My oldest son, Joseph, picked this theme for his “week”. Wow. Talk about challenging! There was no "one" place where I could glean a lot of info!! So this week, I relied heavily on a dragon unit my mom (a retired teacher) sent me, entitled A Unit About Dragons by Jo Ellen Moore, Joy Evans, and Leslie Tryon. I also decided that this week would focus mainly on creative writing, which is Joseph’s weakest subject (not the creativity part…he has that in spades…but the actual WRITING part). So there is less science and math this week, and more expression!! It was also a challenge to tie in a gospel-theme, but I chose to talk about talents, and use all the scriptures that have to do with improving your talents.
The first thing that I did was use an idea from A Unit About Dragons, and make a “center” that had a backdrop of a castle wall with three turrets. Each turret had a pocket strip in front of it to hold story starter ideas. The first turret has a flag that reads “Characters”, and inside are strips of paper that read: “fierce flying dragon”, “brave knight”, and “beautiful princess”; “kind dragon”, “small boy”, and “magic box”; “huge three-headed dragon”, “clumsy knight”, and “smart maiden”; “an invisible dragon”, “wise old man”, and “angry king”; “tiny dragon”, “pet cat”, and “curious child”; and “Unusual dragon”, “old woman”, and “hunter”.
The second turrets flag reads “Settings”. Its idea strips are: “cottage at the edge of a big forest”; “dark cave at the foot of a mountain in the middle of winter”; “stone castle surrounded by a water-filled moat”; “in my backyard yesterday after school”; “near the Great Wall of China a thousand years ago”; and “hidden in a dragon’s lair.”
The third turret has a flag labeled “Situations”. The idea strips for this turret are “a search for dragons treasure”; “someone lost who is trying to find a way home”; “a wounded dragon seeking…help, vengeance, or a magic potion”; “someone has been taken by a dragon and must be rescued”; “a strange door has opened between the past and present time”; and “a misunderstanding causes trouble”.
If you think of other idea strips, feel free to use them. Each day we will use the story ideas to write creative stories. My two oldest should be fine, but I’ll probably be taking a lot of dictation from my two littles. We’ll work on brainstorming, rough drafts, and final copies (probably typed up on the computer). We’ll go over illustration, poetry, and even comic/graphic novel writing. Should be fun!!
Some great coloring pages and worksheets of dragons: Coloring.com, First School, Color Mountain, Crayola, Enchanted Learning, ABCTeach, and Family Fun
Monday –
· Start with a prayer
· Recite Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “Every Star Is Different” (CS, pg 142-143)
· Scripture, recite and memorize Matthew 5:16
Opening exercise:
Read the story of Heber J. Grant learning to sing (I Have Learned to Sing by Joan Oviatt). Explain that we are all special, and we all have talents. Sometimes our talents come easily to us. But sometimes, we have to work very hard at discovering and perfecting our talents. The Lord wants us to use our talents and make them better – he wants to be proud of us. Sometimes we have to face many discouragements along the way, like President Grant faced. But if we have perseverance, and try very, very hard, even hard things can become easier for us.
This week, our Summer School theme is “Dragons”. Now, you may be wondering what improving our talents and persevering have to do with dragons…but we are going to use this theme this week as we work on storytelling and creative writing, which are talents that we’re going to try and develop more fully.
Vocabulary:
Cut out the vocabulary pictures and paste on 3x5 cards and write the words on the back of the cards.
· Dragon, China, England, Castle, Princess, Knight, Flame, Cave, Mountain, Myth, Talent, Perseverance, Village, Imagine, Write
Story-Writing:
I am using a couple worksheets from A Unit About Dragons that encourage brainstorming about dragons and their qualities. You can create a big poster board and as you ask the kids these questions…write down their answers. You can display the poster somewhere where everyone can see it. It will help them think creatively and give them ideas to use in stories, and give you a great opportunity to discuss ideas and hear the other kids opinions.
What Do You Think…Which Is Hotter? Why?
