Chapter 7 – Day, Night and the Sky | Grade 2 English | Firefly Ed

Term 3 | Level 3

Unit of inquiry: How the world works  |  Line of inquiry: Why we have day and night

Key concept: Causation (Why is it as it is?)  |  Learner profile: Inquirers  |  ATL skills: Research skills

PYP strand: Written language: receptive (reading)

I can read an explanation text, use time words to put the steps of a process in order, and explain why we have day and night.

Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Reading, Phase 2: read and understand the meaning of self-selected and teacher-selected texts at an appropriate level. Reading, Phase 3: recognize a range of different text types. England Year 2: read non-fiction books that are structured in different ways; discuss the sequence of events in books and how items of information are related; answer and ask questions. Common Core RI.2.3: describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text; RI.2.7: explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text.

Key words: explanation  |  process  |  rotation  |  sunrise  |  sunset  |  time words

Wonder

For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.

Where does the Sun go at night?

Let’s Learn

For the adult: read this part aloud. Find each feature together. The diagram is in Watch Me. The other features are in the text in Your Turn.

An explanation text tells you how or why something happens. It often explains a process: a set of steps that happen in order.

To follow a process, find the time words. Each one starts a new step.

Watch Me

For the adult: read the thinking aloud. Point to the bright half and the dark half of the Earth in the diagram.

The adult reads the section The Earth spins and the section Light from the Sun from the text in Your Turn.

“The title asks a why question, so I expect the text to give reasons.”

“I look at the diagram. The Sun’s light reaches the Earth. One half of the Earth is bright and the other half is dark. The text says: The half that faces the Sun has day. So the bright half has day, and the dark half has night.”

“The curved arrow shows that the Earth spins. As it spins, each place moves from the bright half into the dark half. That is why day turns into night.”

Let’s Try Together

For the adult: use the text in Your Turn.

1. How long does the Earth take to spin around once?

Hint: Look under the heading The Earth spins.

2. Find two time words in the section How day turns into night.

Hint: Look at the start of the sentences.

Your Turn

Name: ______________________

1. Read the explanation.

Why Do We Have Day and Night?

Every morning the sky gets light, and every evening it gets dark again. People have watched this happen for thousands of years. Long ago, many people thought that the Sun travelled around the Earth. Today we know that the Earth is the one that moves.

The Earth spins
The Earth is a huge ball of rock. It is always turning, like a spinning top. This is called rotation. The Earth spins around once every 24 hours. That is one whole day and one whole night. We cannot feel the Earth spinning, because everything on it, including the air, moves along with it.

Light from the Sun
The Sun is a star. It gives out a great deal of light and heat. The Sun can only shine on one half of the Earth at a time. The half that faces the Sun has day. The half that faces away from the Sun is in shadow, so it has night.

How day turns into night
First, the place where you live turns towards the Sun. The Sun seems to come up over the edge of the land. This is called sunrise, and it is the start of the day. Next, the Earth keeps turning, and the Sun seems to climb higher in the sky. At midday, it is at its highest point. After that, the Sun seems to sink lower. Then your home turns away from the Sun. The Sun seems to go down, and this is called sunset. Finally, your side of the Earth faces away from the Sun, and it is night. After a few hours, your home turns back towards the Sun and a new day begins.

The Sun does not really move
The Sun looks as if it moves across the sky, but it does not. It is the Earth that turns. You can feel the same thing on a roundabout in the park. As you spin, the trees seem to move past you, but really it is you who is moving.

Day and night around the world
Because the Earth is round and spinning, it is never day everywhere at once. When it is morning in London, it is evening in Sydney, in Australia. When children in one country are going to bed, children on the other side of the world are waking up.

2. Put the steps in order.

Number the steps from 1 to 5.

3. Find the facts.

a) What is the Sun?   ______________________________

b) Why can we not feel the Earth spinning?   ______________________________

c) Use the glossary. What does rotation mean?   ______________________________

4. Think about it.

a) Long ago, many people thought that the Sun travelled around the Earth. Why do you think they believed this?

Hint: What does the Sun seem to do every day?

__________________________________________________________________

b) The writer talks about a roundabout in the park. How does this help you understand the text?

__________________________________________________________________

c) It is 8 o’clock in the morning in London. Is it morning or evening in Sydney? Explain how you know.

__________________________________________________________________

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Reflect

For the adult: talk about these with the learner.

1. Go back to the Wonder question: “Where does the Sun go at night?” What do you think now?

2. I was an inquirer today when I ______________________________.

For the adult: An inquirer asks questions and finds things out. Example: I was an inquirer today when I asked why the Sun seems to move across the sky.

Take action: Watch the sunset or the sunrise with someone at home. Say what the Earth is really doing at that moment.

Answer Key

Next Steps

If this was easy, try: Find out what time the Sun rises and sets where you live today. Check again in one month. What has changed?

If this was hard, go back to: Task 2. Read only the section How day turns into night with an adult. Point to each time word, then number the steps.

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Term 3 | Level 3

Unit of inquiry: How the world works  |  Line of inquiry: How people have described and explained the sky

Key concept: Form (What is it like?)  |  Learner profile: Reflective  |  ATL skills: Thinking skills

PYP strand: Written language: receptive (reading)

I can find similes, rhymes, repeated lines and sound words in two poems, describe their mood and say which poem I prefer and why.

Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Reading, Phase 2: participate in shared reading, posing and responding to questions. Reading, Phase 3: recognize a range of different text types. England Year 2: continue to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart, appreciating these and reciting some, with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear; discuss their favourite words and phrases. Common Core RL.2.4: describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.

Key words: poem  |  simile  |  rhyme  |  repeated line  |  sound word  |  mood

Wonder

For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.

What could the Moon look like, if it was not the Moon?

Let’s Learn

For the adult: read this part aloud. Think of a simile together for something in the room: as soft as …, like a …

Poets choose their words carefully, to help you see and hear what they describe.

Not every poem rhymes. A poem without rhyme can still have a strong pattern and a clear mood: the feeling it gives you, such as happy, calm or scary.

Watch Me

For the adult: read Poem A aloud first. Then read the thinking aloud.

The adult reads Poem A from Your Turn aloud.

“I look for similes. I find like a lamp at night. The poet compares the Moon to a lamp, because they both give light in the dark.”

“Here is another one: as silver as frost. It uses as … as. Frost is shiny and pale, so this helps me picture the colour of the moonlight.”

“The first two lines come back at the end. That is a repeated line. It makes the poem feel finished, like coming back home.”

