NotesLesson 2MaterialsLetter CardsScience Journalcrayonspaper or foam platescissorssix-inch piece of stringtoy frog (plastic or rubber) or other toy animal

if a frog is not availabletub or pan filled with water (large enough to float

the plate in; clear if possible)measuring tape (Optional)ball of string (about 200 ft) (Optional)

BooksAdventuresReading WorkbookCalvert Writer with SpellingScience: A Closer LookActivity PagesExplore Your World II

Student Assignments ❑ MATHEMATICS ❑ READING

___Read “A Balanced Diet,” pp. 16–17, Adventures ___Complete Reading Work Page 3, Reading Workbook___Read Dragon Gets By, pp. 18–30, Adventures ___ Preview Think About the Selection questions, p. 32,

Adventures ___Complete Reading Work Pages 4–5, Reading

Workbook ___Complete Reading Checkpoint

❑ READING & COMPUTER SKILLS ___ View online lesson Grouping and Labeling (length 12

minutes)___ Make visual maps reviewing consonant and vowel

sounds and consonant clusters ❑ COMPOSITION

___Identify characteristics of a character sketch ___ Complete Composition Activity 1, Calvert Writer

with Spelling ___Complete Composition Checkpoint

❑ SPELLING ___Use Letter Cards to form short a and i words___ Complete Spelling Activity 1: Apple or Fish?, Calvert

Writer with Spelling ___Complete Spelling Checkpoint

❑ SCIENCE ___ Look over Table of Contents, Science: A Closer Look___ Complete Science Activity 1: Picturing a Scientist,

Activity Pages___ Read and discuss p. 16, Safety Tips, Science: A Closer

Look___ Read and discuss pp. 2–3, Science: A Closer Look___ Complete Explore activity, p. 3, Science: A Closer Look;

record data in Science Journal ___Complete Science Checkpoint

❑ SOCIAL STUDIES ___ Read Explore 1, Explore Your World II___ Practice singing Explore Activity 1, Explore Your

World II ___Complete Social Studies Checkpoint

MathematicsComplete today’s Math Lesson in the separate Math Lesson Manual.

Reading Introduction: The focus of today’s lesson is to complete a story map and to use the story structure to summarize the story. In Phonics, your student will read words with the vowel pairs oo and ou; the consonant cluster dr; and consonant digraphs ch and tch. You will assist him in blending the words with oo, ou, and dr. Next, your student will review the high-frequency words. He will practice

Notes

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Notesthe key vocabulary words and use them to read today’s selections. Then you will discuss the critical thinking questions. Finally, he will review the components of a complete sentence.

Phonics Objectives: to read words with the vowel pairs oo and ou; to read words with the consonant cluster dr; to read words with the consonant digraphs tch and ch

Write the words food groups on a piece of paper and underline the oo and ou. Remind your student that oo and ou can have the same /oo/ sound. Help him blend each word sound by sound: /f/ /oo/ /d/ /gr/ /oo/ /p/.

Next, write dragon and underline the dr. Remind him that each consonant in the cluster dr keeps its own sound when blended. Then write drove and drive. Have him blend each word sound by sound.

Now, write scratched. Remind your student that t is silent and tch has the same sound as ch. Cover the -ed and have your student blend the base word scratch. Remind him that -ed has the /t/ sound. Have him blend the word sound by sound. Repeat with crunched and cheese.

VocabularyObjectives: to review high-frequency words; to identify key vocabulary words

Word Wall: Have your student read and spell each of the following words in the New Words section: bought, front, kitchen, roll, and until. Remind him that when he has free time, he should practice all the words on the Word Wall. He might write them in sentences or look at a word and close his eyes and spell it.

Key Vocabulary: Ask your student to name foods he thinks are healthy and foods that are not healthy. Next, use pp. 16–17 of Adventures to build additional background and introduce the key vocabulary words balanced, dairy, diet, hungry, shopping, and vegetable. Read “A Balanced Diet” together. Then ask your student what foods a balanced diet should include.

