AnyOneCanRead®
Module C – Lessons 1 to 10
Click here for Lesson 1
Click here for Lesson 2
Click here for Lesson 3
Click here for Lesson 4
Click here for Lesson 5
Click here for Lesson 6
Click here for Lesson 7
Click here for Lesson 8
Click here for Lesson 9
Click here for Lesson 10
Lesson 1 – Stories Misc
“Dino Lady” Zoe
NEW WORDS: Arizona, Las, Phoenix, Vegas, Zoesaurus, chemicals, dino, dino’s, dinos, dinosaur, dinosaurs, effort, facts, fossil, grade, photos, proved, salvage, scientist, search, sites
Our hero is named Zoe. She is the well-loved “Dino Lady.” She became popular by the time she was 30 years old!
One reason was this. She knew that kids love these strange creatures that we call “dinosaurs.” But there were too few dinosaur books that KIDS could read. Most of the books were pretty much just for grown-ups. The words were too hard. The sentences were too long.
First, the word “dinosaur” is, itself, hard to get! So she gave them a nick-name. Now, kids use this word all over the U.S.: “dinos.”
Second, the names of dinos are all long and hard to get. So, the people who print her books have done a cool new thing. You come to a crazy-long dino name in her books. You just touch the word for their name. The book says its name to you from a small speaker! You can do this in birthday cards. Why not books, too?!
Third, think about most dino books. All the facts and stories use words that are way too hard for 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-grade kids. So, Zoe used a whole lot of good words that work well for young kids. Her books are both fun and easier to read.
What else did Zoe do to be so well-known? Well, you see, Zoe is a scientist. She knew that it was hard to get dino bones out of the ground. You find them in fossil beds. They’ve been there for millions of years! 
Zoe worked hard to find ways to get the bones out more safely. She came up with new tools, brushes, and chemicals. These are now used on dino search–sites all over the world.
Zoe proved these out a few years ago at a dino site out West. Zoe drove from where she lives, Phoenix, Arizona, to the Valley of Fire. That’s an hour from Las Vegas. It’s a great place to take photos. There are all kinds of strange-looking rocks. But Zoe was there to hunt for dino bones!
This was one of the hardest sites from which to get dino bones out of the ground. Too often, the bones would turn to dust. But the new set of tools worked like magic! They could now salvage bones that no one had been able to save in the past.
A month after she got there, Zoe had a big surprise. She had come to a new place that might have a lot of bones. They had been there for a few days. This was a spot that was worth taking more time with.
She knew that she had found the neck of a dino. But the bones looked nothing like ones that she had seen before. She moved the dig toward the dino’s head. It took many long, hard-working days of effort. But they finally got to where they could see the whole head.
No one could believe what they saw! You could hear the dig team cheer Zoe from a mile away. Zoe The Dino Lady had just found the first dino, ever, that had THREE eyes!
This will come as no surprise to you. This new dino was named after the great young scientist. It is called the “Zoesaurus!”
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Lesson 2 – 3-Letter Vocab-Builder
NEW WORDS: China, Deb, Eva, Evy, Fay, Flo, Gil, Gio, Gus, Han, Ian, Ida, Ike, Io, Irv, Jeb, Jed, Jo, Jon, Jupiter, Kai, Kat, Kay, Keb, Kia, Kip, Len, Leo, Les, Lew, Lex, Lil, Lio, Liv, Mae, Mao, Mei, Mia, Mo, Nia, Paz, Rae, Rom, ands, arf, bakers, blues, buts, dam, dud, eel, eh, er, ewe, fin, gal, gap, hah, hairdo, haw, heh, hem, hic, hip, hm, ho, hon, ifs, ivy, jaw, jog, lag, lo, mm, nah, nip, oar, orbits, solo
Look bub, get out of here.
Here’s a cup of tea, Eva.
Evy, I hear it’s flooding at the dam.
Deb and Dee went home.
Dim the lights, Flo.
Dip your toe in, Gil.
What’s up, Doc?
I see a doe and her mom.
Don caught an eel!
“Arf,” said the dog.
Dot bakes great cakes.
Gio, your bad joke was a dud.
Look Gus, our dog dug up an old pipe.
There’s a bug in my ear, Hal.
Han Solo is the best guy in Star Wars.
Eh, what did you say, Ian?
Ida, there’s no such thing as an elf.
Ike said, “Er, I haven’t done that yet.”
Io is a cool moon that orbits Jupiter.
Irv, a girl sheep is a “ewe.”
Hey Jeb, did Fay fib to you?
I think that’s a fig tree, Jed.
Get out Jim, I see a big fish fin!
That’s a tall fir tree, Jon.
I think Gay caught the flu.
Let’s fry up some catfish, Kai!
Len, do you know the blues singer, Keb Mo?
My mom drives a Kia Soul.
Leo, that pigpen made me gag.
She’s a good old gal!
Les, go through that gap in the hills.
God is good!
Can you buy me some gum, Lew?
Let’s play in the gym.
