October/November 2024

noun

people who help create a colony or who live there

A group of colonists arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620.

adjective

special and different; unlike anything else

Geckos are unique animals. They lick their eyeballs to clean them!

noun

objects from long ago

Scientists search for artifacts under the ground.

noun

ideas that are meant to explain facts or events

Ellen has several theories about what happened to her missing toy.

• The events in this story took place in 1587 and a few years after that.

• The story takes place on Roanoke Island. At the time, this was a tiny island off the coast of a land called Virginia. Today it’s part of North Carolina.

• Roanoke Island is in America. America was a dazzling place filled with beautiful places, animals, and riches.

• The story focuses on a 10-year-old boy named Robert Ellis. Robert and his dad traveled from England to America. 

• ​​They had come to America to form a village with about 115 other people.

• They thought they were some of the first people to arrive in America. 

• But that wasn’t true. About 7,000 Native people were already living near Roanoke Island. And about 1 million other Native people lived across America. 

• The Native people were members of hundreds of different nations and tribes. These groups had unique customs and traditions.

• Some people in England and in Europe wanted to move to America to take the land and riches.

• America was an exciting, beautiful land that was bursting with life. Eagles soared the skies. Alligators and dolphins swam in the seas. Beavers, deer, and buffalo moved through the land.

• Other people like Robert and his dad wanted to move to America to build new towns and make colonies.

• After a few weeks, Robert and the others began running out of food and supplies. His colony leader, John White, decided to travel back to England to bring back more. 

• When White returned to Roanoke three years later, he discovered something unbelievable. 

• Robert, his dad, and the entire village were gone. 

• People today are still trying to learn what happened to them.

• Read the story to learn more. . .

verb

made a long, low sound because you are unhappy

Noah groaned when Mr. Jones announced a pop quiz.

noun

an extremely strong fear of something

Theresa has a phobia of heights.

verb

get over something challenging or difficult

Chris finally felt like he had overcome his fear of heights after he hiked to the top of the mountain.

adjective

thinking or talking about only one thing or person

Ashley is obsessed with playing basketball.

verb

give someone a reason to do something

Seeing his favorite band in concert helped motivate Jay to practice the guitar.

verb

talk about something with too much pride

Kyle likes to brag about his report card when he gets straight As.

verb

laughed quietly

The family chuckled while taking a selfie.

verb

flew high

Taylor watched his kite as it soared in the sunny sky.

verb

moving quickly

The fish were darting away from the loud boat.

adjective

not sweet; unpleasant tasting

Candace did not enjoy the bitter taste of coffee.

adjective

necessary

When shooting a basketball, bending your knees is key.

adjective

tasty

The cook knew he had made a scrumptious meal.