1. A desert or a dragon’s tongue?
2. The inside of a toaster or a dragon’s mouth?
3. Old faithful or a dragon’s breath?
4. Scalding steam or a dragon’s tears?
Think About Dragons…Is a Dragon More Like…? Why?
1. …a lizard or a snake?
2. …a fairy tale or a legend?
3. …a bird or a bat?
4. …a volcano or an oven?
What Would A Dragon’s…Be Like?
1. …tears
2. …laugh
3. …song
4. …breath
What Does It Feel Like To Be a Dragon? What Would … a Dragon?
1. …anger
2. …amuse
3. …embarrass
4. …frighten
Art and Journal:
Have the children imagine their own dragon, then answer these questions about it in their journals or on a separate piece of paper. Provide large pieces of construction or butcher paper for them to draw their dragon, and a variety of supplies to use, such as crayons and markers, tissue paper and foil to make scales, and glitter. Get creative!!
Imagine a Dragon
Does your dragon have…
Scales?
Wings?
Claws? How many?
What is your dragons name?
Describe your dragon:
Length
Width
Body Covering
Color
Age
Write a paragraph describing the special talents and characteristics of your dragon.
Reading : Have kids read 20 minutes / a book / a chapter (whatever they’re reading level demands), and/or read to them out of a book you have chosen to read together as a family.
Flashcards : Have kids practice with flashcards to enhance math skills / ABC skills / color skills
Computer : Everyone gets 20 minutes computer time on EDUCATIONAL computer sites
Tuesday –
· Start with a prayer
· Recite Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “Every Star Is Different” (CS, pg 142-143)
· Scripture, recite and memorize Matthew 5:16
Opening Exercise: Read the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25: 14 – 30). Use the Primary 7: New Testament lesson manual for the following discussion
· Why did the master give different amounts of talents to each servant? (Matthew 25:15). How do your talents differ from your friends’ talents? Your family members’ talents? Why does Heavenly Father give different gifts to each of us? (D&C 46:12.) How can we show our gratitude to Heavenly Father for the particular gifts he has given to us? (D&C 46:11)
· What did the servants who were given five and two talents do with their money? (Matthew 25:16–17.) How do you think they were able to double their money? How can hard work be a blessing to us?
· What did the servant who was given one talent do with his money? (Matthew 25:18.) Why do you think he did this? (Matthew 25:24–25.) Why do you think some people don’t develop their talents? What happens to people’s talents if they do nothing with them?
· When the master returned and asked the servants to report to him, what did he say to the servant who had been given five talents? (Matthew 25:21.) What did he say to the servant who had been given two talents? (Matthew 25:23.) How does working hard to develop talents bless us? How have you been blessed by the talents or abilities of someone else?
· Why did the master give the same reward to the servant who had earned five talents and the servant who had earned two talents? (Matthew 25:21, 23.)
· What did the master say to the servant who had been given one talent? (Matthew 25:26–27.) Why was the master angry with this servant? What punishment did he give him for hiding the talent? (Matthew 25:28, 30.) Why is how we use our abilities and talents more important than how many talents we have and what those talents are?
· Why do you think the master gave the one talent to the servant who had ten? Was this fair? Why? Explain that the more we use our talents, the more talents we develop. If we do nothing with our talents, we will lose them. (See Matthew 25:29; D&C 60:2–3.) Help the children understand that those people who seem to have fewer talents will receive every blessing if they use their talents to the fullest.
· What do you think Jesus was trying to teach us by telling the parable of the talents? Help the children understand that the Lord has given us talents, abilities, and opportunities (such as belonging to his church). He expects us to use all these things to make our lives better and to serve others. He also wants us to show our gratitude by developing our talents.
· What additional expectations does the Lord have for us because we are members of his church? (D&C 82:3.)
· How do people share their talents in the Church? How does accepting responsibilities and assignments in the Church help us increase our talents? (See enrichment activity 5.)
· When and to whom will we give a report about what we have done with the gifts and talents we have been given? What do you want to be able to report? How would you feel if the Lord said to you, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21)?
