Ronald Reagan - Navo

• He was born on February 6, 1911 in the small town of Tampico, Illinois. His parents, Jack and Nelle, named him Ronald Wilson for a great-uncle but always called him Dutch (after his father began referring to the strapping baby as his "fat little Dutchman"). 
• Nelle did occasional work to supplement the family's meager income and became intensely active in church functions. She seemed to live a life of almost complete self-denial, devoted to her children, defensive of her unsuccessful, alcoholic husband (whom she taught her children to tolerate and forgive). 
• But on occasion, she showed signs of frustrated ambitions, particularly when she traveled around the county giving dramatic readings of poetry and melodrama to church groups and other gatherings—a popular form of entertainment at the time and one at which Nelle apparently excelled. Her younger son often accompanied her on these outings, although he later denied that they were the source of his attraction to acting.
• Ronald Reagan's election to the presidency in 1980 marked the convergence of two processes, neither of which would have seemed likely to most Americans even a few years earlier. One was Reagan's transformation from a fading film actor into the dominant political figure in the nation. 
• The other was the rise of a powerful conservative movement that profited not only from Reagan's attractive personality but also from a decade of popular disenchantment with politics and government.
• His presidency coincided with, and contributed to, a long period of dramatic economic growth and the beginning of a momentous change in international relations. But it failed to address, and in many ways intensified, a series of public dilemmas that had been developing for years before Reagan entered the White House and that continued to plague the nation for years after he left.

Presidential Election - Navo

• Presidential elections have taken place in the United States quadrennially, beginning in 1789. They include both the process of candidate nomination and the subsequent campaign for election.
•  Since the 1830s, nomination has centered on national party conventions called to choose individuals to run for president and vice president and to adopt the party's platform. 
• Delegate selection for these conventions was for a long time wholly extralegal and determined by local party traditions. 
• Early in the twentieth century, some states set up presidential primaries to choose delegates and record voter preferences among the aspiring candidates. In the late 1960s, a further reform movement began to broaden the ability of party members to participate in delegate selection and to reduce the influence of party organizations.
• By the end of the twentieth century the party primary system dominated the nominating process, with party conventions reduced to a merely symbolic role.

Bernie Sanders - Anita

• Bernard Sanders was born on September 8, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York, to Eli and Dorothy Sanders. His only sibling was Larry Sanders, and he currently is currently married to Jane O'Meara Sanders. 
• Bernie Sanders was the youngest of two sons in a Jewish family, living in Brooklyn. As a child, Bernie Sanders began to notice and acknowledge the faults in America's economy. This effect was caused by the fact that his family ranked only in an upper-middle class area. He attended Brooklyn's James Madison High School, and then enrolled in Brooklyn Collage. After a year, he shifted to the University of Chicago, and became and active participant in the Civil Rights Movement. After Bernie graduated, earning a degree in political science, he settled down in a kibbutz in Israel before moving to Vermont.
• Before Bernie Sanders became politically involved, he had a numerous amount of jobs, such as filmmaker, freelance writer, and psychiatric aide. During the Vietnam War, Bernie Sanders applied for the conscientious objector role, but wasn't drafted because of his old age.
• Bernie Sanders eventually decided to run for Senate, and defeated a Republican businessman, Richard Tarrant, for the position. During his time on the Senate, Bernie Sanders joined committees on health, education, labor, pensions, veteran affairs, and joint economies. 
• In April of 2015, Bernie Sanders announced that he would run for a presidential role. He is currently participating as a candidate in the 2016 Democratic Presidential Election.

Nervous System - AJ

• The nervous system is a complex group of nerves around your body that are called neurons and protons which send messages of signals through your body to the central command center called the Brain. The brain is an important part of your nervous system because the brain gets signaled by the nerves and gives all the commands to the body of what movements or reactions to do.
•  For example, when your finger touches a very hot pan then your nerves signals the brain as fast as one second and the brain reacts very quickly and controls your finger to quickly move away fast.
• In your nervous system your nerves are still a very important part of the immune system because they signal the brain and if you didn't have your nerves then you can get severely injured or possibly even die. Your nerves are like a cylindrical bundles of tiny fibers that start at the brain and the central cord and branch everywhere in the body. 
• In your body you have different groups of nerves and one group of nerves in your body are neurons. Your neurons are also called the nerve cells communicate with the body threw chemical and electric signals to the brain and throughout the whole body.
• In your nervous system you have three working parts of the nervous system, which are your spinal cord, the brain, and your nerves. Your nerves are created when you are born ,and your nerves are made from little fibers from your body, and they signal or alert any thing that can injure you. Your spinal cord is very long part of your nervous system, and it carries all of the messages the nerves sand to the brain. Your brain is the most important part of the nervous system because it controls every action you ever do.

