Study the word RECKLESS:
We don't use the word "reck" anymore, but to reck things meant to be thinking about them: to be careful about them, to be aware of them. We DO use the word "reckless," which means "NOT careful about things." If you're being reckless, you're acting in a fast, dangerous way, because you're NOT thinking carefully about what you should do or how you should stay safe.
This bus driver is reckless. He's driving recklessly: way too fast, and the bus is in danger of crashing. His reckless driving might injure or kill all of them.
(Source)
This diver is being reckless: chasing after a shark, trying to grab it. He could injure the shark. And, the shark could turn right around and bite him. Chasing after a wild animal is a reckless thing to do.
Study the word DEVASTATED:
To devastate something is to ruin it, or to lay waste to it: to destroy it completely, leaving it like a vast, empty place.
If a hurricane devastates a town, it completely destroys it. If a swarm of grasshoppers devastates a field of corn, they totally ruin it. And if something devastates you, it destroys your heart: it makes you feel so sad that it's as if everything you love has been taken away from you. When you're devastated, you're so sad, so upset, or so disappointed that you feel totally empty inside.
This monster is devastating the building. He's smashing it to bits.
(Source)
Here, George Michael feels devastated. Whatever just happened made him so sad and so empty inside that his heart is broken.
Study the word PETRIFIED:
When things petrify, they turn into stone. Here's a piece of petrified wood, found in a forest in Arizona. Over millions of years, the wood slowly petrifies, or turns into stone:
(Source)
When something petrifies you, it scares you so badly that you can't even move, as if you've turned into stone. If you're petrified of something, you're really, really afraid of it. And something petrifying is really, really scary.
Hermione points her wand at Neville and says the magic spell Petrificus Totalus. She petrifies Neville: turns him into stone.
(Source)
Here, SpongeBob is petrified! He's so scared of something that he can barely move.
Study the word ASSIST:
To assist people is to help them out: to work with them, so that they can do something, or do something faster or more easily.
You can assist a person, or assist with some job or task. You could assist someone by bringing them what they need. If you help someone get their work done, you're an assistant--and you're giving assistance. (Source)
It looks like this rooster is assisting this dog! The dog wants to reach the food, and he can do it with the rooster's assistance.
Study the word UNITE:
To unite things or people is to bring them all together into one group. When people unite, they join together and become a single team, club, family, or group.
You and your friends could unite to reach a goal together, like cleaning up a local park.
(Source)
The United States is a nation of many states that have united, or joined together, under one government.
(Source)
If people reunite, they get back together as a group--after they'd been split up or separated. If you haven't seen your friends all summer, you'll be so happy to reunite with them on the first day of school. This girl and her mom are reuniting after being apart.
5. The word that means "heartbroken, or totally torn apart" is...
...
devastated.
Best Dad in the Sea
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: someone reckless isn't being careful or thoughtful, and doesn't care or think about the bad things that might happen because of what they do.
(Source) In our book, Nemo gets reckless when he swims far, far away from his dad, close to a boat. What does this mean?
B) It means Nemo is being overly brave, not realizing that he could get killed or captured by humans.
2. Remember: if you feel devastated, you feel deeply, painfully sad, as if the worst thing ever has just happened.
(Source) In our book, Marlin is devastated as he watches the boat speed away. What does this mean?
A) It means that Marlin's heart is broken, because his son has been kidnapped by the humans.
3. Remember: if you're petrified by something, you're filled with so much fear that you stand still, like a stone.
(Source) In our book, as Marlin sets off into the vast ocean to find Nemo, he's petrified. What does this mean?
A) It means that Marlin finds it very, very scary to be out in the open ocean, where deadly sharks and venomous jellyfish lurk.
4. Remember: to assist someone is to be there with them, doing things with them so they can get things done.
(Source)
In our book, many animals assist Marlin as he journeys to find his son, Nemo. What does this mean?
A) It means that Marlin is helped along by characters like Dory, who travels with him, and by the crabs, who give him information that helps him find Nemo.
5. Remember: when you unite two or more things, you combine them so that they stay in a group or work together as one. The prefix "re-" can mean "again," so when you reunite two or more things, you combine them again.
(Source)
At the end of our book, Nemo and Marlin are finally reunited. What does this mean?
A) It means they aren't separated anymore: they're finally with each other again, as one family.