Application: For additional practice with the key vocabulary words, have your student complete Reading Work Page 3: Words That Fit in Reading Workbook.

Directed ReadingObjectives: to recognize high-frequency words in context; to apply the phonics/decoding strategy; to use the comprehension strategy of summarizing; to use a story map to identify the story structure; to think critically about a story

Comprehension Strategy: Summarize: Read aloud the book’s title and illustrator on p. 18 of Adventures. Then have your student read the Strategy Focus. Direct him to think about the things Dragon does as you read pp. 19–20. Then ask him to summarize the story so far. If he needs help, explain that he should tell the most important things that Dragon has done so far. (Dragon finds no food in his cupboard, so he drives himself to the food store and starts to shop.)

Explain that a story map can help your student keep track of who is in the story; where the story takes place; and what happens in the beginning, middle, and end. Have him turn to Reading Work Page 4: Story Map in Reading Workbook.

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Notes Read through the map together and complete who (Dragon) and where (Dragon’s house, the hill, the store). Ask your student to recall what he summarized about the beginning and add it to the chart. (Dragon finds no food in his cupboard, so he drives himself to the food store and starts to shop.) Have him complete the story map as he reads or when he has finished reading.

Purpose Setting: Have your student make predictions about what might happen in Dragon Gets By. Have him turn to p. 32 of Adventures and read the Think About the Selection questions aloud. Tell him to think about these questions as he reads the story. Guide your student’s reading with questions such as the following.

pp. 20–23: Why are Dragon’s food choices unhealthy? What kind of foods should Dragon pick? (Dragon picks too many sweet and fatty junk foods. He should choose foods such as milk, vegetables, and bread.) How will Dragon make all of the groceries fit in his car? (He will eat some of the food.)

Have your student summarize the story so far. (Dragon buys so much unhealthy food at the store that he cannot fit all of the food into his car. He decides to eat some of what he bought.)

pp. 24–27: Why do you think Dragon keeps having problems? (He does not plan ahead or think things through.) What can you tell Dragon about shopping for food that might make it easier for him? (Explain how to plan his shopping so that he does not buy so much at once.)

pp. 28–30: How would you summarize the story this far? (Dragon ate so many of his groceries that he could not fit in his car. He decided to push his car home down a hill. The car crashes in front of his house.) Do you think Dragon learned from his experiences? Why or why not? (Possible answers include: No, the ending makes me think he will start the whole adventure again.) How does the author use Dragon’s solutions to make the story funny? (Every time Dragon tries to solve a problem, his silly solutions cause another problem.)

Then have your student complete the story map, and review his answers to the middle and end: Middle (pp. 21–28) (Dragon buys so much food that it does not all fit into his car. He eats all the food, and then he cannot fit in his car. He pushes his car home, and the car crashes.) End (pp. 29–30) (Dragon is back home. His cupboard is still bare.)

Grammar Skills Objective: to identify complete sentences

To review the description of a complete sentence, have your student read the information at the top of Reading Work Page 5: Lightning Sentences in Reading Workbook.

Application: Assign Reading Work Page 5 for additional practice with identifying a complete sentence. Have him explain what part is missing for the items he marks no.

Complete Reading Checkpoint

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NotesReading & Computer Skills Note: Beginning with today’s lesson, your student will be learning the basics of computer visual mapping software and will become familiar with the tools that can be used to create visual maps, diagrams, and other graphic organizers on a computer. The online visual mapping lessons, including Grouping and Labeling, Attributes and Linking, and Idea Webs, present general models of the tools most visual mapping software will contain, but the software depicted is not an actual computer program. You may find that there are slight variations in the appearance of the tools or their functions depending on which specific graphics software program your student uses. Consult the Help menu in your software or the User’s Manual for guidance, if necessary.