Let’s Try Together

For the adult: use the poems in Your Turn.

1. In Poem A, which word rhymes with sea?

Hint: Look at the end of the next line.

2. In Poem B, which words sound like the owl?

Hint: Look for the words in slanted letters.

Your Turn

Name: ______________________

1. Read both poems aloud.

Poem A: The Moon Is a Lantern

The Moon is a lantern, round and bright,
It hangs in the sky like a lamp at night.
It shines on the rooftops, it shines on the sea,
It shines through my window and smiles at me.

Sometimes it is thin like a slice of a pear,
Sometimes it is hiding and isn’t there.
But back it comes, as silver as frost,
Like a friend coming home who was never lost.

The Moon is a lantern, round and bright,
It hangs in the sky like a lamp at night.

Poem B: Under the Moon

Under the Moon, the owl calls, too-whit, too-whoo.
Under the Moon, the river whispers, shh, shh, shh.
Under the Moon, the wind sighs through the silver trees.
Under the Moon, a fox creeps softly, softly,
past the sleeping hens.

The Moon is as quiet as a cat,
as white as a saucer of milk.
It does not make a sound.
It just watches, and listens,
and lights the way home.

2. Find the similes.

Complete the table. What is the Moon compared to?

3. Look at the patterns.

a) Write two pairs of rhyming words from Poem A.   ______________    ______________

b) Which words are repeated at the start of the lines in Poem B?   ______________________

c) Write two sound words from Poem B.   ______________    ______________

d) Which poem does not rhyme?   Poem ______

4. Think about it.

a) In Poem A, the Moon is hiding and isn’t there. What do you think is really happening to the Moon?

__________________________________________________________________

b) What is the mood of Poem B? Choose a word and give a reason from the poem.

Hint: Is it noisy or quiet? Exciting or calm?

__________________________________________________________________

5. Which poem do you prefer?

Write two sentences. Use I prefer Poem ___ because … and give a reason about the words or the pattern.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Read your favourite poem aloud to someone at home. Make your voice soft for the quiet parts.

Reflect

For the adult: talk about these with the learner.

1. Go back to the Wonder question: “What could the Moon look like, if it was not the Moon?” What do you think now?

2. I was reflective today when I ______________________________.

For the adult: Being reflective means looking back at your work and thinking how to make it better. Example: I was reflective today when I read both poems before choosing my favourite.

Take action: Look at the Moon tonight, if you can see it. Make up a simile for it together: The Moon is like …

Answer Key

Next Steps

If this was easy, try: Find another poem about the Moon or the night sky in a book. Copy your favourite simile and say why you chose it.

If this was hard, go back to: Task 2. Read Poem A one line at a time with an adult. Put your finger on like or as each time you see it.

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Term 3 | Level 3

Unit of inquiry: How the world works  |  Line of inquiry: How the Moon, the Sun and shadows seem to change

Key concept: Change (How is it transforming?)  |  Learner profile: Thinkers  |  ATL skills: Thinking skills

PYP strand: Written language: expressive (writing)

I can plan and write an explanation in time order, using time words and cause words to explain how shadows change during the day.

Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Writing, Phase 2: write to communicate a message to a particular audience. Writing, Phase 3: organize ideas in a logical sequence; use graphic organizers to plan writing. England Year 2: write for different purposes; use subordination (using when, if, that, or because) and co-ordination (using or, and, or but); use the present tense correctly and consistently. Common Core W.2.2: write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

Key words: explanation  |  time order  |  time words  |  cause  |  shadow  |  pattern

Wonder

For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.

Why is your shadow sometimes long and sometimes short?

Let’s Learn

For the adult: read this part aloud. Shine a torch on a toy from low down, then from high up, and watch its shadow change.

An explanation tells the reader how or why something happens. When the explanation is about something that changes over time, write the steps in time order.

Time words show the order: first, in the morning, then, by midday, later, in the evening, finally.

Cause words show why: because, so, this means that.

Science fact: a shadow forms when something blocks the light. A shadow always points away from the Sun. When the Sun is low in the sky, shadows are long. When the Sun is high, shadows are short.

Watch Me

For the adult: look at the three pictures together, then read the thinking aloud.

“I look at picture A. It is 9 in the morning. The Sun is low in the sky, on the left. The shadow is long, and it points to the right, away from the Sun.”

“I write my opening sentence: A shadow forms when something blocks the light from the Sun.“

“Then my first step, with a time word and a cause word: In the morning, the Sun is low in the sky, so the tree’s shadow is long.“

“I add one more fact about the direction: The shadow points away from the Sun.“

Let’s Try Together

For the adult: use the three pictures in Watch Me.

1. In which picture is the shadow shortest? Where is the Sun in that picture?

Hint: Look at the size of the dark patch under the tree.

2. Finish the sentence: “At 5 in the evening, the shadow is long because …”

Hint: Is the Sun high or low?

Your Turn

Name: ______________________

1. Look closely at the pictures.

Use the three pictures in Watch Me to complete the table.

2. Join the cause and the effect.

Use because or so. Write the full sentence.

a) The Sun is high in the sky. The shadow is short.   (so)

__________________________________________________________________

b) The tree blocks the sunlight. A shadow forms behind it.   (so)

__________________________________________________________________

c) In the evening the shadow points the other way. The Sun seems to have moved across the sky.   (because)

__________________________________________________________________

3. Plan your explanation.

4. Write your explanation.

Title: How Do Shadows Change During the Day?

Write at least six sentences. Use your plan.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

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For the adult: tick each one you see.

☐ an opening that says what a shadow is    ☐ steps in time order    ☐ three or more time words    ☐ because or so    ☐ the direction of the shadow    ☐ a closing sentence    ☐ present tense throughout

5. Test it outside.

On a sunny day, stand in the same spot at three different times. Ask someone to draw around your shadow with chalk and write the time next to it. Does your explanation match what you see?

Reflect

For the adult: talk about these with the learner.

1. Go back to the Wonder question: “Why is your shadow sometimes long and sometimes short?” What do you think now?

2. I was a thinker today when I ______________________________.

For the adult: A thinker thinks carefully to work things out. Example: I was a thinker today when I planned my explanation before I wrote it.

Take action: Use a torch and a toy to show someone at home how a shadow changes. Explain it using your writing.

Answer Key

Next Steps

If this was easy, try: Find out what a sundial is. Make a simple one with a stick and stones, and mark the shadow every hour on a sunny day.

