Reading: English Language

English is a West Germanic language originating in England, and the first language for most people in Australia, Canada, the Commonwealth Caribbean, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America (also commonly known as the Anglosphere). It is used extensively as a second language and as an official language throughout the world, especially in Commonwealth countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa, and in many international organisations.

Modern English is sometimes described as the global lingua franca. English is the dominant international language in communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment, radio and diplomacy. The influence of the British Empire is the primary reason for the initial spread of the language far beyond the British Isles.

Following World War II, the growing economic and cultural influence of the United States has significantly accelerated the spread of the language. On an average school day approximately one billion people are learning English in one form or another.

A working knowledge of English is required in certain fields, professions, and occupations. As a result over a billion people speak English at least at a basic level. English is one of six official languages of the United Nations.

Reading: Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper is a pseudonym given to an unidentified serial killer (or killers) active in the largely impoverished Whitechapel area and adjacent districts of London in the second half of 1888. The name is taken from a letter to the Central News Agency by someone claiming to be the murderer, published at the time of the killings. Although many theories have been advanced, Jack the Ripper's identity may never be proven.





The legends surrounding the Ripper murders have become a complex muddle of genuine historical research, freewheeling conspiracy theory and dubious folklore. The lack of a confirmed identity for the killer has allowed subsequent authors, historians and mostly amateur sleuths—dubbed Ripperologists—to point their fingers at a wide variety of candidates. Newspapers, whose circulation had been growing during this era, bestowed widespread and enduring notoriety on the killer due to the savagery of the murders and the failure of police to effect a capture, with the Ripper sometimes escaping discovery by mere minutes.





Victims were women earning income as casual prostitutes. Typical Ripper murders were perpetrated in a public or semi-public place; the victim's throat was cut, after which the cadaver was subjected to abdominal and sometimes other mutilations such as those found in lust murder. Many now believe that the victims were first strangled in order to silence them. Due to the nature of the wounds on some presumed Ripper victims, several of whom had internal organs removed, it has been proposed that the killer had a degree of surgical or medical skill, or was perhaps a butcher, although this point, like most of the beliefs about the killer and facts in the case, is in dispute.

3 Fall and Halloween Themed Crafts for Elementary School Kids

Fall is the perfect time for kids to do crafts. Halloween is an especially crafty time. Most kids enjoy carving out their own pumpkin, but there are lots of other crafts they can make to have during this season.

Jack O’Lantern Terra Cotta Planter

For this craft you will need:
1. A terra cotta pot and dish
2. Orange, green and black craft paint
3. Paintbrushes, small, medium and large sizes
4. A plant of your choice to put in the pot

Begin this craft by spreading out newspaper to protect the surface you are working on. It is probably best to “double up” the newspaper and put down two layers of newspaper.

This craft is for a Jack O’Lantern face on a terra cotta pot.
Paint the pot entirely orange; do not paint the rim of the pot. Use one or two coats, make sure the pot is nice deep orange color. Allow this to dry completely before going on to the next step.

Now you are ready to add the Jack O’Lantern’s face. A little tip in doing this: you will find this a bit easier if you sketch out the face you like on a piece of paper, and then lightly sketch it onto the planter so your child can paint into the lined area. Paint the features black. Give this one or two coats, again making sure the paint is thick.

Add a green line around the rim of the pot. Paint all around the rim of the pot using your green paint. Allow this to dry.

Once your pot is dry, you are ready to re-pot the plant into the planter.

Fall Leaves Barrette
This craft is great for girls and will go nicely with a Fall outfit.
For this craft you will need:
1. Silk leaves of traditional Fall leaves, golden, orange and red
2. A low-temp glue gun
3. Large barrettes (can be found at your craft store)

Plug the glue gun in and wait until it is hot. Add a glue stick to the glue gun. You will know when the glue gun is hot typically because the glue at the tip will be ready to melt (squeeze the trigger to test this). Follow your glue gun’s directions. Most children will need supervision using a glue gun.

Take the barrette and place a several small dots of glue on the barrette across the entire barrette. Remember that this glue cools quickly so you need to work fast.

Place the silk fall leaves along the barrette. You may want to place them diagonally, or use only two or one leaves depending on the size and shape of the barrette. Use your best judgment as to how many leaves to select.

Allow the glue to set, this usually takes thirty minutes. Once this has done you can use the barrette and enjoy.

Black Cat Halloween Card
This is a great craft that will give your child a Halloween card to send to their grandparents or family or friends to celebrate the holiday.

For this craft you will need:
1. Blank cards and envelopes
2. Black card stock
3. Yellow card stock
4. A gold metallic paint pen
5. Scissors
6. Non-toxic glue

Begin this craft by cutting the shape of a cat out of the black paper. Tip: if you have trouble cutting out a cat, look for a cat in your clip art program and use this shape to guide you.

Then cut a large full moon out of the yellow paper. Once you have both of these cut out, glue the full moon to the paper first. Then glue the black cat to the paper, with the black cat halfway on the full moon.

Write about a quarter of the way down on the full moon “Happy Halloween” using the gold metallic paint pen. Allow the paint and the glue to dry. Once this is dry, your card is ready for you to send.

If you would like to make this project a little differently, make bats instead of cats.