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Grade!8!Blizzard!Bag!Day!One!

Junior'High'Social'Studies''Blizzard'Bag'Day'#1'

'Directions:+The'following'Blizzard(Bag(Assignment(is'for'students'in'grades'seven'and'eight.''The'information'comes'from'http://www.usaBflagBsite.org/history.shtml.''''Read'the'below'passage'and'answer'the'review'questions'that'follow.''Your'answers'are'to'be'completed'on'a'properly'headed'sheet'of'loose'–'leaf'paper.''The'assignment'is'due'on'the'day'we'return'to'school.'

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History of American Flag

''For$more$than$200$years,$the$American$flag$has$been$the$symbol$of$our$nation's$strength$and$unity.$It's$been$a$source$of$pride$and$inspiration$for$millions$of$citizens.$And$the$American$Flag$has$been$a$prominent$icon$in$our$national$history.$Here$are$the$highlights$of$its$unique$past.$'On'January'1,'1776,'the'Continental'Army'was'reorganized'in'accordance'with'a'Congressional'resolution'that'placed'American'forces'under'George'Washington's'control.'On'that'New'Year's'Day'the'Continental'Army'was'laying'siege'to'Boston,'which'had'been'taken'over'by'the'British'Army.'Washington'ordered'the'Grand'Union'flag'hoisted'above'his'base'at'Prospect'Hill.'It'had'13'alternate'red'and'white'stripes'and'the'British(Union(Jack'in'the'upper'leftBhand'corner.''In'May'of'1776,'Betsy'Ross'reported'that'she'sewed'the'first'American'flag.'''On'June'14,'1777,'in'order'to'establish'an'official'flag'for'the'new'nation,'the'Continental'Congress'passed'the'first'Flag(Act:''

("Resolved,(That(the(flag(of(the(United(States(be(made(of(thirteen(stripes,(alternate(red(and(white;(that(the(union(be(thirteen(stars,(white(in(a(blue(

field,(representing(a(new(Constellation."((((''''

'Between'1777'and'1960,'Congress'passed'several'acts'that'changed'the'shape,'design'and'arrangement'of'the'flag'and'allowed'for'additional'stars'and'stripes'to'be'added'to'reflect'the'admission'of'each'new'state.''• Act'of'January'13,'1794'B'provided'for'15'stripes'and'15'stars'after'

May'1795.''• Act'of'April'4,'1818'B'provided'for'13'stripes'and'one'star'for'each'

state,'to'be'added'to'the'flag'on'the'4th'of'July'following'the'admission'of'each'new'state,'signed'by'President'Monroe.''

• Executive'Order'of'President'Taft'dated'June'24,'1912'B'established'proportions'of'the'flag'and'provided'for'arrangement'of'the'stars'in'six'horizontal'rows'of'eight'each,'a'single'point'of'each'star'to'be'upward.''

• Executive'Order'of'President'Eisenhower'dated'January'3,'1959'B'provided'for'the'arrangement'of'the'stars'in'seven'rows'of'seven'stars'each,'staggered'horizontally'and'vertically.''

• Executive'Order'of'President'Eisenhower'dated'August'21,'1959'B'provided'for'the'arrangement'of'the'stars'in'nine'rows'of'stars'staggered'horizontally'and'eleven'rows'of'stars'staggered'vertically.''

'Today'the'flag'consists'of'thirteen'horizontal'stripes,'seven'red'alternating'with'six'white.'The'stripes'represent'the'original'13'colonies,'while'the'stars'represent'the'50'states'of'the'Union.'The'colors'of'the'flag'are'symbolic'as'well:'Red'symbolizes'Hardiness'and'Valor,'White'symbolizes'Purity'and'Innocence'and'Blue'represents'Vigilance,'Perseverance'and'Justice.''

