vocabulary: Tribe,
Who were the early American Indians in California?Language, Shelter California Indian tribes were different because they were smaller
Indians lived in small villages. Several villages made up each tribe. Some tribes only used villages for a short time because they moved to find food.
California’s 4 Main Geographical Groups of Tribes:- Because the tribes in each group lived in the same type of environment, their lives were alike in many ways. For example they may have eaten the same foods and made the same type of houses and clothes.
1. Northern CoastNatural Resources they used: cedar & redwood trees, fish, & forest animals
Their climate was a lot of rain and cool weather
Their houses were strong
They made tightly woven basket caps, people wrapped themselves in capes or blankets made from animal skins
Names of tribes who lived there Yurok, Hupa, Karuk, Pomo,
& Wiyot.
2. Central Valley and Mountain - biggest group / they had the most land, stayed in the Valleys during the winter/mountains in the summerNatural Resources they used: animals, acorns, berries, seeds, nuts, & fish
Their climate was mild (in the middle - not too hot or too cold)
Their houses were simple
They made simple clothing
Names of tribes who lived there: Miwok, Maidu, & Yokuts 3. Southern CoastNatural Resources they used: fish, deer, rabbits, woodland animals, acorns
Their climate was mild
Their houses were rounded, made of grass (tule)
They made canoes to travel by water, clothing made from grass (tule)
Names of tribes who lived there Chumash, Gabrielino (Tongva)
4. DesertNatural Resources they used: insects, seeds & beans - some lived by the Colorado River & farmed
Their climate was hot & dry
Their houses were simple, made just for shade/to keep the sun off of them
They made baskets
Names of tribes who lived there Mojave, Serrano, & Cahuilla

Social Studies Test Ch 2 Study Guide

Here are the "short answer" answers from the Social Studies Study Guide incase you need them!

12. Irrigation is important to communities that have no water near them because they need water for their homes or farms.
13. Communities develop near natural resources because they use them for everyday life. Brea developed near oil.
14. We will never run out of wind and solar power. Wind and solar power don't pollute the environment, but oil and fuel do.
15. Dams can bring electricity to nearby cities & farms, they can create reservoirs, and they can prevent floods.
16. Recycling helps us to not waste our natural resources, it cuts down on pollution, and there will be less trash in our landfills.

Social Studies Ch 2 Quiz Retake

bay: a body of water, connected to the ocean enclosed by land
Canal: waterway dug across land
aqueduct: large pipe that carries water from one place to anotheragriculture: growing of crops & raising of animals for sale
energy: the power that makes electricityNatural resource: something that is from nature that people can useirrigation: moving water to dry areas
fuel: a natural resource that is burned to make heat or electricityminerals: natural resource found inside earth  ** Examples: gold, silver, boron, tungsten, talc, salt & copper
 Where is there lots of water in California? mountains
Little water? dessert & southern valleys
Eureka - trees
Brea - oil
Fresno - farms/ agriculture
Morro Bay - fish
Altamont Pass - wind
Energy in California: solar (sun) & wind

Social Studies Ch 2 Quiz Notes

Social Studies Chapter 2 Quiz Study Guide: People & Their Environment

Vocabulary

Agricultural	the growing of crops and the raising of farm animals for sale
Mineral	a kind of natural resource found inside Earth
Fuel	a natural resource that is burned to make heat or electricity
Aqueduct	large pipes that carry water from one place to another
Canal	a waterway dug across land
Irrigation	the moving of water to dry area
Bay	a body of water that is part of a sea or ocean and is partly enclosed by land
Energy	the power that makes electricity

Lesson 1: Natural Resources

            1. On the land

                        trees: paper, building furniture & houses, and to burn for heat

                        soil: agriculture (farming) - artichokes & peaches, turkeys & cattle (cows) dairy & beef

            2. Inside the Earth = Minerals & Fuel

                        gold: tooth fillings, gold bars (money), trophy, jewelry

                        salt: used to make food taste better

                        boron: make soap, medicine & cleaning products

                        tungsten: electric lights & T.V.s

                        oil/gasoline: run cars

                        natural gases: burned to make heat or electricity found in Central Valley & along the coast

            3. Water!

                        not evenly spread out in California - deserts & southern valleys are dry

                        mountains have a lot of water

                        human-made features that help us move water across Ca

                        - aqueducts: large pipes & canals

                        - canal

                        Fresh water is in lakes & underground

Lesson 2: Using our Resources

What to Know: What are some ways in which people use the natural resources of their area every day?

