A Teacher’s Guide

Written by Kathy-jo Wargin Illustrated by K.L. Darnell

Teacher’s Guide by Patricia Pierce

Portions may be reproduced for use in the classroom with the express permission of Sleeping Bear Press

Published by Sleeping Bear Press/310 North Main St./ P.O. Box 20/ Chelsea MI 48118/800-487-2323/www.sleepingbearpress.com

BookmarkersMark your favorite story in The Michigan Reader by Kathy-jo Wargin.

Color a bookmarker to give to a friend and share your favorite story.

A Michigan Pledge

By Kathy-jo Wargin

I pledge my heart to Michigan

Two lands and four great waters

I pledge my heart to Michigan

Forever I will carryWherever I may roam

The beauty and the

of Michigan, My true home.

friendship

And all her sons and daughters.

Syllable Beat Read “A Michigan Pledge” and look for one, two, and three syllable words to complete the charts below.

__________________ ___________________

__________________ ___________________

______________________ _____________________

____________________ _____________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

Cherry, Apple, Grape, or Peach? Were you able to solve the Michigan fruit riddles?

Find 10 people to read the riddles to and then graph which fruit - cherry, apple, grape, or peach - is their favorite.

Our Favorite Michigan Fruits

Cherry Apple Grape Peach

Diorama

Construct a lighthouse diorama. Take a shoebox and place it with open side toward the viewer. Use one of the lighthouse pictures below and gather additional material, such as small rocks, cloth, toy boats, etc., to use for the background and for props. Create a beautiful lighthouse landscape!

Fold the tabs along the black arrows to make thelighthouse stand upright. Glue the tabs to the shoebox.

Did you know?

The earliest known lighthouses were constructed in the 7th

century on the Mediterranean Sea.

Lightships and lighted buoys are used where it is impractical to build a lighthouse.

Most lighthouses of today use rotating beacons like those found at airports.

The U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for the maintenance of lighthouses, lightships and lighted buoys.

Visit the lighthouses of Michigan at www.lighthousegetaway.com

Find something in the classroom that starts with each letter of the alphabet.Write your answers on this list.

A_______________B_______________C_______________D_______________E_______________F_______________G_______________H_______________I_______________J_______________K_______________L_______________M_______________N_______________O_______________P_______________Q_______________R_______________S_______________T_______________U_______________V_______________W_______________X_______________Y_______________Z_______________

Write your first and last name. __________________________________________

How many letters are used only one time?__________________________________________

How many letters are used more than once?

Write any five letters of the alphabet. _______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Try writing two words using these five letters.____________________ ____________________

Try again with five different letters. If you didn’t write a vowel last time, did you write one this time?

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

____________________ ____________________

C haracter C ounts A ctivities Read Michigan Character Counts, pages 11 – 13. Try these

activities to spark discussion on the qualities of honesty, compassion, respect, responsibility and courage.

H onestyGive students scrap pieces of paper or old newspaper. Describe a

situation in which a lie might be told and have students crumble one piece of scrap paper to represent the lie. Instruct students to hold this piece of paper in their hands. Most often, the same lie is repeated or more lies are told to cover up the first lie. Demonstrate this by continuing to describe the situation and instruct students to crumble another piece of paper each time the lie is repeated or more lies are told. Before long, students will have difficulty crumbling additional paper while holding onto all the crumbled pieces. This activity creates a visual representation of the importance of being honest.

R espect and R esponsibility Thumbs up and thumbs down. Read the following situations and

instruct students to put thumbs up if the character in the story is being respectful or responsible. Thumbs down if the values are not shown.

Vic grabbed his helmet that was hanging off the handle of hisbike and threw it to the corner of the garage. “Wait up!” heyelled to his friends riding down the street.

Cayla Jean laughed as she watched her favorite show. Then sheremembered she told her Dad that she would take out thegarbage. Immediately Cayla Jean turned off the tv andgathered the garbage bags.

The boys were throwing their trash away from their picniclunch and getting ready to play baseball. A gust of wind blewacross the park and Joe’s napkin sailed away. “I’ll be rightback,” Joe shouted to his friends as he chased down thenapkin.

The substitute teacher called Karen the wrong name by mistake. “My name is Karen – can’t you get it right?” Karen answered back.

C ompassionShare examples of compassion by using this “Numbered Group”

discussion activity. Divide students into small groups of 6 and assign each student in the group a number 1 through 6.

