Plan 4

LOWER ELEMENTARY PLAN 4 Daily reading and Language

• Read a book for at least 30 minutes a day. Some younger children may still be learning how to read, this is not a problem. They can sit quietly and spell out words from a book that interests them.

• Older children can revisit and review the functions of pronouns.

They take the place of nouns. There are different types of pronouns; here are the groups: Personal pronouns: I, me, you, she, her, he, him, it, we, us, they, them. Relative pronouns: that, what, which, who, whom

• Write your own sentences using the words above. Combine a few perhaps. Example: I gave a letter to her the other day when we went to the post office with him.

• Pronouns, extended Demonstrative pronouns: that, this, these, those. Indefinite pronouns: one, other, none, some, anybody, everybody, no one. Reflexive pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

• Write 2-3 sentences for the words above.

• Younger children to create simple sentences using the phonograms list below. Try use two words from each category.

Example: I play during the day. : The mill is up the hill.

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Spelling

• Younger children can look at the following sight words, and practice the words using any of the techniques used below. If they have another way that they are interested in learning words, they are more than welcome to do what they are comfortable with.

• Shaving Cream: write in shaving cream using a tray • Skin/Air Writing: trace the letters on your skin with a finger, tap each letter down

your arm and then say the whole word, or write them in the sky using your whole arm

• Sand: trace the words with your finger in a sand tray

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• Word Hunt: search a book or the environment around you for each word and then record

• Cirque du Soleil: form each letter on the rug with your body • Chant: chant each letters in a rhythmic pattern • Rainbow: choose 3-5 colors and write the word in each • Story: write a story/poem that includes all of the words • Teach: teach someone else how to spell the word

• Older children can create their own crossword or word search, or they can

continue to generate a spelling list from a book they like. (10-15 words). Once you have created your list, practice spelling them correctly.

• Here are the downloadable Dolsch lists: • http://www.dolchword.net/dolch-word-list.html • An old-fashioned dictionary or independent reading books also work fine to scout

for new and interesting words. Literature

• Choose a poem or short story. Allow your child to read the Poem/Short story or read it to your child if they are still learning to read. Ask them questions about the story/poem.

• Discuss the characters, what certain words mean, if there is a moral of the story, what they remember about the story, did they did/did not enjoy the story and why. Try not put your own opinion into the story/answers your children give. Encourage them to debate why they are correct with their feelings about the story.

Writing

• Continue with daily journal of their time at home (What they have learned for the day, chores they have done, fun activities they have done etc). This will be something they can look back on later in life. It’s also a great time to explore some creative writing or types of poetry.

• Your child can write a story: Below are some writing promps: 1. If you could build a dream house, what rooms would it have? 2. Write a story about going on an adventure with your best friend. 3. Who has the best job in the world? 4. Where do you get your best ideas? 5. Have you ever volunteered to help someone?

• Younger children can continue working on their booklets or try write their own story. Do not put too much pressure on your child for spelling. This comes over time.

Mathematics/Geometry • Older children to continue working on addition and multiplication • Younger children can continue to work on addition sums

Reminder about the type of lines done last week: Types of Lines Horizontal: going left and right Vertical: going up and down Oblique: diagonal / slanted Perpendicular: two lines meeting at a point, with a 90 degree angle (ex. Cartesian plane) Intersecting: two lines that meet at a point Parallel: two lines side by side that never meet Convergent: two lines that go toward a direction of meeting (ex. the greater-than sign) Serpentine: a snake-like line that curves

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Zigzag: a line or course having abrupt alternate right and left turns Curved: a trace left by a moving point

• Try walking these lines in your house • Create a booklet with the names of the lines with a picture of the line

• Fractals in Nature Fractals are objects in which the same patterns occur again and again at different scales and sizes. Think of the geometric art we create at school using the metal insets. Try to imagine which pieces might create the fractal beauty found in nature. For some examples, check out the images below. Follow up activities:

• Draw, create, sketch, or trace pictures of fractals in nature. • Find fractals in nature.

Science and Biology Eggs

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Oviparous animals reproduce by laying eggs. This is how most fish, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and arachnids reproduce. All birds and monotremes (the few mammals that lay eggs) also reproduce like this. Follow-up Activity:

• If available, use a real egg to explore the following parts (pictured below). • Make a list of animals that lay eggs. Aim for 20, but if you can think of even more,

fantastic! • If your eating habits, preferences, and diet allows: cook something that requires

eggs. • Write a poem using the parts below.

Classifying the corolla (all the petals together) Flower varieties: When the corolla is made up of individual petals that are not joined (like the rose), it would be considered free or polypetalous. When the corolla is totally joined together (like the morning glory), it would be considered united or gamopetalous. Follow up activities:

• Review parts of a flower (See image below) • Examine real flowers and determine if their corollas are polypetalous or

gamopetalous. Try start with 3 live specimens. • Explore books/internet about flowers. Can you come up with 3 flowers that are

polypetalous and 3 flowers that are gamopetalous? • Think of your own follow up activity, something artistic perhaps.

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History Think of human beings’ fundamental needs. What do we need in order to survive? (e.g. Concrete needs: housing, defense, transportation, nourishment, clothing; Abstract needs: culture, art, grooming, spirituality). One definition of shelter is this: a place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger. One definition of house is this: a building for human habitation, especially one that is lived in by a family or small group of people.

• What did human beings use to make their houses in the olden days? • What do humans use now to make their homes? • Think of different areas. How would a rural house look compared to an urban

house. • Think of housing in the city compared to housing out of the city. Think of the size of

the housing. • Does climate and where we live influence how our homes look or are built. • What materials are used to build your home?

Geography Definition: Geography is the study of the physical features of the Earth and its atmosphere. Solutions A solution is a liquid mixture in which the minor component (called the solute) is uniformly distributed within the major component (called the solvent). The sugar is the solute. The warm water is the solvent. The solution is what we have when they are combined. The solid dissolves.

• Materials: glass of warm water, 1 tbsp of sugar, stirrer • Here, we have different kinds of particles in two different states: solid and liquid. Mix

together the sugar in the water and observe. You will find that the sugar dissolved into the water.

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Follow up: • What do you observe. • What are the steps of the process. • Where in your home can you find solutions? • Where in the world can you find solutions?

Matter in Suspension Materials: 3/4 full glass of water, 2 tbsp of sand, stirrer. We have two kinds of particles: solids and liquids. Procedure: Stir, stir, stir the sand and water together. Observe what happens to the particles. Do they combine? Discussion and vocabulary: We can say that matter is in suspension when the solute-like particles (the sand) settle in a solvent-like phase sometime after they are introduced. Matter is in suspension when particles are big enough to eventually settle (floating in the middle or down to the bottom). If the particles are too small to ever settle, they form a colloid. The solid does not dissolve. Follow up:

• What you observe. • What are the steps of the process. • Where in your home can you find suspension? • Where in the world can you find examples of matter in suspension?

Practical life/Arts/Craft Try creating your own fractal. Nature is a great place to look, or you can google more images to get more examples.