Hah, I knew it, Lil!
That joke made me laugh, “Haw, haw!”
Heh, what did you say, Lio?
Liv, you should sew up the hem on that cloth.
Uh-oh, Lou, I ate way too much, “HIC!”
Mel is a “hip” guy.
Hm, should we do that, Mal?
Mao was the leader in China for a long time.
Ho, ho, ho, that’s funny, Mei.
Mia, get rid of that weed with your hoe.
Hi, Hon, I’ll be home in a bit.
Huh, why would you say that, Nat?
They live in a small hut, Ned.
Ick, I can’t stand that!
Nia, it’s icy outside.
No ifs, ands, or buts about it!
They stayed in a nice inn.
Do you know the ins and outs of this, Paz?
Rae, there’s too much ivy on the house.
The boxer gave him a right jab.
Pass me that jar of jam, Rom.
He hit me in the jaw!
I want to fly in a jet.
Jo, are you going on a jog?
We should get a jug of milk.
Kat and Kay went to the pond to swim.
This key is for the door.
Kip, don’t lag, and keep up with the line.
Don’t break the law!
Lee and Lex are bakers.
I bit my lip!
I lit the fire.
Well, lo and behold, it’s Mae!
I love to eat mac and cheese.
Mm, that mug of tea is good!
That old nag isn’t nice!
Nah, I don’t want more to eat.
Nan got a nice hairdo today.
That cat will nip at you!
Don’t nod off to sleep.
What kind of nut would do that?
Let’s cool off by that oak tree.
I need that oar inside the boat.
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Lesson 3 – Poems And Rhymes OBM
NEW WORDS: Susie, Virginia, abolish, admit, alit, auburn, baboon, canary, capture, chigger, cockle, contrary, crowing, delighted, dragonfly, dumplings, feathers, fie, fingernail, fisherman’s, funnels, gales, gauze, harbor, highness, mermaid, monk’s, pause, popping, postman, salve, seahorse, sermon, shimmers, slender, spilling, stiffened, stillness, stir, strawberries, tropical, twitter, whiteness, wilderness, wound
Mister Postman
Hello there, Mr. Postman, I’ve been waiting here for you!
There’s something, Mr. Postman, that I want to say to you!
You bring my mother letters, Daddy, too, and Auntie Bea.
Are you never, never thinking that you should leave one for me?
With your pack all spilling over full of letters on your back,
You must have just one letter for Miss Virginia Black!
Poem by Olive Beaupre Miller
Dance, My Top
Oh, if my top would only spin, a monk’s gown I would give to him.
Dance my top, go dancing.
You do not care for dancing? You do not care how my grain is ground!
You do not care how my mill goes round!
Eager Mister Chigger
Eager Mister Chigger, so tiny and red,
I have to admit, that I wish you were dead.
You hide around the ground, where I walk or sit,
And before I know it, upon my body you’ve alit!
I don’t know it at the time, you’re already digging in,
Hours later, I’m aware, you’re way beneath my skin!
First it’s a bump, then later it’s a lump,
And like the spell of a witch, it’s become a terrible itch!
Well, I hate to say, all of you, I can’t abolish,
So to salve your wound, I must use fingernail polish!
The Lost Shoe
Doodle doodle doo, the Princess lost her shoe.
Her highness hopped, the fiddler stopped, not knowing what to do.
Water Boys
Oh, well, for the fisherman’s boy, that he shouts with his sister at play!
Oh, well, for the sailor lad, that he sings in his boat on the bay!
Poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson
The Man In The Wilderness
The man in the wilderness asked me, how many strawberries grew in the sea.
I answered him as I thought good, as many as red herrings grew in the wood.
The Harbor
Look, see the boat! Where? On the sea! Swish through the waves it goes, swish through the sea!
Look, see the smoke. See its funnels red! Hark! Hear the whistle! “Woo!” the whistle said.
Poem by Olive Beaupre Miller
May
As it fell upon a day, in the merry month of May,
Beasts did leap, and birds did sing, trees did grow, and plants did spring.
Poem by William Shakespeare
A Baby Sermon
The lightning and thunder, they go and come;
But the stars and the stillness are always at home.
Poem by George Macdonald
Dragonfly
A dragonfly is very thin, straight and shining like a pin.
With narrow wings of stiffened gauze, and in the air he likes to pause.
And look at you, with popping eyes, he shimmers like a small surprise.
Poem by Florence Page Jaques
Little Kitty
I love little kitty, her coat is so warm,
And if I don’t hurt her, she’ll do me no harm.
I’ll sit by the fire and give her some food,
And kitty will love me, because I am good.
Poem by Jane Taylor
A Home For Teddy
Oh, I’ll build a square with my pretty red blocks,
And a yellow square, Susie, for you.
I’ll pile up and pile up the bright blocks of green,
You lay on the blocks of blue.
Now see what we’ve done with our great big square?
A house! A house for Teddy Bear!
The Old Baboon
I went to the Animal Fair, the birds and the beasts were there.
