Theme 2 8
CHALLENGE ACTIVITIES FOR Nature Walk Selections 1 Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night 2 Exploring Parks With Ranger Dockett 3 Around the Pond: Who s Been Here? 9
SELECTION 1: Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night Challenge Master CH 2 1 1. Campfire Songs 150 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL SMALL GROUP Materials: books of familiar children s songs THEME 2/Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night 1. Campfire Songs Goal: Write a new campfire song using the tune of a familiar song and perform for an audience. Find Your Tune In a small group, make up your own campfire song. Make a list of songs that have tunes you like. Choose the tune of one song to use for your new song. Choose a tune you all know. List lots of things you might take, see, and do on a camping trip. Write Your Song Using the tune you chose, write lyrics for your campfire song. Each of you should write a verse about one thing on your list. The group should work together to write the chorus. The chorus is repeated after each verse. Order the verses of the song so that they make sense. Practice singing your song. Share Your Song Sing your song for the class. Each member of the group will sing his or her own verse and the whole group will sing the chorus. CH 2 1 Challenge Master Pick a familiar tune that you know well. Try to make your lyrics rhyme so that it is easier to remember them. Grade 2 Theme 2: Nature Walk A good song will include a familiar children s tune lyrics that describe camping activities some rhyming lyrics Find Your Tune You might want to brainstorm with children a list of familiar songs. Explain to children that they will use the song s tune, but write their own words, or lyrics. If necessary, explain what lyrics are to children. Remind them to choose a song all the members of the group know well. English Language Learners: Pair children with fluent English speakers or children with a more advanced facility for the language. Write Your Song Remind children to use their list of camping activities to help them with their lyrics. Remind children that the structure of their songs should be verse, chorus, verse, chorus. If necessary, help them organize their parts into a logical sequence. Give them time to practice their song as a group. Share Your Song Invite children from other classes to hear the song. Have the group teach their song to the class. If possible, photocopy lyrics for the audience. 10
2. What I Like About Nature 60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL PAIR Tell children they can create a list of more than ten reasons and then narrow it down. Tell children that this is an opinion paragraph, so they should write using the word I. 3. Country and City 60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL Materials: Graphic Organizer Master 2, map of your state, encyclopedia, and an almanac If necessary, review the use of a Venn diagram with children. Remind children that their goal is to compare and contrast the two places, so they should gather information on both the city and the country. If they do not live in a city, have children find out about a city nearest to them. Additional Independent Work Connecting/Comparing Literature Have children compare the On My Way Practice Reader Animal Tracks Are Everywhere with the anthology selection Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night, using what they have learned about Compare and Contrast. Children may discuss or write about their comparisons. A good paragraph will include ten items from nature use of the word I a clearly expressed opinion A good diagram will include the similarities and differences between the two places appropriate use of the three spaces in the Venn diagram Challenge Master CH 2 2 THEME 2/Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night Other Activities 2. What I Like About Nature Theme 2 Assignment Cards 2, 3, 4 TE p. T58, Literature Discussion TE p. T60, Challenge Word Practice TE pp. R11, R15, R23, R29, Challenge Education Place: www.eduplace.com More activities related to Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night Accelerated Reader, Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night Goal: Write and explain your opinion about nature. Make a list of ten things you like about nature. Using your list, write a paragraph called Why I Like Nature. Share your paragraph with a classmate. 3. Country and City Goal: Compare and contrast living in the country versus living in the city. Make a Venn diagram. Label one circle Country, the other City, and the middle area Both. Think about the things you can see and do in nature. Use the word I since you are giving your opinion. Look for differences. Look for how things are alike to fill in the part that tells about both. Think about what you know about nature from reading the selection. Write these facts inside the Country circle. Add other things you know about nature to the circle. Write facts about cities inside the City circle. Fill the middle area with things about both. Share your observations with the class. Grade 2 Theme 2: Nature Walk Challenge Master CH 2-2 SELECTION 1: Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night 11