While subsequent lessons in this course will teach more common office software applications, you are encouraged to complete the visual mapping software lessons with your student even if you do not own a visual mapping software program such as Kidspiration or Inspiration. The online lessons will provide practice in categorizing, classifying, and organizing information using diagrams and maps, a valuable study strategy that will aid your student in subsequent lessons in this Second Grade course of study. If you do not own or plan to purchase a visual mapping software program, it may be possible to practice using one at your local library or computer center, as visual mapping software is being increasingly used in schools.

Objectives: to create visual maps and explain their use; to use visual mapping software to practice visually organizing ideas; to label and link items in a visual map to show meaningful relationships; to review consonant and vowel sounds and consonant clusters by creating visual maps

Key Termsvisual mapping software workspace symbol palette

toolbar focus active

text box link label

Introduction: Spend a few moments reviewing what it means to organize something, having your student provide examples. Guide your student to understand that to organize things means to put them in a proper, orderly place.

Instruction: Tell your student that it can also be helpful to organize the pictures, words, and ideas he learns about in school. Explain that one way to organize pictures, words, and ideas is by creating diagrams, or special drawings that show how things go together. Since diagrams help organize thoughts and ideas, they are sometimes called graphic organizers. (You may wish to explain that a graphic is another word for a drawing.) They might also be called visual maps, because making a diagram is like making a map showing what you are thinking!

Provide your student with two examples of simple visual maps. First, draw three circles or bubbles in the center of a piece of paper. Inside each circle, write a different consonant ending sound that you would like to review with your student, such as -at, -in, -ot, -ug, or -en. Have your student read the ending sound

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Notes inside each circle. Then say aloud a one-syllable word that ends with a consonant sound inside one of the circles (for example, pin). Have your student indicate the circle to which the letter belongs (-in). After your student answers correctly, write the word in a new circle that is connected by a line back to the correct ending consonant sound circle. Repeat this process with additional single-syllable words.

cat

-atmat

satbin

-in

pin

cot

-ot

not

Next, divide a piece of paper into three columns by drawing two vertical lines. At the top of each column, write a different beginning consonant cluster that you would like to review with your student, such as cl, sl, bl, fl, pl, sp, st, sw, cr, gr, tr, dr, or pr. Say aloud a simple word that begins with one of these clusters (for example, clown), having your student point to or name the column on the diagram into which the word would fit (cl). Once he has correctly identified the beginning consonant cluster, write the word down in its proper column. Repeat this process with additional words.

Explain to your student that organizing information in this way can help him learn, think, and remember. Inform him that there are special computer software programs that can help him draw and illustrate diagrams like these. Together, view the online lesson Grouping and Labeling.

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NotesApplication: If you have access to visual mapping software, help your student practice using it to make a visual map. Have him create two or three circles labeled with specific vowel or consonant letters (for example, c, a, and m), then guide him to search for, insert, and appropriately link words or pictures beginning with the letters he selected. You may also wish to have him create a similar diagram showing words or pictures ending with specific consonant letters (for example, n and t).

aadd

all

excellent

e

egg

daisy

d

s

sit

sad

smile

If you own a visual mapping software program, you should feel free to use it with your student whenever a lesson suggests creating a graphic organizer. If you do not have access to visual mapping software, you may still encourage your student to draw one of these suggested visual maps on paper. Drawing such conceptual maps is a useful strategy that can help your student throughout his studies and across academic subjects.

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Notes Composition Objectives: to identify the characteristics of a character sketch; to identify information about a character

Introduction: Explain that a character sketch tells how a character in a story or book looks, talks, thinks, and acts.

Instruction: Review the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Then read the following character sketch to your student. Note: If your student is not familiar with Little Red Riding Hood, you may wish to borrow a copy from the library or find a retelling on the Internet.

