Study the word TIMID:
To be timid is to be shy or careful because you feel afraid.
For example, you might feel timid on your first day at a new school, where your teacher and your classmates are strangers to you. Because you feel timid, you stay quiet, and you move slowly or carefully, afraid and unsure.
(Source)
If you try to pet a timid cat, it will run away, or even hide. It's scared of you, so it's careful not to get too close to you.
Study the word PLENTY:
When you have plenty of something, you have more than enough, or all that you want.
For example, if you have plenty of cupcakes at your birthday party, that means you have enough for everybody to have one. Maybe you'll even have some cupcakes left over! The cupcakes are plentiful.
(Source)
For another example, if you have plenty of time to do your homework, that means you have lots of time: all the time that you need to get it done. You might even have time left over to play.
Study the word SCATTER:
When you scatter things, you drop them or toss them so that they spread out, or you make them run off in many different directions. And when things or people scatter, they take off running in every direction. Scattered things are messy, just spread out here and there or all over. You can even feelscattered, like your mind is a big mess, with many different thoughts bouncing all over the place.
Below, the scared gnomes scatter in all directions. They run off every which way.
(Source)
This poor moviegoer just scattered popcorn all over the floor.
Study the word CURIOUS:
To be curious about something is to want to know all about it. If you're curious, you hope to find things out. And, something curious can be weird, strange, and interesting, making you wonder about it.
Cats are curious animals. They see or hear new things, and they want to know what's going on. They seem to ask, "What's this? What's that? Why?"
(Source)
When you're curious about something, you can't wait to figure it out. You explore, you ask questions, you look things up, and you pay close attention. You've just got to know!
5. The word that means "scared, and not ready to talk or try new things" is...
...
timid.
Squeak the Mouse Likes His House
Day 2: Understand
Let's understand how these words connect to our book!
Listen to each question, and decide which answer choice is correct. You can check your answer by clicking "Show Answer." If you make a mistake, don't worry! Just listen to the question again, then try again.
1. Remember: something cozy is safe, warm, and soft, helping you feel happy and sleepy.
(Source) In Squeak the Mouse Likes His House, the narrator says, “Squeak the Mouse likes the cozy beds at his house.” What does this mean?
B) It means he likes how the beds are small, soft, and warm.
2. Remember: to be timid is to be so nervous and afraid that you act shy.
(Source) In Squeak the Mouse Likes His House, Squeak is timid around the boy, the girl, and the dog. What does this mean?
B) It means that Squeak runs away and hides whenever they come too close to him.
3. Remember: when things are plentiful, you have lots of them: to have plenty is to have so much that you might not even need all of it.
(Source) In Squeak the Mouse Likes His House, Squeak loves his house because it provides him with plenty of food and water. What does this mean?
B) It means that Squeak gets all of the food and water that he needs--and more!
4. Remember: when things scatter, they go off everywhere in a messy way.
(Source) In Squeak the Mouse Likes His House, when the girl trips over the teddy bear, her snack scatters across the floor. What does this mean?
A) It means that the pieces of food go flying all along the floor.
5. Remember: curious people really, really want their questions answered, and curious things are odd and surprising.
(Source) On the last page of Squeak the Mouse Likes His House, the girl is curious, so she bends down and peers into the opening of the baseboard. What does this mean?
A) It means that the girl wants to know what's behind the baseboard.
Finally, let's understand how these words can connect to other situations!
Listen as I describe each situation, and shout out the vocabulary word that comes to mind. You can check your answer by clicking "Show Answer." Remember, if you make a mistake, don't worry! Just listen again, then try again.
1. There's a small reading corner in your classroom, enclosed by book shelves, with just enough room for you and your best friends to nestle into the squishy cushions and share a good book. There's a word that starts with C that describes this pleasant place. What's the word?
cozy
2. At the movie theater, you'd like to buy a large tub of popcorn to share with your friends. It costs $10. Do you have enough money? You look inside your wallet and count your cash: yes! You have $25. There's a word that starts with P that describes how much money you have as you wait in line to get the popcorn. What's the word?
plenty
3. Your friend says, "Look, I got a new bike! You can try it!" You're not sure you should. It's much bigger than your bike, and it's very different. Slowly, carefully, you grip the handlebars, but you don't yet lift your leg to mount the bike. There's a word that starts with T that describes how you feel. What's the word?
timid
4. As you arrive home one day, you see a giant brown cardboard box sitting on your porch. You approach the box, wondering, "What's in there? Who sent that? Why is it so large? I've got to open it and find out!" There's a word that starts with C that describes how you feel. What's the word?
curious
5. You step outside late at night to breathe in some fresh air and look up at the night sky. At first, you don't see any stars. But slowly, you notice a star over here, and another star way over there. You turn around, and see a few more stars way off in another direction. There's a word that starts with S that describes these stars. What's the word?
scattered
Squeak the Mouse Likes His House
Day 3: Illustrate
Grab some index cards, or open Quizlet.com. It's time to illustrate some flash cards!