Democratic Party - Navo

• Democratic Party, the oldest mass-based political party in the world. The party traces its ancestry to the collaboration between Thomas Jefferson and James Madison of Virginia and Aaron Burr and George Clinton of New York. The four founders of the party may first have gathered in upstate New York in 1791 when Jefferson and Madison were allegedly on a botanical expedition to observe the vegetation and wildlife of the region. 
• The fateful alliance between Virginia and New York, between the planters and small farmers of the South with the small farmers of the West and urban workers of the East, began a durable coalition of American politics that endured into the middle of the twentieth century.
• Jefferson, Madison, Burr, and Clinton began their party as an organized opposition to the politics of Alexander Hamilton.
• Hamilton and his supporters favored a strong central government, debt, credit, banking, and trade policies to further commercial and manufacturing interests, an expanded military and naval budget, and a conciliatory policy toward Great Britain.
• The Democrats came back into power in 1845 with the accession to the presidency of another Tennessean, "Young Hickory," James K. Polk. Polk, like Jackson, was an ardent expansionist, and he campaigned for the presidency with promises to annex the republic of Texas to the Union and to extend Oregon Territory to the border of Russian Alaska: "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!".

Republican Party - Navo

• The Republican Party began at a protest meeting in Ripon, Wisconsin, on 28 February 1854 as a group of antislavery activists, known as Free Soilers, met to start a new grassroots movement. The first party convention took place in Jackson, Michigan, that same year on 6 July. The group adopted the name of the political party of Thomas Jefferson, which later evolved more directly into the Democratic Party. 
• The Republican Party emerged directly out of the Free Soil Party in the North, a movement embraced at various times by such Democrats as Martin Van Buren, who ran unsuccessfully for the presidency on the Free Soil Party ticket in 1848, and David Wilmot, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1845–1851). 
• Numerically more significant was the Republican Party's support from disillusioned northern Whigs. With the collapse of the Whig Party in the 1850s, the Republicans emerged as one of the legatees of the Whig organization.
• The election of Herbert Hoover in 1928 was an important victory for the Republicans. While the Republicans had already won two elections in the 1920s, Hoover's victory was more substantive. Hoover had been director general of the American Relief Administration in the aftermath of World War I. In the midst of general prosperity, 
• Hoover campaigned on the slogan, "A chicken in every pot, a car in every garage." As the Great Depression deepened, Hoover's inability to mount an effective mustering of moral and rhetorical resources was his most significant failure. Hoover was a lukewarm Republican Progressive and, as such, he tried a few half-hearted attempts to stimulate the economy, most notably with the National Recovery Administration.
•  His worst failing was his insistence on old fashioned budget balancing, calling for tax increases as the economy shrank, and reducing government spending as revenues declined.

Alan Turing - Anita

• Alan Turing was born on June 23, 1912, London, United Kingdom, as the second child of Julius Mathison and Ethel Sara Turing. They were conceived as an upper-middle class family in the English class system. Before Alan was born, Julius had decided to enter in the Indian Civil Service, and served in the Madras Presidency, where he had met Ethel. She was the daughter of the chief engineer of the Madras Railways.
• As a child, Alan Turing was diagnosed with Autism. He was an extremely intelligent student in math and science. Alan had a childhood friend, Christopher Morcom, who he was powerfully attracted to. But Christopher only served him as and intellectual companion, and partially inspired Alan to crack Enigma in the future. Tragically, their relationship ended with Christopher's sudden and secret death in February of 1930.
• At age 13, Alan Turing changed his school to Sherborne, because his intelligence wasn't respected at his older hostiles. After Sherborne, he enrolled in the University of Cambridge, then moved on to Princeton University, New Jeresey. He proved himself as the most intelligent student at this school, so was moved to Princeton University for the Advanced.
• During World War II, Alan Turing was an active participant in war code cryptography, mainly deciphering German messages. He was later hired to break the code of Enigma, a machine which could transmit special war and military messages secretly, created by the Germans. The Germans would change the process of how the machine sent coded messages every morning at 6 am. With the help of Joan Clarke and a few others, Alan successfully cracked Enigma in Bletchley Park. He had fashioned the machine, Christopher (named after his childhood friend), to decipher the codes of Enigma. Alan Turing saved over 14,000 lives! Sadly, after their accomplishment, they were forced to burn ANY evidence of their breaking Enigma.
• In 1952, Alan Turing was accused of committing an English crime, for which he was put on trial. He was given two options, either to be imprisoned for his felony, or take hormonal pills. Alan Turing chose the second option, for he wanted to keep working on his machine, Christopher. At one point in his life, Alan's medication was torturing him. So, on June 7, 1954, Alan Turing committed suicide with cyanide poisoning. 
• Alan Turing was awarded in numerous ways after his death for his bravery and dedication against breaking Enigma.