Vocabulary: Write vocab words 3x each, picture recognition for younger kids
Legends:
Ancient Chinese Dragons
Asian (or Eastern) dragons are portrayed as being benevolent help meets to mankind. They are found most often near rivers, waterfalls, streams, and lakes that hide their underwater liars. Females carry their eggs with them for protection, which look like giant pearls. Asian dragons horde treasure…but only pearls and opals. There are several different sub-species of Eastern dragon, which are classified by the number of toes they have. Japanese dragons have 4 toes, Chinese or Imperial dragons have 5. They do not have wings, but are more serpentine in shape. They are often shown with a mane of sorts around their heads. The Asian dragon is believed to have a lot of power, especially over water, and are thought to be directly responsible for rain and storms. The ancient Chinese dynasties used the dragon symbol to denote their authority over the people. They are usually depicted as being blue or green in color, unless they are Imperial dragons, and then they are red or gold.
The Dragon is the only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac. In China, dragons are associated with strength, health, harmony, and good luck. During Chinese New Year, there are often parades where performers dress in giant dragon costumes and dance through the streets. During the summer solstice, there is also a Dragon Boat Festival where participants race boats that are decorated to resemble dragons.
Art: Make a Chinese dragon puppet/mask (see AngelFire, KCKPL YS, Enchanted Learning, Family Crafts, Martha Stewart {this one is beautiful}, Family Fun #1, Family Fun #2, Family Fun #3
Math: Dragon Story-Problems (you can print these up in a worksheet, or read them aloud and work them out together) Feel free to adjust to the level of your kids…these are merely some suggestions from A Unit About Dragons.
1. The dragon flew 24 miles before noon. He flew 18 miles after noon. How far did he fly that day?
2. To win his knighthood, Cedric the Page was charged with returning to the royal kitchen with 400 kilograms of dragon eggs. If one dragon egg weighs 8 kilograms, how many eggs must Cedric find?
3. The old dragon had a huge treasure. He planned to divide it among his three children. He kept the treasure in 15 chests. How many chests will each dragon child get?
4. With each blast from his nostrils, the dragon scorched whatever it hit. Yesterday he burned 27 pine trees, 15 haystacks, and 7 barns. How many things did he set fire in all?
5. 48 nights rode out to fight a dragon. 32 knights came back to the castle. How many knights did the dragon eat?
6. Org the dragon has an incredible sweet tooth. During his last raid on the village bakery, he consumed 3 dozen jelly donuts, 16 loaves of raisin bread weighing 24 ounces each, and 42 cherry pies. How many pastries did Org devour?
Journal: Introduce the Castle Story Idea Center that you’ve made. Explain how it is used, and how it can help write a story. Have the kids pick out a strip from all three sections (Characters, Setting, and Situations) and have them write a story in their journals.
Reading : Have kids read 20 minutes / a book / a chapter (whatever they’re reading level demands), and/or read to them out of a book you have chosen to read together as a family.
Flashcards: Have kids practice with flashcards to enhance math skills / ABC skills / color skills
Computer : Everyone gets 20 minutes computer time on EDUCATIONAL computer sites
Wednesday –
· Start with a prayer
· Recite Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “Every Star Is Different” (CS, pg 142-143)
· Scripture, recite and memorize Matthew 5:16
Opening exercise:
Hide several objects around the room for the kids to find. Give each child a list of the items that are hidden (you can use pictures for little ones). Explain that they are to find the items, and as they find them, they are to cross them off a list. Give them two minutes to hunt for the items. After the items have been found (or not), read off the list and have every child hold up the item if they found it. Some will have more than others. Some items may not have been found at all.
Discuss how locating these objects is similar to discovering talents.
· How can our talents be recognized?
· How could it be possible that our talents could be in plain sight without our being aware of them?
· Why might we fail to recognize a talent?
· Why can we assume we all have talents?
· Why are some talents hard to find?
· Why should we seek until we find talents?
Point out that everyone has been given gifts or talents from our Heavenly Father. Sometimes these gifts or talents are hidden and hard to find. When a talent is found, it is important to develop it, or it may be lost.
Remind the children that talents are not always obvious, are sometimes hard to find, and are sometimes totally ignored. But all talents can be useful and helpful to other people.
