Posts by author: Lesson Pathways

This magazine is written and edited for the contemporary woman in that it covers the various issues that are important to women today. Its feature articles are devoted to information on food and nutrition, health and fitness, beauty and fashion as well as the traditional values of home, family and children. The changing needs of women are also addressed with articles which focus on careers, money management, law and relationships.

Join Mickey and friends from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Based on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse TV episode, “Mickey Go Seek,” the Create-A-Story provides the ultimate interactive reading experience. The Create-A-Story comes with two books, Read-A-Story and Create-A-Story and one software cartridge. Choose Read-A-Story mode to hear the “Mickey Go Seek” story and to play various learning activities. Or choose Create-A-Story for five different games that help you create a story of your own by choosing your own characters, backgrounds, objects and actions.

Underwater adventure comes alive with the Finding Nemo Create-A-Story. This magical Disney Magic Storyteller comes with two booklets, Read-A-Story and Create-A-Story and one software cartridge. Choose Read-A-Story mode to hear a selected Nemo story and to play various Nemo learning activities. Or choose Create-A-Story for five different games that help you create a story of your own by choosing your own characters, backgrounds, objects and actions.

Kinder-Ready is dedicated to helping your child get ready for kindergarten. Elmer’s Kinder ready series features the eye-catching artwork of Eric Carle, the popular author and illustrator of much-beloved children’s books including the Very Hungry Caterpillar. Each activity has great visuals, tons of fun and loads of learning-the perfect combination to help children get ready for kindergarten. For ages 3 and up. In the string along skill building kit you find 16 activity cards 1 lace for stringing 24 colored beads. This develops hand eye coordination as it teaches recognition of patterns and sequences.

Experiment with magnetic attraction and repulsion using this ingenious set of MagNext Dynamix Advanced Gears. Learn to control the way magnets move in relation to each other and metal. Take advantage of a bigger and sturdier pronged building plate upon which to design cool stuff with MagNext standard parts, and then make them spin in different ways. Build a futuristic museum of caged structures, a solar machine or any intricate contraption your imagination allows. Stack the spinning gears as you wish and build as high as you can. Press and place a MagNext sphere ball on button to keep the motor rotating and observe exciting, multi-directional action. Adjust and manipulate your designs to experience the power of magnets at work, moving your entire creation. Excellent for children 6 and up

Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen

Book Description: Jane Austen’s first published novel, tells the story of the lives, loves, and longings of two sisters, the sensitive, romantic Marianne and the practical, even-tempered Elinor. With its extended cast of supporting characters, including the garrulous Mrs. Jennings, the stern Mr. Palmer, and the censorious Mrs. Ferrars, Sense and Sensibility revolves around two narratives: the possible romances of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood and the day-to-day existence of everyone else. The constant anxiety that pervades the story stems from the possibility that the sisters may have to make do with the mundanity of country life, cluttered with gossip, clamor, and superficiality, instead of being swept away by the men of their dreams. In typical Austen fashion we are made aware from the outset that Marianne’s choice of suitor, the dashing and theatrical Willoughby, may be a disaster. Elinor’s more subdued love object, the shy and awkward Edward Ferrars, on the other hand, just might prove himself worthy if he could manage to articulate a full sentence.

Online Study Guide

Printable Questions & Quiz (Adobe Reader required)

Online Quiz

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

Book Description:  This 1932 Pulitzer Prize winning novel is still a standout today. Deceptive in its simplicity, it is a story built around a flawed human being and a teetering socio-economic system, as well as one that is layered with profound themes. The cadence of the author’s writing is also of note, as it rhythmically lends itself to the telling of the story, giving it a very distinct voice. No doubt the author’s writing style was influenced by her own immersion in Chinese culture, as she grew up and lived in China, the daughter of missionaries.

Online Study Guide

Lesson Plans (Adobe Reader required)

Online Quiz (Part 1 – Scroll down for parts 2 & 3)

Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy

Book Description: Looking Backward: 2000-1887 written by legendary author Edward Bellamy is widely considered to be one of the greatest books of all time. This great classic will surely attract a whole new generation of readers. For many, Looking Backward: 2000-1887 is required reading for various courses and curriculums. And for others who simply enjoy reading timeless pieces of classic literature, this gem by Edward Bellamy is highly recommended. Published by Classic Books America and beautifully produced, Looking Backward: 2000-1887 would make an ideal gift and it should be a part of everyone’s personal library.