+The+review+questions+on+the+next+page+are+to+be+answered+on+a+properly+headed+sheet+of+loose+–+leaf+paper.++Questions+two+through+five+must+be+answered+in+complete+sentences.+

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1. According'to'the'text,'the'American'Flag'is'“a'prominent'icon'of'our'nation’s'history.”''Begin'this'assignment'by'listing'3'more'icons'that'represent'the'history'of'the'United'States.'

'2. What'was'taking'place'in'January'of'1776'when'George'Washington'ordered'the'Grand'Union'flag'to'be'displayed'at'Prospect'Hill?'

'3. What'role'does'Betsy'Ross'play'in'the'history'of'our'flag?'

'4. Describe'the'executive'orders'of'President'Dwight'D.'Eisenhower'that'impacted'the'design'and'arrangement'of'the'flag.'

'Read+the+following+definitions+before+answering+question+number+five:+'

Hardiness'–'the'ability'to'endure'difficult'conditions''

Valor'–'great'courage'in'the'face'of'danger;'especially'in'battle.''5. The'red'stripes'on'our'flag'represent'hardiness'and'valor.''How'did'the'actions'of'George'Washington'and'the'Continental'Army'in'1776'symbolize'hardiness'and'valor?'

'(

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8th Grade Blizzard Bag Instructions From Mrs. Donley

Day 1: Complete Crossword Puzzle: Acts of the Apostles Students will need their Bibles to look up Scripture references to locate answers for the crossword puzzle. This may be completed in pencil in case errors are made while filling in answers. Day 2 Complete worksheet: Understanding the "Our Father" Students are to follow the directions given on the worksheet. This is to be completed in ink on loose leaf paper or word processed, answered in complete sentences. !

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DAY!#1!

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WRITING-!On!a!clean!piece!of!paper!write!a!well-written!story!based!on!the!prompt!

below.!!Your!story!should!be!one!page!in!length.!!Be!creative.!Use!the!following!

vocabulary!words!in!your!story:!!detriment,!incognito,!audacious,!skittish,!and!

ornate.!

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“Taking!it!was!easy,!Putting!it!back!undetected!is!a!real!challenge.”!!Write!about!it!in!

your!story.!

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Grade!8!Blizzard!Bag!Day!Two!

Yesterday,*December*7,*1941—a*date*which*will*live*in*infamy—the*United*States*of*America*was*suddenly*and*deliberately*attacked*by*naval*and*air*forces*of*the*Empire*of*Japan.!

"President!Franklin!D.!Roosevelt,!December!8,!1941!

Directions*for*both*7th*and*8th*Graders:*Read%the%following%account%of%the%attack%on%Pearl%Harbor%from%kidslibarypoint.org%and%respond%to%the%questions%in%complete%sentences.%%Your%answers%can%be%typed,%or%hand>written%on%a%properly%headed%sheet%of%loose>leaf%paper.%%%

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At!dawn!on!December!7,!1941,!America!was!at!peace,!although!it!was!clear!a!war!was!coming.!Nazi!Germany!had!overrun!most!of!Europe!and!was!literally!at!the!gates!of!Moscow.!Britain!was!slowly!starving!as!Nazi!submarines!sank!the!ships!carrying!food!and!medicine!the!British!needed.!Although!the!United!States!sent!huge!amounts!of!war!supplies!to!Britain!and!Russia!and!had!greatly!expanded!its!own!Army!and!Navy,!Americans!were!unwilling!to!go!to!war!against!enemies!who!had!never!attacked!us.!

Adolf!Hitler,!ruler!of!Nazi!Germany,!was!careful!not!to!attack!American!ships!or!planes.!Such!an!attack!had!brought!America!into!the!last!war!Germany!lost,!World!War!One,!and!Hitler!didn't!want!to!fight!the!United!States!again.!He!didn't!think!he!would!have!to,!either,!as!long!as!he!was!careful!not!to!give!the!Americans!a!direct!reason!to!fear!German!attack.!Without!American!troops,!he!thought!he!would!eventually!be!able!to!wear!Britain!and!Russia!down,!no!matter!how!many!planes!and!trucks!the!Americans!gave!their!allies.!

