S is for S’’mores: A Camping Alphabet Author: Helen Foster James Illustrator: Lita Judge Guide written by Patricia Pierce Portions may be reproduced for use in the classroom with this express written consent of Sleeping Bear Press.

Published by Sleeping Bear Press 310 N. Main St., Suite 300 Chelsea, MI 48118 800-487-2323 www.sleepingbearpress.com

S is for S’’mores: A Camping Alphabet By Helen Foster James

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BEFORE YOU READ the S is for S’’mores book List what you know about camping.

QUESTIONS Write any questions you have about camping.

AFTER YOU READ THE BOOK List what you have learned about camping.

Silly Beach Camp Story Create a silly camping story by first filling in the blanks in the word box. Next, replace these words in the passage on the next page. Enjoy reading your silly story! Share your story with a friend. Word Box 1. _______________________ (name of a friend) 2. _______________________ (adjective) 3.________________________ (number) 4.________________________ (singular noun) 5.________________________ (color) 6.________________________ (past tense verb) 7.________________________ (singular noun) 8.________________________ (singular noun) 9.________________________ (adjective) 10._______________________ (plural noun) 11._______________________ (adverb) 12._______________________ (past tense verb) 13._______________________ (famous person) 14._______________________ (singular noun) 15._______________________ (singular noun)

A noun is a word that names a person, a place, or a thing. A singular noun names one person, place, or thing. A plural noun names more than one person, place, or thing. A verb is a word that can show action. Verb tenses: present - happening now; past - has already happened; future - will happen. An adjective is a word that describes a noun and can tell what kind or how many. An adverb is a word that describes a verb and can tell how, when, or where.

Name________________

Silly Beach Camp Story Last summer, 1 ______________ and I went camping on Catalina Island. Our beach camp was 2____________. We camped for 3________days. I was thankful I had packed my 4_________________ and my 5_________________ swimsuit.

Every day we swam, fished, and 6___________________. I also really enjoyed snorkeling. One time a large 7___________________swam next to me. I couldn’’t believe it. Then an enormous 8_____________________swam by!

One time we filled our 9________________canoe with 10________________ and 11_______________ paddled across the lake. We then 12______________ into the water.

This summer we plan to camp at Lake Mead. We are going to invite 13_____________________to come with us. I’’m going to make sure I pack my 14_____________________ and 15_________________this time!

Camping Buddies Read page A of S is for S’’mores: A Camping Alphabet to discover who went camping with President Warren Harding in the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1921. Imagine these men sitting around a campfire sharing stories. Use the basic facts listed below and write a campfire conversation between these influential men of this time. President Warren Harding x Born in Ohio x Worked as newspaper publisher x Had a flair for public speaking x Twenty-ninth president x First U.S. president to ride to his inauguration in an automobile

Harvey Firestone x Born in Ohio x Worked for a buggy company, then started his own company making rubber tires for carriages x Joined Henry Ford to make rubber tires for the newly popular automobile

Henry Ford x Born in Michigan x Inventor of Quadricycle –– first automobile x ““Father”” of assembly-line mass production x Paid workers high wages

Thomas Edison x Born in Ohio x Inventor –– tinfoil phonograph x Applied principal of mass production x Created an electric incandescent lightbulb

Writing Dialogue Tips * Quotation marks are used to show the exact words of a speaker. * Capitalize the first letter of a direct quotation and use the correct end punctuation.

Example: ““Henry, will you grab another log for the fire?”” asked President Harding.

““In a moment, I’’m setting up the ingredients for s’’mores in assembly-line fashion,”” replied Henry Ford. ““I’’ll help you after I find my flashlight,”” said Thomas Edison. ““I think I saw your flashlight in the trunk, by the spare tire,”” said Harvey Firestone.

Create a Postcard Turn to page C of S is for S’’mores, and picture yourself camping at the Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, or the Zion National Park. Create a postcard by cutting out and coloring the picture below. Use the following sentence starters to write a postcard about an imaginary camping trip. x

At first I was a bit nervous riding a mule down the canyon trail, but soon . . .

x

Rafting through the canyon on the Colorado River is an experience I will . . .

x

Hiking up the canyon trail was a lot different than hiking down the trail. I was glad . . .

Did You Know? Nine separate rock layers can be seen toward the eastern end of the Grand Canyon. The topmost layer is limestone. The layers in between contain additional limestone, sandstone, and shale rock. The colors vary with shades of brown, light gray-blue, and red. The Redwall limestone is easily identified and is 500 feet thick. The bottom rock layer is half a billion to a billion years old!

