Study the words FILTH and FILTHY:
Filth is dirt, gunk, goo, dust, hair, poop, cobwebs, dead bugs, crumbs of food, or any other stuff that's totally gross and needs to be cleaned up. And if something is covered in filth, we call it filthy. In other words, filthy things are gross, nasty, and need to be scrubbed clean.
If I didn't clean inside my fridge for two years, it would get filthy! There would be smears of dried orange juice on the shelves, and blobs of crusty hummus in the drawers. I'd open the fridge one day and think, "EW. I've really got to clean off all this filth."
Have you ever visited a filthy public restroom? There's mud and dirt on the floor, hair and chunks of food in the sink, and pee and poop everywhere. GROSS! Back away from that filth! No matter how badly you need to use the bathroom, don't use a filthy one. Ughgh.
Filth can also be books, movies, or other materials that are nasty or gross, or not appropriate for kids. In Home Alone, with no adults around to stop him, Kevin watches a filthy movie, with lots of violence and cursing.
"Filth" and "filthy" are extremely strong words. If you say that animals or people are filthy, you're saying they're nasty and disgusting: a very strong thing to say. If I say that Miley Cyrus gave a filthy performance, I'm saying her dancing and her body language were gross and inappropriate—because so many of her fans watching are kids.
By the way, do you know what it means to be "filthy rich"? It means you're really, really rich: you have so much money and so many luxuries that it all seems kind of gross.
Study the word RESIST:
When you resist something, you stand strong against it, or fight back against it: you tell it "no," or you don't let it control what you do.
If a gang of pirates invades our town, let's resist them: fight them off, make them run away, and not let them steal our stuff.
If you try to put your cat into her carrier so you can take her to the vet, she's likely to resist. She'll squirm all over the place, trying to stand strong against you, so that she doesn't have to go into the carrier. You really have to admire her resistance. She's very strong.
If you're having a great time at the pool or the playground, but then your parents say "It's time to go home, so get in the car," you might resist: you might run away, or refuse to get in the car, or say, "No! Let's stay! Just one more hour! Please?" Your resistance is understandable. It's hard to leave a fun place.
It's also hard to resist delicious, unhealthy foods. It's tough for me to resist French fries. They're so greasy, so unhealthy, oooh, but they're so tasty! Sometimes I resist them and choose something healthier, but sometimes I don't resist them: I chow down on those fries. Yum. French fries can be irresistible: hard or impossible to say "no" to.
Just like it's difficult to resist yummy junk food, it's also difficult to resist an urge to do something. If you really want to laugh, but you know it would be rude, you've got to resist that urge to laugh. And that's hard!
Study the word CONTENT:
When you're content, you feel relaxed, happy, and pleased. You don't want to change things or do things differently: you want to keep doing what you're doing, because you like it!
If you're content with the sport that you play, it means you like it, it makes you happy, and you don't want to quit or switch to a different sport. You're content to keep playing the sport you love.
If you're content to eat mac and cheese for lunch, that means you're perfectly happy with your mac and cheese. It's not fancy, but you don't care! You enjoy it. You don't want to swap it out for something fancier.
In this poem by Billy Collins, the speaker feels content as he sits alone in a restaurant, enjoying a delicious meal and an absorbing book. He feels rested, chilled out, and perfectly happy. That's the feeling of contentment. Other people might look at him eating by himself and think, "Oh, he must be lonely! How sad!" Nope. He is perfectly content. He's content to sit there and read his book.
Usually we talk about content people, but we can also talk about content smiles, content faces, or content sighs (ahhh!). If you want, you can use the word "contented" right before a thing or a person, and it means the same thing as "content:" "He gave me a contented smile;" "She let out a contented sigh: 'ah.'" Here's a contented dog.
Lastly, when you talk about feeling content, be sure to say "kun TENT," with the emphasis on the second syllable. If you say "CON tent," with the emphasis on the first syllable, that's actually a different word, even though it's spelled the same! Content, or contents, are things, stuff, material. As in, "That channel has a lot of cool content" or "Let's skim that book's table of contents."
Study the word RETURN:
When you return somewhere, you come back to that place, or you go there again. And a return is the act of coming back somewhere, or sending something back to where it came from.
If I already took a shower today, but then I exercise and get sweaty all over again, I'll have to return to the shower. That means I'll have to go there again.
I like going out of the house, but I love returning home. And I like traveling sometimes, but after a trip, I especially love returning home. It means I love that moment of coming back to my favorite place to be.
Things and animals can return, too. A boomerang returns to you after you throw it. After birds fly south for the winter, they return to their homes in springtime. And if you're tired or in a bad mood, just get some rest and some food, and maybe your energy will return, along with your happiness.
You can also return things: put them back, or bring them back to where they go. After we borrow library books and enjoy them, we return them: we bring them back to the library.
If you just bought a toy and it immediately broke, you may be able to return it: bring it back to the store, and get your money back. Usually, we can return things we bought if they don't work properly. But no matter how much you might want to, you can't return your baby siblings to where they came from. They're here to stay.
For another example, body odor is that yucky smell that clings to you when you get sweaty. Sometimes we abbreviate "body odor" as "B.O." It's pretty gross, but a shower can quickly get rid of the odor.
And deodorant helps a lot, too, to stop body odors. Deodorant fights odors: it's a product you apply to your body that stops you from being stinky, or odorous.
Just like we deodorize ourselves, we can also deodorize fabrics or even the air. If someone smoked a cigarette inside your car, you'll have to deodorize the seats to get the odor out. If your kitchen is full of cooking odors, you might have to open a window to let the odors waft out, or spray a deodorizer into the air to kill the odors. Here's Sheldon deodorizing his kitchen.
Can you think of any foods that have an odor: a strong, bad smell? I can think of onions and garlic. Garlic has a strong odor, but I like it! How about you?