Chapter Summaries

Online Study Guide

Study/Essay Questions

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Book Description: The school year is almost at an end, and the chocolate sale is past history. But no one at Trinity School can forget The Chocolate War.

Devious Archie Costello, commander of the secret school organization called The Vigils, still has some torturous assignments to hand out before he graduates. In spite of this pleasure, Archie is troubled by his right-hand man, Obie, who has started to move away from The Vigils. Luckily Archie knows his stooges will fix that. But won’t Archie be shocked when he discovers the surprise Obie has waiting for him?

And there are surprises waiting for others. The time for revenge has come to those boys who secretly suffered the trials of Trinity. The fuse is set for the final explosion. Who will survive?

Online Study Guide

Printable Study Guide with Questions (Adobe Reader required)

Online Quiz

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

Book Description: Young Henry Fleming had always dreamed of performing heroic deeds in battle. But as a raw recruit in the American Civil War, Henry experiences both fear and self-doubt. Will war make him a coward—or a hero?

Lesson Plans

Printable Study Guide (Adobe Reader required)

Online Quiz

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Book Description: Novel by John Steinbeck, published in 1939. Set during the Great Depression, it traces the migration of an Oklahoma Dust Bowl family to California and their subsequent hardships as migrant farm workers. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1940. The work did much to publicize the injustices of migrant labor. The narrative, interrupted by prose-poem interludes, chronicles the struggles of the Joad family’s life on a failing Oklahoma farm, their difficult journey to California, and their disillusionment once they arrive there and fall prey to a parasitic economic system. The insularity of the Joads–Ma’s obsession with family togetherness, son Tom’s self-centeredness, and daughter Rose of Sharon’s materialism–ultimately gives way to a sense of universal community.

Online Study Guide

Printable Teacher’s Guide (Adobe Reader required)

Printable Questions & Quizzes (Adobe Reader required)

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Book Description: The moving abolitionist novel that fueled the fire of the human rights debate in 1852 and melodramatically condemned the institution of slavery through such powerfully realized characters as Tom, Eliza, Topsy, Eva, and Simon Legree. First published more than 150 years ago, this monumental work is today being reexamined by critics, scholars, and students.

Teacher’s Guide

Online Study Guide

Online Quiz

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Book Description: Mark Twain’s classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, tells the story of a teenaged misfit who finds himself floating on a raft down the Mississippi River with an escaping slave, Jim. In the course of their perilous journey, Huck and Jim meet adventure, danger, and a cast of characters who are sometimes menacing and often hilarious.

Though some of the situations in Huckleberry Finn are funny in themselves (the cockeyed Shakespeare production in Chapter 21 leaps instantly to mind), this book’s humor is found mostly in Huck’s unique worldview and his way of expressing himself. Describing his brief sojourn with the Widow Douglas after she adopts him, Huck says: “After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so then I didn’t care no more about him, because I don’t take no stock in dead people.” Underlying Twain’s good humor is a dark subcurrent of Antebellum cruelty and injustice that makes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a frequently funny book with a serious message

Online Study Guide

Printable Study Guide with Questions (Adobe Reader needed)

Online Quiz

Stomp® on the Launch Pad and a blast of air propels the Stomp Rocket® over 200 feet in the air! The kit contains 4 rockets with the OG-1 Nosecone. The Ultra is designed for ages 8 and up.

This award winning card game is for one or more players. It is recommended for ages six and above. The object of the game is to identify “sets” of three cards. Each card is unique in its four features; color – red, green or purple, symbol – diamond, squiggle or oval, shading – solid, striped or open, and number – 1, 2 or 3. A “set” consists of three cards on which each feature is either the same on all of the cards, or different on all of the cards. This game contains complete instructions for play, 81 cards, and a durable plastic carrying case.

The Melissa and Doug Sticker Collection is great for arts and crafts, scrapbooking, storytelling, and creating original scenes! This adorable sticker book features over 500 stickers. From fashion to fairies, princesses to pets, adults and children alike will enjoy exploring the design possibilities!

Inspire their creativity with the Melissa and Doug Drawing Paper Pad! Each pad includes 50 sheets of premium heavy-weight white bond paper. Its great for pencils, crayons, markers, chalk, watercolor, or poster paints and can be used for sketching, drawing, and doodling!

