59 Student Almanac

Additional types of activities to consider:

• Have students read “New Words” on page 369 and write down two new words in our language based on an invention. Have volunteers share their words for discussion.
• For the chart on page 371, have students identify how to say hello in French and Persian and goodbye in Spanish and German.
• For “Using the Sign Language Alphabet,” page 372, have students learn to sign the letters for their first name. They should practice until they can sign their names quickly.
• For the  “Cursive Alphabet,” page 375, have students write the final copy of their next writing assignment in cursive. They should use the checklist on page 375 to assess the “quality” of their cursive.
• For “Animal Facts,” page 379, have students imagine that they are studying ducks, geese, and swans. Have them list all the different words they could use for these three birds. Then have them use some of these words in a story.
• For “Dinosaur Family Tree,” pages 380–381, have students write an alphabet poem (page 188) or a mini-report about one dinosaur.
• Have students study the food plate on page 384. Then ask them to draw a new plate that reflects the amount of each food group that they consume.
• For “Our Solar System” have pairs of students each write three questions for his or her partner to answer by looking at pages 386–387. Example question: Which planet is closest to the sun?
• Have students turn to “U.S. Measurements,” page 388 to fill in the blanks below:

1. 4 cups of iced tea = _____________ pints of iced tea (2)
2. 4 cups of iced t
3. 2 cups of orange juice = _________  pint of orange juice (1)
4. ea = _____________ quart of iced tea (1)
5. 16 cups of milk =  _______________ pints of milk (8)
6. 16 cups of milk =  _______________ quarts of milk (4)

• For the “Addition and Subtraction Table,” page 395, have students write for equations that equal 17. (10 + 7 = 17,  7 + 10 = 17, 8 + 9 = 17, 9 =8 = 17)
• Have students round the following numbers to the nearest 10. They should refer to page 397 for help:
  • 47      (50)
  • 122    (120)
  • 6        (10)
  • 211    (210)
  • 95      (100)
• Have students answer the following questions about the United States map on page 404.
  • Which states has no states touching their borders? (Alaska, Hawaii)
  • Which state has only one state that borders it? (Maine)
  • Which states have only two states touching their borders? (Rhode Island, South Carolina, Florida, Washington)
  • Which state has the most other states touching its borders? (Tennessee)
  • How many states border your state? 
• Refer students to “Facts About the 50 States” on page 413. Review this information with them; then ask them to find each of the largest cities on one of the maps in this section.
• Refer students to “State Capitals and Nicknames” on pages 414–415. Then have them answer the following questions:
  • Which two states have bird nicknames? (Alabama, Louisiana)
  • Which three states have animal nicknames? (Michigan, Oregon, Wisconsin)
  • Which state nickname relates to insects? (Utah)
  • What is your state’s nickname?
  • What is your favorite nickname? 
• Have students refer to “Branches of the Government” on page 418 and answer these two questions:
  • What are the three branches of government?
  • What are the duties or responsibilities of each?