If this was hard, go back to: Task 4. Write three sentences only: one for the morning, one for midday and one for the evening. Start each with a time word.

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Term 3 | Level 3

Unit of inquiry: How the world works  |  Line of inquiry: How people have described and explained the sky

Key concept: Form (What is it like?)  |  Learner profile: Communicators  |  ATL skills: Communication skills

PYP strand: Written language: expressive (writing)

I can write a night sky poem with a repeated line and at least three similes using like and as … as, then improve one word.

Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Writing, Phase 2: write to communicate a message to a particular audience. Writing, Phase 3: write about a range of topics for a variety of purposes, using literary forms and structures modelled by the teacher; proofread their own writing and make some corrections and improvements. England Year 2: write poetry; make simple additions, revisions and corrections to their own writing by evaluating their writing with the teacher and other pupils. Common Core W.2.5: with guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing; L.2.5: demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

Key words: poem  |  simile  |  like  |  as … as  |  repeated line  |  senses

Wonder

For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.

What does the night sky remind you of?

Let’s Learn

For the adult: read this part aloud. Make up a fresh simile together for something in the room.

A simile compares two things using like or as … as. A good simile helps your reader picture something in a new way.

Try to be fresh. “As bright as the Sun” is used a lot. “As bright as a lighthouse” is more surprising, and still makes sense.

Many poems use a repeated line to hold them together. You can start several lines the same way: At night I see …   At night I hear …

A poem does not have to rhyme. Choose the best words first.

Watch Me

For the adult: read the thinking aloud. Write each line on paper as you build it.

“I imagine I am Mia, looking out of the window. I will start my lines with At night I see.”

“First line: At night I see the Moon. That is true, but plain. I add a simile. The thin Moon is curved, like a banana, or like a smile. I choose: At night I see the Moon, curved like a silver smile.“

“Next, the stars. They are small and shiny. At night I see the stars, as tiny as sugar on a dark blue cake.“

“Now a sound, so my reader can hear the night too: At night I hear the wind, whispering like a secret.“

Let’s Try Together

1. Finish the simile: The night sky is as dark as …

Hint: Think of something you know that is very dark.

2. Which simile is more interesting?   a) The Moon is like a ball.    b) The Moon is like a white plate floating in ink.

Hint: Which one helps you picture it more clearly?

Your Turn

Name: ______________________

1. Finish the similes.

a) The stars twinkle like ______________________________

b) The full Moon is as round as ______________________________

c) The night is as quiet as ______________________________

d) The clouds drift across the Moon like ______________________________

2. Collect your words.

Think about the night sky. Write words for each sense.

3. Write your poem.

Write at least eight lines. Use the repeated starts At night I see, At night I hear and At night I feel, or make up your own. Use at least three similes. Give your poem a title.

Title: ______________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

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Hint: End with a line that feels finished, such as going to sleep, or the Sun coming back.

4. Check and improve.

Read your poem aloud. Find one word you could change for a better one. Cross it out and write the new word above it.

For the adult: tick each one you see.

☐ a title    ☐ eight or more lines    ☐ three or more similes    ☐ a repeated line or pattern    ☐ more than one sense    ☐ one word improved    ☐ a line that ends the poem well

Copy your poem neatly onto paper and decorate it with stars and a Moon.

Reflect

For the adult: talk about these with the learner.

1. Go back to the Wonder question: “What does the night sky remind you of?” What do you think now?

2. I was a communicator today when I ______________________________.

For the adult: A communicator shares ideas clearly by talking, writing or drawing. Example: I was a communicator today when I chose a fresh simile instead of the first one I thought of.

Take action: Read your poem aloud by a window at night, with the lights off if it is safe. Does it match what you see?

Answer Key

Next Steps

If this was easy, try: Write a second poem about the daytime sky, using the same pattern. Compare the mood of your two poems.

If this was hard, go back to: Task 3. Write four lines only, using At night I see each time. Add one simile from Task 1.

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Term 3 | Level 3

Unit of inquiry: How the world works  |  Line of inquiry: How people have described and explained the sky

Key concept: Form (What is it like?)  |  Learner profile: Risk-takers  |  ATL skills: Social skills

PYP strand: Oral language: receptive and expressive (listening and speaking)

I can mark a poem for volume and pace, plan actions, and perform it with a group, saying the shared lines in time.

Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Oral language, Phase 2: memorize and join in with poems, rhymes and songs. Oral language, Phase 3: participate in a variety of dramatic activities; listen attentively and speak appropriately in small and large group interactions. Visual language, Phase 3: use actions and body language to reinforce and add meaning to oral presentations. England Year 2: continue to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart, appreciating these and reciting some, with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear. England Years 1 to 6, spoken language: participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates. Common Core SL.2.1: participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners; SL.2.6: produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

Key words: perform  |  volume  |  pace  |  pause  |  expression  |  actions

Wonder

For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.

How can your voice make a poem come alive?

Let’s Learn

For the adult: read this part aloud. Say one line of a nursery rhyme loudly, then softly, then slowly, and talk about how it changes.

When you perform a poem, your voice and body help the audience enjoy it. Think about:

Performers often mark the poem first, with notes such as loud, soft, slow or pause.

Watch Me

For the adult: read the thinking aloud, and do the actions and voices as you go.

“I am Voice 3. My line is: The Moon comes up, as round as a plate.“

“The Moon rises slowly, so I will say it slowly. I will make a big circle with my arms on round, and say that word a little louder.”

“Voice 4 says It’s getting late! That has an exclamation mark, so I would say it with surprise, maybe looking at a pretend watch.”

“The last line has three dots: Hello … night. So we all pause, then say night very softly, as if someone is falling asleep.”

Let’s Try Together

1. Say Hello, night! in three ways: excited, sleepy and whispering. Which way suits the start of the poem best?

Hint: The night is just arriving. How would you greet it?

2. What action could match The Sun slides down behind the hill?

Hint: Use your hands to show the Sun going down.

Your Turn

Name: ______________________

1. Read the poem.

Hello, Night

2. Mark the poem.

Choose how to say each part. Write loud or soft, and fast or slow.

Give a reason for one of your choices.

__________________________________________________________________

3. Plan your actions.

Write or draw a simple action for these lines.

a) The birds fly home.   ______________________________

b) The owl wakes up.   ______________________________

c) The fox creeps out.   ______________________________

4. Perform together.

Perform the poem with people at home. Share out the voices. If there are only two of you, take two voices each. Practise three times, then perform for an audience, such as another family member, or record it.