The wolf in Little Red Riding Hood is big and bad and very sneaky . He is good at fooling people . He makes Little Red Riding Hood think that he is her friend . He also dresses up to make her think that he is her grandmother . When the wolf has a problem, he tells lies . Little Red Riding Hood thinks his eyes and ears are too big to be her grandmother’s . The wolf makes up reasons why he has big eyes and ears . She thinks his nose is too long and his teeth are too sharp . He keeps trying to make her believe that he is her grandmother . The wolf is tricky and mean .

Have your student identify the words that tell how the wolf looks, talks, acts, and thinks.

Application: Tell your student that he will write a character sketch about Dragon from Dragon Gets By. Together, look back over pp. 19–30 in Adventures so that he can tell how Dragon looks, how he acts, and what makes him special. Have your student use Composition Activity 1: Who Is Dragon? in Calvert Writer with Spelling to organize his ideas. Help him to brainstorm words that he will use. Then help him to write at least three good sentences for his character sketch on a page from his writing pad. If your student is a reluctant writer, you may serve as his scribe for the first draft, but have him write the final copy. Use Dragon as the title and have him put his name and the date on the bottom set of lines. If his last name is long, he may use the initial of his last name, or have him use the last two sets of lines. Save the composition as he will add more details in an upcoming lesson. See a sample composition at the end of Lesson 1.

Note: Have your student save all of his compositions for this course in a folder or notebook. It is a good idea to review them from time to time so your student can see the writing progress he has made.

Complete Composition Checkpoint

Spelling Objectives: to review words with short a and i, to identify VC patterns; to identify short a and i words

Introduction: Review that when a vowel is followed by a consonant, it usually has the short sound.

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NotesInstruction: Tell your student that today he will practice making short a and i words. Provide him with the following Letter Cards: a, b, d, g, h, i, m, n, r, s, t, w. Dictate the Unit 1 words one at a time, allowing time for your student to form each word. If he has difficulty, when possible, have him make a smaller word and add to it. For example:

1. Use the Letter Cards to make the word in.2. Add a letter to make the word win.

Application: Have your student continue his study of short a and i words by completing Spelling Activity 1: Apple or Fish? in Calvert Writer with Spelling.

Complete Spelling Checkpoint

Science General Course Instructions: Calvert’s Second Grade Science course gives your student an opportunity to be a scientist. He will be using the skills of a scientist as you introduce him to the fields of Life Science, Earth Science, Physical Science, and the Human Body.

Look over the Table of Contents on pp. iv–xvi in Science: A Closer Look with your student to see what topics will be covered in Science. In each lesson you will notice Explore activities and Quick Labs that are designed to enhance your student’s learning by using a hands-on experiment. One item your student will need for many activities in Science is a Science Journal. Your student may use a composition-style notebook for this purpose, and this is what your student will use to record data from lab activities and to write reflections or draw pictures about various Science concepts. Lessons may require your student to complete information found in the Reference Section, which is found in the back of the textbook, and has the letter R before the page number.

The text material can be covered by having your student read aloud to you, by you reading to your student, or by a combination of the two. If your student reads aloud, his comprehension may be less than if you read to him. As the text material is read, always pause to discuss questions given in the lesson manual and to observe pictures and diagrams. If your student does not understand a word that is used in the lesson, pause and define the word for him. Science vocabulary is found in bold print in the reading, and the definitions for these words are found in the Glossary in the back of the textbook. The vocabulary words will also be listed in the Vocabulary section of the lesson manual lessons.

At the beginning of each chapter is the Big Idea for the chapter and the Essential Questions for each lesson in the chapter. Your student should be able to answer the Big Idea question by the end of the chapter and each Essential Question by the end of the each lesson.

It is recommended that your student visit www.macmillanmh.com for additional resources. This website provides supportive activities such as animated reviews with interactive quizzes, a journal, science career information, and a glossary that includes audio word pronunciation.

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Notes Science is to be taught two days a week according to the Suggested Daily Schedule. It is also recommended that the Review and Corrections time be used for a continuation of a Science lesson if necessary.