This magazine is written for automotive enthusiasts and emphasizes cars and driving blended with wide-ranging feature stories, entertainment and event coverage. Its road tests run the gamut of domestic and imported sports cars and sports sedans. Additionally, it features technical articles on automotive subjects, nostalgic feature articles, humor and fiction and analysis of industry trends along with travel stories, book reviews and coverage of international racing events.

Build your own life-size grasshopper. An educational robot and mini solar kit. He’s small, but he’s an attention-getter. Explore the potential of solar power with this neat science kit. This build-it-yourself educational solar hobby kit is for the first time science experimenters with little or no experience. The Frightened Grasshopper Solar Powered Bug Teaches about forms of alternative energy in a easy-to-use science kit. Shows how solar energy can be used to generate electricity Illustrates how radiant energy from the sun can be transformed to electrical energy with a PV cell A motor inside the grasshopper transforms electrical energy to motion Functions best very close to a non-florescent light bulb or in direct sunlight An attention-grabbing display piece related to solar power for a science fair project, class discussion, or just out-of-the-ordinary play Ages 10+

The Name of This Book is Secret

Description: In enormous lettering the first page warns: “Do not read beyond this page!” The reason? The book contains a secret so nefarious as to be dangerous even to innocent page-turners daring enough to venture forth. The first few chapters present a tricky little exercise in metafiction in which the story about a secret is revealed as being itself too secret to tell, a ploy sure to tickle more puzzlesome readers. But then the intrusive narrator, who is equal parts snarky and delightful, strikes a deal and deigns to tell the story with fake names in Your Hometown, as long as you agree to “forget everything you read as soon as you read it.” Then follows a not terribly shocking story wherein two intrepid kids uncover a mysterious society bent on immortality, which gets them in and out of all manner of trouble. While some may be disappointed that there is no mind-bending secret at the bottom of it all as promised, most junior Da Vinci Coders will likely be having too much fun to notice.

Book Report Form (Adobe Reader Required)

Discussion Questions

Online Quiz

Pandora Gets Jealous

Description: 13-year-old Pandora Atheneus Andromaeche Helena (or Pandy, for short) has no idea what she’ll bring for her school project. By accident she discovers a simple box, said to contain something so terrifying and horrible that no one must ever, ever touch it for fear of inflicting all of mankind with the wrath of the Gods and Goddesses.  This, of course, makes the box the perfect thing for Pandora to bring for her school project.  Unfortunately, things don’t go quite the way she was hoping, and the box accidentally gets opened, unleashing all kinds of evil and misery into the world.  Hauled before Zeus, Hera and the rest of immortals, Pandy’s given the task of collecting all the evils within a year’s time.

Teacher’s Guide (Adobe Reader Required)

The Penderwicks

Description: This enjoyable tale of four sisters, a new friend, and his snooty mother is rollicking fun. The girls’ father is a gentle, widowed botany professor who gives his daughters free reign but is always there to support or comfort them. Rosalind, 12, has become the mother figure. Skye, 11, is fierce and hot-tempered. Jane, 10, is a budding writer of mysteries who has the disconcerting habit of narrating aloud whatever is occurring around her. Batty, four, is an endearingly shy, loving child who always wears butterfly wings. The family dog, Hound, is her protector. The tale begins as the Penderwicks embark on a summer holiday in the Berkshire Mountains, at a cottage on the grounds of a posh mansion owned by the terribly snobbish Mrs. Tifton. Her son, Jeffrey, is a brilliant pianist, but her heart is set on him attending a military academy like her beloved father. The action involves Rosalind’s unrequited love for the 18-year-old gardener, Skye’s enmity and then friendship with Jeffrey, Jane’s improvement in her melodramatic writing style, and Batty’s encounter with an angry bull whom she rather hopefully calls “nice horsie.” Problems are solved and lessons learned in this wonderful, humorous book that features characters whom readers will immediately love, as well as a superb writing style.

