Redwood Trees

10. Topic:  Redwood Trees
From:  http://mrnussbaum.com/redwood/

Date:    2014, August 26

               The magnificent Redwood trees are some of the largest trees in the world! They are found mostly in northern California where cool temperatures, misty rains, and dense fog allow them to grow.

              Redwood Trees can live thousands of years. The oldest of these trees can grow to over 300 feet tall. Some rise higher than the Statue of Liberty! A few are so wide, that roads can be built through them.

               Redwoods trees are preserved in California's Redwood National Park. Every year, nearly a million visitors come to see the giant trees. Others just like to drive along the 33-mile long Avenue of the Giants, a road that winds through the park and surrounding areas.

Rainbows

9. Topic:  Rainbows
From:   http://mrnussbaum.com/rainbows-reading-comprehension/

Date:    2014, August 19

                 Rainbows are often seen when the sun comes out after or during a rainstorm. Rainbows are caused when sunlight shines through drops of water in the sky at specific angles. When white sunlight enters a raindrop, it exits the raindrop a different color. When light exits lots of different raindrops at different angles, it produces the red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet that you see in a rainbow. Together, these colors are known as the spectrum. These colors can sometimes be seen in waterfalls and fountains as well.

                Did you know that there are double rainbows? 

In a double rainbow, light reflects twice inside water droplets and forms two arcs. In most double rainbows, the colors of the top arc are opposite from those in the bottom arc. In other words, the order of colors starts with purple on top and ends with the red on bottom.              In addition, rainbows sometimes appear as white arcs at night. These rainbows are called moonbows and are so rare that very few people will ever see one. Moonbows are caused by moonlight (rather than sunlight) shining through drops of water.

Silk Road

8. Topic:  Silk Road
From:  http://mrnussbaum.com/readingcomp/silkroadcomp/

 Date:    2014, August 12

               In 1274, Italian explorers Marco and Niccolo Polo set
 out on a 24 year journey in which they traveled the famous Silk Road from Italy, through brutal deserts and towering mountains to eastern China. 
               They traveled over 4,000 miles in all. Marco and Niccolo were among the very first Europeans to explore the fabled empire of China. In China, Marco Polo even worked for ruler Kublai Khan. Polo detailed his experiences and findings in China by writing a book. Polo described materials and inventions never before seen in Europe. Paper money, a printing press, porcelain, gunpowder and coal were among the products he wrote about. He also described the vast wealth of Kublai Khan, as well as the geography of northern and southern China. European rulers were very interested in the products Polo described. 
                However, trading for them along the Silk Road was dangerous, expensive and impractical. European rulers began to wonder if there was a sea route to the east to get the products they wanted at a reasonable price.

Buffalo Hunters

7. Topic:  Buffalo Hunters
From:   http://mrnussbaum.com/readingcomp/bufcomp/

Date:    2014, August 5

            The great herds of buffalo that roamed the plains were essential for all parts of Sioux life and society. For most Sioux villages, "home" was wherever the herds of buffalo roamed. 
                Before the introduction of the horse, Sioux warriors would hunt the buffalo by dressing up as wolves as tricking them into running off of cliffs and ledges. They would also dress up in buffalo skins and make crying sounds like a baby buffalo. When an adult buffalo went to investigate, the warriors would kill it with spears and arrows. 
               The Sioux Indians used the entire buffalo following a kill. The buffalo hide was used for making clothes, moccasins, and robes. The hair was used to make rope and the horns were used as cups and dishes. Children fashioned sleds out of buffalo ribs, and buffalo fat was used as glue. Most importantly, buffalo meat provided food for the entire village. Much of the buffalo meat that was collected was cooked and dried.