Have the kids write in their journals under a header of “MY TALENTS” the talents they think they have. Remind them that talents can be physical things, like singing, or playing football; or they can be spiritual things, like a strong testimony, or a compassionate nature; or they can be mental things, like being good at math, or having good study habits. After they have written some talents (feel free to prompt if they are unsure), have them write down under another header “TALENTS I WANT TO WORK ON” the talents they want to develop. Talk about how they think they can develop these talents. Set a goal to work on ONE talent that they already have, and one they want to develop. Have them write down their goal and steps to achieving the goal in their journals.
Vocabulary: Use vocabulary words in a sentence; picture recognition for littles
Legends:
European Dragons
European dragons are described as ferocious, fire-breathing reptilian creatures that fly and destroy villages and eat young maidens. They are usually depicted as being green or brown in color, enabling them to blend in with forests and mountain landscapes of their home. They typically occupy mountainous caves or ruinous castles that they have overtaken. They have an obsession with treasure and horde gold and jewels. They are usually shown as having very large, bat-like wings, thick spines down their backs, scales, clawed talons, and fanged teeth. European dragons are said to have mastered many languages and are very smart, but instead of using their extreme intellect to better the world, they use it for cunning arts and to advance their own species. They are very territorial and do not take kindly to strangers. They are also supposed to know a great deal about magic.
Poetry: There is a great section of three worksheets on ABCTeach that teach three different types of poetry using dragons. You could also teach about other kinds of poetry, such as Cinquain poetry (Line 1 – one word title; Line 2 – two words describe the title; Line 3 – three words describe an action; Line 4 – four words describe a feeling; Line 5 – one word about the title) or Free Verse. Here are two dragon poems to get inspired by:
Where Did They Go?
Dragons flew over castles.
Dragons flew over clouds
Dragons gathered in flocks in the sky.
Dragons flew in graceful crowds.
I’ve searched the sky for hours.
I’ve searched the sky,
For a lifetime it seems.
I’ve looked for wisp of a tail or scale.
I’ve searched my mind –
Were they only dreams?
Where did they fly off to?
Where did they decide to land?
Where on earth – or was it beyond?
Where did they go? I don’t understand.
Leslie Tryon
Dragon
Mythical beast
Watches a passing knight
Silent death dropping from the sky
Battle
J.E. Moore
Art: Dragon bookmarks (from EasyFunSchool)
Materials
construction paper
colored pencils
felt-tip marker
jar
water
Procedure
1. Cut a strip of construction paper that is approximately one inch by eight inches for each bookmark that you are making.
2. At one end of the strip of construction paper, draw a dragon head with an open mouth. You must use the colored pencils for this drawing.
3. Inside the dragons mouth put a dot of color with the felt-tip marker. You may need to experiment to see how big the dot needs to be based on the type of markers that you are using and whether you are using a fine-tip or wide-tip.
4. Pour one half inch of water into the bottom of the jar.
5. Set the construction paper strip into the water making sure that the dragon head is in the water. As the construction paper absorbs the water, the dragon's fiery breath will appear. Different colored markers will yield different results. Experiment to chose your favorite or share them with friends. After the construction paper has been removed from the water and has had time to completely dry, you can laminate or use clear contact paper to protect your work and make it a sturdier bookmark!!
Journal: Use the Castle Story Idea Center . Have the kids pick out a strip from all three sections (Characters, Setting, and Situations) and have them write a story in their journals.
Reading : Have kids read 20 minutes / a book / a chapter (whatever they’re reading level demands), and/or read to them out of a book you have chosen to read together as a family.
Flashcards : Have kids practice with flashcards to enhance math skills / ABC skills / color skills
Computer : Everyone gets 20 minutes computer time on EDUCATIONAL computer sites
Thursday –
· Start with a prayer
· Recite Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “Every Star Is Different” (CS, pg 142-143)
· Scripture, recite and memorize Matthew 5:16
Opening Exercise: Read Doctrine & Covenants 82:18. Why does Heavenly Father want us to improve on our talents, and gain other talents? (so we can better serve Him). Why would our talents be cast into the “Lord’s storehouse, to become property of the whole church…”? (Because our talents will be used collectively to further the kingdom of God.) Does that phrase literally mean that our talents will be put in a building and stored away? (No. It just means that Heavenly Father knows of our talents and efforts to improve them , and may call on us to use our talents at any time, and we need to be ready with them).