Instruct students to discuss ways they have shown or can show compassion to their family. Allow students 3 to 5 minutes for discussion and instruct them to decide upon one example from their group to be shared with the class.

After groups are ready to share the example, roll a dice and call out the number. The student assigned the “called number” becomes the spokesperson for their group and shares their example.

Repeat the activity with students sharing examples of compassion shown to their friends, new people, animals and the earth.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Follow up this activity by preparing for each student a “I Care About You” card. Include a special note to each student. Let students make cards to give to others.

C ourage Read Sojourner’s Truth page 34, “Sojourner’s Song” page 38 and The Underground Railroad in Michigan page 59. Discuss how Sojourner and those involved with the Underground Railroad displayed courage. Then complete the following activity of “What Would Sojourner Say?”

W hat W ould Sojourner Say?Two weeks ago when Brad heard about the plans for a new theme

park to be developed near his home, he was extremely excited. He loved riding roller coasters!

Now, he was having mixed feelings. If plans were passed, 85 acres of Yellow River Forest would be destroyed. Tomorrow a demonstration to stop the theme park development was scheduled at city hall.

“Brad, are you coming with me tomorrow morning?” asked his Dad. Brad sighed, “I don’t know yet.” Brad believed that it was wrong

to destroy the forest, but what would his friends think if they saw him demonstrating against the theme park?

What would Sojourner tell Brad?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Anne practiced her piece for the piano recital everyday. She was a beginner student and this was her first recital!

As Anne waited her turn, she looked out at the crowd and saw her Grandfather waving. She felt the butterflies in her stomach. “I’m too scared to do this. Maybe I can just pretend that I’m feeling sick.”

What would Sojourner tell Anne?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Joe could see the tears forming in Kelly’s eyes as she walked away from the playground. Mark had been teasing her again and everyone was laughing. Kelly had made fun of Mark’s best friend last week.Since then, a few of the other kids and Mark had been teasing Kelly every day.

Joe was a new student in the class. He was slowly getting to know the other students and felt like he was now making good friends.Everyone liked Mark and did what he told them to do. Joe wanted Mark to be his friend.

“Hey, Joe. Run up to Smelly Kelly and give her this note,” said Mark. “Then we will go play baseball.”

Joe looked at Mark and all the kids around him. Joe wanted the teasing to stop and he didn’t want to give Kelly the note.

What would Sojourner tell Joe?

“A Little Nonsense” by Kathy-jo Wargin is a delightful poem students enjoy reading again and again. Strengthen your students’ love of reading by trying these choral verse tips and ideas.

10 Reasons to Use Choral Reading in the Classroom

1. Creates appreciation of poetry. 2. Provides opportunity for oral dramatics. 3. Develops speech and expression skills. 4. Adds variety to reading lessons. 5. Allows all students to participate successfully.6. Develops a love of reading. 7. Brings the class together as a unit. 8. A fun technique to improve reading skills. 9. Can be used on the spur of the moment to add

relaxation and spontaneity to the class. 10. Improves diction – correct forming of vowel

sounds and clear articulation of consonants.

Echo Response – The teacher reads the first stanza and the students recite the lines in the same tempo and mood.

Unison Response – The teacher and students read the entire section in unison.

Small Group Response – Place students in small groups and assign each group a stanza.

Soft to Loud – Begin choral reading in a soft, whisper voice and increase volume after each stanza. Repeat varying from loud to soft.

Solo Parts – Assign solo parts with group response.

Boys/Girls – Assign boys and girls separate sections.

Read the statements and determine if the factis about the moon or the stars. Circle thecorrect response.

1. I am made of hot gases. Moon Stars

2. I am made of rock. Moon Stars

3. I make constellations. Moon Stars

4. I have no light of my own. Moon Stars

Challenge Questions

1. An American flag can be found on the moon or on the stars?_________________________________________

2. The sun is a moon or a star? __________________

Answers: 1. Stars 2. Moon 3. Stars 4. Moon 1. Moon 2. Star

Sunday - Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday- Friday-SaturdayRead Michigan Days by Kathy-jo Wargin and make a days of the week mini-book. Staple the pages together in the gray area.