Time for Adventure Are you ready for an adventure? Like camping, reading can take you to new places and expand your world. as you travel through S is for S’’mores: a Camping alphabet, challenge yourself to enlarge your world of knowledge by discovering new words.

Keep a listing of new words you find in S is for S’’mores in the space above.

Awareness of Your Surroundings Smart campers are aware of their surroundings. Attention is paid to the area around them. A camper may decide to choose a new campsite if he discovers a large broken branch loosely hanging in a nearby tree. He may also decide to set up camp elsewhere if he discovers a beehive in the area! Paying attention to your surroundings can also help a reader figure out the meaning of unknown words. Using the surrounding context can give a reader important clues. Try it out! In the sentence below, use the words in the surrounding context to determine the meaning of the boldface word. Choose the correct meaning.

1. Roads were primitive in the early 1900s, but campers like ““roughing”” it. a. fully developed b. beginning stage of development c. modern 2. The gear that campers take depends on their activities. Campers who fish, for example, take fishing poles, line, and bait. Boots are an important piece of gear for hiking. a. to make suitable b. a toothed wheel c. equipment 3. Some desert animals are nocturnal and are awake in the evening to hunt for food when it’’s cooler. a. active at night b. active in the afternoon c. lazy 4. Campers enjoy the beauty of changing leaves. Deciduous trees, like maple, oak, birch, and aspen, lose their leaves in the fall, after first turning colors of scarlet, orange, or gold. a. evergreen b. being shed at the end of a period of growth c. being shed due to strong winds and heavy rain 5. John Muir is called the ““Father of our National Parks”” for his conservation work to protect wildlife areas. He encouraged others to respect the outdoors. a. causing loss and damage to the environment b. neglecting natural resources c. preservation and protection of natural resources

Desert Camping ping One of the best ways to experience the desert is to camp there! Remember, though, the desert can be a desolate and unforgiving place. So be well prepared. Bringing plenty of water is important when camping in the desert since proper hydration is a major concern. Plants and animals that live in the desert need to be able to survive with very little water. Try this activity to increase your understanding of how your life would be if you had a limited water supply. Materials One quart of water Notepad and pencil Directions The quart container of water will be your water supply for the day. Use this water supply every time you drink water or use water, such as washing your hands/face or brushing your teeth. Use additional water if needed throughout the day, and keep track of the estimated amount of water intake or usage. Record your water usage and experience throughout the day. Answer these questions at the end of the day. 1. Did you use more than one quart of water? 2. Were you more aware of your water usage? 3. Were you more aware of additional water usage around you, such as pets or plants needing water, toilets being flushed, or someone doing laundry? 4. Did you change your water habits, such as reducing the amount of water you normally use for brushing your teeth or washing? 5. Did you drink any other liquids, such as milk, juice, or soda? 6. Did you use ice in your drinks? 7. Did hot weather or exercise increase your water intake? 8. Were you more careful with your water usage? 9. Did you notice others around you wasting water? 10. Think about the food you ate today. Was water needed in the preparation or cooking of the food? 11. Did your food intake increase your water or liquid intake? 12. What would be the challenges of using only one quart of water per day for a month?

Camping Gear Gather your gear on page G of S is for S’’mores! A good first step in gathering your camping gear is to write a camping checklist. Think about the items you will need in order to have a fun and safe camping experience. 1. Write a camping checklist. 2. Compare your camping checklist with a partner. Add items to your list from your partner’’s list that you overlooked, and suggest items for your partner to add to his list. 3. Read pages E and page G of S is for S’’mores. Keep adding to your lists! 4. Carefully think about the clothing you should pack for camping. Write two clothing packing tips.

_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 5. Do you think it’’s important to take a cell phone with you while camping? Why or why not?

________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 6. If you needed to remove two items from your list, what two items would you remove? Explain why you choose these items. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

How to Be a Happy Camper It’’s important to respect nature and take care of the environment. Following safety rules shows responsibility. Not following safety rules is dangerous and can ruin a fun time. Read each situation below. Imagine yourself in the situation, and then write a solution to the problem.

