Cool Ali, by Nancy Poydar, tells how a girl uses her imagination and artistic talent to solve an everyday problem. Ali draws 'cool pictures' - a lake, a polar bear, and the cold North Wind - to help her neighbors beat the heat on a hot summer day in the city.

Your child can review and practice the vocabulary words and definitions for Cool Ali by clicking the Java Games link in the Quia activities section. It may be helpful to print out the list of terms (vocabulary words and meanings) from the game choices page so your child can refer to them as needed during practice. Once your child can easily match the words and definitions, have him/her try playing the Columns Game where vocabulary words are used in the context of sentences.

Have some fun with the Useful links section at the bottom of the Class Page. It features hyperlinks to other sites that contain background materials and enrichment activities that go along with this week's story. These links are provided as an extra opportunity for fun and learning for you and your second grader. If you want to try one of the many activities on the Crayola.com site, you'll need to register (it's free!) and set up a password first. Once you have done that, you can have your computer remember the password so you won't have to type it in when you visit the site again.

Since Cool Ali is the final selection of this theme, you will find a link to the Theme 4 Vocabulary Review Hangman Game in the Useful links section. The game uses words from the last five stories and will help you prepare for the unit vocabulary test which will be given next week.

Bonus Activity: Take a step-by-step drawing lesson. Use Uncle Fred's Step-by-Step Drawing Lessons site from the Useful links section near the bottom of the Class Page. If you bring Ms. Pellarin a picture you have drawn of a baby chick in an eggshell, you will earn your bonus prize for the week.