He!might!have!been!right.!But!we'll!never!know,!because!Hitler!was!allied!with!the!Japanese,!and!they!had!their!own!plans!for!war!with!America.!

America!had!two!fleets!in!1941,!just!as!it!does!today:!an!Atlantic!fleet!and!a!Pacific!fleet.!The!Pacific!fleet!was!bigger,!with!all!the!aircraft!carriers!and!most!of!the!battleships,!because!it!faced!the!very!large!and!modern!navy!of!Japan.!

The!Pacific!Fleet!was!based!at!Pearl!Harbor!in!Hawaii,!midway!between!America!and!Japan.!Along!the!docks!called!"Battleship!Row"!floated!eight!of!the!world's!largest!and!most!powerful!war!machines,!clad!in!steel!plate!and!armed!with!massive!guns.!

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That!Sunday!morning,!the!fleet!was!ready!to!take!on!any!navy!in!the!world.!By!noon,!Battleship!Row!was!in!flames.!

At!around!eight!in!the!morning,!353!Japanese!planes!swooped!down!onto!the!island!after!flying!over!the!ocean!for!hours.!They!struck!Battleship!Row,!ships!anchored!nearby,!and!Hickam!Field,!where!the!Army's!airplanes!were!based.!American!ships!fought!back,!but!Japanese!planes!were!everywhere,!and!battleships!have!always!had!a!hard!time!hitting!small,!fast"moving!planes.!Twelve!ships!sank,!nine!more!were!put!out!of!action,!and!more!than!300!airplanes!were!destroyed!or!badly!damaged.!One!battleship,!the!USS!Arizona,!capsized!with!nearly!all!hands,!taking!over!1,000!American!sailors!with!it!to!the!bottom.!

The!Japanese!believed!that,!with!the!Pacific!Fleet!out!of!action,!America!would!be!unable!to!stop!Japan!from!taking!over!the!oil!fields!of!Indonesia.!Then,!Japan!would!offer!peace,!and!America!would!have!no!choice!but!to!accept.!

They!were!mistaken!on!two!counts.!First,!the!battleships!of!the!Pacific!Fleet!had!been!knocked!out!(though!many!were!repaired!and!sent!back!into!the!fight!months!later),!but!its!aircraft!carriers!weren't!in!port!that!day!and!were!not!sunk.!In!World!War!Two,!carriers!were!much!more!important!than!battleships,!and!what!the!Japanese!carriers!had!done!to!American!battleships!at!Pearl!Harbor,!American!planes!would!one!day!do!to!Japanese!battleships!at!the!Coral!Sea,!Midway,!and!the!Philippine!Sea.!So!the!main!element!of!American!naval!power!in!the!Pacific!was!still!intact.!

The!other!mistake!the!Japanese!made!is!that!America!did!not!seek!peace,!but!victory.!Hitler!declared!war!on!the!United!States!three!days!later,!and,!although!the!U.S.!Army!began!mobilizing!to!fight!Germany,!the!Navy!and!Marine!Corps!devoted!most!of!their!effort!to!Japan.!Over!the!next!few!years!the!Americans!built!over!1,000!combat!ships!and!put!12!million!men!into!the!armed!forces,!while!Japan!had!already!mobilized!all!the!men!and!ships!it!could!find.!

Furthermore,!Pearl!Harbor!was!viewed!as!a!sneak!attack!by!the!Americans.!The!Japanese!ambassador!in!Washington!had!been!told!to!present!a!declaration!of!war!a!few!minutes!before!the!attack,!but!he!was!late,!and!the!declaration!came!after!Pearl!Harbor!had!already!been!bombed.!Because!the!Japanese!had!begun!the!war!by!cheating,!Americans!didn't!think!they!could!believe!anything!the!Japanese!said!afterward.!

