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How Groundhog's Garden Grew
by Lynne Cherry
Intended Grade Level: 3rd and 4th grade
Website created by Jeanna Collins
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Materials Needed:
Copy of Lynne Cherry's How Groundhog's Garden Grew (The Blue Sky Press 2003)
Computer with internet capability
Printer
Pencil/Pen
Book Summary:
Groundhog is eating fresh vegetables from his
neighbors’ gardens because he does not know how to grow his own garden. Squirrel
decides to help Groundhog learn how to plant a garden. Squirrel teaches
Groundhog how to garden over an entire year by gathering seeds in the fall,
storing them in the winter, planting the seeds in the spring, and weeding and
watering them in the summer. Groundhog’s garden flourishes and he eats fresh
vegetables from his own garden all summer long. In the fall, Groundhog decides
to invite his friends to a Thanksgiving dinner.
Author Biography: Lynne Cherry is a conservationist whose books inspire environmentally friendly projects. She is the bestselling author and illustrator of over thirty award winning books for young readers, many of them concerning environmental issues. She hopes to get children excited about the prospect of exploring nature so that they will go outside and explore the natural world. She lectures to educators the importance of integrating nature into the curriculum to make learning more relevant for students. To find out more about the author, go to her official website.
Complete the following activities, in the order as they are listed, to help you explore and expand the book How Groundhog's Garden Grew.
Print off the GRADING RUBRIC before starting the activities. (Be sure to read the rubric so you know what is expected of you.)
Pre-reading Activities:
Activity 1:
In the KWL chart below, fill in the first two columns of the chart. In the first column (K), write about what you know about gardening. In the second column (W), write any questions you would like to know about gardening. After you have completed the first two columns, go to Gardening FUNdamentals to find out information to put in the third column (What I Learned).
Activity 2:
Use the groundhog provided below to do a quick-write on how much you know about groundhogs or would like to know. Be sure to include five things and get creative on where you write them. (Print off the worksheet from this link.)
~Afterwards, check out some interesting facts about groundhogs at Havahart!
During Reading Activities:
Activity 3:
Pretend you are Groundhog and complete one day in Groundhog's gardening journal. You can pick whatever day you would like to write about from the book! (Print off Groundhog's gardening journal below.)
Activity 4:
Make your own vocabulary list of at least ten words that you found challenging or you were not sure of their meaning. (Print off the my vocabulary list and write the words down as you are reading.)
Once you have completed your list go to Word Central Dictionary (click on student dictionary on the left-hand side once you have reached the home page)! Look up the definition for each of the words on your list. Be sure to write the definition in your own words.
Post-reading Activities:
Activity 5:
Complete a sequence worksheet for How Groundhog's Garden Grew.
Print off the sequencing worksheet from the link below.
1.) Follow the directions and put the events in order as they happed in Lynne Cherry's book How Groundhog's Garden Grew.
2.) Number the events from 1 to 10 with 1 being the first thing that happened and 10 being the last.
Activity 6:
Go to the website link provided below. Once there, you will need to click on interactive fun and then free postcards. Next, you will need to select a postcard to send to Groundhog. In your postcard, you need to thank Groundhog for teaching you about gardening. You need to include at least two thing you have learned about gardening from him.
You need to be sure to complete all six steps!
You can choose to send the postcard to the person of your choice!
However, you need to preview the postcard and print this page off to turn in!!
Assessment of your Work:
Staple the rubric to the back of all your activities!
You should have a total of six activities to turn in!!
Be sure to put your name on all of your papers even the rubric.
Once you are sure that everything is done--Turn your papers into the teacher.
Other Fun Websites to Explore:
Go to Punxsutawney Phil to use Groundhogese Translator and Ask the Groundhog under interactive fun!!
Meet the plant parts by building a salad
Crossword Puzzle for How Groundhog's Garden Grew
(Graphics from http://www.k12.nf.ca/hre/grade2grass/facts.html and http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/groundhog.html )
