5K challenge

My mom and I made a new goal. It is to run in the SLC Marathon 5k race. We started running on February 8. We exercise in the mornings at the South Jordan Fitness Center.

My mom had me watch a video about Dick Hoyt and his son. It helped me to know that I can believe in myself and do anything I want to. When I run I feel happy.

I learned that exercising helps us lose weight, gives us energy, fights off disease, makes us happy, helps us sleep better and it can be fun.

My goal today was to run ten laps. I walk in between each lap. Today I exercised a total 22 laps. This means that I ran or walked for 2.2 miles. I feel good that I ran ten laps today.

KERMODE BEAR

I just finished my report on this endangered bear. Read and learn about this animal the local people call "Spirit Bear".

You should try watching the movie "Spirit Bear". It is the story about a boy who is trying to save the habitat of the Kermode Bear. Pop some popcorn and enjoy the movie. But don't forget to read on first.

The Kermode Bear is the special name given to the black bear that has white claws and cream colored coats. One out of every ten black bears has this recessive gene which shows itself by giving the bears white fur. They are not albinos. Kermode bears are found only in a narrow stretch of land along the coast of British Columbia and on the Princess Royal Islands. Another name for Kermode Bear is "Spirit Bear” or “Ghost Bear.” The Kermode bear is endangered. There are only 400 hundred of them left in the world.
According to the Tsimshian legend of creation, when the world was in chaos, Raven organized it into cohesion. It's believed that a time long ago, when the earth was covered with snow and ice, all living beings spoke one language and there was never misunderstanding or the intent of one group towards another. It's said that there was harmony between the seen and unseen worlds, which were separated by a thin veil. People, especially Spirits Doctors could move back and forth. Animals could shapeshift into humans and vice versa. The Creator, Raven, decided to transform the earth into a magnificent green land. The Tsimshians believed in Spirit Bear, Moksgm'ol, was the Spirit of the Rainforest. When the land was green, Creator Raven, decided to create a remembrance of when the world was covered with ice and snow and at peace. He flew among the Black and Brown Bear People and turned every tenth one white. He decreed that they would live in peace and harmony forever. Raven promised them that they would have unique powers. They would lead chosen people to special places and have the ability to dive deep in the ocean to search for fish. Raven set aside a rainforest home for the bears on Princess Royal Island where Moksgm’ol would live in peace and harmony forever.
Black bears can be many colors, they can be cinnamon, black, white and brown.
They eat berries, nuts, fruits, roots, grasses and other plants. They also eat insects, deer and fish. They also love honey. But, plants make up eighty percent of the food it eats during the year. Kermode bears are less visible to fish than their black counterparts, making them 30% more efficient at capturing salmon in the islands' rivers.

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

AT SCHOOL I AM BEGINNING A NEW UNIT ON EXPLORERES. I HAVE BEEN LEARNING ABOUT CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. HERE IS WHAT I HAVE LEARNED. I HOPE YOU ENJOY READING MY REPORT!

Christopher Columbus was born in the year 1451, in Genoa, Italy. His mom and dad were wool weavers. His dad wanted him to run the family business. But Christopher wanted to be a sailor. He loved to watch the ships and listen to the tales of the sailors while at sea.
When he was 14 years old he went to sea. He helped clean and cook for the sailors. He sailed for five years on the Mediterranean Sea. He had a talent for navigational tools.
In 1476, one of the ships Christopher was on was attacked by pirates. The ship was set on fire and he was wounded. To save his life he had to jump into the “Sea of Darkness”. He found an oar floating in the water so he grabbed on to it to help him float and he swam six miles to shore. He found himself in Portugal.
Columbus decided to live Portugal because Portugal had the best sailors and navigational equipment. One reason for this was because Prince Henry the Navigator and developed a school to help in exploration.
Christopher believed that the world was round. He believed that he could sail west to get to the Indies. But many people laughed at him.
One day he went to the King of Portugal and asked him to pay for a voyage to find the Indies. But the King tricked him and stole his maps. Christopher was so mad he moved to Spain.
After a few years he went to the King and Queen of Spain and he told them of his ideas and asked for them to pay for a voyage. At first the king said no because they were at war with another country. Finally, Queen Isabella asked Christopher to come back and talk to her again. She was excited and gave Christopher three ships to sail. Their names were the Nina, Pinta and the Santa Maria.
On August 3, 1492 they left for the Indies travelling west. A few days later the Piñta’s rudder broke so they stopped at the Canary Islands to fix it. It took three weeks to fix the ship. Finally, they were on their way again.
They sailed for weeks but they could not find land. The ship’s crew was just about to mutiny! Christopher Columbus promised the crew, “Give me three more days, if we don’t see land we will turn back!” Two days later, a sailor on the Pinta yelled, “Land! Land!”
On October 12, 1492 Columbus went to shore and said a prayer, he claimed the land for the country of Spain. He named the place San Salvador. He thought they had made it to the Indies.
Soon they saw the natives. Columbus called them “Indians.”
Columbus sailed to the new world four times. In all his voyages he sailed to Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Caribbean, Brazil, Trinidad, and Honduras.
In 1506, Christopher died in Spain. He was 55 years old. He never knew he had really discovered a new continent.