Long Island Weather and Seasons

Weather in New York and Long Island is always a topic of conversation. Long Islanders must make changes based on the seasons we have in New York state.  We have winter, spring, fall, and summer seasons. These seasons are based on the temperature and weather conditions.  In the winter we often have snow! Recently we had a blizzard called Nemo. It is usually cold during the winter time and we must wear coats, gloves, and hats to keep warm.  In the spring the temperature begins to rise and it usually rains.  If the rain is heavy we might say it is raining cats and dogs. Plants bloom during the spring time because there is water and sunshine.  Next comes summer, when it is usually very warm and there is lots of sun. In the summer people spend alot of time outside because the weather is very nice.  The next season is fall, in the fall the temperature goes down and the weather is cooler.  Fall is sometimes called Autunm. During the fall the leaves on the trees and other plants turn yellow, brown, and even red in color.  Long Island recently had a hurricane hit in this past fall.  Hurricane Sandy effected many people on Long Island and ruined many people's homes.  It has been very hard for families to move back into their houses and some are still displaced.  Have you had any experiences with weather like Hurricane Sandy?

Vocabulary Terms:

Conversation: (Noun) Talking socially with others.

Seasons: (Noun)  A time of year that is known for weather temperature and conditions.

Temperature: (Noun) The measure of how warm or cold something tested with a thermometer.

Blizzard: (Noun) A storm with heavy snow and strong winds that covers a large area. (See picture  on upper right)

Raining Cats and Dogs: Phrase used to describe rain. It's usually used when it is raining hard or heavily.

Sunshine: (Noun) Brightness or light that comes from the sun. (See picture to the right)

Hurricane: (Noun) A tropical storm with heavy winds that can cause water levels to rise.

Displaced: (Adjective) Lacking a home or out of an original place.


Vocabulary Activity:
Please fill in the blanks with the vocabulary term or word that has the correct meaning.

1. Plants need water and ____________  or light for them to grow strong.

2. Summer is my favorite of all the ________________ because it is the time of year that the temperature is warmer.

3. I had a nice ________________ with my teacher after school, we talked about our favorite candy.

4. It is snowing so heavily I think we will have a __________________.

5. The rain is so loud on our house tonight my Mom says it's ______________________.

6. My family and I were __________________ after the hurricane and stayed at a friend's house.

7. We should use a thermometer to find out the ____________________ outside today.

8. This tropical storm was very strong and turned into a ____________________ that destroyed many people's homes.

Grammar Point:
An article is a kind of adjective which is always used with and gives some information about a noun. There are only two articles a and the, but they are used very often and are important. The word a (which becomes an when the next word begins with a vowel) is called the indefinite article because the noun it goes with is  general. The word the is known as the definite article and indicates a specific thing. Whenever you see an article, you will find a noun with it. 

Grammar Activity:
Find the articles that are used in the passage above and the sentences and circle them!

Runaway Puppy!

Directions: Read through the passage carefully be sure to note that there are mistakes within the paragraph!

                                                

One very warm and sunny day Joey went for a walk with his new puppy. The puppy's name was beans The new puppy was very excited to be outside in the nice weather. joey held on to the leash while he walked Beans? after a while Joeys arm was getting tired of holding onto the leash.  Beans saw a chipmunk and ran after it.  joey let go of the leash and beans got away! Joey chased after his puppy, but it was no luck, He couldn't find beans anywhere? Then he saw a chipmunk hiding under a plant. The the chipmunk began to run and suddenly Beans was there; he ran up to joey and licked his face.  Joey was happy  because he had found Beans again.

Vocabulary Terms: 

excited: (adjective) stirred, happy, anxious, eager or active.

weather: (noun) the state outside including the temperature, clouds, moisture, or wind.

leash:(noun) a chain or strap for controlling or leading a dog.

chipmunk:(noun) a small outdoor creature that is brown with stripes on its back.

chased:(verb in past tense) followed, pursued, or went after something.

anywhere:(noun, but can have other meaning based on sentence) name given for any place or direction without detail.

suddenly:(adjective) something done quickly without warning that can be surprising.