For the adult: tick each one you notice.

☐ spoke clearly    ☐ changed volume    ☐ changed pace    ☐ paused at the dots    ☐ used actions that match the words    ☐ said the All lines in time with others    ☐ looked at the audience

5. Two stars and a wish.

Think about the performance. Write two things that went well and one thing to do better next time.

★ ______________________________________________

★ ______________________________________________

Wish: ______________________________________________

Reflect

For the adult: talk about these with the learner.

1. Go back to the Wonder question: “How can your voice make a poem come alive?” What do you think now?

2. I was a risk-taker today when I ______________________________.

For the adult: A risk-taker tries something new, even when it feels hard. Example: I was a risk-taker today when I tried a new action in front of an audience.

Take action: Perform the poem at bedtime for a younger child or a grandparent, or on a video call to a relative.

Answer Key

Next Steps

If this was easy, try: Learn the whole poem by heart and perform it alone, using different voices for each part.

If this was hard, go back to: Task 4. Learn the All lines only first. Then take one Voice line and practise it with your action.

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Term 3 | Level 3

Unit of inquiry: How the world works  |  Line of inquiry: Why we have day and night

Key concept: Causation (Why is it as it is?)  |  Learner profile: Communicators  |  ATL skills: Communication skills

PYP strand: Oral language: receptive and expressive (listening and speaking)

I can use a model to explain how day and night happen, step by step, and answer how and why questions in full sentences with because.

Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Oral language, Phase 2: ask questions to gain information and respond to inquiries directed to themselves or to the class. Oral language, Phase 3: use language to explain, inquire and compare; understand and use specific vocabulary to suit different purposes. England Years 1 to 6, spoken language: ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge; give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes. Common Core SL.2.3: ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue; SL.2.6: produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

Key words: model  |  explain  |  how  |  why  |  what if  |  full sentence

Wonder

For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.

How could you show someone why we have night, using things from home?

Let’s Learn

For the adult: read this part aloud. Point to each question word and make up one more question together.

A model is a small copy that helps us see how something works. A torch can be a model of the Sun, and a ball can be a model of the Earth.

When you explain with a model:

• Say what each object stands for: The torch is the Sun.
• Show one step at a time, and say what is happening.
• Use because and so to give reasons.
• Check your listener understands: Does that make sense?

Your listener can ask questions to find out more.

Answer a question in a full sentence, and give a reason with because.

Watch Me

For the adult: read the thinking aloud. If you can, do the demonstration with a real torch and ball as you read.

Sam’s dad holds the torch. Leo holds the ball and explains.

“The torch is the Sun, and the ball is the Earth. The red sticker is where we live.”

“Look: the sticker is on the bright side, so it is day for us. Now I turn the ball slowly, like the Earth spinning. The sticker moves into the dark side. Now it is night for us, because our side is facing away from the Sun.”

Sam’s dad asks: “Why does the torch stay still?”

“The torch stays still because the Sun does not move around the Earth. It is the Earth that turns.”

Let’s Try Together

For the adult: use the picture in Watch Me.

1. Is it day or night at the red sticker in the picture? How do you know?

Hint: Which side of the ball is the sticker on, bright or dark?

2. Ask the adult one how question and one why question about the picture.

Hint: Start with How does … or Why is …

Your Turn

Name: ______________________

1. Get ready.

You need: a torch, a ball (or an orange), a small sticker, and a dark room.

Put the sticker on the ball to show where you live. Ask an adult to shine the torch at the ball.

2. Plan your explanation.

Write key words for each step.

3. Explain it.

Use the torch and ball to explain day and night to someone at home. Turn the ball slowly, and talk as you turn. Use because or so at least twice.

4. Answer questions.

Your listener chooses two of these questions. Answer each one in a full sentence with because.

a) Why is one side of the ball dark?

b) How does the night end?

c) Why can people on the other side of the world be asleep when we are awake?

d) What if the Earth stopped spinning?

Write your answer to one question.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

For the adult: tick each one you hear.

☐ said what each object stands for    ☐ explained in order    ☐ used because or so twice    ☐ checked that the listener understood    ☐ answered in full sentences    ☐ gave reasons in answers

5. Ask your own question.

Swap roles. Ask the adult one how or why question about the Sun, the Earth or the Moon that you still wonder about. If neither of you knows the answer, find it out together in a book or on a website for children.

My question: ______________________________________________?

Reflect

For the adult: talk about these with the learner.

1. Go back to the Wonder question: “How could you show someone why we have night, using things from home?” What do you think now?

2. I was a communicator today when I ______________________________.

For the adult: A communicator shares ideas clearly by talking, writing or drawing. Example: I was a communicator today when I explained each step slowly so my listener could follow.

Take action: Explain day and night to someone who was not there, using only your hands as the Sun and the Earth.

Answer Key

Next Steps

If this was easy, try: Add a second ball for the Moon. Find out how the Moon moves around the Earth, then explain it with your model.

If this was hard, go back to: Task 3. Explain steps 1, 2 and 4 only, using the sentence starts: The torch is … The sticker is on the bright side, so … Now it is dark because …

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Term 3 | Level 3

Unit of inquiry: How the world works  |  Line of inquiry: How the Moon, the Sun and shadows seem to change

Key concept: Change (How is it transforming?)  |  Learner profile: Thinkers  |  ATL skills: Thinking skills

PYP strand: Visual language: receptive (viewing)

I can read a Moon chart set out like a calendar, find dates and patterns, and use the pattern to work out what I cannot see.

Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Visual language, Phase 2: realize that shapes, symbols and colours have meaning and include them in presentations. Visual language, Phase 3: realize that text and illustrations in reference materials work together to convey information. England Year 2: discuss and clarify the meanings of words; answer and ask questions; make inferences on the basis of what is being said and done. Common Core RI.2.7: explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text; RI.2.5: know and use various text features to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.

Key words: Moon  |  phase  |  full Moon  |  new Moon  |  waxing  |  waning

Wonder

For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.

Why does the Moon look different on different nights?

Let’s Learn

For the adult: read this part aloud. Shine a torch on a ball in a dark room and walk around it to see the lit part change shape.

The Moon does not make its own light. The Sun shines on it, and the Moon reflects the light, like a mirror. As the Moon travels around the Earth, we see different amounts of its lit side. So the Moon seems to change shape. These shapes are called the phases of the Moon.

• When the lit part gets bigger each night, the Moon is waxing (growing).
• When the lit part gets smaller each night, the Moon is waning (shrinking).
• The whole pattern, from new Moon to new Moon, takes about four weeks. Then it starts again.