Examining the LessonsGenerally, your student’s Second Grade Science lessons may include the following sections:

Materials: All the items your student and/or the Learning Guide will need to complete the lesson are located in the Materials list at the beginning of the day’s lesson. A comprehensive, lesson-by-lesson Science Materials List appears in the Appendix in the back of Lesson Manual B.

Objective: Each lesson begins with at least one objective that describes what your student will be learning. The objective should serve as your student’s learning goal for that lesson.

Introduction: This section will often include science background information for the Learning Guide. Additional background information to enhance your student’s learning experience can be found in the Learning Guide Portal. This background information consists of more in-depth material than what is covered in your student’s textbook. The information in this section is mostly provided by the textbook publisher. This information is not to be read aloud to your student before the lesson begins because he will be discovering and learning the basic concepts throughout the lesson. This section will sometimes include a warm-up activity for your student as well.

Vocabulary: The vocabulary words for the lesson will be listed in this section.

Instruction: This section provides the information that the Learning Guide will use to conduct the lesson. It will indicate when and how the Learning Guide and the student are to use the textbook. It will provide guided reading questions for the Learning Guide to ask the student while reading as well as other activities that will assist in facilitating learning.

Application: This section is designed to enhance your student’s knowledge of the concepts. It may also serve as a review for the material covered in the Instruction section. This section may include discussion questions, a Science Activity Page, or a hands-on activity. When your student completes the Application section of the lesson, he may refer back to the textbook if he needs help answering a question. Assist your student by directing him to the appropriate page in the textbook if he is having difficulty answering a question.

Enrichment: These activities are considered optional but are there to enhance your student’s learning.

Looking Forward: This section appears when the Learning Guide may need to gather library materials or prepare for hands-on activities or experiments before the next lesson.

Review Lessons: The sections I Read to Review and the Chapter Review at the end of each chapter in the Science textbook can be used to review and reinforce

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Notesconcepts from the Science lessons. In the review lessons, major concepts to know will be listed for your student.

Today’s Science LessonObjectives: to identify skills scientists use to investigate questions; to identify important safety procedures

Introduction: To begin this lesson, you will assess what your student already knows about scientists. Turn to Science Activity 1: Picturing a Scientist in Activity Pages. Ask your student to think about what a scientist looks like. Tell him that he is going to draw what he thinks a scientist looks like on this activity page. Without giving your student any clues, ask him to draw a scientist doing what a scientist would do. Tell him to include what the scientist wears and any tools being used. He should also show where the scientist is working. When your student finishes the drawing, have him describe his picture to you. Ask him to write a caption under the picture that describes something about what the scientist is doing.

Most students tend to draw pictures of a laboratory scientist mixing chemicals, and usually, most draw a male scientist. Tell your student that he will be learning about scientists, and how they work throughout this course. Tell him that there are many different types of scientists and while some work in a laboratory, many work in other places such as in a park or a zoo or in a doctor’s office or a hospital. Let your student know that there are both men scientists and women scientists. Tell him that he is also a scientist, and will be learning to think and work like a scientist does!

Turn to p. 16 in Science: A Closer Look. Read the Safety Tips section to your student. Point out that these are important safety tips that will help keep him safe while doing science activities. Ask: What kinds of safety rules do you have at home? Why do people make rules?

Your student should understand that rules are created to keep him safe. Tell him that there will be many activities in Science this year where he will have to follow safety rules.

Instruction: Tell your student that he is going to explore a problem just as a scientist would. Direct him to look at the photograph on p. 2 in Science: A Closer Look. Read the Look and Wonder section to your student. Ask him to point to the frog on the page and give ideas how the frog stays on the lily pad. (Possible answer: the frog stays in the center of the lily pad.)

Discussion Questions: Ask your student the following questions.

1. How would a scientist investigate how a frog stays on a lily pad? Tell your student that when you investigate, you make a plan to learn new things. (Possible answer: the scientist would study and watch frogs in a pond or he might make a model.)

