Text Box: Autumn September 20-23 How Leaves Change Color                                          Autumn begins around the 20th to the 23rd of Sept. Now is the time nature has one last fling before settling down into a winter's sleep. Many factors influence autumn leaf color :  length of night, temperature, food supply and rainfall.  A time of warm, sunny days and cool crisp but not freezing nights seem to bring the most spectacular color displays.  When the days get shorter the veins that carry fluids into and out of the leaf gradually close off as a layer of cells forms at the base of each leaf.  Once the tissues are sealed off the leaf is ready to fall.  Some believe catching a leaf as it is falling is a sign of good luck. Want to try a fun activity?   Find a leaf and place a blank piece of paper over it. Quickly brush over the leaf with a crayon and you should have created a rubbing of your leaf.  Find out what kind of tree it came from and label it. Do this with other leaves and make a notebook.  Your on your way to becoming a botanist!                                                                                                                                                                      
Text Box: October 21 Alfred Nobel Alfred Nobel was born on this day in 1833. He invented dynamite, which made him very rich. Unfortunately, some people found out that it could be used in war. He became sick and guilt-ridden as he saw what his creation caused. With his money he set up a fund to award prizes to people who made important contributions to the good of humanity.      The Nobel Prizes are given each year on December 10, Human Rights Day, in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. See if you can find out some famous people who have won this prize.  Write a paragraph why you chose this person and what did he or she do to receive this prize.                                                                                                              October 13 Baker's Dozen There is one place that 13 is considered a lucky number-in a bakery or kitchen when cookies are being made!  Thirteen is a "baker's dozen."  That means 12 plus one more for good luck. Why not try making your favorite cookies, with your mother's permission of course. Use all the different ways to measure and write the recipe down.  You could begin a family recipe book!                                                                                                 
Text Box: September 24 Monopoly  In 1995 the game of Monopoly was 50 years old. It is a great game to play with family or friends, especially on a cool winter evening.  Want to impress your friends or family? Try adding up all the money that comes with the game. Here's a hint: it's in the tens thousands place.                                                                                                           
Text Box: October 31 Halloween Halloween is one of the oldest holidays we celebrate. The Irish brought the popular customs of Halloween to America in the 1840's. Be safe tonight and wear clothing that can be easily seen. Want to know the waistline of your pumpkin? 1) Estimate the circumference of a pumpkin at its widest point. 2) Measure the circumference with a tape measure. Whose estimate was closest? What is the difference between the circumference and the closest prediction. 3) Make estimates and measure other pumpkins of different sizes.                                                                                                                                 
Text Box: December 5 Walt Disney's Birthday Walt Disney(1901-1966) is well known for his theme parks, but he began as an animated cartoonist. He perfected natural movement and made the first cartoon with sound (Steamboat Willie with Mickey Mouse) and the first feature-length cartoon (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which got 8 Oscars-one big one and seven little ones). Make an Animated Cartoon 1) Use an old paperback book that has a wide margin. 2)Make up a simple stick figure-human, animal-something easy to draw. 3)Starting at the front of the book draw the character in the same place on each page making him ofr her move slightly with each new picture. 4)Flip your pages to watch your character move!  
 
Text Box: November 26 Howard Carter Finds Tomb King Tut was just nine years old when he became Pharaoh of Egypt. When he died, he was only 18. His body was mummified and laid to rest in a tomb which was once hidden. On this day in 1922, a British archaeologist, named Howard Carter entered King Tutankhamun's tomb and worked 10 years to remove the priceless treasure. The ancient Egyptians wrote in pictures that stood for whole words and sometimes sounds. I challenge you to write a note using hieroglyphics. Use the internet to find a dictionary. HINT: They wrote up and down.