And the old baboon, by the light of the moon, was combing his auburn hair.
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?
Silver bells and cockle-shells, and pretty maids all in a row.
Naughty Kitty
“Kitty, kitty, dear kitty,
Tell me, where have you been?”
“Meow, meow, in the garden.
Meow, with doggie I’ve been.”
“Kitty, kitty, dear kitty,
Where did you wet your chin?”
“Meow, meow, in the pantry.
Meow, on the shelf I’ve been.”
“You drank the milk in the bowl.
Now kitty, was that nice?
SCAT! You naughty kitty,
Run and chase some mice!”
First Snow
Snow makes whiteness where it falls. The bushes look like popcorn-balls.
And places where I always play, look like somewhere else today.
Poem by Mary Louise Allen
Kitty-Cat And The Dumplings
Kitty-Cat ate the dumplings, the dumplings, Kitty-Cat ate the dumplings.
Mama stood by, and cried, “Oh, fie!” Why did you eat the dumplings?
Mix A Pancake
Mix a pancake, stir a pancake, pop it in the pan.
Fry the pancake, toss the pancake, catch it if you can.
Poem by Christina Rossetti
Mary’s Canary
Mary had a pretty bird, feathers bright and yellow,
Slender legs, upon my word, he was a pretty fellow.
The sweetest note he always sung, which much delighted Mary.
She often, where the cage was hung, sat hearing her canary.
It’s Spring
The cock is crowing, the stream is flowing,
The small birds twitter, the lake does glitter,
The green field sleeps in the sun!
Poem by William Wordsworth
A Sea-Song From The Shore
Hail! Ho! Sail! Ho! Ahoy! Ahoy! Ahoy!
Who calls to me, so far at sea?
Only a little boy!
Sail! Ho! Sail! Ho!
The sailor he sails the sea.
I wish he would capture a little seahorse,
And send him home to me.
I wish, as he sails,
Through the tropical gales,
He would catch me a sea-bird, too,
With its silver wings,
And the song it sings,
And its breast of down and dew!
I wish he would catch me a little mermaid,
Some island where he lands,
With her dripping curls,
And her crown of pearls,
And the looking glass in her hands!
Poem by James Whitcomb Riley
Dragon Smoke
Breathe and blow white clouds with every puff.
It’s cold today, cold enough to see your breath, Huff!
Breathe dragon smoke today!
Poem by Lillian Moore
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Lesson 4 – Dale-Chall Vocab Builder
NEW WORDS: Australian, Disney’s, Gramps, Lutz, October, Raphael, Tish, Wales, aboard, anthill, anybody, apron, arise, arithmetic, armful, attack, automobile, awfully, backward, bandage, beam, beating, besides, billboard, bind, birth, blackboard, blank, blush, boast, bookkeeper, bottle, bracelet, brake, bullies, bumblebee, butterscotch, cackle, cannon, canoe, canyon, carload, catbird, cereal, champion, charm, cheap, chocolate, chorus, churn, cigarette, classmate, claw, clerk, cloak, clover, codfish, colonel, comic, concern, conductor, connect, coop, copper, cord, couch, crank, cranky, curtain, dagger, daybreak, defeat, defend, defense, depend, devil, dinner’s, dismiss, diver, doorstep, drank, drill, eastern, eldest, electricity, elsewhere, enemy, erase, eraser, exact, exchange, eyebrow, factory, false, family’s, fashioned, fist, flashlight, flesh, floor’s, flutter, footprint, fractures, freeze, freight, frighten, furniture, goody, govern, grandchildren, grandfather, grandma, grandson, grandstand, grapefruit, gravy, halt, haste, hasten, hawks, hayfield, headache, heal, heart’s, hilltop, hitch, holder, homely, honeybee, hopeless, hospital, insult, jacks, jewels, judge, keen, kiddos, kindness, lasagna, laundry, leftovers, lemonade, liver, loser, lover, magazine, mailbox, manger, milkman, mines, misty, morrow, moth, murder’s, navy, neighborhood, onions, ore, overhear, overturn, package, painting, parade, pavement, payment, pencil, pierce, piggy, pineapple, playmate, policeman, ponies, post, postage, potatoes, prepare, prison, prove, public, punch, puss, pussycat, quart, queen’s, raisin, rapidly, re, reap, rebuild, reward, rocky, roller, roosters, rosebud, royal, ruler, rumble, rusted, saddle, sausage, saves, schoolmaster, seal, season, self, setting, settle, seventy, shalt, shan’t, sideways, sin, skater, slave, sleeve, slipper, slippery, snapping, snowy, sod, spank, spook, sprinkle, stitch, strawberry, strict, sweater, sweetheart, tardy, teaspoon, thirteen, throne, thy, tinkle, tiptoe, tireless, toothpick, tower, train’s, tramp, triple, undress, unfair, unhurt, unkind, unknown, unwilling, uptown, valuable, vegetable, victory, waken, washtub, wayside, weakness, whirl, whiskey, whom, wicked, worker, wove, yarn, youngster
His birth came early.