2. Have you ever seen a lily pad in a pond?3. How do you think the lily pad stays in its place in the water?

(Possible answer: it is rooted in the soil at the bottom of the pond.)

Application: Tell your student that a lily pad has a large surface area, which means that its flat top area takes up a lot of space compared to most leaves and it is able to

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Notes float on water easily. Point to the outline of the lily pad to note the larger surface area. It stays afloat, and the roots anchor it to the bottom surface of the pond.

Read the question and materials list for the Explore activity on p.  3 in the textbook together with your student. Tell him that he is going to test the question: How can a frog float on a lily pad? As you read the directions for this activity, refer to the following guidelines for additional support.

1. Predict. Encourage your student to discuss ways to place the frog on the lily pad. Ask him how he decided where to place the frog.

2. Make a Model. Ask your student to color the plate completely with green crayon. Have him look closely at the picture of the lily pads in the book and describe how his plate is similar and different from the lily pad in the picture. Tell him that scientists often make models of real things so they can study and learn more about them. Tell him that he is making a model of a lily pad. Show your student how to poke a hole at the edge of the plate with a pencil point. Be Careful! The pencil is sharp. Let your student know not to poke the pencil toward his other hand. Have your student make a knot at the end of the string and pull the string through the plate hole. The knot should be at the top of the plate so the string falls below the plate to simulate roots hanging down. Your student may need assistance doing this part of the activity. Remind him to keep the water inside of the pan. If the pan is clear, encourage him to look through the side of the pan and describe the position of the plate and the string. Ask: What is the plate supposed to represent or be like? (the lily pad) What is the string supposed to represent or be like? (the roots) Direct your student to place the frog on the lily pad where he predicted it should be in order to stay dry.

3. Record Data. Have your student record his findings in his Science Journal. Tell him whenever he makes an entry in his Science Journal that he should first write the date and a title at the top of the page. An appropriate title might be the Explore question. Copy the following chart in his Science Journal so he can record his results:

Frog and Lily Pad Results

Location of Frog Did the frog get wet or stay dry?

Ask your student to move the frog to a couple of other positions to see if the results change. Tell him to draw a dot in the circle on the chart showing where he placed the frog. Tell him to record whether the frog stayed dry or not. If the frog got wet, ask him

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Noteswhy he thinks that happened. (Possible answer: the frog was too close to the edge of the lily pad.)

Tell your student that he has worked like a scientist today by investigating a question, making a prediction, and building a model. These are all skills that scientists use in their work.

Discussion Questions: Ask your student the following questions about the lesson.

1. What do scientists do if they want to investigate a question? (Possible answer: They can make a prediction and test their prediction by making a model.)

2. Can you think of something else a scientist might want to find out about lily pads? (Accept any reasonable responses, such as how much weight can a lily pad hold? What other animals sit on lily pads? Are lily pads found in other places besides ponds?)

3. If a scientist wanted to know if the lily pad would hold larger frogs or animals, what could he or she do to investigate this question? (Possible answer: Use the same model but put different size toy animals on the lily pad.)

4. Why is it important that we follow safety rules for science activities? (to keep us safe)

5. Together with your student, look at the Table of Contents in the textbook. Read the main chapter titles with him. Tell him that these are things he will be learning about this year in Science.

Enrichment: Have your student test to find out if the lily pad will hold larger toy frogs or animals. Repeat the experiment from the Explore activity on p. 3 in the textbook using different size toy animals. Have him record or discuss the results.

Looking Forward: For the next Science lesson you will need two objects to compare, such as two plants (not totally identical) or two writing utensils (not totally identical).