SELECTION 2: Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett 1. Park Ranger Club 150 MINUTES PAIR SMALL GROUP Materials: drawing paper, crayons, and markers Challenge Master CH 2 3 THEME 2/Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett 1. Park Ranger Club Goal: Organize a club and make a plan to keep a local park clean. How to Help Working with a partner, create a club that works to keep a park in your community clean. Make a chart with two columns; label the first What needs to be done and the second How can we do it? Brainstorm with your partner ideas to fill in your chart. Reread the selection to help you find other ideas. Create a Club Create a club to help with the cleanup tasks. Make up a name for your club. Think about how many members and what items you will need. Make a special badge with a logo for your club. Include the club name on the badge. Make a flyer to attract members. Your flyer should include the name of the club and some of the ways you want to help keep the park clean. Share What You Know Present your club idea to the class. Wear your badge. Show your poster to your class and describe the club. Tell classmates why you think the club is important. Ask your classmates to suggest other ideas for the club. Answer their questions. Ask how many people would join your club. CH 2 3 Challenge Master Only include main ideas on your flyer. When you talk to the class, speak slowly and clearly. Grade 2 Theme 2: Nature Walk A good club will include good choices about tasks children can do a flyer displaying main ideas a clear written and oral presentation How to Help Review the structure and use of a chart. You may wish to discuss the word volunteer and ask children to give examples of volunteer work that they do in school. English Language Learners: Have children work in pairs. Create a Club Check with children on the progress of their chart, badge, and flyer. Brainstorm with children names for their club. Remind children to think of a logo when designing a badge. If necessary, point out logos that they often see around them. Remind children to put ways they plan to help on the flyer. Share What You Know Remind children to give a presentation that is based on all their information gathering. During the presentation, moderate any questions the class might have. You might want to take a class survey to see how many people want to join the club. 12
2. Chibi 60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL PAIR (Challenge Theme Paperback) Materials: Chibi Tell children to write about events that could really happen. 3. Fact or Opinion? 60 MINUTES SMALL GROUP Materials: index cards and encyclopedia If necessary, review the difference between fact and opinion with children. Tell children to use an encyclopedia to help find facts about the animal they chose. Have children repeat the game with different animals. Additional Independent Work Connecting/Comparing Literature Have children compare the On My Way Practice Reader Animal Tracks Are Everywhere with the anthology selection Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett, using what they have learned about Fact and Opinion. Children may discuss or write about their comparisons. Other Activities A good scene will include paragraphs that each focus on one main event a beginning sentence of each paragraph that explains what it is about well-structured, descriptive sentences A good game will include solid facts and opinions show a demonstrated ability to distinguish between facts and opinions Challenge Theme Paperback, Chibi Theme 2 Assignment Cards 6, 7, 8 TE p. T136, Literature Discussion TE p. T138, Challenge Word Practice TE p. T151, Poetry TE pp. R8, R15, R17, R25, R31, Challenge Education Place: www.eduplace.com More activities related to Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett Accelerated Reader, Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett THEME 2/Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett Challenge Master CH 2 4 2. Chibi Goal: Write a new story scene. Chibi disappeared during a typhoon. What do you think happened during that time? Review where Chibi was and what he was doing just before and then after the typhoon came. Imagine what happened to Chibi during the typhoon. Write one paragraph about Chibi s adventures during the typhoon. Write another paragraph about how Chibi found his way back. 3. Fact or Opinion? Goal: Distinguish between facts and opinions. Each paragraph should be about one main event. The first sentence tells what the paragraph is about. Play this game with a classmate. Choose an animal or plant Facts can be proven. from the selection, and write three facts and three opinions Opinions usually use about it. the words I think or I feel. Copy each fact and opinion on an index card. On the back write fact or opinion to show which it is. Lay the cards sentence-side-up. Ask your partner to decide which are facts and which are opinions. Turn the card over to show if he or she is right. Grade 2 Theme 2: Nature Walk Challenge Master CH 2 4 SELECTION 2: Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett 13