Digestive system - AJ

• The gastrointestinal system is the system that helps eat and digest the food that you eat, but this system is also called the digestive system. When your digestive system breaks down your foods into tiny simple chemicals that can be absorbed then your digestive system can produce the energy you would need to do something, and it would also you get rid of the wastes after your digestion. Many animals such as worms, insects, fish, mammals, birds, and people all have the digestive system working in their bodies.
• Food begins it's journey for digestion starting with the mouth or the oral cavity. Inside the mouth are many accessory organs that aid in the digestion of food—the tongue, teeth, and salivary glands. Teeth chop food into small pieces, which are moistened by saliva before the tongue and other muscles push the food into the pharynx. There are 32 teeth in your mouth, and they are all made up of hard organs that exist in your mouth.

• Your tongue is another very important organ that is located in your mouth. The outside of the tongue contains many rough papillae for gripping food as it is moved by the tongue’s muscles. The taste buds on the surface of the tongue detect taste molecules in food and connect to nerves in the tongue to send taste information to the brain. The tongue also helps to push food toward the posterior part of the mouth for swallowing.

•  Another important organ that is located in your mouth is the salivary Glands. You have three salivary Glands located in your mouth. Your salivary glands produce something called saliva that helps you swallow and digest your food. Saliva also helps soften all the food that you swallow.
• Your body contains many organs that all work for your body. Your tongue tastes many foods and helps you choose whether you like or don't like food. Your salivary glands produce saliva that helps you digest your food. Your teeth chew up your food so you don't choke on it. The digestive system plays a big part in your body.

Nancy Reagan - Navo

• On July 6, 1921, Anne Frances Robbins was born in New York City, the only child of Kenneth Robbins, a salesman, and Edith Luckett Robbins, an aspiring actress. Early on, Anne acquired the nickname "Nancy." With her father having left the marriage during Nancy's infancy, Edith sent her daughter to be raised by her aunt and uncle, Virginia and C. Audley Galbraith, in Bethesda, Maryland. There, Nancy attended Sidwell Friends School for a time. She and her aunt would travel to visit her mother whenever Edith was in New York for lengthy theater runs.
• After college, Nancy worked as a sales clerk in Marshall Fields Department store in Chicago and later as a nurse's aide. With help from some of her mother’s friends, she eased into an acting career. 
• In November 1949, Nancy contacted Ronald Reagan, president of the Screen Actors Guild, to see if he could help. Both were immediately attracted to each other and soon began dating, though they later saw other people. 
• Reagan was skeptical of marriage, having just experienced a painful divorce from actress Jane Wyman the previous year.
• After three years, Reagan finally proposed and Nancy accepted. The couple was married on March 4, 1952.

Walt Frazier - Navo

• Born on March 29, 1945, in Atlanta, Georgia, basketball great Walt Frazier was eventually named to the NBA All-Rookie team. In 1969–70, his third season in the league, he made his first of seven All-Star appearances, helping the New York Knicks win their first NBA title. 
• Frazier scored 15,581 points in his Hall of Fame career and had more than 5,000 assists and nearly that many rebounds. He was selected for the league's All-Defensive team seven times, and later established a career as a broadcaster and restaurateur. 
• Frazier got off to a slow start with the Knicks, but he adjusted to the fast, physical NBA game and was named to the All-Rookie Team at the end of the 1967-68 season. The Knicks soon developed into one of the league's best all-around teams, and Frazier one of its leading players. 
• Possessing quick hands that were reputed to be "faster than a lizard's tongue," he was named to the All-NBA Defensive Team for the first of seven straight seasons in 1969, and earned the first of four All-NBA First Team selections in 1970.
• He continued to dazzle even as the Knicks dynasty crumbled, scoring 30 points to win All-Star MVP honors in 1975, but he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers after the Knicks missed the playoffs for the second straight year in 1977.
• Frazier retired after playing just three games with the Cavaliers in 1979.