Complete Science Checkpoint

Social Studies Introduction to Social StudiesWhat is social studies? Social studies is the study of culture. Everyone has a culture, which includes the past, language, family traditions, religion, where people live, the government of their nation, and how their parents take care of them. Social studies asks questions about the differences of people. Why does one person live in a brick house but another person lives in a grass house? Why do some eat beef but others are vegetarians? Social studies also asks questions about how we are all similar. We all have basic needs, like food, shelter, and a language. People speak many different languages in the world, but everyone needs to communicate. There are many parts to social studies, but they are all parts about culture. Social studies also lets you look at all the different ways we relate with other people in

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Notes other cultures. It is the study of all the many ways people all over the world live and relate with each other.

In Calvert Social Studies, your student will study geography, history, civics, and economics. The study of geography involves asking questions about where your student lives. He will learn to use maps because they can help us figure out where we are on the Earth. The study of history involves asking questions about your student’s past. His past helps him understand who he is today. Knowing who discovered a cure for polio, what nation won a war, or where his grandparents lived when they were young will allow your student to appreciate his own world better. The study of civics asks questions about the rules and laws that give your student the freedom to become anyone he wants to be when he grows up. Civics teaches us to learn and use rules. The study of economics involves asking questions about how to be sure we have enough food, clothing, and even special extras, like toys. Beginning to understand where his food or clothes are made will help your student appreciate the connections between people around the world.

Explore Your World II consists of fifty-two units to be read aloud to the student. Follow the lessons like a script, reading all questions and stories directly to the student. If activities are mentioned, they can be found after the Explore reading. Use the activities to enrich and enhance the student’s understanding of the concepts discussed in the lessons. This course will make social studies meaningful to the student and will act as a springboard to further questions, discussion, and learning.

Objective: to learn the history and meaning of “The Star-Spangled Banner”

Introduction: “The Star-Spangled Banner” is the national anthem of the United States. It is important for your student to understand the meaning of the words in the first verse, as well as the history of this song.

Instruction: If your student does not yet know “The Star-Spangled Banner,” this would be a good time to begin to teach it to him. You can use the song as a way to start each day of lessons. Tell him that “The Star-Spangled Banner” is sung by Americans to show loyalty to their country. Ask what it means to be loyal. (to be faithful to) Help him think about examples of showing loyalty. Explain that you can be loyal to family and friends by being trustworthy, dependable, and always standing by them.

Read Explore 1: The Star-Spangled Banner in Explore Your World II to your student.

Explain and demonstrate the appropriate behavior while singing the song. The student should stand respectfully during the song and remove his hat if he is wearing one. It is traditional to put your right hand over your heart and to face the American flag while singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Application: Be sure your student understands the setting of the song. The author is on a boat and watching a huge battle during the night. Review the vocabulary from the song. Explain the use of the words dawn and twilight. Note that the battle begins in the morning and ends the following morning. The British ships are firing cannonballs and rockets during this 24-hour period. Have your student think about the noise. He should try to describe what the sounds must have been

Discovery Education• Flag Facts• The Star-Spangles

Banner

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Noteslike. Have your student think of the fire from the explosions during the night. What must the night sky have looked like?

Read the translation of the song and then practice singing the true verse, using Explore Activity 1. If you are not comfortable with singing, find one of the many versions available on the Internet.

Enrichment: The American flag that was flown over Fort McHenry was the largest battle flag ever flown at the time. Its dimensions were 42 feet wide by 30 feet high. Each of the 15 stripes was 2 feet wide and each of the 15 stars was 24 inches from tip to tip.

Go outside with your student and with a measuring tape, mark off the size of this flag using string on a flat area. Then mark the stripes with string (you may want to just show the placement with a short piece of string (about 2–3 feet) as a marker, as you will need about 500 more feet of string to put in all the stripes with string) and cut two 24-inch pieces of string to mark one of the fifteen stars as a X in the corner of the flag.

Building the whole flag on the ground is a further option but will require about 1,000 feet of string. This will give your student a sense of how enormous this flag looked to the soldiers who were defending it during the battle.

Complete Social Studies Checkpoint

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