Study the word GATHER:
When things or people gather, they get together in a group, or come together in one place. You and your friends might gather around the campfire, or gather on the soccer field to play together. Or, you and your family might gather at your grandparents' house for a special holiday.
And when you gather things, you look for them and bring them all together so you can use them. For example, if you're going to make a cake, you'll need to gather your tools and your ingredients, like a bowl, a spoon, a pan; and some flour, sugar, and eggs. It's a good idea to gather all your supplies before you begin a task.
If you gather some facts, or you gather some information, that means you learn it, or you figure it out. It's like you found the knowledge and put it all together in your head. You might gather a list of ten cool facts for a school project. And when I see that you're frowning and crossing your arms, I gather you must be upset.
If you gather your thoughts before an important job or a serious conversation, that means you take time to think carefully about all the important things. Like, what are my goals? What are the steps I need to take? How can I do this the best way? Gathering your thoughts is a good idea before you do something difficult or complicated.
Study the words NUTRIENT, NUTRITIOUS, and NUTRITION:
A nutrient is something in food that gives you what you need to live and be healthy. For example, protein is a nutrient; you can find it in foods like milk, chicken, beans, cheese, seeds, nuts, and yogurt. For another example, vitamin A is a nutrient; you can find it in foods like pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato, spinach, broccoli, and bell pepper. (Yum.)
Foods like these are nutritious: they're full of healthy things that give you energy and keep you alive. And, these foods give you nutrition: they give you healthy, useful materials that the body needs. "Nutrition" can mean "healthy food," or "the things that make food healthy," but it can also mean "the study of healthy food," and "the process of eating healthy, or the result of eating healthy." If you have good nutrition, you feel strong and alert.
Often it's people who haul things, but it can also be animals or vehicles that haul things. When people in Mississippi desperately needed water, these folks in Texas used their truck to haul three pallets of bottled water to the people in need.
Finally, if you carried a lot of things, or if you bought a lot of things, you could call those things your haul. I bet you've gotten an impressive candy haul on Halloween! Maybe you like to dump your haul onto the floor to sort it all out and start nibbling.
Study the word ROBUST:
Robust things, like robust plants or animals, are strong, sturdy, and healthy. They seem to have lots of power and energy, and they won't break easily. And robust foods and drinks have a strong flavor.
Look how robust this flower is! Its leaves are thick and strong. It's wide and beautiful, growing amid the harsh rocks, ready to withstand challenges like low sunlight and little rain. It's a survivor. It's robust.
Pick the word "robust" to describe something that surprises you with its strength and power. Normally we think of flowers as delicate and breakable, but if you find a strong flower, call it robust. Normally we think of ants as tiny and easily squished, but if you see some ants carrying away an entire sandwich, call them robust. And normally we worry that very old people will fall and hurt themselves, but if you meet some strong, muscular, energetic 90-year-olds, call them robust!
Finally, let's get abstract! If you have excellent math skills, and if you're ready for a math challenge, ready to power your way through the hardest problems, then your math skills are robust. If you have an excellent vocabulary, and if you're ready to pick precise words to express all your ideas, then your vocabulary is robust. And if your community is strong, filled with people who know each other well and take good care of each other, and if your community overcomes terrible struggles, then your community is robust.
Study the word TEAMWORK:
You know how you can get a job done faster, and have more fun, when you do it as a group? That's teamwork! When a group of people work together, they're a team. And teamwork is the good job that people do when they all work together and help each other.
When you and your friends are good at teamwork, that means you do a good job of sharing the work. It's not just one person doing all the hard stuff: it's everybody together pitching in and getting things done.
Even if it's just you and one other person working together, you can still call it teamwork. You and your sibling might use teamwork to carry something really heavy, or reach something that's way up high, or clean up a huge mess that's too big for one person to deal with.
5. The word that means "ready for hard work and challenges" is...
...
robust.
Otter's Picnic
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: when you gather things, you look for them and bring them all together so you can use them.
(Source) In our book, Otter gathers snacks for her picnic. What does this mean?
A) It means that Otter finds the fruit and cheese that she wants, placing them in her basket to take on her picnic.
2. Remember: nutritious foods are full of healthy things that help you live, move, and grow.
(Source) In our book, Otter fills her picnic basket with nutritious snacks. What does this mean?
B) It means that Otter's fruits and cheese have the fiber and protein that will give her energy.
3. Remember: when you haul something, you pull it, drag it, or move it somewhere, and it's hard work because it's heavy for you.
(Source) In our book, the ants haul away the food. What does this mean?
A) It means that the tiny ants lift up the giant snacks and carry them away.
4. Remember: robust people and things are strong and sturdy, ready to handle big problems and difficult situations.
(Source)
In our book, the ants are impressively robust. What does this mean?
B) It means that, despite their tiny size, the ants manage to haul some staggeringly large items to the picnic.
5. Remember: teamwork is getting things done in a faster, better, more fun way because two or more of you are working together.
(Source)
In our book, the ants demonstrate excellent teamwork. What does this mean?
