Texas Report

Texas

By: Jamie Driver

November 20, 2011

I live in Texas. Texas is a big state that is south in the United States. Texas is exciting because of its history, resources, and geography.

Early Texas history was exciting and had many events. The 1st people who lived in Texas were the Native Americans. The Spanish Conquistadors looked for gold and setup Missions. The French had very few missions. Mexico won their independence from Spain and the president was Santa Anna. Stephen F. Austin settled Americans in the Texas Territory. Sam Houston helped lead a war of independence for Texas. The battle of the Alamo and the battle of the San Jacinto were importent in that war. All of these events happened so we could eventually become a U.S. state.

Texas was finally becoming a state. From 1836 - 1845 we became the Republic of Texas, which means it was its own country. Sam Houston, Mirabeau Lamar, and Anson Jones were three presidents of Texas. Under U.S. President James K. Polk, Texas became a state in 1845. Mexico had another war with Texas. Texas won, and the United States got lots of land from Mexico. Texas finally became a state.

There were many early missionaries in Texas. Angelina was a Christian Caddo and helped Spanish missionaries. Venerable Mother Maria De Jesus, helped convert Indians through apparitions, and was known as the Women in Blue. Friar Hidalgo rebuilt Churches in East Texas. Friar Antonio was known as the “Apostle of Texas” because he founded four missions in five years. These Catholics help early Texans be closer to God.

We can make lots of stuff in Texas. Texas raises lots of chickens, and cows which gives us Milk and Cream. Texas grows lots of corn, cotton, hay, wheat, potatoes, and grapefruit. In Texas we get lots of stuff out of the ground like, food, water, oil, gas, and salt. We make lots of stuff in Texas like computers, T.V.s, beds, helicopters, and spaceships. The stuff we make in Texas can help us alot.

There are many different regions in Texas. The Big Bend country has lots of deserts and mountains. The Gulf Coast has lots of beaches there. In the Hill Country there are lots of hills and underground caves. In the Panhandle Plains there are lots of flat grassy areas and prickly pear cacti. In the Piney Woods there are lots of forests of pine trees and swamps. In the Prairies and Lakes there are prairies with hills and tall grass and some small patches of trees and lakes. In the South Texas plains there are flat lands with grass and bushes that have thorns. All of these regions make Texas big and remarkable.

My favorite thing about Texas is the state flower: the bluebonnet. I also like the state bird: the mockingbird. I like living in Texas.

Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong

By: Jamie Driver

October 13, 2011

Neil Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Neil’s very first plane ride was when he turned six. When Neil was eight he built lots of model planes out of paper and balsa wood. When Neil was sixteen he got his pilot’s license.

Neil went to Purdue University for college. Neil was in the Korean war in the Navy. Neil was on a plane and one of the wings got loose, so he ejected from his seat and fell into the Sea of Japan. Neil Armstrong graduated from Purdue after the Korean war. Neil Armstrong got married in 1956 and had three children but one of them died. In the cold war the race to space began. In 1961 President John F. Kennedy said, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” In 1962 Armstrong became an astronaut. He was a great one because he was less than six feet tall, had a degree in engineering, and was an experienced jet pilot. On March 16,1966, Armstrong did the Gemini VII flight. He got to orbit the moon before landing on the moon.

The Apoll 11 Mission went to the moon. The three astronauts were Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins. At 9:32 am on July 16, 1969 they lifted off toward the moon. The space ship traveled about 250,000 miles and 4 days. They finally landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. Armstrong said, “That is one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.” A plaque left behind read, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon, July 1969 AD. We came in peace for all mankind.” Armstrong and Aldrin planted the American flag on the moon. They safely returned to Earth on July 24,1969.

Neil Armstrong never went into space again. Neil Armstrong is a brave and smart man. He will always be remembered because he was the first man on the moon.

Biographical Source: "Neil Armstong: One Giant Leap for Mankind" By: Tara Dixon-Engel & Mike Jackson

My dream I had last night

I went to this strange place and went inside. I don't know what it is called. There were lots of other kids there helping. We had to lay on our tummy or on our backs and paint the wall. Inside there was water so we had to make bridges to get across. Someone came to me and asked if I could help them build a bridge. I said yes. We had to leap to the other side to get there. So when we made the first line we had to leap over for another time. When I leaped to the other side I fell, but I held on to the rope. I told the leader that my chest and my tummy hurt from painting. We where doing this because there is this guy who is coming over to see it. When he did he said, ''It is always this place but it is the most prettiest I've seen all this year.'' He loved it. The next day we went to a different place to reherse for a play. The play was with a picalo and a recorder. I played E. The picalo played G. I played A and then the picalo played C. Then we walked to the other side. When we got to the other side another kid was singing, and when she clapped we played. It was good. When we did it another time I picked up a cup that was not a recorder. Then I picked up a book but that was not a recorder. Then I picked up the recorder, and we played it over for another time. Now it was time for the play and we all wore white dresses and played it. When it was done we were trying to not let the boys see us, so we went in the girl's bathroom so they wouldn't come in. When Mom came and got me I put on different clothes, but I had to keep my shoes on. We got home and it was over.

That was the end of my dream.

My Easter

I had a fun Easter. First, I went to Church to give Jesus love for his resurrection. Next, when Church was done, I went home to take pictures. The pictures were good but it was sunny. After pictures we hunted for Easter eggs. I hunted the most. It was fun, and I got lots of candy and 50 cents. Last my aunts and uncles came over. It was a nice time. We had dinner together and played games. Easter is one of my favorite holidays.