My Days of the Week By ____________

Sunday

On Sunday, I ________ ___________________

MondayOn Monday, I ___________________________

TuesdayOn Tuesday, I ____________________________

WednesdayOn Wednesday, I _________________________

ThursdayOn Thursday, I ___________________________

FridayOn Friday, I ______________________________

SaturdayOn Saturday, I ____________________________

Unscramble the months. Use page 28 of The Michigan Reader as a guide. Remember when writing the months to begin each month with a capital letter!

1. najuayr __________________________

2. yferbrua __________________________

3. amrhc __________________________

4. pairl __________________________

5. yma __________________________

6. ujne __________________________

7. ljuy __________________________

8. uaugts __________________________

9. tspemereb __________________________

10. tocbore __________________________

11. vnobmere __________________________

12. cedermbe __________________________

Feisty as a WolverineDuring the time when Ohio and Michigan were solving their problem over a land disagreement, people from Michigan were compared to wolverines. It was said that Michigan people were like this hard-fighting animal. In what ways were they like the wolverine?

Read each sentence and then match it with an animal description.

Busy as a bee Strong as an ox Feisty as a wolverine

Fast as a cheetah Wise as an owl Hungry as a lion

1. The other runners became nervous when they saw Caleb enter the race. He is as _____________________________________.

2. Whenever Suzy has a problem, she calls her Grandfather.He is as ________________________________________________.

3. Jacquelyn cleaned her room, helped her Mom bake cookies, watered the plants and read a book. She has been as _________________________________________________________.

4. Hunter moved the heavy rock away from the path. He is as _________________________________________________________.

5. Sierra scrambled after the basketball then quickly scored two points. Her team was behind, but she was not going to give up. She is as _____________________________________.

6. Rick didn’t eat breakfast, so at lunch time he was as__________________________________________________________________.

Answers: 1. Fast as a cheetah 2. Wise as an owl 3. Busy as a bee 4. Strong as an ox 5. Feisty as a wolverine 6. Hungry as a lion

Sequence the events of the story Grandmother’s Cottage (page 43).Number the items one through five in the order the events took place in the story.

_____ Susan and David heard dishes breaking on the wood floors.

____ The children saw the curtain moving.

____ Their Grandmother returned from picking berries.

____ A raccoon raced out of the cottage.

____ Susan and David knocked on Grandmother’s door.

Challenge Questions

What other animals could have been in Grandmother’s cottage?

Could it have been an owl? Could it have been an elephant? Could it have been a bear? Could it have been a monkey? Could it have been a squirrel?

Explain your answers.

Quick sketches

Provide students with a piece of black construction paper and white chalk. Read aloud “TheGhost” by Kathy-jo Wargin and instruct them to make a quick sketch representing the poem.

Now read aloud the informational section regarding the ghost, the albino deer. Read the poem once more and allow students to make another sketch on the backside of the black construction paper.

As students are sketching, discuss how the deer is compared to a ghost and a cloud. What other words help describe the deer?

Hush

Read aloud “The Ghost” to the students. Now reread, this time omitting the word “hush”. Discuss the difference it made when the ord hush was omitted.w

Have students pretend they are walking in the forest and see an albino deer. What would they do? Would they be very quiet? Would hey try to get closer? Would they make sudden movements?t

Create a Mood

Dim the lights and read by flashlight. Read in a soft whisperoice.v

Place the students insmall groups with flashlights and take turns reading “The Ghost”over and over again!

Clara Ruth’s adventure took place in 1872. Circle the itemsshe might have packed in her trunk.

Toothbrush CD Player Diary Shoes

Dresses Jacket Cell Phone Pantalets

Memory Game

Add items to Clara Ruth’s trunk in alphabetical order. On each turn, players repeat items, then add one more item to the trunk. Can you maket all the way to Z?i

pl is going on a trip and packed in her trunk:Exam e: Clara RuthA – Apple

is going on a trip and packed in her trunk:Clara RuthA – AppleB – Book

is going on a trip and packed in her trunk:

tated!

Clara RuthA – Apple

B – Book C – Cookies

The list continues to the letter Z. Allow for clues if a player has difficulty remembering items. All players try to repeat the entire list after the letter Z item is s

Read “Trunks in Tow” by Kathy-jo Wargin. Create your own poem following her pattern using backpacks in tow.

Backpacks in tow! Backpacks in tow!

Students are marching With backpacks in tow!