Alexander Graham Bell - AJ

• Alexander Graham Bell was one of the primary inventors of the telephone, did important work in communication for the deaf and held more than 18 patents. Alexander Graham Bell was born on March 3, 1847, in Edinburgh, Scotland. His education was largely received through numerous experiments in sound and the furthering of his father’s work on Visible Speech for the deaf. Bell worked with Thomas Watson on the design and patent of the first practical telephone. In all, Bell held 18 patents in his name alone and 12 that he shared with collaborators. He died on August 2, 1922, in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.
• `In 1871, Alexander Graham Bell moved to Boston and began work on a device that would allow for the telegraph transmission of several messages set to different frequencies. He found financial backing through local investors Thomas Sanders and Gardiner Hubbard. Between 1873 and 1874, Bell spent long days and nights trying to perfect the harmonic telegraph. During his experiments, he became interested in another idea, transmitting the human voice over wires. The diversion frustrated Bell’s benefactors and Thomas Watson, a skilled electrician, was hired to refocus Bell on the harmonic telegraph. But Watson soon became enamored with Bell’s idea of voice transmission and the two created a great partnership with Bell being the idea man and Watson having the expertise to bring Bell’s ideas to reality.
• During his youth, Alexander Graham Bell experienced strong influences that had a profound effect on his later life. Bell’s hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland, was known as the “Athens of the North,” for its rich culture of arts and science. His grandfather and father were experts on the mechanics of voice and elocution. Alexander’s mother, who was nearly deaf, became an accomplished pianist and inspired him to undertake big challenges.
• Young Alexander was groomed early to carry on in the family business, but his headstrong nature conflicted with his father’s overbearing manner. Seeking a way out, Alexander volunteered to care for his grandfather when he fell ill in 1862. The elder Bell encouraged young Alexander and instilled an appreciation for learning and intellectual pursuits. By age 16, Alexander had joined his father in his work with the deaf and soon assumed full charge of his father’s London operations.
• On one of his trips to America, Alexander’s father discovered its healthier environment and decided to move the family there. At first, Alexander resisted, for he was establishing himself in London, but eventually relented after both his brothers had succumbed to tuberculosis. In July, 1870, the family settled in Brant ford, Ontario, Canada. There, Alexander set up a workshop to continue his study of the human voice.

Edgar Allan Poe - Navo

• Born January 19, 1809, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. American short-story writer, poet, critic, and editor Edgar Allan Poe's tales of mystery and horror initiated the modern detective story, and the atmosphere in his tales of horror is unrivaled in American fiction. His The Raven (1845) numbers among the best-known poems in national literature.
• With his short stories and poems, Edgar Allan Poe captured the imagination and interest of readers around the world. His creative talents led to the beginning of different literary genres, earning him the nickname "Father of the Detective Story" among other distinctions.
• Poe was overcome by grief after the death of his beloved Virginia in 1847. While he continued to work, he suffered from poor health and struggled financially. His final days remain somewhat of a mystery. He left Richmond on September 27, 1849, and was supposedly on his way to Philadelphia. On October 3, Poe was found in Baltimore in great distress. He was taken to Washington College Hospital where he died on October 7. His last words were "Lord, help my poor soul."
• At the time, it was said that Poe died of "congestion of the brain." But his actual cause of death has been the subject of endless speculation. Some experts believe that alcoholism led to his demise while others offer up alternative theories. Rabies, epilepsy, carbon monoxide poisoning are just some of the conditions thought to have led to the great writer's death.
• Shorlty after he had died his reputation was badly damaged, and he is one of america's most endured writers.

Castor and Pollux - Anita

My fifth and final constellation is named "Gemini." Gemini can be seen in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, located northeast of the constellation Orion.
This constellation displays two brothers, their love for one another so strong, it was unbreakable.

Vocabulary Words:
Castor – the mortal demigod son of Zeus and Leda; brother of Pollux
Pollux – the immortal demigod son of Zeus and Leda; brother of Castor
Zeus – the god of lightning and king of the Greek gods; the wielder of thunderbolts
Underworld – a kingdom underground where the souls of the dead are judged upon their actions in life. And based on this information, they are either eternally punished or blessed.

Castor and Pollux were the twin demigod children of Leda and Zeus. Castor was a mortal, but Pollux was immortal. Both boys grew up as princes of Sparta, an ancient Greek city. Eventually, when they were young men, they started to pursue their passions: Castor, wanting to be a horse tamer, and Pollux, wanting to be a boxer.
And so, the twins led normal lives together. They both were minor heroes, but brave warriors. They had developed a close bond/relationship between one another, and remained together for the rest of their lives.
According to some Greek myths, Castor soon died either because of war complications, old age, or disease. Pollux grieved for Castor, for he was immortal, and could not retreat to the Underworld with his brother.
Pollux begged his father Zeus to bless his brother with part of his own immortality. Zeus abided, but under one condition: Pollux AND Castor would have to spend their time partially on Earth, and partially in the Underworld. Pollux agreed to the deal, willing to do anything to be with his beloved brother again.
Because the two brothers cared about one another so deeply, Zeus was struck with amazement. He had never seen this type of spectacle before. So he decided to place their constellations in the sky together, in remembrance of their affection towards one another.

Andromeda - Anita

My second constellation's name is "Andromeda." Andromeda's constellation is located in the northern hemisphere. This constellation displays the tortured princess Andromeda, chained to a rock ashore the coastline of Greece, waiting to be devoured by the sea monster Cetus.