A chart set out like a calendar shows one row for each week and one column for each day. Read the title and the key first.

Watch Me

For the adult: read the thinking aloud. Point to each date as you talk about it.

“First I read the title: Leo’s Moon Diary: June. So Leo drew the Moon every night in June.”

“Next I read the key. A cloud means it was too cloudy to see the Moon.”

“Now I look for a pattern. On the 1st, the Moon is dark: that is a new Moon. Then the lit part on the right grows bigger each night. On the 8th, it is a half Moon. So in the first part of the month, the Moon is waxing.”

“I notice that the 1st and the 8th are both Mondays. I will check the other Mondays too.”

Let’s Try Together

For the adult: use Leo’s Moon diary in Watch Me.

1. What shape was the Moon on the 11th?

Hint: Find the box with the number 11. Is it more or less than half lit?

2. How many nights in the first week was it too cloudy to see the Moon?

Hint: Look along the first row for clouds.

Your Turn

Name: ______________________

1. Read the chart.

Use Leo’s Moon diary in Watch Me.

a) On which date was the Moon full?   ______   What day of the week was it?   ______________

b) On which two dates was there a half Moon?   ______ and ______

c) How many nights in June were too cloudy to see the Moon?   ______

d) How many days after the new Moon on the 1st was the full Moon?   ______ days

e) Look at the 18th to the 25th. Is the Moon waxing or waning?   ______________

2. Find the pattern.

a) Look at the Mondays: the 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th. What do you notice?

__________________________________________________________________

b) When the Moon is waxing, which side is lit? When it is waning, which side is lit?

__________________________________________________________________

3. Use the pattern to work it out.

a) The 14th was cloudy. What do you think the Moon looked like that night? Explain why.

Hint: Look at the nights just before and just after.

__________________________________________________________________

b) Leo wants to see the next full Moon after June. About how many weeks after the 15th of June should he look?   ______ weeks

c) Why is a chart a good way to show this information, instead of a long list of sentences?

__________________________________________________________________

4. Keep your own Moon diary.

For the next two weeks, look for the Moon each evening with an adult. Draw its shape in a calendar like Leo’s. If you cannot see it, draw a cloud. Sometimes the Moon is easier to see in the early morning, or even in the daytime sky.

Reflect

For the adult: talk about these with the learner.

1. Go back to the Wonder question: “Why does the Moon look different on different nights?” What do you think now?

2. I was a thinker today when I ______________________________.

For the adult: A thinker thinks carefully to work things out. Example: I was a thinker today when I used the pattern to work out the Moon on a cloudy night.

Take action: Check tonight’s Moon. Is it waxing or waning? Tell someone at home how you worked it out.

Answer Key

Next Steps

If this was easy, try: Find the dates of the next full Moon and new Moon where you live, with an adult, using a calendar or a website for children.

If this was hard, go back to: Task 1. Do a) and c) first with an adult, pointing to each box. Then try b).

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Term 3 | Level 3

Unit of inquiry: How the world works  |  Line of inquiry: How people have described and explained the sky

Key concept: Form (What is it like?)  |  Learner profile: Open-minded  |  ATL skills: Thinking skills

PYP strand: Visual language: receptive and expressive (viewing and presenting)

I can join stars to find a shape, explain that people see different pictures in the same stars, and design my own constellation with a key and a story.

Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Visual language, Phase 2: realize that shapes, symbols and colours have meaning and include them in presentations. Visual language, Phase 3: select and use suitable shapes, colours, symbols and layout for presentations; observe and discuss familiar and unfamiliar visual messages and make judgments. England Year 2: write narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional); discuss and clarify the meanings of words. Common Core SL.2.5: create audio recordings of stories or poems; add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings; W.2.3: write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events.

Key words: constellation  |  star  |  symbol  |  key  |  shape  |  story

Wonder

For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.

What pictures could you find in the stars?

Let’s Learn

For the adult: read this part aloud. Trace the lines of the Plough with your finger together.

For thousands of years, people have looked at the stars and imagined lines joining them into pictures. A group of stars that makes a picture is called a constellation. Today, astronomers divide the whole sky into 88 constellations.

Different people have seen different pictures in the same stars. One famous group of seven stars is called the Plough in the UK and the Big Dipper in the USA. It is part of a bigger constellation called the Great Bear.

A star picture uses symbols: a star shape for each star, and straight lines to join them. Stars are not really joined. The lines are only there to help us see the shape.

Many constellations have a story that explains their name, such as a hunter, an animal or a hero.

Watch Me

For the adult: read the thinking aloud. Follow the stars in order with your finger.

Look at the joined stars in Let’s Learn.

“I follow the stars in order: 1, 2, 3, 4. That makes a long, bent line. Then 4, 5, 6, 7 and back to 4. That makes a box shape.”

“The box with the long line looks like a saucepan with a handle. I can see why people in the USA call it a dipper: a dipper is a big spoon for water.”

“If I invented my own name, I might call it the Kite: the box is the kite, and the long line is its string.”

Let’s Try Together

1. In the Plough, which stars make the handle?

Hint: Follow the long line from star 1.

2. Why do you think people in different countries gave the same stars different names?

Hint: What objects did they see in their everyday life?

Your Turn

Name: ______________________

1. Join the stars.

On your printed page, join the stars in order with a ruler, from 1 to 5.

a) What letter of the alphabet does the shape look like?   ______

b) Turn the page upside down. What letter does it look like now?   ______

Hint: People in the north of the world can see this constellation. It is called Cassiopeia, after a queen in an old Greek story.

2. What can you see?

These eight stars have no numbers. Join them in any way you like to make a picture. You do not have to use every star.

My picture is a ______________________________ .

3. Invent a constellation.

Draw 5 to 9 stars in the night sky box. Join them to make a picture of something important to you, such as an animal, a toy or a person.

Name of my constellation: ______________________________

Key: ★ = a bright star    ___ = an imaginary line

Hint: Use only straight lines, like real star maps.

4. Write its story.

Write three or four sentences that explain how your constellation got into the sky.

Hint: Start with Long ago …

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

For the adult: tick each one you see.

☐ 5 to 9 stars    ☐ straight joining lines    ☐ a clear picture    ☐ a name    ☐ a key    ☐ a story that explains the name

Show your constellation to someone at home without telling them the name. Can they guess what it is?

Reflect

For the adult: talk about these with the learner.

