Can you figure out what the expressions in bold mean? Fill in the blanks using those expressions again.
- James didn't push Joel; he wouldn't hurt a fly!
- My dad will let me have a television in my room when pigs fly.
- Grace passed the math test with flying colors.
1. Mom took us out to dinner to celebrate that she succeeded ________!
2. He's big and strong, but he's gentle. He ________.
3. I will stop fighting with my brother ________!
Write your own sentence for one of the idioms.
With flying colors means to be especially successful or victorious.
Wouldn't hurt a fly means to be gentle, or someone who would never injure or hurt someone else.
When pigs fly means something impossible. The phrase is a hyperbole, or an exaggeration, to describe an impossibility.
1. with flying colors!
2. wouldn't hurt a fly.
3. when pigs fly!
The United States of America became an independent country in 1776. Minnesota became a state in 1858. How many years after 1776 did Minnesota become a state?
82 years
The yo-yo is one of the world’s oldest toys. People invented it more than 2,500 years ago. The yo-yo got its name from the Tagalong language, which is a native language of the Philippines. In Tagalong, yo-yo means "come back."
Different cultures have celebrated mothers in many different ways. Ancient Greeks had spring celebrations to honor the mother of the gods, Rhea. Ancient Romans had a similar celebration. In March, they would bring gifts to a temple to celebrate Magna Mater, the mother of all gods. During the 1600s, England celebrated Mothering Day. Mothering Day was similar to the modern celebrations we have in the United States for Mother's Day, today.
Identify the bold words in these sentences as nouns, proper nouns, verbs, or adjectives.
Many spring flowers bloom in May. Azaleas, lilacs, and tulips are three flowers that bloom in May. What are your favorite types of spring flowers?
bloom: verb
May: proper noun
are: verb
flowers: noun
spring: adjective
If a chicken lays about 6 eggs a week, about how many eggs will it lay in one year? About how many dozen eggs will a chicken lay in one year?
Hint: There are 52 weeks in one year.
A chicken will lay about 312 eggs, or 26 dozen, in one year.
Moths and butterflies belong to the group of insects. In biology, this group, or order, is called Lepidoptera. Moths and butterflies both grow from caterpillars. But butterflies have bright coloring on their wings. A moth's wings are dull. They are supposed to blend into leaves and bark.
Bikes are widely used for transportation around the world. They are one of the most efficient ways in which energy is converted to movement.
Correct the following sentences. Check capitalization, proper nouns, spelling, punctuation, and homophones.
1. Dorothy is a young orphin who live with her ant Em and uncle Henry on a farm in kansas.
2. a cyclone lefts the farmhouse and carries Dorothy and toto all the way to oz?
3. their they meat Scarecrow, Tin man, and the cowardly lion.
1. Dorothy is a young orphan who lives with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry on a farm in Kansas.
2. A cyclone lifts the farmhouse and carries Dorothy and Toto all the way to Oz.
3. There they meet Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion.
49 ÷ 8 = __r__
72 ÷ 7 = __r__
59 ÷ 8 = __r__
49 ÷ 8 = 6 r1
72 ÷ 7 = 10 r2
59 ÷ 8 = 7 r3
Coast Redwood trees are the tallest trees in the world. They grow in California and Oregon. They can grow to be more than 300 feet high and as wide as 20 feet! Coast Redwood trees take about 400 to 500 years to reach maturity. Some of these trees are more than 1,500 years old.
The célérifère was an early kind of bicycle. This two-wheeled machine was made of wood. It was also called a "wooden horse." In order to change the direction of the machine, you had to lift or drag the front wheel. Comte de Sivrac, a Frenchman, first rode the célérifère in Paris in 1791. Karl von Drais, a German inventor, greatly improved the célérifère in 1817 by making the front wheel steerable.
The prefix im- can mean into or not.
Sort the words according to the meaning of the prefix. Use one word from each list in a sentence of your own.
immerse
immature
implant
impossible
imbalance immigrate
impartial
imperil
| into | not |
|
|
| into | not |
| immerse, immigrate, implant, imperil | impossible, immature, imbalance, impartial |
The class did a survey of everyone's favorite movies. Each student picked one movie as his or her favorite. Tally the results.