Teacher’s Guide (Adobe Reader Required)

Book Report Form (Adobe Reader Required)

Online Quiz

The Star of Kazon

Description: Abandoned as a baby, Annika is found and adopted by Ellie and Sigrid, cook and housemaid for three professors. Growing up in early-20th-century Vienna, she learns to cook and clean and is perfectly happy until a beautiful aristocrat appears and claims to be her mother, sweeping her off to a new life in a crumbling castle in northern Germany. Annika is determined to make the best of things, and it takes a while for her to realize that her new “family” has many secrets, most of them nasty. With the help of Ellie, Sigrid, the professors, and friends old and new, Annika escapes from a ghastly fate and learns to face the truth about her relatives. Winding like a braid through this story is a mystery involving a chest of worn costumes and junk jewelry left to Annika by an old woman she has befriended. This is a rich saga in the tradition of Frances Hodgson Burnett, full of stalwart friends, sly villains, a brave heroine, and good triumphing over evil. Annika’s determination to do the right thing is both laudable and utterly frustrating, especially when readers realize that her loyalty is misplaced. Almost every character is distinct, but the ones that stand out are the “regular folk,” individuals whose sense of decency propels them into amazing acts of courage. Vienna itself is colorfully portrayed, brimming with pastries, coffee, and dancing Lipizzaner horses. An intensely satisfying read.

Discussion Questions

Online Quiz

Bud, Not Buddy

This is part of our collection of Pathways! We’ve included the link to the first part of the unit study.  Parts 2 – 4 can be easily found after you click through.

Pathway Description:  Family, survival, and hope are the themes in “Bud, Not Buddy” by Christopher Paul Curtis. Set out on a journey with Bud Caldwell as he searches for his father and learns life lessons along the way. You will read the first five chapters of the book and answer thought-provoking questions. Be prepared to begin a journal for Bud, answering the way he would. You will construct a suitcase like Bud’s, research the 1930’s, write a list of rules for a “funner” life and much more. The writing process is the focus for Language Arts. You will learn all the steps for creating a thorough essay. The typing lesson this week will teach you the letter T and how to type a period(.).  Quizzes, printables, writing resources and a video compliment the lessons.  Click here to access this FREE Unit Study, plus more!

Because of Winn Dixie

Description:  Because of Winn-Dixie, a big, ugly, happy dog, 10-year-old Opal learns 10 things about her long-gone mother from her preacher father. Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal makes new friends among the somewhat unusual residents of her new hometown, Naomi, Florida. Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal begins to find her place in the world and let go of some of the sadness left by her mother’s abandonment seven years earlier.

With her newly adopted, goofy pooch at her side, Opal explores her bittersweet world and learns to listen to other people’s lives. This warm and winning book hosts an unforgettable cast of characters, including a librarian who fought off a bear with a copy of War and Peace, an ex-con pet-store clerk who plays sweet music to his animal charges, and the neighborhood “witch,” a nearly blind woman who sees with her heart.

Discussion Questions

Teacher’s Guide

Printable Crossword Puzzle

Hoot

Description: Roy Eberhardt is the new kid–again. This time around it’s Trace Middle School in humid Coconut Grove, Florida. But it’s still the same old routine: table by himself at lunch, no real friends, and thick-headed bullies like Dana Matherson pushing him around. But if it wasn’t for Dana Matherson mashing his face against the school bus window that one day, he might never have seen the tow-headed running boy. And if he had never seen the running boy, he might never have met tall, tough, bully-beating Beatrice. And if he had never met Beatrice, he might never have discovered the burrowing owls living in the lot on the corner of East Oriole Avenue. And if he had never discovered the owls, he probably would have missed out on the adventure of a lifetime. Apparently, bullies do serve a greater purpose in the scope of the universe. Because if it wasn’t for Dana Matherson…

Teacher’s Guide

Study Guide

Unit Study Guide (Adobe Reader Required)

Book Report Form (Adobe Reader Required)

This Old House Magazine 1 Year Subscription ONLY $5.00!!!!

Wow! This is a bargain, indeed! My family has subscribed to this magazine for a few years now. It’s always packed with project ideas and tons of inspiration. A great resource for the budding craftsmen in your home.

Normally $49.99, this is a great deal for your emerging readers.  Check out the video when you click through to the site.

A unique touch and talk device that brings stories to life, the Tag Reading System works with a library of books and games from LeapFrog. Funny voice-overs and cool sound effects add to the fun of discovery, helping ensure that children four to eight love the way this interactive, educational system boosts their confidence and their reading level.

Think dinosaurs are extinct?  Think again!  With the Super Gigantic Dinos kit you can grow your own dinosaur.  You can even grow one as big as your tub!  Plus, make some prehistoric dino gunk!

Imagine getting to play in the dirt all day.  That’s what a geologist does and you can too, with the My First Geology Kit from Scientific Explorer.  Learn all about the Earth’s layers as you build a rock collection and use real tools for rock writing.  Then take all your new knowledge and go explore the world around you …. starting with your own back yard.