1. Go back to the Wonder question: “What pictures could you find in the stars?” What do you think now?

2. I was open-minded today when I ______________________________.

For the adult: Being open-minded means listening to other ideas and other ways of doing things. Example: I was open-minded today when I learned that people in different places see different pictures in the same stars.

Take action: On a clear night, go outside with an adult and look for the Plough or another star pattern. Use a star map app or a book to help.

Answer Key

Next Steps

If this was easy, try: Find out about one real constellation, such as Orion, and the story behind its name. Draw it and retell the story.

If this was hard, go back to: Task 3. Use five stars only. Make a simple shape first, such as a house or a kite, then give it a name.

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Term 3 | Level 3

Unit of inquiry: How the world works  |  Line of inquiry: How people have described and explained the sky

Key concept: Form (What is it like?)  |  Learner profile: Knowledgeable  |  ATL skills: Research skills

PYP strand: Written language: receptive and expressive (reading and spelling)

I can write contractions with the apostrophe where the missing letters were, and spell could, should, would, who and whole.

Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Writing, Phase 2: connect written codes with the sounds of spoken language and reflect this understanding when recording ideas. Writing, Phase 3: use appropriate writing conventions; use familiar aspects of written language with increasing confidence and accuracy, for example, spelling patterns, high-frequency words, high-interest words. England Year 2: contractions: in contractions, the apostrophe shows where a letter or letters would be if the words were written in full (e.g. can’t for cannot); learn to spell common exception words, including could, should, would, who and whole. Common Core L.2.2c: use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives; RF.2.3f: recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

Key words: contraction  |  apostrophe  |  missing letter  |  -ould  |  tricky word

Wonder

For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.

Why do we squash some words together when we write?

Let’s Learn

For the adult: read this part aloud. Say each pair of words quickly together, and listen to how they turn into a contraction.

A contraction is two words squashed into one. Some letters are taken out, and an apostrophe ( ‘ ) goes where the letters were.

We use contractions when we write the way we speak, such as in speech marks, letters to friends and stories. In formal writing, such as a report, write the full words.

Watch out: won’t is a contraction of will not. It changes its spelling.

Tricky words: could, should, would, who, whole.

• could, should, would all end in -ould, which says ood, as in good. The l is silent.
• who and whole start with wh, but say h. Whole means all of something. A hole is a gap. They sound the same.

Watch Me

For the adult: say the thinking aloud. Write should not and shouldn’t on paper, and point to where the o was.

“I want to write should not as one word. I write should, then not. I take out the o in not and put an apostrophe in its place: shouldn’t.”

“Where does the apostrophe go? Not between the two words! It goes exactly where the o was, between the n and the t: should-n-‘-t.”

“Now who. It sounds like hoo, but it starts with wh. I learn it by heart, and I remember it goes with the other question words: what, where, when, why, who.”

Let’s Try Together

1. Write I will as a contraction.

Hint: Take out the same letters as in we’ll.

2. Which letter is missing in didn’t?

Hint: Say it in full: did not.

Your Turn

Name: ______________________

1. Make the contractions.

2. Write the two words.

a) wasn’t → ______________    b) he’s → ______________    c) you’ll → ______________

d) I’ll → ______________    e) won’t → ______________    f) can’t → ______________

3. Fix the apostrophes.

Each sentence has at least one mistake with an apostrophe. Write the sentence correctly.

a) We could’nt see the Moon last night.

__________________________________________________________________

b) Theyre going to look for shooting stars.

__________________________________________________________________

c) Its getting dark, so well go inside.

__________________________________________________________________

4. Tricky words.

Look at each word. Say it. Cover it. Write it. Check it.

Fill each gap with whole or hole, and who, could, should or would.

a) ______________ saw the full Moon last night?

b) Leo ate the ______________ pizza by himself!

c) The rabbit dug a ______________ under the fence.

d) You ______________ wear a coat. It is cold outside.

e) ______________ you like to look through my telescope?

5. Listen and write the sentences.

For the adult: the sentences are in the Answer Key. Say each one twice.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Reflect

For the adult: talk about these with the learner.

1. Go back to the Wonder question: “Why do we squash some words together when we write?” What do you think now?

2. I was knowledgeable today when I ______________________________.

For the adult: Being knowledgeable means knowing things and using what you know. Example: I was knowledgeable today when I put the apostrophe exactly where the missing letter was.

Take action: Find five contractions in a storybook at home. Say the two full words for each one.

Answer Key

Next Steps

If this was easy, try: Write a short conversation between two astronauts. Use at least six different contractions in their speech.

If this was hard, go back to: Task 1. Do the not words first: would not, has not, should not. They all follow the same pattern.

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Term 3 | Level 3

Unit of inquiry: How the world works  |  Line of inquiry: How people have described and explained the sky

Key concept: Form (What is it like?)  |  Learner profile: Thinkers  |  ATL skills: Thinking skills

PYP strand: Written language: receptive and expressive (reading and spelling)

I can use ‘s to show that something belongs to someone, tell owning from a contraction, and use its and it’s correctly.

Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Writing, Phase 2: connect written codes with the sounds of spoken language and reflect this understanding when recording ideas. Writing, Phase 3: use appropriate writing conventions; use increasingly accurate grammatical constructs. England Year 2: the possessive apostrophe (singular nouns), for example Megan’s, Ravi’s, the girl’s, the child’s, the man’s; learn how to use apostrophes to mark where letters are missing in spelling and to mark singular possession in nouns. Common Core L.2.2c: use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.

Key words: apostrophe  |  owning  |  possession  |  contraction  |  its  |  it’s

Wonder

For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.

How can one small mark show who something belongs to?

Let’s Learn

For the adult: read this part aloud. Point to things in the room and say who they belong to: Mum’s phone, my bag.

An apostrophe and s ( ‘s ) can show that something belongs to someone or something.

Write the owner, then ‘s, then the thing they own.

Three things to check:

• ‘s can also be a contraction: Sam’s here means Sam is here. Ask: can I say is or has instead? If yes, it is a contraction.
• Do not use an apostrophe just because a word ends in s. Two stars means more than one star. Nothing belongs to anyone, so there is no apostrophe.
• its (no apostrophe) means belonging to it: The Moon shows its bright side. it’s means it is: It’s late.

Watch Me

For the adult: say the thinking aloud. Write each example on paper and circle the apostrophe.

The tail that belongs to the comet.

“Who is the owner? The comet. What does it own? The tail. So I write the owner, then ‘s, then the thing: the comet’s tail.”