1. Theresa and Anne are eating candy bars as they walk along a trail near their campsite. Theresa looks around for a trash bin, but doesn’’t find one. She hesitates, and then tosses her wrapper on the ground. ““I don’’t want to carry a wrapper with me for the rest of the afternoon,”” she says. ““I’’ll pick it up on our way back.”” Anne decides to do the same thing with her wrapper. What would you tell the girls? How could you solve this problem? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2. Ed and Glenn have been begging Uncle Pete all morning to let them use his canoe. Finally, Uncle Pete gave in, and the two boys grabbed the paddles and headed toward the dock. ““It’’s too hot to wear a life jacket,”” said Ed. ““Yeah, you’’re right,”” said Glenn. They put the life jackets on the dock to make more room in the canoe for their fishing gear. Besides, they planned to stay near the shoreline. What would you tell Ed and Glenn? How could you solve this problem? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 3. ““It’’s so nice out. Let’’s take a hike before everyone else wakes up,”” said Janet. ““Okay with me,”” replied Melissa. ““I’’ll write a note for Mom so she will know which trail we are hiking.”” ““Oh, don’’t bother,”” said Janet. ““We won’’t be gone for long.”” An hour later, the girls were still hiking. Then they stopped to pick a bouquet of beautiful wildflowers. ““Oh, Mom, will love these!”” said Melissa. ““Here, let’’s add some of this plant with three leaves to the bouquet,”” said Janet. What would you tell Melissa and Janet? How could you solve this problem? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

Hiking Haiku Hike to page H of S is for S’’mores

A haiku is a type of Japanese poetry that is usually about nature or seasons. It has neither rhyme nor rhythm. A haiku is three lines long and follows a pattern of 5, 7, 5 syllables. Example: Title: Line 1: 5-syllable description of title Line 2: 7-syllable description of title Line 3: 5-syllable description of title

Frogs Long legs leaping high Deeply croaking in the night Splashes in a pond

Think about the things you might see in nature while on a hike, and write a haiku.

_______________________ title _____________________________________________ 5-syllable description of title

____________________________________________________________ 7-syllable description of title

_____________________________________________ 5-syllable description of title

Make Your Own Ditty Bag Materials Piece of cloth (about 16”” long and 12”” wide) Shoestring or nylon cord Needle and thread (sewing machine if available)

Directions 1. Fold over one and one-half inches of the 16 inch edge. Make a hem by sewing along a line one inch from the fold. 2. Fold in half through the center of the hem, with the edge on the outside, to form a folded rectangle 8”” wide by 10.5”” long. 3. Sew across the bottom edge (opposite the hem) one-half inch from the 8”” edges and up the 10.5”” edge. Stop sewing when you reach the hem. You will need the hem open so you can thread the shoestring or nylon cord through it. 4. Turn the bag inside out. 5. Thread the shoestring or nylon cord through the hem. It’’s easier if you pin a safety pin to one end of the shoestring or nylon cord and push the pin through the hem. 6. Tie the ends together to complete your ditty bag.

Interesting Insects Ants, butterflies, bees, ladybugs, mosquitoes, and fleas –– These are a few of the numerous insects to see on a camping trip! Turn to page I of S is for S’’mores and discover interesting insect facts. Read the definitions below, and then label the insect.

Head –– The head is the part of the insect that contains the brain and two compound eyes. Antenna –– Insects have two antennae that are attached to the head and are used for the sense of smell and balance. Thorax –– The thorax is the section between the head and the abdomen. Leg –– All insects have six legs. Abdomen –– The abdomen is the hindmost part of the body. It contains the heart and most of the digestive system.

Campsite Fun Insect Search On your next camping trip, (or in your backyard or school campus) search for the insects listed below. Work with a partner or divide up into small groups. Race to see who can find all the insects first. Remember to stay on trails and respect the environment. Instead of ““capturing”” the insect, use the chart to record your findings.

Insect

Where found

Number (or estimation)

ant butterfly cricket dragonfly fly ladybug grasshopper moth praying mantis walking stick water strider other _____________ other _____________

Did you know? x

Insect means ““segmented”” in Latin.

x

There are a million different types of insects and many more that have not yet been discovered!

x

Millions of insects can exist in a single acre of land.

Fantastic Foliage Flip to page F of S is for S’’mores and take the following quiz. Read each sentence and then circle either true or false. 1. Maple, oak, birch, and aspen trees are deciduous trees. True or False 2. The leaves of deciduous trees keep their color all year. True or False 3. Pine, spruce, and hemlock trees are also deciduous trees. True or False 4. Conifers are cone-bearing trees. True or False 5. Conifers keep their leaves or needles all year. True or False 6. Only conifer trees are found in forests. True or False 7. All leaves are safe to touch. True or False 8. Leaves only grow in one shape––like a feather. True or False 9. Pants help protect skin from poisonous plants. True or False 10. Poison oak and poison ivy have leaves of three per cluster. True or False

Know Your Signs Can you read these wordless signs? Match each sign to its meaning.

