Unit 3 – Patterns in Nature

Concept Question: What are some patterns in nature?

Week 1 – The Stranger

Concept Vocabulary

In which season (fall, winter, spring, or summer) would the following words most likely occur:

• sprout
• crops wilt
• crops grow
• barren

Greek Mythology & Videos

Click on the link below to learn more information about different Greek myths. 

http://greece.mrdonn.org/myths.html

Click on the link to watch a video about the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrmQYsMnl14

Multiple-Meaning Words             = words with more than one meaning

• Look for clues to decide which meaning the author is using.
• Try the meaning you know.  Does it make sense?
• If not, try to think of another meaning. 
• If that doesn't work either, look the word up in the glossary or dictionary.

Check out this website for more practice with multiple-meaning words. 

http://www.quia.com/quiz/285436.html

Genre: Fantasy

In fantasy there are character, settings, or plot events that could never happen in the real world.  For example, animals and plants are talking.

The Stranger Video

http://youtu.be/yc-E50ZE8ds

Cause & Effect

Cause - why something happens

Effect - what happens

• sometimes a cause has more than one effect
• clue words: because, so, therefore, as a result of, since

Example:

Last summer it rained for two weeks straight.  The river behind my house overflowed its banks.  The park next to the river flooded. 

What happened?  The river overflowed it banks. (Effect - 1)

What made this happen?  It rained for two weeks straight.  (Cause)

Did anything else happen because of this?  The park next to the river flooded.  (Effect - 2)

Example: (Try to determine the cause and effect in each sentence below.)

I stayed up and watched a late movie last night, so I am very tired today.

Since I forgot my spelling book at school, I was not able to complete my homework and received a checkmark.

Check out the website below for more practice.

http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/o/causeeffectl.cfm

http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/a/causeandeffectl.cfm

http://fcit.usf.edu/fcat/strategies/ce/default.htm

Building Background Knowledge

Complete the concept map file attached to the bottom of this page.  Write down sights, sounds, smell, and events you associate with the season of FALL/AUTUMN.

As you read the story, The Stranger, think about how the seasonal patterns usually associated with fall influence the characters and events.

Lesson Vocabulary

Match a vocabulary word with each three-item list below to fit the category.

• bedroom, kitchen, family room
• fear, fright, panic
• breeze, windstorm, puff of air
• snow, ice, hail
• shy, fearful, nervous
• scratched, carved, engraved
• amazed, awed, curious

Analogies - comparisons between pairs of related words

Examples:

Bravery is to courage as fear is to terror. (synonyms)

Paint is to brushed as acid is to etched. (object & action)

Bold is to timid as bored is to fascinated. (antonyms)

Compare & Contrast

Compare - tell how two or more things are ALIKE

Contrast - tell how two or more things are DIFFERENT

http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/m/comparecontrastl.cfm

Action & Linking Verbs

Action Verbs

• words that show action (ex: run, jump, swim)
• sometimes action verbs describe action that you cannot see (ex: think, understand, love)

http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/grammar/actionlinking.htm

Linking Verbs

• do not show action
• tell what the subject is or what the subject is like
• common linking verbs - am, is, are, was, were, seem, appear, become, feel

   (ex: The man was alive.  He seemed very strange.)

Learn More About Why Seasons Change:

Discovery Education Video (17 minutes)

Username: nasdgrade4

Password: student

http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=5660F42F-3E5D-483F-99B7-B0EEED2AEB60

Weather Smart: Climate (15 minutes)

http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=A47C6070-863F-46D8-AE87-06E1D7BACD70

Elementary Video Adventures: Weather & Climate (7 minutes)

http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=25B0B2A7-D01A-43D3-90BC-BC94FC1258F3

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3077384/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuiQvPLWziQ (This YouTube video gives an easy explanation and great graphics to explain why seasons change.)

http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/edn-seasons.html (Note: This is a Christian website.  I included it on this page because it has great graphic illustrations and simple explanations to help explain why seasons change.)