Grades 4-6 literacy

Grade 4 - Literacy

Children in Grade 4 may choose to participate in 1-2 choice learning activities each day in Literacy. Choice activities for literacy include:

Vocabulary

Organize the words to describe rainfall from the least to the heaviest amount of rain. Then, organize them alphabetically from a-z.

Drizzle, shower, mist, downpour, sprinkle, storm.

Can you add more words to the list?

Do a quickwrite about rain - How would you describe rain; how does it make you feel; what things do you do in the rain, etc.?

Vocabulary Writing

Circle words/phrases that sound interesting in your rain quickwrite. Use the words/phrases circled to create a poem or a story about something that happened during a rainy day.

Idioms

Idioms are words that cannot be taken literally. An idiom is an expression whose meaning is not predictable (what you would think or guess) based on the usual/real meaning of the words.

Example – if your teacher tells you to “spit it out” when asking a question, he/she wants you to say your answer and not spit on the desk.

Explain the meaning of the idioms:

1. It’s raining cats and dogs.

2. Don’t rain on my parade.

3. Every cloud has a silver lining.

4. It never rains, but it pours.

5. I’ll be there rain or shine.

Does your community have any other idioms that use the weather or any other idiomatic expressions? Interview people to find the answer.

Science Extension 1

Rain/weather changes the earth (hint – think about the soil, landscape, cliffs, plants).

1. How do rain, rivers, oceans, and ice change and reshape the earth?

2. Create a list of the changes that water causes. Consider short- and long-term changes, and positive (helpful) and negative (harmful) changes.

Science Extension 2

Create a before and after picture that shows the changes water can have on the earth/environment.

Extension - Put a cup outside to collect and measure the rainfall. Display the data collected in a bar graph.

Word Work

Make as many words as you can from the letters in the word ENVIRONMENT.

Communication

People communicate by speaking, writing and through body language which includes facial expressions and movement.

1. Create a list of five feelings (happy, proud, afraid, etc.).

2. Create a facial expression and a movement that conveys each emotion. Extension: Add music and create a dance representing the feelings.

Communication Performance

1. Practice the movement and facial expression for each emotion before a mirror. If you decided to create the dance, practice the dance.

2. Perform the movement/dance to see if the audience can guess the emotion(s).

Quotation

“I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." Michael Jordan

“You can't win unless you know how to lose." Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Compare the quotations and tell how they are similar and different. What do the quotations mean? How does losing/failing make you better/successful? Think of a personal example that proves these quotations true or false.

Writing

Look outside your window or in your yard. Make a list of observations. Predict how your view will change in the next month.

Put your predictions in a safe space. In a month, check to see if you were right.

Grade 5 - Literacy

Children in Grade 5 may choose to participate in 1-2 choice learning activities each day in Literacy. Choice activities for literacy include:

Super Word

pr a p t n i i c e a o

How many words can you find? Are there words containing a prefix?

Prefix- a part added to the beginning of a word. (ex. pretest)

Use your words to make a poem or song.

The super word last week was INDIVIDUAL.

Be a Poet

A cinquain (sing-ka(n)) is a five line poem. It comes from the French word cinq, meaning five.

(Line 1) 1 word- title

( 2) 2 words describing the topic

( 3) 3 words that express actions- “ing” words

( 4) 4 words expressing feelings

( 5) 1 word - synonym for Line 1

Make a cinquain poem about/for someone or something important to you.

Synonym - another word meaning the same thing (ex: happy and content)

Helping Hands

Make a list of things you (and others) can do to ”flatten the curve” of COVID-19. Make a poster or a little song. Share.

Would you rather...

Ask a “would you rather” question, then ask “why”.

Ideas:

• Go skiing or go to a water park?

• Fly a kite or swing on a swing?

• Play hide and seek or dodgeball?

• Be incredibly funny or incredibly smart?

• Create more!

Character Profile

How can an illustration help us visualize a character’s personality?

Choose a character from a story and draw a picture of them. Around the character, draw smaller pictures (symbols/images) to represent the character’s personality (traits) and actions.

Character trait examples: adventurous, clever, honest, selfish, daring, loyal, silly.

The Mystery Continues...

Last week you wrote an introduction. Now develop a main character. What does the character look and act like? What are they good at? What challenges them? What do they like/dislike? Use the character’s traits to help develop the mystery. Example: If they are fast, maybe they can outrun spies!