If you're using index cards, write your word on the front, and on the back, write the definition and draw a picture: something that'll help you understand what the word means. If you're using Quizlet, simply add your words and definitions to your set, and choose any picture you like.
You can copy my definitions below, or you can write your own. And, you can use the pictures I've suggested, or pick your own.
When you're done illustrating your words, be sure to scroll down and tell me about the pictures you picked!
Term
Definition
Picture
cozy
soft and warm, helping you rest and feel safe
timid
scared, and not ready to talk or try new things
plenty
an amount of something you need that's even more than enough
scatter
to spread out here, there, and everywhere
curious
excited to learn; hopeful to find out
Tell me about your pictures!
Take your pictures one at a time, and tell me: what's in the picture, and how does it connect to the word? For example, let's say I just studied the word "frantic." I could write: "Mickey is throwing clothes into his suitcase as fast as he can. He's frantic because he's worried he'll be late."
For another example, let's say I just studied the word "triumphant." I could write: "The girl just won a contest, and she's holding a big trophy. That's why she's triumphant."
Let's see one more example! Let's say I just studied the word "dumbfounded." I could write: "This girl is dumbfounded because she sees a gigantic birthday cake that's taller than she is; now, she's so shocked that she doesn't know what to say." Maybe that's not REALLY what's happening, but it's okay to use your imagination!
Squeak the Mouse Likes His House
Day 4: Apply
Today, you'll apply the vocabulary words to your own life! I'll help you write a sentence using each word that expresses your own thoughts, ideas, wishes, and experiences.
For each word below, write your own sentence. You can use either of the two ideas I'll suggest, or you can invent your own. Include as much detail as you can!
(Source) 1. Write a sentence with the word COZY:
Remember: something cozy is safe, warm, and soft, helping you feel happy and sleepy.
Idea 1: "We gather around the cozy campfire, eating (something), drinking (something), and telling stories about (something).”
Idea 2: "Outside, heavy rain pours down; inside, it's cozy as we (do something)."
(Source) 2. Write a sentence with the word TIMID:
Remember: to be timid is to be so nervous and afraid that you act shy.
Idea 1: "In a timid little voice, (someone) asks, ‘What if (something happens)?’”
Idea 2: "Although I was timid at first, now I (do something without being afraid)."
(Source) 3. Write a sentence with the word PLENTY:
Remember: when things are plentiful, you have lots of them: to have plenty is to have so much that you might not even need all of it.
Idea 1: "When you're trying to (make something), it's helpful if you have plenty of (something)."
Idea 2: "The night before I (do something important), I make sure to get plenty of sleep."
(Source) 4. Write a sentence with the word SCATTER:
Remember: when things scatter, they go off everywhere in a messy way.
Idea 1: "(Some kind of things or people) are scattered all across (some place)."
Idea 2: "On busy days, I feel so scattered; I have to hurry up and (do one thing), (do another thing), and even (do a third thing)."
(Source) 5. Write a sentence with the word CURIOUS:
Remember: curious people really, really want their questions answered, and curious things are odd and surprising.
Idea 1: "I'm curious about (something)--like, why is it that (something happens)?"
Idea 2: "I glance curiously at the (something), wondering how (it does something)."
When you're ready, paste your sentences into the form below. Now is a good time to read your sentences out loud, and think, "Do I like my sentence? Does it sound good? Do I need to fix anything? Could I add any more details?"
Squeak the Mouse Likes His House
Day 5: Free-Write
You've studied hard! Today, before you write, please take a few minutes to play with your flash cards.
Try looking at your pictures and recalling your words. Be sure to say them out loud! If your flash cards are in Quizlet, play the Match game.
When you feel comfortable with all your words, you're ready to write!
Pick one topic below:
Look through your flash card deck of all the words you’ve studied recently. First, which word in your deck best connects to the book Squeak the Mouse Likes His House? How does it connect? Next, which word connects second-best, and how? Finally, which word totally does NOT connect to Squeak the Mouse Likes His House, and why?
Think about how the mouse in this book loves to snuggle into his cozy bed--a soft shoe! Tell me about a cozy place that you love. What does it look like? What does it have? How does it feel? What do you do there? When you’re done with your draft, look through your flash card deck of all the words you’ve studied recently, and pick one word that could fit into your paragraph. Add it in.
Look through your flash card deck of all the words you’ve studied recently, and pick three words that seem fun or exciting. Use these three words to tell a story about what you do when you wake up one morning to discover you have shrunk down to the size of a tiny mouse.
When you're all done, it's a good idea to take a little break! Come back later, and paste your first draft (above) into the box below.
Read your work out loud, and think, "Do I like this? Does it sound good? Do I need to fix anything? Could I add any more details?" Please try for three or more sentences.
When you're happy with your second draft below, click the Submit button.
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