FAVORITE MOVIES
Smurfs:
| | | | | |
Toy Story:
| | | | |
Cars:
| | | | | | |
Harry Potter:
| | | | | | | | |
Now use that information to complete these sentences:
1. The most popular movie is ____.
2. The second most popular movie is ____.
3. The two least popular movies are ____ and ____.
4. There are ____ students in the class.
FAVORITE MOVIES
Smurfs: 6
Toy Story: 5
Cars: 7
Harry Potter: 9
1. The most popular movie is Harry Potter.
2. The second most popular movie is Cars.
3. The two least popular movies are Smurfs and Toy Story.
4. There are 27 students in the class.
Wolves live in groups called packs. A pack has three to seven wolves. The leaders are called alpha wolves. They are usually the strongest members of the pack. Male or female wolves can be the alpha wolf of a pack. The ordering of the pack depends on strength and the ability to win fights.
The Tour de France is a three week long bicycle race in France. It happens every year during the month of July. The bicyclists go all around France. The first race was in 1903. Today, the race is one of the most famous bicycle races in the world!
A turning point is a moment that changes a situation, often for the best.
For someone who struggles with math, having an excellent math teacher might be a turning point. For people who aren't getting along, a turning point might be a moment that brings them together.
Describe a personal turning point or a turning point in the life of a literary character.
Add: 2 1/3 + 4/9 = _______
Subtract: 7/16 – 1/4 = _______
2 1/3 + 4/9 = 2 7/9
7/16 – 1/4 = 3/16
The potato chip was invented by accident. In 1853, a customer at a restaurant in Saratoga Springs, New York complained that his French fries weren’t thin enough. The chef, George Crum, was insulted, so he sliced the fries as thin as paper and gave them a lot of salt — and in the process, created potato chips!
Playing sports, swimming, biking, and even just running around with your friends are all excellent ways of getting exercise. Exercise has many benefits; it helps keep your muscles strong and your weight in the healthy range. Scientists have even found that exercising frequently but moderately can help you fight off a cold!
Two heads are better than one is a saying. It means some problems are easier to solve when people work together.
Give an example from your life or from a book or movie in which two heads were better than one.
The museum closes at 4:45 p.m. The exhibit takes about an hour and ten minutes to explore. In order to have enough time to enjoy the exhibit, what is the latest time you should arrive at the museum?
3:35 p.m.
Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system. It is so big, you could fit all of the other planets inside it. The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is a huge spinning storm. The storm is at least twice the size of Earth. The Great Red Spot is the biggest storm in the universe. It has been spinning for at least 300 years.
A domesticated animal is an animal that can be trained to live with humans. Dogs, cats, and rabbits are all animals that can be domesticated. But dogs were probably the first domesticated animals. They have been living with humans for about 10,000 years! Domesticated dogs communicate with humans and other dogs in many different ways. An excited dog wags its tail. An angry or threatened dog bares its teeth.
Identify the words in bold as nouns, verbs, adverbs, or adjectives.
Clara Barton was a true humanitarian. A humanitarian is someone who is dedicated to helping others. During the Civil War (1861–1865), she collected and distributed supplies to Union soldiers. Barton went directly onto the battlefields and took food, bandages, and medical supplies to the wounded. She also provided comfort to the dying.
true: adjective
distributed: verb
directly: adverb
supplies: noun
comfort: verb
dying: noun
Clara Barton lived from December 25, 1821 to April 12, 1912. The Civil War took place from 1861 to 1865. In 1881, Barton founded the American Red Cross.
1. How old was Barton when the Civil War began?
2. How old was she when she founded the American Red Cross?
3. How old was she when she died?
1. 40
2. 60
3. 91
Have you ever played with a hula hoop? A hula hoop is a toy. It got its name from the hula dance, a Hawaiian dance that is performed using a similar hip motion as the one you use to keep a hula hoop in motion. Variations of the hula hoop have been around for centuries. But in 1958, the plastic version of the toy was first introduced to the United States.
More than eighteen million Americans are of Asian descent. May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month; during this time, we celebrate the culture and people of Asia and the Pacific islands.
Correct the sentences below.
