Elvis Presley- Part Two

Vocabulary/Spelling words
-Be able to define and to spell these 10 words:
absorption-to take something in, as in the gelatin takes in the water forming a sticky gel
poverty- being poor and having little money, food, and other needs
Mississippi-a state in the southeastern part of the US
Tennessee-a state in the southeastern part of the US, north of Mississippi
Elvis Presley-a singer from the 1950s-1970s, known as the King of Rock and Roll
Memphis-major city in Tennessee; where Elvis settled and later died
Tupelo- a city in Mississippi; where Elvis was born
military-armed forces; in the US consists of the Army, the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force and the Coast Guard
Graceland- the name of the estate owned by Elvis; currently a museum honoring Elvis' life
gospel music-intense, joyful music sung in churches, particularly in the American South

Social Studies
- If you can, take a visit to Graceland. If, like most of us, this is not possible, take the video tour, led by 12 year old Curtis, of Graceland: http://www.elvis.com/graceland/tours/for_kids.aspx Write down 10 facts that you learned about Graceland, Elvis, or Elvis' family.
- Print out the Graceland Activity Book: http://www.elvis.com/!userfiles/editor/docs/EPE_ChildrensBook.pdf and do the activities that are in it.

Language Arts
-Using all the letters in Elvis' name (Elvis Aron Presley), make an acrostic that tells about him and his life. An acrostic is when you use each letter in the word as the first letter in a word or phrase about the main word. For example: I will use Elvis' nickname, The King, and write an acrostic below.
Traveled a lot
Handsome
Elvis Aron Presley

Kind
Idol
Nice hair
Graceland

Religion
-In addition to singing rock music, Elvis is also famous for the many gospel songs he sang. One gospel song he sang is How Great Thou Art. You can see him perform it here. Read the lyrics to this hymn, and write about what the words mean to you. Make a list of 10 things that show how God is great. If you follow a non-Christian faith, which verses, if any, fit with your beliefs?

Gym
-Play some music by Elvis and dance to it. Move with the music. You can find many songs by Elvis on You Tube and iTunes. Some good dance songs include: Jailhouse Rock, Hound Dog, Blue Suede Shoes, Johnny B Good, and All Shook Up.

Domestic Arts
-It is rumored that Elvis liked grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches, possibly with bacon in them. With an adult's supervision, make one of these for yourself and see what you think of them. As with all recipes, be sure to read through all the directions first and have all your ingredients ready before you start. First, take two slices of bread (Elvis likely used white bread, but you can use whole grain to be healthy) and butter one side of each slice. Then, spread some peanut butter on the unbuttered side of one of the slices. I find it is easiest to now put that slice, butter side down, on a hot griddle or frying pan. It is important to always grill sandwiches over medium-low heat so as not to burn them. Next, spread some mashed banana (sliced banana would work, too) on top of the peanut butter and sprinkle on some crispy, crumbled bacon (or use whole strips of cooked bacon) and top the sandwich with the other slice of bread, butter side up. Grill the sandwich for a few minutes, usually about 5-7, and then carefully flip the entire sandwich over to grill the other side. The other side will only take about 3 minutes before it is golden and crisp. Remove from pan, cut in half and let cool slightly. Be careful when you first bite into this sandwich as the banana, especially if you used mashed banana, will be very hot.

Art
- Elvis filmed several movies in Hawaii and performed concerts there many times. It was one of his favorite places to be. The lei is a popular symbol of Hawaii and is used to greet visitors. While they are traditionally made with real flowers, that can be a bit expensive, so we are going to make our own leis with paper flowers and plastic straws. First, get a length of string long enough to make a necklace that will fit over your head. Then, cut out several small flower shapes (about 1.5-2 inches across) from various colors of construction paper. Also, prepare the straw pieces by cutting straws into pieces about 1 inch long. Now, simply string one straw piece followed by one flower and continue alternating until you have filled most of the necklace. Tie the two ends together and you have a lei!

Music
-Print out the lyrics to the song (I Just Want To Be Your) Teddy Bear by Elvis Presley and then sing along to the song here.

Spanish
-Learn these 3 words in Spanish:
guitar (la guitarra)
music (la música)
singer (el cantante)