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Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Autumnal Equinox :: So Long, Summer!




FACT: Seasons change as we orbit the sun.

SpringSummerAutumnWinter

Twice a year, around March 20 or 21 and Sept. 22 or 23, our sun shines directly over the equator. That event marks the beginning of spring or fall. What is the equator?



Public Domain photo



e·qua·tor
[əˈkwā•dər]
noun
  1. an imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from both poles, dividing the earth into northern and southern hemispheres and constituting the parallel of latitude 0°.





In March when the sun shines directly over the equator, the event is called the spring or vernal equinox. In September when the sun shines directly over the equator, the event is called the fall or autumnal equinox





The Autumnal Equinox occurred in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. on Wednesday, September 23, 2015. at 1:22 A.M.



Things to look for in fall:

1. Deciduous (di•si•jo͞o•əs) trees will change color and drop all their leaves. Evergreen trees will not. Evergreen trees will stay forever green. :-) Why do the leaves of deciduous trees change color? Use World Book Online to research. Remember, do NOT copy sentences. That is plagiarism, and it is against the law! Take notes, and then turn your notes into your own sentences. 


Photo by Grandma Barb


2. On the equinox, there are exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. The day and night hours are equal. However, as we continue into fall, the days will get shorter and the night hours will get longer. This pattern will continue until we reach the winter solstice. That is the longest night of the year and marks a new season, winter.



3.  Because the northern hemisphere is now tilted away from the sun, the days will start to become cooler. People will change their behavior. What sorts of behavioral changes will your family make as the days get shorter and cooler?  (In southern California, we have mild climate. We don't get too cold in our community.)

There are many fall festivals or holidays. Watch the BrainPop video about fall to learn about the many harvest festivals celebrated. Do you celebrate any of these autumn holidays? If so, please share so we can learn from you! 

Check out the FREE BrainPop video about Fall. 


4. Some animals in the northern hemisphere will change their behavior. As fall leads to winter, some animals migrate, or move, to a warmer area. Others try to fatten up for the winter they know is coming. 



Again, BrainPop Jr. has a FREE video about fall. 

  


Share some fun facts about fall!
Did you use BrainPop or World Book Online as a reference? 


If you are in the southern hemisphere, tell us what season you are enjoying! How are you changing your behavior? 



Saturday, September 19, 2015

Lucky Hat Day :: 2015


Recently, Mrs. Yollis' class read The Lost and Found, a story
in our anthology by Mark Teague.


Photo by Mrs. Tulbure



The story is about three friends who get lost in the Lost and Found bin! Their lucky hats brings them good luck at the end of the story.


*       *       *      *       *

We celebrated by wearing our own lucky hats!





Of course, Mrs. Yollis wore her lucky hat! 




There was a plethora (ple •THə• rə) of hats!




Who/Hoo knows which one brought the most luck! 




Pink seashore baseball cap.






Cat in the Hat meets a garden hat with narrow brim.







Black hat with supplies! 



Headband.





Green baseball cap with Greek Minecraft elements.






Polka-dots and foil caps.






Flowers and eyes appear on this purple cap. 






A canoe on a khaki cap!





Sun hat with a beautiful butterfly band.






Who is on top of this knit cap? 







A Panama hat with yellow feathers and a blue band.






A happy head band.







Blue baseball cap and bow.





Buttons, feathers, and pipe cleaners.





An interactive lucky hat.




Hello striped Kitty! 



 Luckily, our reading buddies from Journeys were able to join us on our special day!















Tell us about your hat! Use adjectives to describe all the elements!

Compare and Contrast your hat with a classmate's. How are they alike and different?