5. The word that means "a strong, bad smell" is...
...
odor.
Puppy Mudge Takes a Bath
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: filthy things and places are covered in nasty stuff and really need to be scrubbed clean.
(Source) In our book, Mudge goes outside, where he gets filthy. What does this mean?
A) It means that Mudge rolls around in sticky mud.
2. Remember: resistance is the act of pushing back when other people tell you what to do, or when you want to do things but you know you shouldn't.
(Source) In our book, Mudge resists getting into the tub. What does this mean?
B) It means that Mudge runs and hides when it's time to get into the tub.
3. Remember: to be content with something, or to be content to do something, is to be full of gladness and enjoyment toward it.
(Source) In our book, after Henry gets into the tub, too, Mudge is content in the tub. What does this mean?
B) It means that Mudge is happy and smiling as he sits in the tub with Henry.
4. Remember: a return is the act of coming back again after being gone.
(Source)
In our book, after their bath, Henry and Mudge return to playing outdoors. What does this mean?
A) It means that, even though they already played outside today, they go back outside to play some more.
5. Remember: an odor is a smell, usually one that you DON'T like.
(Source)
At the end of our book, Mudge gets sprayed with a nasty odor. What does this mean?
B) It means that a skunk sprays Mudge, leaving its terrible stink on Mudge's fur.
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. You're at the beach with your family. Although you're very tired after an hour of swimming, running, and building a sandcastle, you're perfectly happy as you sit quietly on your blanket, smiling, listening to your siblings play, and gazing at the sparkling ocean. There's nowhere else you'd rather be.
There's a word that starts with C that describes how you're feeling. What's the word?
content
2. You're out for a walk in the city, and you can't help but stare at the mess around an overflowing trash can. Heaped all around the can on the sidewalk are broken eggs with strings of dried yolk clinging to them and empty pizza boxes with smears of crusty old tomato sauce, and as you watch in disgust, you notice that insects are crawling on the egg shells and that birds have pooped on the pizza boxes. GROSS!
There's a word that starts with F
that describes what you're looking at. What's the word?
filthy
3. You're in your room with the door closed, getting your homework done. You can hear your siblings out in the living room; they're laughing as they watch a show. You really want to put down your boring homework and go watch the funny show with them, but you know you need to get your work done. You try your best to stay focused on your work, ignoring the sounds from the living room.
There's a word that starts with R that describes what you're doing. What's the word?
resisting
4. In your kitchen, someone has put a casserole in the oven to bake—and then forgotten about it. Now, everyone in your home is asking, "What's that icky smell?" The stench of burnt vegetables and overcooked meat seems to pierce your nostrils, and the pungent scent of garlic makes it all even worse.
There's a word that starts with O that describes what everyone is smelling. What's the word?
odor
5. You've been away at summer camp for two weeks, having a blast with new friends and new activities. But now you're on your way back home, and you feel excited and happy. You can't wait to get back to your own room, your own bed, and most of all, your own family.
There's a word that starts with R that describes what you're looking forward to. What's the word?
returning
Puppy Mudge Takes a Bath
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
filthy
covered in yucky stuff
resist
to fight back, or to say no
content
chilled out and totally happy
return
to go back to a place you've been before, or to send something back to where it came from
odor
the strong way something smells (usually bad, but sometimes good)
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!
Puppy Mudge Takes a Bath
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 FILTHY:
Remember: filthy things and places are covered in nasty stuff and really need to be scrubbed clean.
Idea 1: "The floor was so filthy at (some place) that I almost tripped over (some nasty thing)."
Idea 2: "My clothes got filthy when I (did something very messy)."
(Source) 2. Write a sentence with the word RESIST:
Remember: resistance is the act of pushing back when other people tell you what to do, or when you want to do things but you know you shouldn't.
Idea 1: "(Some kind of yummy food), especially with (something that goes with it that makes it even yummier), is way too delicious for me to resist."
Idea 2: "When (someone) told me to (do something I didn't want to do), I resisted."
(Source) 3. Write a sentence with a form of the word CONTENT:
Remember: to be content with something, or to be content to do something, is to be full of gladness and enjoyment toward it.
Idea 1: "On the weekends, I'm content to (do some kind of simple or relaxing activity)."
Idea 2: "I smile contentedly as I (do something restful or pleasing)."
(Source) 4. Write a sentence with the word RETURN:
Remember: a return is the act of coming back again after being gone.
Idea 1: "I can't wait to return to (some place) and (do something fun) again."
Idea 2: "When I return home from (school, sports, errands, or a trip), the first thing I like to do is (something)."
(Source) 5. Write a sentence with the word ODOR:
Remember: an odor is a smell, usually one that you DON'T like.
Idea 1: "When (something) gets wet, it gives off an odor; to get rid of that odor, you have to (do something)."
Idea 2: "Although not everyone likes the odor of (something), I like it, because it reminds me of (some person, place, or activity that I love)."
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?"
Puppy Mudge Takes a Bath
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 Puppy Mudge Takes a Bath? How does it connect? Next, which word connects second-best, and how? Finally, which word totally does NOT connect to Puppy Mudge Takes a Bath, and why?
In our book, Mudge resists getting into the bathtub, but then once he's in it, he's as happy as can be! Tell me about something you didn't like at first, but then, once you tried it, you actually DID like it. It might be a weird new food, an unfamiliar game or activity, or a book or a movie that was cooler than you thought it would be. Why did you resist it at first? Why did you actually end up liking it?
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 challenging. Then, use those three words as you tell me a story about Mudge getting into an even bigger mess. Maybe Mudge meets a whole family of skunks this time, or maybe he crashes into a picnic table piled high with cakes and pies. Your story can be as silly or as realistic as you like.
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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