The Cat That Went in the Trap

The cat walks in the cage and says, "I shouldn't have done this. It was a trap."

A true story.

How to bubble paint

I learned how to bubble paint at art class.

You will need 3 small bowls, a big piece of paper, a straw, water, primary colored paint, and bubble soap.

First, put a larger drop of bubble soap in each bowl. Next, in one put 4 drops of yellow paint. In another bowl, put 4 drops of red paint. In the last bowl, put 4 drops of blue paint. Last, put a 1\2 cup of water in each bowl and stir them up. Now you are ready to paint.

To start, put the straw in one bowl and blow bubbles until they are about 3 inches above the bowl. Then, lay the piece of paper on the bubbles for 3 seconds for red or blue and 10 seconds for yellow. After it's done lift the paper up and set it down face up. Repeat these instructions with the other 2 colors until you are happy with your picture. I like to fill the paper up.

Bubble paint is fun and pretty.

My St.Therese Statue

I was given a statue of St. Therese, because she is my patron saint.

On Therese's head is a black habit and a white wimple. She has two black eye's a little nose, and a light pink mouth.

In the middle she has an orange-brown cape, and brown sleaves. She has more sleeves that are white under the brown sleeves. She has a brown dress that goes to her feet, and a Rosary tied to her dress.

Therese is holding a brown Crucifix, and seven red roses in her hands. They are lying on her right shoulder.

My statue is pretty and it's on our little altar in the living room.

(To see a picture of this statue, click Here)

My Bedroom

My favorite things to do in my room are to read, play, and do school work.

When I'm in my room I see pink flowers on the wall, pictures I drew, and my big bed. I hear my clock ticking, my cat climbing on the window, and the washer and dryer next to my room. My bed is smooth and soft, but my carpet is rough. The walls are lumpy and hard.

I like my room because it's bigger than my old bedroom.

The Lonely Butterfly

Spring the butterfly played outside by herself because she had no friends.

She played frisbee by herself, but it wasn't fun. So she went inside and played go-fish by herself but she couldn't . She wanted to play hide and seek, but after she hid nobody found her.

Spring went outside to jump rope and heard two butterflies talking. She went over to their house. Spring asked them if they wanted to be her friends. They said yes because they were sisters and had no friends too.

They played frisbee, go-fish, and hide and seek all day long.

Angel's Puzzle

One spring day, Angel the cat had a birthday. All of her family came over to visit. Angel got a puzzle for a present.

She didn't know how to build it so she went to her friend Flower's house. Angel asked Flower if she can teach her how to build the puzzle. Flower said, "I will teach you how to build it." They sat down and built the puzzle.

When they finished building the puzzle they wanted to build more, so they did.

My Life as a Christian

There are many things that I like about being a Christian. My favorite church is St. John The Apostle Catholic Church. I like that church because of my priest and the parish. My baptism was on November 23, 2003. When I was baptized I became a child of God. My First Communion was on May 8, 2010. When I took my first communion I received Jesus in my heart. My Patron Saint is St. Therese. I like her because she teaches me to be happy. My favorite way to pray is to pray a whole Rosary. I just started to like praying it. Being a Chistian is terrific.

What I disliked in 2010

My 2010 was good, but it was a little bad too. First, it snowed alot, and the power went out. Playing in the snow was fun but not with the heater out and no lights. Second, I didn't like moving, because it was sad going away. Third, I had a friend move to Canada. I miss her, because I like playing with her. Even though all these sad dislikes have happened, they are over now.

What I liked in 2010

In 2010 I did fun things. First, I liked living at Aunt Judy's because I like Aunt Judy. I also had a girl next door I liked playing with. Second, I started art class in 2010. I liked learning new art skills like painting and sculpting. Third, I liked my birthday. I had an art palette cake and I liked opening my presents. I liked most of what I did in 2010.

My Christmas

Christmas is a time of giving. Every Christmas I make gifts for other people. This year I made square keychains and one round keychain. It took me a long time to finish the keychains, but they were pretty. The colors of the keychains were purple and sparky white. I also made crosses out of pipe cleaners and beads. They were pretty. All of the people liked them.

Free Writing

I went outside to listen to some noise. What I heard was wind, a bird, something in the woods, leaves, and a gun shot.

Tell me about a time you ate an orange?

One morning I was eating an orange at the kitchen table with my breakfast. I saw that it was big so I thought it looked juicy. It tasted sweet and not sour. My tongue felt the cold and juicy orange. I liked the orange because it was tasty. I can't wait to eat an orange again.

Horses!

I like horses. Horses eat oats, apples, and carrots. I like it when they run. Horses have pretty colors. Baby horses are called ponies. A pinto horse is a horse that looks like a cow. I call the pinto horses "cow horses". I want to ride a horse.

What is Advent?

Advent is the time when we prepare for Jesus to be born. We light candles on a wreath. The candles are pink and purple. First we light two purple candles. Then we light one pink candle. The last candle is a purple candle. We also do a Jesse Tree. A Jesse Tree is the Old Testament stories that tell us how Jesus was coming. Advent reminds us that Jesus will come again.

Free Writing!

The cat sat on the hat.

The hat sat on the bat.

The bat sat on the mat.

The mat sat on the rat.

The rat sat on the fat bat.

What is the Immaculate Conception?

The Immaculate Conceptions is when Mary was born without original sin. Mary is the new Eve and Jesus is the new Adam. Eve disobeyed God and Mary obeyed God. So Mary became the mother of Jesus, and then she became the mother of all of us because Jesus is our brother. Mary loved God very much. We should be like Mary and love God too.