That freight train’s loud.
Sit in the grandstand.
Here’s a postage stamp.
I depend on you.
Pass the cereal.
The floor’s slippery.
She turned thirteen.
Ali was The Champion!
Let’s sing the chorus.
Hawks have a keen eye.
What a rocky road!
You’re tardy to school!
Yum, sausage gravy!
Stop at the post office.
Can I hitch a ride?
A honeybee stung me.
What a cute youngster.
See you in the morrow.
That cat will claw you.
He’s so unkind!
That’s a copper wire.
Coach is a slave driver.
He’s such a loser!
I’ve got a headache.
Gran’s so old-fashioned.
Fix that with an eraser.
Arise and shine, kids!
You can’t go backward in time.
Golf season is over.
I’ll reward you for working hard.
She’ll boast about her grades.
Don’t waken the monster!
Halt, who goes there?
We’re from that neighborhood.
She’s in the hospital.
Roosters crow at daybreak.
Do your own laundry!
Don’t undress here!
Freeze these leftovers.
Nice charm bracelet!
The Colonel yelled, “ATTACK!”
Try using a toothpick.
We’ll defeat their team.
They’re from eastern Maine.
That bumblebee scares me!
Let’s re–sod our lawn.
Soap’s in the washtub.
Those jewels are valuable.
Start the letter, “To Whom It May Concern.”
Get a flashlight battery.
I hate that witch’s cackle.
October 31 is Halloween.
Tish joined the Navy.
She’s a homely girl.
He’s an enemy spy.
Electricity can shock you!
The cow’s in the hayfield.
The bus went uptown.
Erase the blackboard.
Fido chewed my left slipper.
It’s a snowy day.
Don’t spook me out!
Pull this cord.
It’s a cloak and dagger story.
It’s vegetable lasagna.
She’s a tireless worker.
He’s a diver on the swim team.
Chocolate’s my weakness.
He’ll govern with an iron fist.
It’s a Raphael painting.
Ponies are frisky.
Saddle up the horse.
My sweater is warm.
Bullies punch people.
Here’s the ice cream churn.
The Conductor yelled, “All aboard!”
Dinner’s codfish tonight.
He wove a wicked web.
Is that a U.S. or Australian catbird?
Read this magazine.
My shirt sleeve ripped.
We made a float for the parade.
He drank whiskey at the bar.
I read “Puss ‘N Boots.”
Put a rosebud on the table.
The Royal Family’s in Wales.
In your defense, you tried hard.
When will this heal?
We saw a beam of light.
Stop at a wayside inn.
Did you overhear me?
There’s a box at the doorstep.
A stitch in time saves nine.
They’ll rebuild their anthill.
I’m rapidly tiring.
My heart’s beating fast.
Bind up this package.
Mom’s apron is stained.
What famous baby lay in a manger?
The skater did a triple Lutz!
Thy shalt get to bed, NOW!
She bought it cheap!
Victory is at-hand!
Cats play with yarn.
The pavement is hot.
Gramps was a milkman.
She’s a goody-two-shoes.
Mom’s got an armful of laundry.
The rain’s misty.
Why, you little devil!
Their automobile rusted.
It’s a hopeless cause.
It was a pretty setting.
What an act of kindness!
Get a quart bottle.
Don’t frighten her!
I love Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp.”
There’s iron ore in those mines.
This little piggy went to market.
I’m boiling potatoes.
Watch that moth flutter about.
I go to public school.
Let’s sell lemonade.
What’s up, pussycat?
She’s driving a carload of kids.
He lit a cigarette.
Can you prove that?
We heard the rumble of thunder.
My grandfather is fun.
Here’s a 4-leaf clover!
I’m unwilling to do that.
I shan’t stay for dinner.
We hiked at the Grand Canyon.
Yuck, liver and onions!
Is that pineapple juice?
Is anybody home?
Put this in the mailbox.
His playmate came over.
That hilltop has a great view.
Measure it with this ruler.
Pass the Raisin Bran.
I’ll dismiss class in 5 minutes.
My mind went blank.
That’s strawberry ice cream.
Sprinkle these on the cake.
Dad works in a factory.
Gramps taught me to play jacks.
He’s the eldest of 3 sons.
I’ll prepare dinner now.
Here’s my arithmetic homework.
Put this bandage over the scab.
Seal this letter.
You reap what you sow.
This was unknown 100 years ago.
The baby dropped her bottle.
That policeman stopped traffic.
Murder’s a sin.
Sleep on the couch.
Defend against that tight end.
The clerk gave me change.
Where’s my pencil holder?
Watch the water whirl around.
A snapping turtle bites!
The bookkeeper was good at numbers.
Compound fractures pierce your flesh.
That schoolmaster was strict.
We have 3 grandchildren.
I tipped over my canoe.
Don’t insult me!
Hasten outside, there’s a fire drill!
I heard the tinkle of wind chimes.
He turned seventy.
She got new roller skates.
He’s locked in the castle tower.