Loaded with books

Teachers are smiling

Students are skipping

Long yellow buses All in a row Walking quickly

Walking slow

The school day is over It is time to go A current of students

Down the hallway they flow

Gliding Swan Create your own gliding swan!

Materials

Swan pattern (see below) ScissorsPaperclipBlue crayon Paper plate Magnet

Directions

1. Cut out the swan pattern and fold back the tab on the line marked with black arrows.

2. Clip a paperclip to the tab. 3. Color a paper plate blue. 4. Put the swan on the paper plate. 5. Hold the paper plate with one hand. Place the magnet

underneath the paper plate directly under the swan’s tab with the paperclip.

6. Move the swan by moving the magnet. Glide across the paper plate!

The Underground RailroadRead The Underground Railroad in Michigan (pages 59 – 63). Find the path to freedom by following the trail of true sentences.

Most slaves had to escape during the night in order to be free.

TheUndergroundRailroad went throughMichigan.

The tickets for the UndergroundRailroadwere costly.

The Underground Railroad ran only during the daytime.

The Underground Railroad helped to hide escapingslaves.

Abraham Lincoln freed slaves at the end of the civil war.

Sojourner Truth and Abraham Lincoln were friends.

SojournerTruth had never been a slave.

Sojourner Truth did not help people to escape to freedom.

Engines pulled trains on the Underground Railroad system.

Slaves were forced to do hard work.

Answers – True Sentences

1. Slaves were forced to do hard work. 2. Most slaves had to escape during the night in order to be

free.3. The Underground Railroad went through Michigan. 4. The Underground Railroad helped to hide escaping slaves. 5. Sojourner Truth and Abraham Lincoln were friends. 6. Abraham Lincoln freed slaves at the end of the civil war.

________________________________________________________________

Matching Answers (Activity next page)

Triangle Three-pronged spear

Tricycle Plant with three leavesaround a single flower

Trident Group of three children born at the same time

Trillium Three-wheeled vehicle

Tripod Ancient ship with three rows of oars

Triple A stool or stand with three legs

Triplets A figure having three sides and three angles

trireme Three times as much

A trillium is a larger flower with three petals.A trireme is an ancient ship with three rows of oars.A tripod is a stool or stand with three legs.

Match the following tri words with its meaning. Use a dictionary if necessary.

Triangle Three-pronged spear

Tricycle Plant with three leavesaround a single flower

Trident Group of three children born at the same time

Trillium Three-wheeled vehicle

Tripod Ancient ship with three rows of oars

Triple A stool or stand with three legs

Triplets A figure having three sides and three angles

trireme Three times as much

Compete in the Voyageurs’ Race and sharpen your math skills!

Materials

Voyageurs’ Race game board (See following page)2 game player markers (See below – cut out) 40 beads (from local craft store)Dice

Directions

1. Each player receives 15 beads. 2. First player rolls the dice and moves number of

spaces rolled. 3. Follow instructions on landed space – adding or

subtracting beads. 4. Continue to roll until both players reach the

finish line.5. The player with the most beads at the end of the

race is the winner!

Special Note If a player loses all their beads before reaching the finish line, the other player wins.

START ADD1 BEAD

SUBTRACT2 BEADS

SUBTRACT1 BEAD

ADD5 BEADS

ADD1 BEAD

ADD3 BEADS

SUBTRACT6 BEADS

ADD3 BEADS

SUBTRACT4 BEADS

FREESPACE

SUBTRACT2 BEADS

ADD1 BEAD

ADD4 BEADS

ADD2 BEADS

FINISH ADD1 BEAD

SUBTRACT5 BEADS

ADD8 BEADS

SUBTRACT2 BEADS

FREESPACE

SUBTRACT4 BEADS

SUBTRACT5 BEADS

ADD3 BEADS

SUBTRACT1 BEAD

FREESPACE

SUBTRACT3 BEADS

Use the table of contents in The Michigan Reader to answer the following questions.

1. What is the title of the story on page 43?

__________________________________________

2. On what page does “The White Swan” begin?

__________________________________________

3. If you want to read about Sojourner Truth, on

which page should you begin reading?

__________________________________________

4. What is the title of the poem on page 50?

__________________________________________

5. On what page does “A Little Nonsense” begin?

__________________________________________

Answers

1. Grandmother’s Cottage

2. Page 58

3. Page 34

4. “The Ghost”

5. Page 14