First Aid Camping Area Hospital Picnic Area Playground

Can you design other wordless signs that would be helpful to other campers?

Where Am I? Determine the following locations by searching S is for S’’mores and reading the following clues to discover interesting national parks. Voyageurs National Park Hawai’’i Volcanoes National Park Yellowstone National Park Acadia National Park

Great Smokey Mountain National Park Denali National Park and Preserve Banff National Park Yosemite National Park

1. I am watching Old Faithful shoot steam and boiling water over 100 feet in the air. Where am I? 2. I am hiking across lava formed by an ancient volcano. Where am I? 3. I am at the national park named for French-Canadian trappers. Where am I? 4. I am climbing North America’’s highest mountain, Mount McKinley (also called Denali). Where am I? 5. My thoughts are of John Muir, as I scramble to the top of Half Dome. Where am I? 6. I am camping along the rugged coastline of Maine at the first national park established east of the Mississippi River. Where am I? 7. The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage attracts me to this national park. Where am I? 8. I am at Canada’’s first national park. Where am I? __________________________________

Camping Crossword Across 1. The first women rangers were called _________ 2. The river that flows through Grand Canyon 3. One of the world’’s largest artificially created lakes 4. Small, light boat propelled by paddling 5. World’’s first national park Down 1. The oldest environmental organization in America 2. Sandy river washes 3. The driest, hottest, and lowest location in North America 4. Small pieces of wood or other material used for starting a fire 2 1 1 3 2

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Camping Word Search TENT

FISHING

LAKE

FLASHLIGHT

WHISTLE

HIKE

COMPASS

GEAR

CANOE

INSECTS

TRAIL

MARSHMALLOWS

BACKPACK

NATURE

CAMPERS

A L O P C O M P A S S H U P S O C L A U F P

L B U K L M O E U A S T K O E L I A H L I A

H O N M A U I L B L A L E K N F S K F S O C

U V U K C F F O L I S H C N I L L E N F C M

O M O M K I K P C P I N O F T A A O V L A A

N I M A R S H M A L L O W S Z S V H P O M C

L S I I O H E O M L M U P C O H H O A M P E

B I N P R I F S B Y A L B L H L I L L H E T

L N E A A N O U I A C V R U A I K U A P R U

M S A B T G S G R E C V A V P G E L C L S G

P E P O L U L M S S L K C J I H O I U I I E

I C P O B P R O H I A S P U N T G S K B F R

V T G C A N O E L A H U E A R P A L U L P C

U S E B L C F S U N L I L A C I I V L A V A

K S A A P O F A I S L A I D A K O N E I O P

B U R C P I E L S H U L U V B O P U L S L T

L G P A W H I S T L E H K L O F S K E L A V

CAMPING ESSENTIALS

Unscramble the top ten essentials that campers should pack. Turn to page E of S is for S’’mores for help. 1. traex cthloing / nair rgea 2. pokcte kfnie / tlmuisue loto

___________________________ ___________________________

3. amp

___________________________

4. lflashtigh

___________________________

5. fstir iad tik

___________________________

6. xetra dofo adn tawer

____________________________

7. iwhtsel

___________________________

8. uns porctetoin

___________________________

9. wtaerprfoo tmachse / frie sratetr ___________________________ 10. mcopsas

___________________________

Answer Key Awareness of Your Surroundings 1. b 2. c 3. a 4.b 5. c Fantastic Foliage 1. true 2. false 3. false 4. true 5. true 6. false 7. false 8. false 9. true 10. true Know Your Signs

First Aid Camping Area Hospital Picnic Area Playground Where Am I? 1. Yellowstone National Park 3. Voyageurs National Park 5. Yosemite National Park 7. Great Smokey Mountain National Park

2. Hawai’’i Volcanoes National Park 4. Denali National Park and Preserve 6. Acadia National Park 8. Banff National Park

Crossword Across 1. Rangerettes 2. Colorado River 3. Lake Mead 4. Canoe 5. Yellowstone Down 1. Sierra Club 2. Arroyos 3. Death Valley 4. Kindling Word Search A

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Camping Essentials 1. extra clothing/rain gear 2. pocket knife/multiuse tool 3. map 4. flashlight 5. first aid kit 6. extra food and water 7. whistle 8. sun protection 9. waterproof matches/fire starter 10. compass