We don’t spank kids.
Our grandson is a pilot.
This grapefruit is sour.
I’ll take a teaspoon of sugar.
I made my last payment!
Let’s put an ad on a billboard.
She made me blush.
The cannon fire was loud.
It’s unfair to punish me!
She’s behind the curtain.
Dust the furniture.
She’s his new sweetheart.
What do I get in exchange?
I’m a chocolate lover.
Dad’s cranky today!
He’s a classmate of mine.
Our left front brake needs fixing.
Grandma slept well.
Turn the crank to start it.
Besides, I made a promise!
It’s a large animal footprint.
Is that true or false?
The judge let her off easy.
I must clip my right eyebrow.
Yum, butterscotch pudding!
A fox is in the chicken coop.
Connect the dots.
Buy me a comic book.
The queen’s on her throne.
I’m awfully sorry!
He’s unhurt from the car wreck.
Settle down, kiddos!
Tiptoe, don’t wake her!
He’s in prison for 5 years.
You can’t overturn my decision.
Move with haste to finish this.
What’s the exact time?
Turn the TV sideways.
I’ll have to find it elsewhere.
She shows good self-control.
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Lesson 5 – Stories Misc
The Balloon Drone
NEW WORDS: Cummings, Defcon, Tyler, ample, ante, balled, balloon, balloons, bloated, bobbling, bomb’s, bomber, boor, brains, briefer, brute, bulge, bully, canine, capeesh, cleverly, cloaking, clodpoll, codes, could’ve, crafty, culprit, cunning, dab, deserved, device, devious, dolt, drench, drones, dropping, enlarged, faked, frig, harass, honest, imagined, insults, launch, life’s, loading, loathsome, lout, oaf, options, outsmart, panting, pelted, photon, pitchers, plunged, pokes, portrait, prodded, quest, quipped, rank, relentless, remote, sewer, sopping, splatter, splutter, spray, sputtered, stealth, tactic, tech, technology, thrives, tilt, torpedoes, tumid, unleash, upped, vetting, vigilante, whack, wily, wrongs, yelling, yesterday
I’m Tyler Cummings. And I’m SO sick and tired of Billy Bob Smith. He’s one foot taller than me. And I bet that he weighs thirty pounds more. His face is bloated. His eyes bulge. He thrives on picking his nose. He’s always spitting.
Billy Bob Smith! What a boor! I think he crawled out from under a rock. And the good Lord gave him little for brains. He’s a lout, an oaf. He’s a brute, a dolt. My best friend learned a great word for him. He’s a “clodpoll!”
He picks on me each chance that he gets. He calls me a sissy in front of my class. He pokes me, hard, with his finger. He gets an inch from my face. Then he insults me. His breath smells like the sewer. I’ve never smelled such a rank odor. My friend calls his breath “putrid.” Or “rancid.”
Look! I’m just not that big. So, I’m the size kid that a bully likes to harass. Well, I am NOT a sissy. No one else in class thinks I am, either. I’m just small. He’s likely a bully because of his home life. He needs someone to pick on. It makes him feel better about himself. I know things aren’t good in his family. That’s not his fault. I’ll give him that. The house he lives in is a mess. You can hear yelling inside there, all the time. I’ll be honest. I kind of feel sorry for him. But he’s got no excuse for picking on me!
Now, he’s never hit me. He’s balled his hand into a fist. He’s faked like he was going to. Kind of like an “air punch.” But he’s never landed a blow.
I talk to my Dad about him. Dad says, “life’s tough, Tyler. You have to learn to stand tall to bad people like that. You want to try to outsmart them. You just want them to leave you alone. But I have a firm rule. NEVER, EVER do anything to hurt them. Two wrongs don’t make a right! Understand?” I’d nod my head, ‘yes.’ And Dad would repeat. “That is the rule! Got it?! Mess with them a little, yes. Hurt them? NO! Your quest is to ‘best’ them. Just get them off your case. Make them go away.”
Well, last Saturday, I had a bit of luck. There was an opening in the clouds. Dad had a thought for me. We might find a way to get Billy Bob to ignore me. Dad took me down into the basement. He showed me something. He said it was way cool. Boy, was he right! Dad can be devious! He’s a GREAT dad!
Where Dad works, they make drones. He’s one of the big bosses there. They’re vetting a new kind of drone. He said we could test it with Billy Bob. He knew we’d have ample fun with it. And no one would get hurt. Just messed with!
This drone had new technology. It was silent while it was flying in the air. You couldn’t hear it at all! But it got better. It could be right over you. And you couldn’t even see it! It used more new tech to do that. It had a camera pointed at the sky. It had an LED screen at its base. The camera-view fed the screen. So, you’d look up and just see the sky! Now, if you were fifty feet away, you’d see the drone. It’s “cloaking device” worked only when straight overhead.
Then Dad built a box to hold things. You’d tilt the drone. Doors would open on the box. Things could drop out, like, well, WATER BALLOONS! It could hold twenty at a time! Like I said, Dad’s cunning. He’s wily. I’m glad he’s not my enemy!