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They!believed!the!only!way!to!end!this!war!would!be!to!defeat!Japan!utterly,!so!that!it!no!longer!had!the!ability!to!wage!war!at!all.!This!was!an!unusual!approach!for!America,!which!had!usually!been!content!to!accept!peace!terms!from!its!opponents!once!it!won!on!the!battlefield.!It!meant!America!would!have!to!destroy!Japan's!society,!then!rebuild!it!and!protect!it!from!aggressive!neighbors!until!Japan!was!strong!again.!Thus!began!America's!long!involvement!in!the!Far!East,!which!brought!it!into!the!Korean!and!Vietnam!wars!and!continues!to!this!day.!!Questions!!!

1. Why!were!many!Americans!unwilling!to!go!to!war!in!1941?!2. Why!did!Adolph!Hitler!feel!that!he!would!not!have!to!worry!about!fighting!

the!United!States?!3. Describe!the!relative*location*of!Pearl!Harbor.!4. Describe!the!damage!and!loss!that!took!place!at!Pearl!Harbor!on!December!7,!

1941!in!your!own!words.!5. According!to!the!text!“the!main!element!of!the!American!Navy!was!still!

intact.”!What!does!this!mean?!6. Describe!the!American!reaction!to!Pearl!Harbor?!

!7. What!else!would!you!like!to!know!about!Pearl!Harbor?!

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DAY!#2!

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ENGLISH-!Write!10!sentences!following!the!guidelines!below.!

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#1-!Write!a!sentence!using!3!pronouns.!

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#2-!Write!a!sentence!using!2!prepositions.!

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#3-!Write!a!sentence!using!3!proper!nouns.!

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#4-!Write!an!exclamatory!sentence!using!the!word!bonanza.!

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#5-!Write!a!declarative!sentence!using!the!word!churlish.!

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#6-!Write!an!interrogative!sentence!using!the!word!laggard.!

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#7-!Write!an!imperative!sentence!using!the!word!comply.!

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#8-!Write!a!sentence!using!a!direct!object!and!indirect!object.!

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#9-!Write!a!complex!sentence!beginning!with!the!word!“although.”!

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#10-!Write!a!compound!sentence!describing!your!day.!

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Grade!8!Blizzard!Bag!Day!Three!

Directions*for*7th*and*8th*Graders:*Read%the%information%that%follows%carefully.%%Then,%prepare%letter%to%the%President%of%the%Cleveland%Indians,%Mark%Shapiro,%explaining%to%him%why%you%support%the%Indian%name%and%logo%or%why%you%feel%it%should%be%changed.%%%

Are Native Mascots Right or Wrong?

Starting in February, 2006, the NCAA will prohibit sports teams from using Native American "Indian" nicknames and logos on team uniforms and via team mascots in postseason events. Beginning in 2008, it will also prohibit cheerleaders and band members from using Native American images, nicknames and logos as well. As it now stands, at least 18 schools are affected by this policy change.

Incorporating Native American images, logos, mascots and rituals into team sports is a long standing tradition in the U.S., and recent policy shifts have polarized the American response - with some welcoming the change and others vehemently opposing it. Take, for example, the case of Florida State University: their Mascot, "Chief Osceola," will no longer be allowed to perform at games - a tradition that's been in place since 1978. While the NCAA has deemed such representation of Native culture "hostile and offensive," Governor Jeb Bush feels this stance is "ridiculous" and that such representation instead honors Native culture. Let's take a closer look at the issues on both sides. Those who support continued use of Native American Indian mascots, logos and images argue:

* Such use furthers our appreciation of Native American culture. • It's a long standing tradition that should be respected, besides it's only a

game.

Those who lobby against use of Native American Indian mascots, logos and images argue: * In response to claims that some Native American Indians, such as the Seminole tribe in Florida, support use of mascots, the following is pointed out: o About 75 percent of the Seminole population lives in Oklahoma, not Florida. o There are actually three Seminole tribes in Florida, and only one tribal government - the one which uses the name "Seminole Tribe of Florida" - has formally supported use of the "Chief Osceola" mascot.