-           Communities are built near resources

-           Californians use their resources in many ways

California is rich in natural resources. People use natural resources to meet their needs. Communities are often built near certain natural resources.

A.        Communities built near Water

1. Many people live near the coast in communities like Morrow Bay

2. What reasons might people settle near Morro Bay?

B.         Communities built near Resources

Know what communities are built near different resources.

1. Californians have learned to use the wind’s energy

They get energy from the wind as they get energy from natural resources such as oil and gas. They use solar, or sun, power for energy.

Summary: Many communities in California grew up near resources. Californians continue to find new ways to use natural resources.

Grammar Test Review

Types of Sentences:
1. Statement / Declarative: tells something
2. Question / Interrogative: asks something
3. Command / Imperative: tells someone to do something
4. Exclamation / Exclamatory: shows strong feeling

Grammar Study Guide

1.      This type of sentence is a command. _______________________. It ends with a ____.

2.      This type of sentence asks a question: ______________________. It ends with a ___.

3.      This type of sentence is an exclamation: _____________________. It ends with a ___.

4.      This type of sentence is a statement: _______________________. It ends with a ___.

What type of sentence is this? What punctuation should go at the end?

1.     __________________ what is the weather like at the South Pole

2.     __________________ it is very cold all year long

3.     __________________ has anyone ever been to the South Pole

Underline the subject of the sentence once and the predicate twice.

1.     Tara plays the piano.

2.     She practices everyday.

  3.     Mr. George Massey gives Tara lessons.

  4.     Her three brothers wait outside.

Complete each question with who, what, when, why, how, or where. Remember to start each question with a capital letter.

1.           A lot of wheat is grown in South Dakota.

________________ is a lot of wheat grown?

2.           Wheat grows well there because the soil is rich.

________________ does wheat grow well there?

  

Elements & Features of Poetry

Here are our notes from class today to help you study for the reading comprehension & vocabulary test we will take this Friday. Don't forget to study the first 6 vocabulary words (beats, rhyme, lines, pattern, rhythm, stanzas) on the list the students received Tuesday for the test too!

Elements & Features of Poetry

1. Rhyming words
Example Poems:
- Sneeze tease/sneeze, tickle/ nickel/ prickle/pickle
- Joe: Joe/snow, seeds/breeds, wait/late
- Cloud Dragons: high/sky/by, me/see, blue/do
- Spaghetti: please/cheese, squiggle/ wriggle/wiggle, mound/ around, stuff/enough, great/plate
- Andre: awake/take, too/do, glad/had
- The Bat: sky/fly
- Show Fish: swell/tell/spell/smell/well
2. Rhythm
Example Poem:
- April Rain Song (sounds like rain)
- Sneeze (builds up as the poem gets to the end)
- Andre
3. Repeated words
Example Poems:
- April Rain Song (Let the rain . ., The rain . . )
- Giraffe: stilts
- Spaghetti: spaghetti
- Andre: I had
- Show Fish: school, show and tell
4. Shape Poems
Giraffe - forms the shape of a giraffe
The Bat - the words upside down are written upside down
5. Alliteration - repeated sound/consonant at the beginning of words in a poem
Giraffe: tree-tall giraffe
April Rain Song: liquid...lullaby
Spaghetti: spaghetti, slurpy, squiggle, sauce
The Bat: mobile/mammal/mugs/myriad, batty bat
Show Fish: found, flounder, school, show, smell

Social Studies Ch 1 Study Guide

Looking for studying materials to review with your 3rd grader one last time tonight? Here's the SS study guide we completed in class in case anyone misplaced it! :)

Social Studies Chapter 1 Study Guide

1. What state borders California to the North? ________________________

2.  What 2 places border California to the East? ______________________

3. What country borders California to the South? _____________________

4. How many regions are there in California? What are they called? _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Vocabulary: Study the definition for each of these words.