Dad added to the design. Soon, the remote control gave me options. I could drop one, five, or all twenty balloons at a time!
I started slow. I had pitchers of water in the frig. I’d put them in the freezer before loading the balloons. The spray would always be ice cold!
Billy Bob lived on the next street over. His big chore was to walk his dog. The poor canine was old. He needed to pee, a LOT. So, Billy Bob was ALWAYS outside. He’d be by himself, walking his ugly mutt. What a pitiful dog! What a loathsome bully.
I got crafty. I’d hide by cars. I just had to be on the other side of the street. I’d drop one balloon at a time. This was good practice. At first, I wasn’t a good shot. He’d hear the splash on the ground. He’d look around. But he wouldn’t see it. I had to get closer in. I had to get right on top of him.
Practice makes perfect. I got good, fast. I could pilot the drone more cleverly. I brought it in from behind him. That way he’d never see it. And it was as quiet as a mouse! A stealth bomber! I could now drop the balloons within three feet of him. That would get his pants and shoes wet. He saw the balloons, now!
I soon became a pro. It took just a few days. I could now almost always land them perfectly. BOOM, smack dab on top of his head! BAM! SPLASH! He’d look up. He’d see nothing. Oh, the look on his puffy face! It was to die for! The brute deserved it.
A few days of this went on. I was getting to him. He’d try to keep the walks briefer. His face was a portrait of fear. He was always looking up. He’d try to see where the balloon was coming from. But then he’d look down. Tilt, drop, BOMB’S AWAY! I was too fast for him. SMACK, SPLUTTER, SPLATTER! I was driving him NUTS!
At school, I could tell a lot about him. He wasn’t getting much sleep. He had tumid bags under his eyes. He was getting worse grades than ever. But his picking on me did NOT let up. He HAD to know that I was the culprit. He had to know that I had the power to SOAK him! Little old me! Tiny Tyler. I had to wake him up even more.
So, I upped the ante. I played to win. Victory would be mine! I started dropping five balloons at a time. He’d get sopping wet. Water would drench his glasses. He couldn’t see until he dried them off. Then I’d whack him again! He’d now scream at each attack.
I had to unleash just one more tactic. I couldn’t let him know that I was the mad bomber. Not just yet. We were at DEFCON ONE. I pelted him three more days in a row. I imagined reading out launch codes in my head. Then, “THREE! TWO! ONE! FIRE PHOTON TORPEDOES!” I’d now drop all twenty balloons at once. He may as well have plunged straight into a pool. And, with all of his clothes on!
Yesterday, I walked up to him. I said, “Billy Bob? Why are your clothes always so wet?” His eyes enlarged. How could I know that? He was on the street alone. I wasn’t there to see it. Little did he know! But he didn’t speak a word.
Then I pulled a water balloon out from behind my back! I prodded, “do you want this to stop? Would you like to stay dry?”
His mouth was gaping wide. His teeth looked like those of a hippo. He sputtered, “You?! How?!”
I quipped, “My secret, buddy boy. I OWN you! You’ll NEVER know how I do it. So, here’s the deal. It can stop. I can return peace and calm to your life. I can keep you dry. You just have to do one thing. NEVER pick on me again! NEVER, EVER AGAIN, until the end of time. CAPEESH?”
Then I held out the balloon in my hand. I dropped it on his left shoe. I turned. I walked away. I led one more relentless attack over the next few minutes. Billy Bob was bobbling home. I could hear him panting. I let go of five balloons, four different times. I made sure that my warning would stick!
He got the message. He’s never picked on me again.
I could’ve stopped using the drone. But why not become a superhero? I became “Tyler, the vigilante!” I went after every other bully at school. They dropped like flies. I got ’em one at a time. Now, no one is scared of bullies at MY school!
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Lesson 6 – Poems And Rhymes
Holiday Poems
NEW WORDS: Blixen, Dasher, Donder, Nicholas, Thanksgiving, arose, aside, bundle, chubby, coursers, dancer, dapple, dimples, dread, drew, droll, eagles, encircled, exclaim, fallen, flung, grandfather’s, grandmother’s, hoof, hound, hurricane, kerchief, laying, lively, luster, midday, miniature, mount, nestled, obstacle, pawing, peddler, prancer, prancing, rapid, reindeer, saint, sash, shutters, sleigh, stirring, sugarplums, tarnished, twinkled, twinkling, twist, visions, vixen, wink, wondering, wreath
Some Things That Easter Brings
Easter duck and Easter chick,
Easter eggs with chocolate thick.
Easter hats for one and all,
Easter Bunny makes a call!
Happy Easter always brings,
Such a lot of pleasant things.
Poem by Elsie Parrish
Thanksgiving Day
Over the river and through the wood,
To grandfather’s house we go.
The horse knows the way,
To carry the sleigh,
Through the white and drifted snow.
Over the river and through the wood,
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes,
And bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.
Over the river and through the wood,
To have a first-rate play.