��������D�y$ 3$$! Using!pictures!from!a!magazine!or!newspaper,!find!one!example!of!each!Corporal!Work!of!Mercy.!!!For!each!picture,!explain!in!one!or!two!sentences!how!the!Corporal!Work!of!Mercy!is!being!shown.!!! 1.!!Glue!pictures!down!on!paper!and!under!each!paper!write!your!explanation.!!! 2.!!You!can!put!more!than!one!picture!and!explanation!on!a!sheet!as!long!as!it!is!neatly!done!and!there!is!space!between!them.!!Corporal$Works$of$Mercy$!Feed!the!Hungry.!Shelter!the!Homeless.!Clothe!the!Naked.!Visit!the!sick!and!imprisoned.!!Give!alms!(money)!to!the!poor.!Bury!the!dead.!

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DAY!#3!

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READING-!Read!the!following!story!and!answer!the!questions!in!complete!sentences!

in!the!space!provided.!

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The Travelers

The travelers, real travelers, came in late summer to hawk their wares. They wore exotic wrap dresses with bright colors that caught the sun and held it. They wore fabrics of deep red, green, orange, and other colors that blended together and became one enchanting color of magic. The travelers were enchanted, we were sure.

They were evanescent, like the summer, arriving and departing like a gust of wind. They had large caravans with pots, pans, tapestries, scarves, linens, cloths, perfumes, and exotic blends of meats and spices. The children ran wild, their skin darker than ours, their bare feet toughened from the sun and earth. Their hair was dark and scattered, and they were tough. These children could survive on just a scrap of life, and we knew it. We played marbles with them, cross-legged on the hot pavement. They always won. In the distance, we could hear the calls: “A dollar, a dollar, just a dollar. Bracelets, bangles, baubles, beads. A dollar, a dollar, just a dollar.”

Sometimes we played dress-up, wrapping the scarves around our heads and waists, wobbling down the streets in satin heels. We were women of the world, going to market in strange cities, selecting goods for the trip home to London or Paris or even India. The women gave us scraps of cloth and jewelry for sewing. We held the stones to the light and caught the reflections of ourselves in ruby and emerald, the same, but somehow changed.

We always expected the travelers to come in late July, and they always did, in rickety caravans draped with shimmering textures of other lands and lives we would never know.

“Stay away from the travelers,” the women of our town warned. “They’re not like us.” “They’re not our kind.” “Nothing but trouble if you ask me.”

The travelers were different, but they never gave us any trouble. They stayed up late, when the fevered earth began to cool, and they played banjos and guitars, the tunes wafting through open windows with the smell of lilacs and red wine. We dreamed of hopping onto the caravan one night and leaving for another world under the stars, but we saw our parents, heard the soft chirruping of crickets in the garden, and knew we couldn’t leave.

The travelers did leave, though. One summer the caravan never came. No rough talking little vagabond children, no tapestries, no reds, oranges, and greens woven into magic. No banjos or dancing or hawking: “A dollar, a dollar, just a dollar.” No transients were allowed, they said. Instead, the streets were quiet, the pavement hot and bare. We all wore the same skirts, dresses, and shoes. We lived in the same row houses and everyone knew everyone in town. The sad-faced McCoy sisters went to church but liked their gin on the sly. Old Mr. Cory was rumored to have $5,000 dollars stashed under his mattress, and in the summer, there was nothing to talk about but the heat. Even the air stood still. We stopped dreaming. Was it better this way? My sisters and I had to wonder.

1. What are the “baubles” referred to in the first paragraph? Write down a guess based on the other items listed, and then check your guess with a dictionary.

2. In the second paragraph, the narrator uses the word “wafting.” Use context clues to determine its meaning.

3. When the travelers come, they come in the summer and seem magical to the narrator. When they don’t come one summer, the magic disappears. Compare this to the beginning and ending of childhood. In what ways do you think children know more than adults? Why might adults be more cautious?