Mia’s watching the stars.

“Can I say Mia is watching the stars? Yes. So this ‘s is a contraction, not owning.”

The planets move around the Sun.

“Planets means more than one planet. Nothing belongs to the planets in this sentence, so there is no apostrophe.”

Let’s Try Together

1. Write it the short way: the hat that belongs to Grandpa.

Hint: Owner, then ‘s, then the thing.

2. Is the ‘s in Leo’s tired owning or a contraction?

Hint: Can you say Leo is tired?

Your Turn

Name: ______________________

1. Whose is it?

Write who owns each thing. Use an apostrophe.

Hint: Write the person’s name, then ‘s, then the thing.

For the adult: point to each picture and name it first: Ava and a kite, Leo and a telescope, Mia and a torch, Gran and a hat.

1. ______________________    2. ______________________

3. ______________________    4. ______________________

2. Write it the short way.

a) the light of the Sun → ______________________

b) the bowl that belongs to the dog → ______________________

c) the rocket that belongs to the astronaut → ______________________

d) the tail of the fox → ______________________

3. Owning or contraction?

Write O for owning or C for contraction.

a) Sam’s telescope is new.   ____    b) Sam’s looking at Mars.   ____

c) It’s a clear night.   ____    d) Dad’s torch is very bright.   ____

e) Mia’s been to the planetarium.   ____

4. Apostrophe or not?

Circle the correct word.

a) The (stars / star’s) twinkled all night.

b) The (owls / owl’s) eyes are big and round.

c) The Moon hides (its / it’s) dark side from us.

d) (Its / It’s) time to go to bed.

5. Listen and write the sentences.

For the adult: the sentences are in the Answer Key. Say each one twice.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Reflect

For the adult: talk about these with the learner.

1. Go back to the Wonder question: “How can one small mark show who something belongs to?” What do you think now?

2. I was a thinker today when I ______________________________.

For the adult: A thinker thinks carefully to work things out. Example: I was a thinker today when I checked whether ‘s meant owning or is.

Take action: Make labels for things at home that belong to people, such as Dad’s mug or Mum’s shoes. Check every apostrophe.

Answer Key

Next Steps

If this was easy, try: Write five sentences about a family trip to see the stars. Use at least three owning apostrophes and two contractions. Underline them in two colours.

If this was hard, go back to: Task 1. Say each answer aloud first: Ava’s kite. Then write the name, the apostrophe, the s and the thing.

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Term 3 | Level 3

Unit of inquiry: How the world works  |  Line of inquiry: How people have described and explained the sky

Key concept: Form (What is it like?)  |  Learner profile: Knowledgeable  |  ATL skills: Research skills

PYP strand: Written language: receptive and expressive (reading and spelling)

I can read and spell words ending in -tion, and make -tion nouns from verbs, dropping the e when the verb ends in te.

Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Reading, Phase 2: understand sound-symbol relationships and recognize familiar sounds, symbols and words of the language community. Writing, Phase 3: use familiar aspects of written language with increasing confidence and accuracy, for example, spelling patterns, high-frequency words, high-interest words. England Year 2: words ending in -tion, for example station, fiction, motion, national, section. Common Core RF.2.3d: decode words with common prefixes and suffixes; L.2.2d: generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words.

Key words: -tion  |  shun  |  syllable  |  noun  |  verb  |  root word

Wonder

For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.

What do station, invention and celebration have in common?

Let’s Learn

For the adult: read this part aloud. Say each -tion word and clap its syllables together.

The ending -tion says shun. It comes at the end of many longer words.

Examples: station, motion, fiction, section, nation, action, lotion, potion

Many -tion words are nouns made from verbs (doing words):

• If the verb ends in t, just add -ion: invent → invention.
• If the verb ends in te, drop the e and add -ion: celebrate → celebration.

Remember from Lesson 6.9: -sion can say zhun, as in television. -tion says shun.

Watch Me

For the adult: say the thinking aloud. Clap the syllables of direction as you say them.

“I want to spell direction. I break it into syllables: di-rec-tion. Three claps.”

“I spell each syllable: di, rec, and the shun at the end is tion. So: d-i-r-e-c-t-i-o-n.”

“I check: it comes from the verb direct. Direct ends in t, so I just add -ion. That matches.”

“Now creation. It comes from create, which ends in te. I drop the e and add -ion: creation.”

Let’s Try Together

1. Clap the syllables in celebration. How many are there?

Hint: Say it slowly: cel-e-bra-tion.

2. Make a -tion word from protect.

Hint: It ends in t, so just add -ion.

Your Turn

Name: ______________________

1. Finish the words.

Add tion and write the whole word.

a) sta ______ → ______________    b) mo ______ → ______________    c) fic ______ → ______________

d) sec ______ → ______________    e) lo ______ → ______________    f) na ______ → ______________

2. Make nouns from verbs.

3. Complete the sentences.

Choose a word:   station   invention   collection   direction   celebration

a) The telescope was an amazing ______________ that helped people study the sky.

b) We had a big ______________ for Gran’s birthday.

c) Mia has a ______________ of fifty space stickers.

d) The train pulled into the ______________ on time.

e) The compass shows which ______________ is north.

4. Count the syllables.

a) station ______    b) invention ______    c) information ______    d) action ______

5. Listen and write the sentences.

For the adult: the sentences are in the Answer Key. Say each one twice.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Reflect

For the adult: talk about these with the learner.

1. Go back to the Wonder question: “What do station, invention and celebration have in common?” What do you think now?

2. I was knowledgeable today when I ______________________________.

For the adult: Being knowledgeable means knowing things and using what you know. Example: I was knowledgeable today when I found where -tion words come from.

Take action: Go on a -tion hunt in a book, a newspaper or on food packets. How many -tion words can you find in ten minutes?

Answer Key

Next Steps

If this was easy, try: Find out about one invention that helped people learn about space, such as the telescope or the rocket. Write three sentences with at least three -tion words.

If this was hard, go back to: Task 1. Say each word aloud first and listen for shun at the end. Then write tion.

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Term 3 | Level 3

Unit of inquiry: How the world works  |  Line of inquiry: All three lines of inquiry

Key concept: Causation, Change and Form  |  Learner profile: Reflective  |  ATL skills: Self-management skills

PYP strand: All strands: receptive and expressive

I can show what I learned in Chapter 7 in reading, writing, speaking, looking and phonics.