Hear the bells ring,
“Ting-a-ling-ding,”
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!
Over the river and through the wood,
Trot fast, my dapple-gray.
Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting-hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day.
Over the river and through the wood,
And straight through the barn-yard gate.
We seem to go,
Extremely slow,
It is so hard to wait!
Over the river and through the wood,
Now grandmother’s cap I spy.
Hurrah for the fun,
Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!
Poem by Lydia Maria Child
The Night Before Christmas
‘Twas the night before Christmas,
When all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.
And mama in her kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave the luster of midday to objects below.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be Saint Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name.
“Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donder and Blixen!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now Dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew,
With a sleigh full of toys and Saint Nicholas, too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
The prancing and pawing of each tiny hoof.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,
Down the chimney Saint Nicholas came with a bound!
He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes, how they twinkled, his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up in a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
He sprang to the sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
Poem by Clement C. Moore
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view. This lesson is a “READ-ALOUD” Core Knowledge (R) passage that has been rewritten to be at a lower-grade independent reading level complexity than the original, largely by shortening and simplifying sentence structures while maintaining the richness of the text content.)
Native Americans
Lesson 7 – Part One
NEW WORDS: America’s, American, Americans, Indians, alike, beads, breechcloths, canoes, cedar, cloaks, coastal, collected, continent, decorated, deserts, distances, elk, fibers, footsteps, forests, fringe, grandparents, harmful, harsh, herds, hogans, hooves, horseback, included, inner, intro, knowledge, leggings, longhouses, moccasins, native, nature, oceans, ovens, paths, paved, preferred, pueblos, quills, roamed, seashells, skirts, tipis, tribes, trimmed, varied, vegetables, wetus, yucca
Chapter One: Intro to Native Americans
It was long ago. Way before we can remember. Before your grandparents and their grandparents can remember! There were no people where we live today. Not yet. There were woods. There were plains. There were rivers. There were lakes. There were deserts. There were mountains. There were lots of birds and fish. There were animals and insects. But there were no people.
That was many thousands of years ago. One day, people came to America. They’re called “Native Americans.” Or call them “American Indians.” They lived in all parts of the continent. Some lived in the desert. Others in the mountains. Some lived in the woods. And others on the coast. They were near the ocean. Desert life was not the same as coastal life. Can you guess why? You’re going to learn why. You’ll see how America’s first-known people lived. Let’s learn about Indians.
Indians needed the same things we need now. Food and water, to stay alive. Shelter, to protect themselves. Weather could be harsh. Wild animals could be harmful. And they needed clothes. How else could they stay warm and dry?
Desert food was different than coastal food. Homes in the woods weren’t the same as those in the desert. Some lived in tipis. Some lived in wetus. Some lived in hogans. Some lived in pueblos. Others lived in longhouses.
Indians had to count on their knowledge of nature. They had to know the Earth. This included plants and the animals around them. They roamed many places. They had to be smart, each place they went. They found ways to borrow, or use, from the Earth. Earth gave them all that they needed to live. Some Indians grew vegetables and fruits. Others hunted buffalo. Some tribes hunted animals from the woods. Others caught fish. Rivers, lakes, and oceans were full of them. Some tribes cooked their food over a fire. Others baked food in ovens. Lots of the ovens were made of clay.
These people also needed water. But there weren’t sinks in their homes. Where did they find water? They collected rain water. And they got water from lakes, rivers, and streams.
Indians had no cars and trucks. There were no buses, trains, or planes. Do you know how they got around? At first, they went by foot. There were no paved roads. Indian paths were made over time. They were made from the pounding of their own footsteps. And from the hooves of animal herds.
Long years passed. They started to ride horses. Some traveled on horseback. Others went in canoes. What if you lived in the woods? You used your feet to make your way through thick forests. What if you lived on open plains. You used the speed of horses. And horses took them long distances. What if you lived near water? You would use canoes.
What about clothes? It didn’t matter where they lived. Indians made all of their own clothes. Women and girls wore skirts and dresses. Men and boys wore breechcloths and leggings. They used things found near them to make their clothes. Some Indians wore clothes made of animal skins. These could be from elk, deer, buffalo, and rabbit. They often decorated their clothes. They’d use beads, porcupine quills, and fringe.
What about in the winter months? They wore coats of animal fur. This kept them warm. Others wore clothes made from trees! They used the soft, inner bark of the cedar tree. These might be decorated with seashells. Others wore clothing made of plant fibers. Cotton and yucca were used. These clothes might be trimmed with animal bones. In winter, they used cloaks to stay warm. These were made from sheep’s wool.
Many tribes used moccasins. They wore them on their feet. But some preferred bare feet.
Our land is rich and varied. You can see that these people were just as rich and varied! They were alike in some ways. They were not the same in others. That’s like the people of America today.
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view. This lesson is a “READ-ALOUD” Core Knowledge (R) passage that has been rewritten to be at a lower-grade independent reading level complexity than the original, largely by shortening and simplifying sentence structures while maintaining the richness of the text content.)