1. Who is ur favrite author?
2. Authers writ books.
3. These storys explore the meening of frendship.
1. Who is your favorite author?
2. Authors write books.
3. These stories explore the meaning of friendship.
94 ÷ 7 = __r__
71 ÷ 5 = __r__
95 ÷ 6 = __r__
94 ÷ 7 = 13 r3
71 ÷ 5 = 14 r1
95 ÷ 6 = 15 r5
The word breakfast comes from a 500-year-old Middle English word; it means "to break the fast". A fast is time when you don't eat. The first meal that we eat in the morning breaks the fast that happens while we sleep.
Asian traditions are a part of American culture. Surfing, for example, comes from Hawaii and Polynesia. Chess comes from India. And the story of Cinderella originated in China in the 9th century.
The suffix -ion can turn a verb into a noun. The final "e" is dropped before the suffix is added.
participate + ion = participation; the act of participating
confuse + ion = confusion; the state of being confused
Add -ion to each word.
migrate
concentrate
destruct
protect
Select two words with the suffix -ion to use in sentences.
migration
concentration
destruction
protection
Turtles have existed for two hundred million years.
Write the numerals for the underlined number words.
200,000,000
Music is a form of art that uses rhythm and the sounds made by voices and instruments. For some people, music evokes emotion. Other people simply like the beauty of music. Some cultures use music as part of rituals. How does music play a role in your life?
There are about 10,000 different species of ants in the world! Ants are very social insects and often live in colonies. The colonies follow a caste, or class, system that usually includes queen, male, and worker ants. The queen ant's main duty is to lay eggs and reproduce. Worker ants never reproduce. Instead, they forage for food, work on the nest, protect the colony, among other duties.
Complete each sentence with the corresponding homophones meet, meat, or mete.
Write your own definition for each homophone.
1. Vultures are scavengers that eat the _____ of dead animals.
2. A pair of hyenas _____ a vulture feasting on an antelope. The hyenas steal it.
3. A pride of lions appears, _____ out the punishment the thieving hyenas deserve, and take the feast for themselves.
1. meat
2. meet
3. mete
Accept all reasonable definitions:
meat: animal flesh
meet: to happen upon/run into
mete: dispense punishment or justice
Estimate the answer.
1. Is 1/4 + 1/6 = >1/2 or <1/2
2. Is 2/3 + 1/4 = >1/2 or <1/2
3. Is 1/8 + 2/4 = >1/2 or <1/2
1. <1/2
2. >1/2
3. >1/2
In the United States, an individual who has flown into space is called an astronaut. In Russia, they're called cosmonauts. In China, they're called taikonauts! All of the different names are rooted in Greek words. Astronaut comes from the Greek words for "star" and "sailor." Cosmonaut comes from the Greek words for "universe" and "sailor." And taikonaut comes from the Chinese word for "space" and the Greek word for "sailor."
Memorial Day is an American holiday that honors the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who have died at war. Memorial Day began after the Civil War. At that time, it was called Decoration Day, because people decorated soldiers' graves with flowers. Memorial Day is celebrated annually on the last Monday in May.
In 2008, NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander set down on Mars. The phoenix is a mythological bird that lives for at least 500 years before being consumed by flames in its nest. When the flames are gone, a new phoenix rises from the ashes. The Phoenix Mars Lander joined rovers Spirit and Opportunity on Mars to gather information about our neighbor planet in the solar system.
Select one of the Mars rover names, and explain why you think it is a good name for the mission.
In 2008, the Phoenix rover set down on Mars. It entered Mars’ atmosphere at 12,700 miles per hour. A parachute opened and thrusters slowed the craft as it descended. It landed at a speed of 5.4 miles per hour.
How many miles per hour did the Phoenix slow down in order to land?
12,694.6 mph
Archaeology is a scientific study of human and material remains. It helps us understand past human life and activities. An archaeologist digs up tools, bones, and other artifacts that had been thrown away or buried. These objects help supplement what we already know about certain cultures. Thus, in a sense, an archaeologist is a type of historian.
Throughout the United States, Memorial Day is celebrated in many different ways. Some towns and cities hold parades, services, and speeches. Flags and flowers are often placed on the graves of soldiers and other veterans. “Taps," a song that is traditionally played at military funerals, is played on a bugle. Most flags are flown at half-mast, or halfway down the flagpole. How do you observe Memorial Day?