                       

      
A. intermediate directions

B. coastal plain

C. transportation

D. climate

E. population

F. plateau

G. human-made features

H. border

13. What 2 natural resources are new communities built by? __________and_____________

14. What region are most of California’s farms in? __________________________

15. What is a desert? ___________________________________

16. What is trading? _____________________________________

17. What is a mountain range? _____________________________

18. What is an area where you will find many skyscrapers, homes, and businesses close to one another called? _____________________________________

19. How does a landform map show where mountains, plains, valleys, or hills can be found? ___________________________________________________

20. Are natural resources evenly spread out in California? Yes / No

21. On what continent is your community located? ________________________________

22. The letters NE on the compass rose are between _______________and_____________

23. What are bridges and buildings examples of? __________________________________

24. What is the first thing people usually build in a new settlement? _____________________

25. Name 2 cities that are an example of an urban area. _____________________________

26. Name 1 city in California’s desert region?________________________________

Use complete sentences to answer the questions.

1. In what region do most Californians live? Name 2 reasons why more people want to live there.

2. Name a physical feature in California and describe how it affects the climate of that area.

3. Pick one of the following (a school / a park) and give 2 examples of how it can help a community  grow.

4. Name the ocean next to California and describe 3 ways Californians make use of this ocean.

Happy Studying!

Social Studies/ Geography Map of the World & Tests for Sept 26-30

Today the students brought home a map of the world to color by Thursday morning. each student was supposed to color the map as follows:
Oceans - blue
North America - yellow
South America - red
Africa - purple
Antarctica - gray
Europe - orange
Asia - green
Australia - brown

Don't forget to study for the Social Studies Ch 1 Test on Thursday and the Science Unit A, Ch 1 Test on Friday!

Social Studies Chapter 1 Outlines

Many people have been frantically searching through notebooks at the end of the day this week for outlines and notes I've handed out to the class, so I thought I would post them here just incase anyone else forgot to take them home tonight. Happy Studying!

Social Studies Vocabulary

Unit 1: Our Geography

Community	a group of people who live work in the same place
Location	the place where something is found
Physical feature	something found in nature, such as weather, plant life, water, and land
Human-made feature	something people have built, such as a building, bridge or a road
Natural resources	something from nature that people use

Chapter 1: Physical and Human Geography

Border	a line that shows where a state or nation ends
Intermediate directions	the in-between directions that give more exact information about the location of a place (Ex: Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast)
Landform	a feature such as a mountain a valley
Plateau	a landform with steep sides and a flat top that rises high into the air
Mountain range	a large chain of mountains
Valley	a lowland that lies between hills or mountains
Coastal plain	a lowland plain that lies along a seacoast of an ocean
Climate	the weather that a place has over a long period of time
Desert	hot, dry places
Region	an area with at least one feature that makes it different from other areas
Transportation	the movement of people, goods, and ideas
Trade	to exchange one thing for another
Landform map	a map that shows a place’s physical features, such as mountains, hills, plains, plateaus, lakes, rivers, and oceans
Population	number of people in an area
Urban	a city
Suburban	smaller communities near cities
Rural	an area with fields, woods, farms, and small towns
Grid system	a set of lines that cross each other to form boxes
Exact location	the point where two grid lines meet, or cross, on a map

Social Studies Ch 1 Lesson 3: Human Made Features

I. How do people change the places where they live?

   A. Communities have been built in certain locations:

         1. They build near fresh water & good soil

         2. Many people live near the coast

         3. The first thing people do when they move somewhere is add buildings to the land: houses (somewhere to live) & places to work

    B. People add human-made features in many different ways:

         1. Examples of human-made features include: streets, buildings, restaurants, police department, airport, school, home, bridges

         2. California has roads, railroad tracks, subways, and bridges that help get people and things to the places they need to go (transportation)