SELECTION 3: Around the Pond: Who s Been Here? Challenge Master CH 2 5 THEME 2/Around the Pond: Who s Been Here? 1. My Picture Book of Animals 1. My Picture Book of Animals 150 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL (Science) Materials: construction paper, art paper, scissors, crayons, markers, glue, twine, three-hole punch, and encyclopedia or books about animals Goal: Make a picture book that gives details about different animals. Start Your Book! Create a picture book of animals. Choose four of the animals from Around the Pond: Who s Been Here? for your own picture book. Read about the animal in an encyclopedia. As you read, make notes about each animal: Kind of Animal, Kind of Home, What It Likes to Eat, and Why It Is Important. Publish Your Book! Draw and cut out a picture of each animal. Use construction paper for your book. Glue a different animal picture to each page. Under the picture write the information learned. Write why the animal is important. Make a cover for your book with a title and your name. Bind your book by punching holes in each page and tying the pages together with string. Share What You Know Present your picture book to the class. Look at all the books. Read notes about animals that you do not know. CH 2 5 Challenge Master Choose animals that interest you. Look for the same information for each animal. Write that information in the same order for each animal. Grade 2 Theme 2: Nature Walk A good picture book will include observation of details scientific facts and conclusions clearly-written and wellstructured presentation Start Your Book! English Language Learners: Have children do their research in pairs. Publish Your Book! Check with children on the progress of their book. Check their descriptions of pictures to make sure they are entering appropriate information. Remind children to follow the same format for each page. Tell them to choose a title that shows their book is an information book. Some children will need help with binding their book. Share What You Know Provide ample space for the book display and encourage children to examine all the books. Tell children to ask each other questions about the animals they chose. 14
2. Web of Life 60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL Materials: encyclopedia or books about animals and Graphic Organizer Master 1 Discuss how animals affect humans. Show how a web can organize things by category. 3. Animal Track Guide Book 60 MINUTES SMALL GROUP Materials: encyclopedia and other reference sources, drawing paper, crayons, markers, old magazines, a three-hole punch, and string Tell children that they need to choose pond animals that make a distinct track. Additional Independent Work Connecting/Comparing Literature Have children compare the On My Way Practice Reader Animal Tracks Are Everywhere with the anthology selection Around the Pond: Who s Been Here?, using what they have learned about Categorize and Classify. Children may discuss or write about their comparisons. Other Activities Good webs will include one main idea for each web correct classification of animals in each web based on the category A good guide book will include ten animal tracks accurate sketches, names, and pictures a bound and organized format Challenge Master CH 2 6 THEME 2/Around the Pond: Who s Been Here? Theme 1 Assignment Cards 10, 11 TE p. T206, Literature Discussion TE p. T208, Challenge Word Practice TE pp. R19, R21, R27, R33, Challenge Education Place: www.eduplace.com More activities related to Around the Pond: Who s Been Here? Accelerated Reader, Around the Pond: Who s Been Here? 2. Web of Life Goal: Use webs to categorize and classify animals. Make a list of ways animals are involved in people s lives. Put each way in the center circle of a web. In the surrounding circles, list all the different animals that fit into that category. 3. Animal Track Guide Book Goal: Make an animal track guide book. Working in a small group, make a list of ten pond animals. Find each animal s track or footprint in an encyclopedia or other source. Make a page for each animal track, including: a sketch of the track the name of the animal that makes that track a picture, drawn or cut from a magazine, of the animal Each web should be about one idea. Think of how animals are alike in the ways they help people. Have the best artist in your group draw the sketches. Give each member of your group a different animal to look up. Punch holes in each page and bind your book together with string. Share your book with the class. Grade 2 Theme 2: Nature Walk Challenge Master CH 2 6 SELECTION 3: Around the Pond: Who s Been Here? 15