Vocabulary Words:
Naiads – a group of minor, immortal, female water goddess or deities
Poseidon – the god of the sea; a brother to Zeus
Zeus – the god of lightning and king of the Greek gods; the wielder of thunderbolts.
Cassiopeia – an ancient queen of Ethiopia; wife of King Cepheus and mother of Princess Andromeda.
Cepheus – an ancient king of Ethiopia; husband of Queen Cassiopeia and father of Princess Andromeda
Andromeda – a former, ancient princess of Ethiopia; daughter of Queen
Cassiopeia and King Cepheus; wife of Perseus
Cetus – an enormous, sea monster servant of Poseidon
Perseus – the demigod son of Danaë and Zeus; slayer of Medusa and Cetus; husband of Princess Andromeda

One day, Cassiopeia, the queen of Ethiopia, was roaming the beach when she came across a group of naiads playing in the waves of the ocean. She decided to boast to the naiads, explaining how she and her daughter, Andromeda, were far more beautiful than them.
The naiads did not take this insult lightly. They complained to Poseidon, king of the sea, that the queen should be punished greatly for her statement. Poseidon also became furious, so he sent his sea monster servant, Cetus, to punish not only the queen, but the ENTIRE kingdom.
Cetus arrived at the shoreline of Ethiopia, and devoured Cassiopeia's innocent subjects who lived along the beach. King Cepheus, Cassiopeia's husband, was devastated with the drop in Ethiopia's population because of Cetus.
He requested for Poseidon's audience, and asked the god what could be done to rid his kingdom of the sea monster. Poseidon demanded that he sacrifice someone of royalty for the sea monster to devour. Only then would the sea god spare the kingdom.
Sadly, Cepheus explained this to his wife. Neither of them were willing to sacrifice themselves, and they didn't have any children or relatives. Except Andromeda... She was perfect to be sacrificed! She was a kind, naïve, young woman. Without hesitation, they were willing to give up their daughter to save themselves and their subjects.
So Andromeda was imprisoned. She was chained to a gigantic rock, and was placed on the shoreline of Ethiopia to be devoured by Cetus. She cried and shouted day and night, pleading for someone to come and rescue her, but nobody interfered. Finally, when the sea monster was preparing to feast on her, the Greek hero Perseus happened to be flying by. He fell in love with Andromeda, so he slayed Cetus and took the princess as his bride. She lived a long, enjoyable life with him. As remembrance of the happy couple, Zeus hung their constellations next to one another.

Hillary Clinton - Navo

• Hillary Diane Clinton was born Hillary Diane Rodham on October 26, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois. She was raised in Park Ridge, Illinois. Hillary Rodham was the eldest daughter of Hugh Rodham, a prosperous fabric store owner.
• Hillary Rodham married Bill Clinton on October 11, 1975, at their home in Fayetteville. Before he proposed marriage, Clinton had secretly purchased a small house that she had remarked that she liked.
• Bill Clinton was elected governor in 1978 at age 32, lost reelection in 1980, but came back to win in 1982, 1984, 1986 (when the term of office was expanded from two to four years) and 1990.
• Hillary joined the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock and, in 1977, was appointed to part-time chairman of the Legal Services Corporation by President Carter. 
• During Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, Hillary emerged as a dynamic and valued partner of her husband, and as president he named her to head the Task Force on National Health Reform (1993).
• Clinton is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2016 election.

Immune System - AJ

• The immune system, which is made up of special cells, proteins, tissues, and organs, defends people against germs and microorganisms every day. In most cases, the immune system does a great job of keeping people healthy and preventing infections. But sometimes problems with the immune system can lead to illness and infection. The Immune system helps a living organism identify a pathogen, and help neutralize it.
• The immune system is made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body. One of the important cells involved are white blood cells, also called leukocytes, which come in two basic types that combine to seek out and destroy disease-causing organisms or substances. Leukocytes are produced or stored in many locations in the body, including the thymus, spleen, and bone marrow. For this reason, they're called the lymphoid organs. There are also clumps of lymphoid tissue throughout the body, primarily as lymph nodes, that house the leukocytes.
• The leukocytes circulate through the body between the organs and nodes via lymphatic vessels and blood vessels. In this way, the immune system works in a coordinated manner to monitor the body for germs or substances that might cause problems. There are two different types leukocytes which are Phagocytes and lymphocytes.
• A number of different cells are considered phagocytes. The most common type is the neutrophil, which primarily fights bacteria. If doctors are worried about a bacterial infection, they might order a blood test to see if a patient has an increased number of neutrophils triggered by the infection. Other types of phagocytes have their own jobs to make sure that the body responds appropriately to a specific type of invader.The two kinds of lymphocytes are B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes. Lymphocytes start out in the bone marrow and either stay there and mature into B cells, or they leave for the thymus gland, where they mature into T cells. B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes have separate functions: B lymphocytes are like the body's military intelligence system, seeking out their targets and sending defenses to lock onto them. T cells are like the soldiers, destroying the invaders that the intelligence system has identified.