Vocabulary: Find the vocabulary definitions on-line or in a dictionary.
Legends:
South American Dragon Legends
The most common dragon legend from South America is the Aztec legend of the god Quetzacoatl, which means “feather serpent”. Among the Aztecs, whose beliefs are the best-documented in the historical sources, Quetzalcoatl was related to gods of the wind, of Venus, of the dawn, of merchants and of arts, crafts and knowledge. He was also the patron god of the Aztec priesthood, of learning and knowledge. Quetzalcoatl was one of several important gods in the Aztec pantheon.
In the Dragonology handbook, this type of dragon is identified as an “amphithere”, a greenish, feathered, legless, flying dragon that makes it’s lair among the reeds of lakeshores or on offshore islands, has flaming breath, and feeds on large mammals such as buffalo and llama
Science: There are several different science activities you can do with dragons.
1. One is to create a Ven Diagram (a diagram where you have two circles that interlock at their edges). Label one “Dragons” and one “Dinosaurs”. In these circles, write the qualities that each have. Where the circles interlock, write the qualities that they both share).
2. Rehearse what you know about different animal families, and using all you’ve discussed and learned about dragons, decide which animal family a dragon would in fit best.
Mammals Birds
Fur or hair on body Body covered with feathers
Babies born alive Lay eggs in hard shells
Babies fed milk from mother’s body Wings
Warm-blooded Warm-blooded
Breathe air from lungs Beak
Reptile Amphibian
Covered with scales or plates Moist skin
Skin is rough and dry Cold-blooded
Most lay eggs Most lay eggs in water
Cold-blooded Live on land as adults
Breathe air with lungs Hatch from jelly-covered eggs
A dragon would be a part of the _______________________ family for these reasons:
________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
3. A Dragon Life Cycle: Imagine a possible life cycle for a dragon. Draw pictures of the different stages a dragon would go through as it grows. Use this explanation, or make up your own:
“Dragons hatch from eggs. They grow larger each day. Gradually their wings begin to grow. When the wings are big and strong, the young dragon begins to learn to fly. The young dragon also begins to learn to breathe fire. Adult females lay eggs, and the cycle begins again.”
4. Check out ABCTeach for a cool Dragon habitat worksheet where you can imagine a dragons habitat and design it on paper!!
Art: Cartoon/ Comic Writing
Materials
1. Large sheets of construction paper (12x16) folded into four, six, or eight parts depending on the length of your story.
2. Clip art of dragons, princesses, knights, wizards, fairy’s…WHATEVER. Look for clipart that you can color in. OR use a fantasy themed coloring book that you can cut figures out of the pages.
Procedure
1. Make an outline of a story plot. Keep it very simple!! Plan what will happen in each box.
2. Select characters to be used from clip art or coloring books (or draw your own!!) Color and cut out characters.
3. Paste characters in boxes. Draw speech bubbles for their conversations. Add background to pictures.
4. Write dialogue in bubbles.
Journal: Use the Castle Story Idea Center . Have the kids pick out a strip from all three sections (Characters, Setting, and Situations) and have them write a story in their journals.
Reading : Have kids read 20 minutes / a book / a chapter (whatever they’re reading level demands), and/or read to them out of a book you have chosen to read together as a family.
Flashcards : Have kids practice with flashcards to enhance math skills / ABC skills / color skills
Computer : Everyone gets 20 minutes computer time on EDUCATIONAL computer sites
Friday –
· Start with a prayer
· Recite Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “Every Star Is Different” (CS, pg 142-143)
· Scripture, recite and memorize Matthew 5:16
Opening Exercise: Discuss this Gospel Truth from the Family Home Evening Handbook: We are given talents and gifts to help us fulfill our missions on this earth and to help us bless the lives of others. We have a responsibility to Heavenly Father, to ourselves, and to others to develop our talents and gifts as completely as we can. The development of talents and gifts requires persistence, courage, and patience, but brings great joy. (If you can, have this written on a large piece of paper that you can put up in an obvious place for the kids to see and look at every day, like a door or mirror).