Vocabulary Activity: Find the vocabulary words in the wordsearch below.

WordSearch Puzzle

E S S Y D T R H I X O S Y A I E
I L E B G U W P I S Z J R R B E
J D A B S S S X Y S V T T K F H
E X O O M N S E I H K O N D M R
A R U F P N R E O N E Y L D U S
J E Y L N E D D U S E E C C S T
M J E U H X E M W M O O K I S I
A S R W E S P Y G O C I O M S P
F I Y E E I O E E S A Q E W N D
T N P X H A L A S N C D S G M R
A N Z C N L T E S E H T A E L C
O X E I F M B H A C J R M P E F
T R E T A K M D E S A H C E S Q
T M V E S R A X K R H A E E H H
O P R D A U E N M E S I G E L I
T X L A T U N V B E C G O M E W

Grammar Point:

Using punctuation and capitalization is important in writing. In the above passage there are many sentences that use incorrect punctuation and lack capitalizing the correct words.  The names of people or places must always be capitalized because they are proper nouns.  The first word in a sentence is always capitalized. Look through the passage above and circle the incorrect capitalization errors. Note: There may be punctuation errors as well!

Cloze Activity:

Fix the following sentences from the passage above (listed again below). Be sure to change punctuation and capitalization so that it is correct! 

1. The puppy's name was beans

2. joey held on to the leash while he walked Beans?

3. after a while Joeys arm was getting tired of holding onto the leash. 

4. joey let go of the leash and beans got away!

5. Joey chased after his puppy, but it was no luck, He couldn't find beans anywhere?

6. The the chipmunk began to run and suddenly Beans was there;

7. he ran up to joey and licked his face.

Field Hockey Practice

I am the coach of the field hockey team at school. All of the players on the team are girls.  Everyday we have practice after school.  The players have to wear certain things to protect them when they are playing.  They must put on shin guards, head goggles, and a mouth guard.  The players begin practice by running the perimeter of the athletic fields.  The players run around the field twice to warm-up.  They stand in a circle and stretch after their run.  After stretching, they pick a partner to pass the ball with.  The teammates pass the ball back and forth to one another using different techniques or ways.  After the players pass to one another they stand on the circle-line to practice shooting on the goal.  Sometimes the team practices other drills that teach them defense and are similar to game situations. The practice will usually end with a full field or half field scrimmage that they play against one another.  This helps prepare them for games. 

Vocabulary Highlighted Terms:

Practice:(noun or verb) A habit or a repeated action that is done to better a person or a skill. In this passage the whole team gets together to work on their skills together.

Goggles:(noun)  A larger type of eyeglasses that are worn to protect the eyes.  Please see the below picture:


Perimeter:(noun) The border or outer area of something. Sometimes used when talking about shapes.

Stretch:(Verb) To extend or reach one's body parts or limbs which causes movement in the muscle. See the below pictures for an example of stretching.

      

Techniques: (noun) The manner or way of doing something that usually shows skill or knowledge.

Drills: Two Meanings- 1. (noun) A tool used to make holes. 2.(noun) A repetitive training  or practice that is done during instruction or exercise.

Scrimmage: (noun) A practice game or informal game that can take place between players on the same team.



Vocabulary Activity:
Fill in the blanks using the correct vocabulary term.

1. At the end of practice we are going to have a _____________ and play against our teammates.

2. There are many different ____________ that we can use to hit the ball in different ways.

3. The team must ________ their muscles so they don't get hurt. 

4. I need to _____________ taking shots, repeatedly, so that I can get better.

5. My least favorite practice _______ is when we must dribble and run the whole length of the field.

6. The outside of the field can also be called the _____________. 

7. It is a rule that all of the players must wear _________ as a way to keep their head and eyes safe.


Grammar Point:
Verbs are words that show action such as, jump.  Please find and circle the verbs in the passage above. Remember that to be or to do is a verb!

Grammar Activity:
Try to write 3 sentences of your own using the verbs: run, shoot, and score.