A) It means that the ants perform very well as a group, lifting heavy loads: even lifting Otter!
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 and your friends are writing a play,
and each of you will take on the role of a different character.
It's time to make your costumes! Together, you roam around your house,
finding hats, coats, sunglasses, and other items and placing them
all in a big laundry basket. You're not sure if you'll need all this stuff,
but you're putting it all in one room so that you can sort through it together
and decide what to use.
There's a word that starts with G that describes what you're doing. What's the word?
gathering
2. You and your family are vacationing at the beach! You've finished eating breakfast at the hotel, and now you're grabbing your toys, towels, drinks, snacks, sunscreen, and umbrella so you can spend the rest of the morning out on the sand. You heave the bag of toys onto your shoulder, and your parents drag the heavy cooler full of snacks and drinks. Slowly, you make your way out to the water, eager to drop your heavy load and get busy playing.
There's a word that starts with H
that describes what you're doing. What's the word?
hauling
3. Your teacher's birthday is coming up, and you and your classmates plan to throw her a surprise party. A party is a lot of work: too much work for any one kid to accomplish alone. So you and your classmates split the work. You and your best friend make the cake, three of your artistic classmates design the decorations, and the rest of your classmates focus on making gifts.
There's a word that starts with T that describes your party planning. What's the word?
teamwork
4. In science class, you've been learning about engineering, and to apply what you've learned, you've built a model of a bridge using hot glue and toothpicks. Now, toothpicks are tiny and breakable on their own, but your toothpick bridge is strong and sturdy. It's big enough to hold three toy cars, and it's solid enough to stand strong even when you press down on it with both hands.
There's a word that starts with R that describes your bridge. What's the word?
robust
5. You're on your way to the pool. You know you're going to play there for a long time, and you'll need lots of energy. So, on your way out, you grab a jar of peanuts, three sticks of string cheese, and an orange.
There's a word that starts with N that describes your snack. What's the word?
nutritious
Otter's Picnic
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
gather
to get together in a group, or to bring many things together
nutritious
good to eat because it gives the body what it needs
haul
to work hard to move or carry something heavy
robust
surprisingly strong and powerful, not breakable, ready for hard work and challenges
teamwork
work that gets done by a group of people, so it's better, faster, easier, or more fun
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!
Otter's Picnic
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 GATHER:
Remember: when things or people gather, they get together in a group. And when you gather stuff, you collect it or pull it all together.
Idea 1: "My friends and I gathered around the new (person, animal, or thing), excited to (do something)."
Idea 2: "Before I (make, draw, or create something), I gather my materials, starting with (one thing) and (another thing)."
(Source) 2. Write a sentence with the word NUTRITIOUS:
Remember: nutritious foods, drinks, snacks, and meals are healthy because they give your body the substances it needs to stay alive.
Idea 1: "My favorite nutritious snacks are (something) and (something else); after I eat them, I'm ready to (do something fun or active)."
Idea 2: "Even though it's not nutritious, I love to have (something sweet, crunchy, or greasy) when I'm (doing something)."
(Source) 3. Write a sentence with the word HAUL:
Remember: to haul something heavy or bulky is to lug it, lift it, or carry it from one place to another.
Idea 1: "I had to haul my heavy (backpack, suitcase, bag of groceries, or other item) all the way from (somewhere) to (somewhere else)."
Idea 2: "Even though I was very tired, I hauled myself (somewhere) and (did something helpful)."
(Source) 4. Write a sentence with the word ROBUST:
Remember: robust people and things are strong and sturdy, ready to handle big problems and difficult situations.
Idea 1: "(Someone) is a robust player of (some game), able to easily (do something very good in the game)."
Idea 2: "We worked to build a robust (fire, robot, tower, sand castle, or other creation), one that wouldn't (break, fall over, fizzle out, or otherwise fail somehow)."
(Source) 5. Write a sentence with the word TEAMWORK:
Remember: teamwork is getting things done in a faster, better, more fun way because two or more people are working together.
Idea 1: "It would be too hard for me to (do something) on my own, because (of some reason), but with teamwork, it's easy!"
Idea 2: "Thanks to the power of teamwork, my (friends, classmates, or family) and I were able to (get something done) in only (some short amount of time)."
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?"
Otter's Picnic
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 Otter's Picnic? How does it connect? Next, which word connects second-best, and how? Finally, which word totally does NOT connect to Otter's Picnic, and why?
In our book, Otter packs an apple, a banana, and a huge hunk of cheese for her picnic. She packs only those three things! No drinks, and no desserts! Pretend that you're packing ten items for a picnic. What ten things do you pack? After you list your ten items, tell me: which thing is your very favorite? And what would you do if ants tried to carry off all your snacks?
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 interesting. Then, think about how amazingly strong and robust those ants are in our book! There are only four ants, but together they pick up an entire otter and haul her across the field! With that strength, they could be superheroes. Tell me a story about something else amazing that these robust ants do. Maybe they stop a volcano from erupting, or maybe they defend the earth from evil aliens.
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.