Perseus - Anita

My third constellation is named "Perseus." Perseus's constellation is located in the northern hemisphere, north of his wife's constellation, Andromeda.
This constellation displays the famous Greek hero, Perseus.

Vocabulary Words:
Perseus – the demigod son of Danaë and Zeus; slayer of Medusa and Cetus; husband of Princess Andromeda
Danaë - a mother of Perseus; daughter of Acrisius
Acrisius – king of Argos, which was an ancient Greek city; father of Danaë and grandfather of Perseus
Zeus – the god of lightning and king of the Greek gods; the wielder of thunderbolts
Athena – maiden goddess of wisdom and war strategies
Hermes – god of travelers, thieves, commerce and trade; messenger of the gods
Medusa – a vile, female, snake haired monster; mother of Pegasus
Andromeda – a former, ancient princess of Ethiopia; daughter of Queen Cassiopeia and King Cepheus; wife of Perseus
Cetus – an enormous, sea monster servant of Poseidon
Cassiopeia – an ancient queen of Ethiopia; wife of King Cepheus and mother of Princess Andromeda
Cepheus – an ancient king of Ethiopia; husband of Queen Cassiopeia and father of Princess Andromeda

King Acrisius of Argos had a beautiful daughter named Danaë. But the king wasn't satisfied with her, because he had always longed for a son.
So when the time came to marry her away, Acrisius decided to have his fortune told, for he wanted to know what the future held for him. He was told that Danaë would bear a son, but this son was destined to overthrow him.
King Acrisius was frightened. In a panicked state, he decided to imprison his daughter in a castle underground, where she would be surrounded in isolation, and no one would be able to reach her. Acrisius took extra measures to prevent Danaë from having children.
Danaë was left in solitude for weeks, weeping about her fate. But one day, the god Zeus appeared before her, and declared his love for her. A month later, Danaë bore a son, who Zeus named Perseus.
Acrisius soon heard this news. He stormed down to Danaë's underground castles, where he commanded his guards to seize the woman and her son. They threw Danaë and Perseus into a enormous chest, and cast them out to sea.
Danaë and her son drifted aimlessly through the ocean, until one day they landed ashore a small island. There, an aged fisherman named Dictys found them, and nurtured the two as family.
So time passed, and eventually Perseus grew into a fair, handsome, young man. He decided to become a fisherman, so that he could earn money and care for his mother and Dictys. But, Dictys's brother, Polydectes, king of the small island, fell in love with Danaë. He offered her his hand in marriage numerous times, but she consistently rejected him. At one point, Polydectes decided to force Danaë to marry him, because the king wasn't willing to give up. But Perseus defended his mother, and Polydectes couldn't get anywhere near Danaë.
A lightbulb went off in Polydectes head. If Perseus was around, he wouldn't be able to get near Danaë. But if Perseus had been "accidentally killed", no one would have the right to execute Polydectes, and no one would have the strength to defend Danaë when he forced her hand in marriage.
So Polydectes assigned Perseus a quest. The king requested that Perseus travel to the wild parts of a faraway island, where the young man would find the cave of Medusa. Here, the a beast with the body of a woman and snakes for a mane of hair. It was said that she lured her prey into her home, and when they made eye contact with her, their bodies would turn to stone. Polydectes told Perseus to slay Medusa, and bring her head to him as evidence of her death.
So Perseus set off on his quest, and arrived in the wildlands. Before Perseus readied himself to attack Medusa, the gods Athena and Hermes intervened. They spoke to Perseus, recommending that he create a PLAN before he rushes to his death. The gods respected the bravery of the young hero, so they gave him gifts to help him along the quest. Hermes let Perseus borrow his famous winged sandals, which enabled the wearer to be able to fly or
become airborne. Athena gifted Perseus a magical sword, created from Celestial Bronze, a deadly, ancient metal used to slay monsters. Athena also gifted Perseus a shield. She explained to him not to make eye contact with the monster, but to watch her reflection in the shield, so that he would not be turned to stone.
Perseus thanked the gods, and set off into Medusa's cave. She hide herself wisely in the shadows, and tried to convince Perseus to just strike a gaze at her, so that she could see his beautiful eyes. But Perseus was not easily fooled. Medusa goal really was to turn him into stone, because she saw his as a threat. Eventually, Perseus cornered her, and loped of the monsters head, as Polydectes had asked.
Triumphant, Perseus soared home with his new winged sandals. He held his sword in one hand, Medusa head in the other, and the shield strapped to his back. During his journey, Perseus spotted the shoreline of Ethiopia, where he saw a tortured young maiden, her dress in tatters, chained to a rock which was planted on the beach. Perseus fell in love with her at first site. But he soon spotted an enormous sea monster approaching her, saliva dripping from his jaws in anticipation of a meal.
Perseus flew down to Ethiopia to save the maiden and make her his bride. He slayed the sea monster, who was Cetus, by paralyzing him with Medusa's head. The sea monster turned to stone, but immediately broke into pieces, drifting the ocean depth. Perseus broke the maidens bonds. She explained to him that SHE was Andromeda, princess of Ethiopia, and that her parents, King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia, had chained her to the rock to be sacrificed since Poseidon demanded that it be done. But since Perseus had saved her, Andromeda promised to marry him. Perseus grasped Andromeda, and was preparing to take her home with him to marry, when the kingdom came out of hiding. Everyone filed out of there houses, where they had stowed away safely until Cetus had left Ethiopia. Cassiopeia and Cepheus rushed to Andromeda, begging her to stay and forgive them for their decision to sacrifice her. Perseus was enraged. With Andromeda's permission, he decided to paralyze the entire town with Medusa's head, and he happily set off with his future bride.
When Perseus dropped back on to ground in his home, Dictys embraced him, flailing and wailing. He explained to the young man that while he was out venturing, Polydectes had captured his mother, and had forced her hand in marriage. Dictys cried that he couldn't defend Danaë, since Polydectes's had overwhelmed him. Perseus rushed to Polydectes castle. In a rage he stayed the king's entire army, including Polydectes. He rescued his mother, and he lived in peace with Andromeda, Dictys, and Danaë for the rest of his life. To thank the gods who assisted him on his quest, Perseus returned his flying sandals to Hermes. For Athena, he strapped Medusa's head to his shield and gifted it to the goddess. Now, when Athena is in battle, Medusa's head paralyze's her enemies in fear. To remember the brave warrior, Zeus placed his constellation in the sky.