We’ve talked about why Heavenly Father gives us talents, and what he expects us to do with them. We’ve talked about how some talents come easily, and how some have to be found and then developed for a long time (or in President Grant’s case…years!!) We’ve talked about why each of us are different, but how each of us are special.
Tell of a talent that you have that had to develop, or are in the process of developing. Share some of your setbacks, but highlight your successes. Emphasize how successful you feel when you master a new skill relating to that talent. Bear your testimony of how grateful you are for your talents, and encourage the kids to develop their own talents.
Vocabulary: Have a quick vocabulary test
Legends:
Dragons in Greek Mythology
There are several famous dragons in Greek mythology, probably the most famous being the multi-headed dragon Hydra that was slain by the hero Hercules. There was also the dragon Ladon, Pytho, and the dragon-like creature Typhon (who lent his name to Pacific hurricanes).
Many of our constellations come from Greek and Roman mythology, and there is a constellation in the sky named for a dragon. The constellation Draco is in the far northern sky. Its name is Latin for dragon. Draco is circumpolar (that is, never setting) for many observers in the northern hemisphere. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 1st century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations today.
Journal: Use the Castle Story Idea Center . Have the kids pick out a strip from all three sections (Characters, Setting, and Situations) and have them write a story in their journals.
Art: Remember that dragon brainstorming activity we did on our first day of dragons…where we imagined what our dragon would look like? Well…after all the work we’ve done this week, and all the things we’ve learned about dragons, I wondered if your dragon has changed. We’re going to use the computers to make a final copy of the dragon story we wrote this week, and we’re going to re-brainstorm our dragon for the story.
Imagine your own dragon, then answer these questions about it in their journals or on a separate piece of paper. Provide large pieces of construction or butcher paper for them to draw their dragon, and a variety of supplies to use, such as crayons and markers, tissue paper and foil to make scales, and glitter…or you can use regular-sized paper if you’re planning on putting these in a family dragon storybook (see below). Get creative!!
Imagine a Dragon…How Has Your Dragon Changed?
Does your dragon still have…
Scales?
Wings?
Claws? How many?
What is your dragons name now?
Describe your dragon:
Length
Width
Body Covering
Color
Age
Write a paragraph describing the special talents and characteristics of your dragon.
Making the 2nd dragon is a good way to talk about how our talents can develop/change/become better after learning and studying and practicing, just like the dragons and stories improved after studying the lessons and improving upon our knowledge. This activity helps tie together dragons, talents, and sum everything up.
Computer: Have kids their pick their favorite story from the past weeks journals. Proofread the story and make any corrections in grammar and spelling. Have the kids take turns typing up their stories. Print the stories and have the kids draw a picture that goes along with their story (see Art activity above). Display the stories for everyone to see, or make multiple copies and put together a family story book about dragons.
Field Trip: okay...honestly...I haven't the FOGGIEST idea what would fit in today as a field trip. Since we're still ding actual work today...which I usually don't do on Fridays...we might skip it.
The only thing I'm considering this week is taking them to Color Me Mine, a ceramic painting studio for kids. They could work on their "art" talent there...but we'll see!!
Books To Use This Week:
Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons (Ologies) by Ernest Drake and Dugald
A Practical Guide to Dragons by Lisa Trumbauer
How to Raise and Keep a Dragon by Joe Nigg
The Book of the Dragon by H. Gustavo Ciruelo Cabral
Puff, the Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow, Lenny Lipton, and Eric Puybaret
Three Tales of My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
The Dragon Slippers Stories by Jessica Day George
The Inheritance Chronicles (Eragon, Eldest, & Brsinger) by Christopher Paolini
Kenny & the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi
The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame and Michael Hague
There's No Such Thing as a Dragon by Jack Kent
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