• Talk about your ideas before you write.

• Organize your thoughts before writing.

• Add details to make your writing interesting.

• Get feedback and revise.

Living History

Nova Scotia has new rules for this time in history. Think about the rules and changes in our province since COVID-19. Make a list, write a paragraph or draw a picture of change that has impacted your life.

Spot the Machine

A simple machine has few or no moving parts: think wheel or lever. Compound machines are made up of two or more simple machines: think scissors or fishing rod. Look around your home or walk outside and find machines. Make a T-chart. List simple machines on one side, compound machines on the other.

Extra: Use objects from outside or around the house to create your own machine. Tell someone the procedure you used.

Tell A Story

Perspective taking is looking through the eyes of someone else. Pretend to be an animal that lives in Nova Scotia’s wilderness, like a porcupine or racoon. Tell a story about a day in your life. Include the season, your habitat, how you get your food, life with other animals or people and situations that occur during the day or night (if your creature is nocturnal).

Read it Like…

“Read it like…” is a reading fluency game. All you need is imagination and anything you have to read (for example, these flyers). Create 10 or more character cards. Randomly select a card and read the reading material out loud, as that character. Some ideas: a pirate, a queen, a teacher, sports reporter, cartoon character, etc.

From last week:

Penatmuiku’s “Egg-laying” moon is when the birds (jipji’jk) lay their eggs (wa’wl) after a long winter (kesik).

Grade 6 - Literacy

Children in Grade 6 may choose to participate in 1-2 choice learning activities each day in Literacy. Choice activities for literacy include:

MYSTERY WORD CHALLENGE

Flyer 2 answers= electricity/électricité

Use the scrambled letters below:

i m e m c s o n t u i

Make as many different words as you can with the letters from the mystery word. Challenge: Can you identify the mystery word? (Answer will be in the next flyer).

Translators: French mystery word:

m n o a c u s m t u é

HELP THE ENVIRONMENT

If you could do something to change the environment in your area for the better, what would it be? What would you need to make it happen? Make a plan.

INFLUENCE AND IDENTITY

We learn new information, experience other cultures and places, and gain perspectives from people different from us.

Identify three texts (books, songs, videos, etc.) that have influenced you (thoughts, beliefs, values, feelings) and the kind of person you are. Explain the changes you experienced, and why you feel the text had an impact on you.

INTERVIEW SOMEONE YOU’D LOVE TO MEET

Think of someone who you would love to talk to. Make a list of ten questions you would ask that person, if you had the chance. You may wish to answer them in the way that you think that person would respond.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Make a public service announcement in the form of a poem, jingle, song, rap, or poster to explain the importance of safety around electricity (ex. don’t overload sockets)

DEAR PROBLEM SOLVER ADVICE COLUMN

You have been hired to respond to letters in an advice column for the local paper aimed at people your age. Write a response to the following letter:

Dear Problem Solver,

One of the kids I play with makes a really big deal out of when he wins and puts me down when I lose even if it is only by one point. I have told him already that I don’t like it when he does this but he keeps doing it. How can I get the message across and make competing more fun again?

Sincerely, Not a Loser

Now create your own letters and responses.

PARACHUTES AND DRAG

Think about if something heavy falls, how a parachute could reduce the speed. Now test out your thinking.

Gather the following materials: string (thread, yarn, or laces), grocery or garbage bags, cloth, weighted objects (nuts, bolts, toy cars or action figures), scissors

Drop your weighted object and see how long it takes to fall. Now design a parachute and attach it to your object. Drop it again and see how long it takes to fall. Experiment with your parachute design (make the parachute bigger or smaller, the strings shorter or longer, etc.)

Record your information about your trials. Which parachute had the best design. Why?

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the natural sound of an object or action. For example: Zing! Bam! Draw a comic strip and use at least 5 onomatopoeia words.

TAKE NOTES WHILE LISTENING TO MUSIC

As you listen to music, write about what you are thinking and feeling and wondering: ask questions about how they relate to you and the world. You can always return to these notes, another time, and turn them into a longer piece of writing or maybe even a new song!

ANALYZING AN HEIRLOOM, TOOL, OR PHOTO

An heirloom is something from the past that has been handed down from generation to generation. It is usually something special and holds importance to people. Ask others in your household if they have an heirloom, tool, photo, or other item of significant importance. Describe the item. Create questions about it. What story about the past does it tell?

If you chose a photo, write a caption for it.