Pegasus and Bellerophon - Anita

This constellation is named "Pegasus." Pegasus's constellation is located in the Northern hemisphere, where he is mostly visible in the summer and autumn months.
This constellation displays the majestic, untamed, first ever winged horse.

Vocabulary Words:
Pegasus – the immortal, equine son of Medusa and Poseidon; first ever winged horse and the lord of horses
Bellerophon – demigod son of Eurynome and Poseidon; tamer of Pegasus; slayer of the Chimera
Athena – maiden goddess of wisdom and war strategies
Zeus – the god of lightning and king of the Greek gods; the wielder of thunderbolts
Chimera – a monster with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and a snake's tail; it was also said that the monster could breath fire
Lykia – an ancient Greek city
Lobates – king of Lykia; Bellerophon's relative
Mount Olympus – home to the Olympians (the most important gods)

After the slaying of Medusa, Pegasus was born. He was the first ever winged horse, with infinite stamina, but an ill temper. Pegasus roamed all of Greece, still untamed. Anyone who attempted to ride the horse always faced death.
Meanwhile, the news of the amazing horse spread throughout Greece. Eventually, the young prince Bellerophon was tempted to tame this horse. He tracked Pegasus down, but could not find a way to ride him. The horse reared and bucked, threatening to stampede over him.
Athena viewed this spectrum from her regal throne on Mount Olympus. She admired Bellerophon for his ongoing effort, but knew that without her help, the horse would most likely kill him in frustration.
So Athena consulted Bellerophon. She handed him a golden bridle with magical properties, the only item strong enough to tame the wild horse. Bellerophon took it thankfully, and luckily tamed the horse.
Bellerophon and Pegasus became an amazing team. They cared for one another deeply, unlike the usual man and horse. Suddenly, an incident occurred, resulting in Bellerophon accidentally killing his brother. Bellerophon yearned to cleanse himself of his sins, so he seeked guidance from his relative Lobates, king of Lykia.
Lobates despised Bellerophon. The boy was a young, powerful, positive, handsome young man. When Bellerophon sought his guidance, Lobates took this as an opportunity to kill the young man. Lobates demanded that Bellerophon destroy the Chimera, knowing that this
quest would kill him. But Lobates claimed that this was the only way for Bellerophon to cleanse himself of his sins.
So Bellerophon set out on his trusty steed, Pegasus. He ventured restlessly, searching for the Chimera. Eventually, he found the monster, and his confidence left him. The monster spewed fierce flames, forcing him to retreat after every attempt of his to attack.
Suddenly, Bellerophon's thoughts shout sparks. If the monster could produce flames, couldn't he snuff them out? Bellerophon grabbed his spear, and placed some wax and lead on the tip. He thrust the weapon down the Chimera's throat, extinguishing its flames and suffocating the creature.
Bellerophon reported his success to Lobates, and the king grew more scornful and envious. The king assigned Bellerophon a dozen more minor quests, but the hero succeeded in all of them. In shame, Lobates finally claimed that Bellerophon had cleansed himself of his sins.
Bellerophon lead an enjoyable life as a hero, ridding Greece of all its ferocious monsters. But one day, he claimed that he deserved to sit on a throne on Mount Olympus, amongst the many gods. But he was only a demigod, a cross between a mortal and a god. This statement was a fatal mistake.
Bellerophon persisted, but the gods didn't approve of this. In a rage, Bellerophon decided that he would forcefully earn a throne on Mount Olympus. He summoned Pegasus, and together they flew to Mount Olympus, a castle nestled on the top of the tallest mountain in Greece. No one had attempted this feat because this was considered "disgraceful towards the gods." When Bellerophon had almost reached Mount Olympus, Zeus grew furious, and struck him down with a thunderbolt. Bellerophon fell off Pegasus, tumbled down towards the Earth, and died an undignified death. Meanwhile, Pegasus flew on, until he reached the top of Mount Olympus. Zeus loved the handsome steed, so he made Pegasus the honorary carrier of his thunderbolts. To remember the magnificent beast, Zeus placed Pegasus's constellation in the sky.