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. As you're hiking in the woods with your family, you come face-to-face with an enormous black bear. Your body feels tight, and you tell yourself to run, but you stand still, as if rooted to the ground. This is the most scared you've ever been in your life. There's a word that starts with P that describes how you feel. What's the word?
petrified
2. It's a sunny Saturday, and your family has asked you to pull up all the weeds from the front yard. It's taking forever! Luckily, three of your friends come over and help you out, yanking up weed after weed. Now the job is getting done much faster. There's a word that starts with A that describes what your friends are doing. What's the word?
assisting
3. Your friend buys her lunch every day from the school cafeteria. She tells you that she started the school year with $100 in her lunch account, and that her parents said the money MUST last her all year. Today is only the third day of school, and she's already spent lots of money every day on lots of extras, like potato chips, chocolate milk, and ice cream. She doesn't realize that, if she keeps this up, then in a few days she'll be totally out of money! How will she buy lunch for the rest of the year? But she's not thinking about that. She's just thinking of how nice it is to have the extra snacks every day. There's a word that starts with R that describes how your friend is spending her lunch money. What's the word?
recklessly
4. You've joined a chess club. In the club with you are all kinds of different people: girls and boys, young and old people, brand-new players and world-class expert players. You're all quite different! But there's one thing that's the same about everyone: you all LOVE chess. Your love of chess knits you all together and makes you one big, happy group. There's a word that starts with U that describes what the love of chess does to you and the other club members. What's the word?
unites
5. Your best friend has been eagerly waiting to play his first official football game. He's been practicing hard every day, and he's so happy and so excited that the game is almost here. But then, the night before the game, he falls out of his bunk bed and twists his ankle. Now, he can't play in the game! He has to sit and watch. He's more than sad, more than disappointed: he feels like his whole world has fallen apart. There's a word that starts with D that describes how your friend feels. What's the word?
devastated
Best Dad in the Sea
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
reckless
acting wild and crazy, and not caring that you might hurt yourself or someone else
devastated
heartbroken, or totally torn apart
petrified
terribly afraid
assist
to give someone a helping hand as they work on something
unite
to come together, maybe because you all love or care about the same thing
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!
Best Dad in the Sea
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 RECKLESS:
Remember: someone reckless isn't being careful or thoughtful, and doesn't care or think about the bad things that might happen because of what they do.
Idea 1: "It would be reckless to eat (some big amount) of (some delicious food), because (something bad or painful would happen)."
Idea 2: "Recklessly, (someone) (does something really wild and crazy), not thinking about how (something could get broken)."
(Source) 2. Write a sentence with the word DEVASTATED:
Remember: if you feel devastated, you feel deeply, painfully sad, as if the worst thing ever has just happened. And if a place is devastated, it's completely torn apart or ruined.
Idea 1: "It's no big deal to me now, but when I was younger, I was devastated every time (something a little bit bad happened).”
Idea 2: "(A character in a book or a movie) is devastated when (something terrible happens)."
(Source) 3. Write a sentence with the word PETRIFIED:
Remember: if an object, like wood, petrifies, that means it turns into stone. And if you're petrified by something, you're filled with so much fear that you stand still, like a stone.
Idea 1: "I stood, petrified, unable to look away as (some insect or animal) (did something creepy or scary)."
Idea 2: "I'm brave enough to (do something scary), but I'd be too petrified to (do something else even scarier)."
(Source) 4. Write a sentence with the word ASSIST:
Remember: to assist someone is to be there with them, doing things with them so they can get things done.
Idea 1: "I like to assist (someone in my family) with (doing something important)."
Idea 2: "If one of my friends breaks their arm, I can assist them with (some work or job they have to do) by (doing something helpful)."
(Source) 5. Write a sentence with the word UNITE:
Remember: when you unite two or more things, you combine them so that they stay in a group or work together as one. The prefix "re-" can mean "again," so when people reunite, they get back together after being apart for a while.
Idea 1: "My (friends, classmates, teammates, or family members) and I all have a goal to (do something), and that goal unites us."
Idea 2: "If everyone (in some group or place) united, then together, we could (do something amazing, or fix a huge problem)."
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?"
Best Dad in the Sea
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 Best Dad in the Sea? How does it connect? Next, which word connects second-best, and how? Finally, which word totally does NOT connect to Best Dad in the Sea, and why?
At the end of our book, when Nemo and Marlin are finally reunited, they are so happy! Tell me about a time you were happy to reunite with someone you hadn't seen in a long time. Who is this special person? How long were you apart? What was it like to finally see them again?
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 scary or exciting. Use these three words to tell me about a scary new problem that Nemo must face. Does he get trapped or attacked by a different sea creature? Or, does he captured by humans again--maybe this time, a human who runs a seafood restaurant? Does Nemo feel petrified? Tell me about how he escapes or survives!
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.
Enroll in "Make Your Point, Jr." for one-on-one tutoring.