Curriculum links: This review checks the outcomes from Lessons 7.1 to 7.11. IB PYP Language, Phases 2 and 3, across reading, writing, oral language and visual language. England Year 2: write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs, common exception words and punctuation taught so far. Common Core RI.2.3, RL.2.4, W.2.2, L.2.5, SL.2.3, SL.2.6, RI.2.7, L.2.2c and RF.2.3d.

Key words: explanation  |  simile  |  perform  |  Moon phase  |  constellation  |  apostrophe  |  -tion

Wonder

For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.

What patterns can we see in the sky, and what causes them?

Let’s Learn

For the adult: read this part aloud. There are six short tasks. Do them in one sitting or split them over two days.

This page checks what you learned in Chapter 7.

There is one task for each part: reading, writing, oral, visual and phonics. The last task is a spelling check.

Read each task with an adult. Do your best on your own first.

Watch Me

For the adult: show how the spelling check in Task 6 works, using the word “wouldn’t”.

“You will hear a word. I say: wouldn’t. I say it again: wouldn’t.”

“I know it is a contraction of would not. I write would, with the -ould pattern, then n, then an apostrophe where the o was, then t.”

“I write w-o-u-l-d-n-‘-t. I read it back: wouldn’t. It matches.”

Let’s Try Together

1. The adult says “motion”. What sound does -tion make?

Hint: Think of motion and fiction.

2. Write “motion” in the air with your finger.

Hint: sta, then tion.

Your Turn

Name: ______________________

1. Reading: Where do the stars go in the day?

At night, we can see hundreds of stars. But where do they go in the daytime? The answer is that they do not go anywhere. The stars are still in the sky during the day. We cannot see them because the Sun is so bright. Its light fills the sky and hides the much fainter light of the stars. First, the Sun sets in the evening. Then the sky gets darker and darker. Finally, the stars appear, one by one. They were there all along!

a) Are the stars still in the sky during the day?   ______

b) Why can we not see them in the day?   ______________________________

c) Write the three time words the writer uses to show the order.   ______________________________

2. Writing: Similes and explanations

a) Finish the simile: The stars sparkled like ______________________________

b) Join with so: The Sun was high in the sky. My shadow was short.

__________________________________________________________________

3. Oral: Perform and explain

a) How would you say this line in a poem? The fox creeps softly through the dark. Write loud or soft, and fast or slow.   ______________

b) Answer in a full sentence with because: Why is it night on one half of the Earth?

__________________________________________________________________

4. Visual: Moon shapes and star patterns

a) Which picture shows a full Moon?   ______

b) Which two pictures show a half Moon?   ______ and ______

c) In Leo’s diary in Lesson 7.7, the Moon grew bigger on the right side. Which picture shows a waxing crescent?   ______

d) What is a constellation?   ______________________________

5. Phonics: Apostrophes, -tion and tricky words

a) Write the contractions.   could not → ______________    they are → ______________

b) Write it the short way.   the light of the Moon → ______________________

c) Circle the correct word.   The cat licked (its / it’s) paw.

d) Add -ion.   invent → ______________    celebrate → ______________

e) Circle the tricky words.   Who would like to eat the whole cake?

6. Spelling check

For the adult: the words and the sentence are in the Answer Key. Say each word twice, then say the sentence twice. Do not stretch the sounds for the learner.

1. ______________

2. ______________

3. ______________

__________________________________________________________________

Reflect

For the adult: talk about these with the learner.

1. Go back to the Wonder question: “What patterns can we see in the sky, and what causes them?” What do you think now?

2. I was reflective today when I ______________________________.

For the adult: Being reflective means looking back at your work and thinking how to make it better. Example: I was reflective today when I looked back at what I learned in this chapter.

Take action: Look back at the ideas you had in Tuning in at the start of the chapter. Tell someone at home one thing you now know about the Sun, the Moon or the stars.

Answer Key

Next Steps

If this was easy, try: Start Chapter 8: Keeping Healthy. It begins with Lesson 8.1.

If this was hard, go back to: The lesson named next to each missed task in the answer key. Redo the Your Turn page from that lesson, then try this review again.

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For the adult: this section is optional. Use it when the lessons feel easy, or to stretch the learner after Lesson 7.12. The story is for you to read aloud. It uses some harder words on purpose. Talk about them as you read.

Part 1: Read-Aloud Story

For the adult: read the story aloud twice. The first time, just enjoy it. The second time, stop at the words in bold and talk about what they mean.

The Astronomer Next Door

Mia’s new neighbour, Mr Hassan, was an astronomer. He studied the stars for his job. One clear evening, he invited Mia and her mum to look through his telescope.

“Be patient,” he said. “Our eyes need time to get used to the darkness.”

Mia waited. Slowly, more and more stars appeared, until the sky was crowded with them.

Mr Hassan pointed the telescope at the Moon. Mia gasped. She could see craters, like tiny bowls pressed into its surface. “Rocks from space crashed into the Moon long ago and made those,” he explained.

Then he showed her a faint, fuzzy smudge of light. “That is a galaxy,” he said. “It is made of billions of stars. It is so far away that its light has travelled for millions of years to reach us.”

Mia stared in wonder. That night, she wrote in her diary: When I grow up, I want to be an explorer of the sky.

Talk about the story

1. What was Mr Hassan’s job?

2. Why did Mia have to be patient before she could see lots of stars?

3. What do you think craters are? Which words in the story help you?

Hint: Look at what the craters are compared to.

4. Why does light from the galaxy take so long to reach us?

5. How do you think Mia felt that night? Find two clues in the story.

Hint: Look at what Mia did and what she wrote.

Part 2: Making Nouns (Grammar)

For the adult: read this part aloud.

In Grade 1, you learned that a noun names a person, place or thing. We can make new nouns in three ways.

• Add -ness to a describing word to name a feeling or an idea, as in Lesson 6.10: dark → darkness, kind → kindness.
• Add -er to a doing word to name the person who does it: teach → teacher, garden → gardener. If the word ends in e, just add r: explore → explorer.
• Join two nouns to make a compound noun: sun + light → sunlight, star + fish → starfish.

1. Make a noun by adding -ness or -er.

a) bright → ______________    b) farm → ______________    c) bake → ______________
d) soft → ______________    e) paint → ______________    f) cold → ______________

2. Join the words to make compound nouns.

a) moon + light = ______________    b) sun + set = ______________
c) space + ship = ______________    d) day + time = ______________

3. Find two made nouns in the story: one that ends in -ness and one that names a person and ends in -er.

-ness: ______________    -er: ______________

Answer Key

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