Orion - Anita

This first constellation is named "Orion." Orion is both visible in the Northern and Southern hemispheres of the world. His constellation shines the brightest in the winter and summer months.
Orion's constellation displays an unfolding battle between a mighty giant and an enormous scorpion. Sadly, during this battle, Orion died, and his constellation was put in the sky by the Greek gods as a remembrance of the giant. During a specific part of the year, you can see Orion and the scorpion battling in the night sky. But eventually, the light of Orion's constellation dims, resembling his death.

Vocabulary Words:
Orion – a giant created to oppose and destroy the gods Artemis and Apollo
Artemis – the maiden goddess of hunting, the bow and arrow, and the moon; a sister to Apollo
Apollo – the god of music, medicine, poetry, the bow and arrow, and the sun; a brother to Artemis
The Hunt – a group of immortal maidens who hunt with the goddess Artemis; they ignore and avoid the company of males for their lifetimes

Orion was a giant, born to the Earth and the Pit. His purpose was to annihilate the twin gods Artemis and Apollo, but he wasn't bent on destruction. Orion wanted to pursue his passions of hunting in the wild with his beloved bow and arrows. So he spent his days roaming the hills and valleys of Greece, in pursuit of wild animals.
One faithful day, when the giant was out hunting, he encountered the goddess Artemis and her group of immortal maidens, who were called "The Hunt." Normally, Artemis would reject the company of men on her hunting journeys, but she soon found Orion to be a trustworthy companion. Artemis allowed the giant to be the first male to join The Hunt. The goddess even found out that Orion was a rival of hers at the bow, and she was considered the best archer of all time, along with her twin brother Apollo! Artemis's respect rapidly grew for the giant.
Orion's respect also grew for the goddess. Artemis and Orion learned to work together properly, and eventually they acted as a family. Orion was created to destroy the goddess, but instead he befriended her!
As time passed, Orion felt a closer relationship to the goddess, and eventually fell in love with her. But Artemis was a maiden, and she rebuffed the giant when he proposed to her. In a rage, Orion went on solo hunting journeys and didn't communicate with Artemis often anymore.
Orion didn't find beauty or kindness in living objects anymore. He scored the Earth, killing and eradicating every monster or creature who stood in his path.
Apollo couldn't handle this type of massacre. He was already upset with Orion for not respecting his sister's vows of maidenhood. So the god sent a vicious, gigantic, invulnerable scorpion to destroy him.
At first, Orion fought back at the scorpion, firing arrow after arrow at the monster. But the weapons bounced harmlessly off of its impenetrable shell. Then Orion took to running, but the scorpion followed his tracks.
Meanwhile, Artemis had no knowledge about what her brother was trying to do to destroy her faithful former hunting companion. Ever since she had rebuffed him, they had gone their separate ways. But that didn't mean that she disliked him. They had just started to ignore one another.
Anyway, the scorpion had eventually caught Orion. The creature grasped the giant legs, and Orion shouted out one last plea of help. The giant was scarred, bruised, and dehydrated. He couldn't hold out any longer against the scorpion.
Artemis heard his voice, and she panicked. She immediately rushed to his aid, but was too late. The scorpion's poisonous stinger was lodged in Orion's leg, and his body was limp. With no hesitation, she slayed the monster. And in memory of her greatest friend, she placed his constellation in the sky.