Native Americans
Lesson 8 – Part Two
NEW WORDS: Lakota, Sioux, agile, aimed, arrowheads, arrows, awls, bow’s, buckets, buffalo’s, centers, ceremony, charges, contests, cradles, crashing, designs, earthquake, galloping, glaring, handles, headdresses, herd, highest, hoops, killing, ladles, midst, muscle, nudge, ornaments, paintbrush, paintings, pemmican, perform, pillows, poles, pouches, rawhide, rider’s, robes, sacred, scouts, scrapers, sharing, shovels, sinew, skills, steam, stomping, straightest, stringing, targets, thrust, thunders, tribe, warriors, weapons, winners
Chapter Two: The Lakota Sioux and the Buffalo
It’s like an earthquake! A herd of buffalo thunders by. Their hooves are crashing. The Earth trembles. Their heads are down. Their horns are thrust forward. Their eyes are glaring. These beasts are frightened. And they’re dangerous!
Into their midst charges a group of hunters. They are brave Lakota Sioux warriors. They’re on horseback. Each man has his spear or arrow ready. He’ll shoot as soon as he gets a bow’s length away. He’ll be almost close enough to touch the animal! Both of the hunter’s hands are busy with his weapons. He must cling to the galloping horse. He uses the strength of his leg muscles alone.
Lakota Sioux hunters killed buffalo. But only as many as they needed. They did this for food, clothing, shelter, and tools. Sharing with others was their way of life. They took the buffalo killed during the hunt. They divided them among everyone in the tribe. Even people who were too old or sick to hunt were given a share.
What was a well-planned buffalo hunt like? Both men and horses had to be well-trained. It took months of hard work to train a horse. The horse had to be brave and fast. It would have to run through a rushing buffalo herd. It would come face-to-face with the buffalo. These were stomping, steam-breathing, hairy beasts! Horses were trained to stop quickly. This was at the nudge of a rider’s knees. Not every horse was brave and fast. So, they weren’t picked to hunt.
Were all boys brave and fast enough to be in the hunt? Not all of them. Boys began to train at a young age. They learned to ride horses. They were good at it by the time they were five. They held riding contests. Who could ride the fastest? Who could jump the highest? Who could shoot the straightest? They let the winners ride with the scouts. The scouts searched for the herds before the hunt.
Boys had lots of practice shooting at targets that moved. They had to move quickly and easily. They learned to be quick and agile. They played games with hoops and poles. Round hoops were made from bent branches. They were rolled on the ground. The hoops would be spun down the hill side. They were as fast as the buffalo. Boys aimed their poles. They threw them through the hoops’ centers.
“Rawhide” was wrapped around the hoops. Rawhide is tough, hard leather. It was made from a buffalo’s hide, or skin. It was used by the Lakota for lots of things. Things like drums, rattles, buckets, and ropes. Boiled rawhide was used to make a kind of glue.
The buffalo gave the Lakota so much. The Sioux had everything they needed for life on the Great Plains. That was thanks to the buffalo! Rawhide was tough. But the Lakota found ways to make the hides soft. They’d turn them into soft leather. They would then have lots of uses. Here’s a good one. Women made moccasins, cradles, and winter robes. They made bedding, shirts, dresses, pouches, and dolls.
Buffalo skins helped make their homes. The homes were called “tipis.” They might paint designs or pictures on the skins that they used for their homes. You’d see horse and buffalo paintings much of the time.
And how about the bones of the buffalo? They were made into lots of things. They’d turn them into knives, arrowheads, and shovels. They’d make scrapers, awls (a type of needle), and paintbrush handles. The horns were used, too. They made cups, spoons, ladles, and toys. And they used part of the buffalo’s muscle. That’s called “sinew.” This was made into thread. It was used for stringing bows and arrows. They even used the hair! They made headdresses and pillows. They made ropes and ornaments.
The Lakota had great skills. They knew how to make or get things they needed. Think of all those ways they used each part of the buffalo. There was no waste. And the buffalo meat lasted long after the hunt. The Lakota would make stew with the fresh meat. They also dried buffalo meat. They’d eat that in the winter. This helped when food was harder to find. They pounded this dry meat. They mixed it with buffalo fat. It made a snack called “pemmican.”
For them, the buffalo were sacred. They said special prayers to the animals. They did this before hunting and killing them. Each year they had a ceremony. It was called the Buffalo Dance. They did this at the start of the summer buffalo-hunting season. They still perform this today.
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view. This lesson is a “READ-ALOUD” Core Knowledge (R) passage that has been rewritten to be at a lower-grade independent reading level complexity than the original, largely by shortening and simplifying sentence structures while maintaining the richness of the text content.)
Native Americans
Lesson 9 – Part Three
NEW WORDS: Chetan, Chetan’s, Mapiya, Mapiya’s, Nona, Tashna, Tashna’s, Winona, adult, allows, attached, beaded, chief’s, connected, continues, copies, cottonwood, cradleboard, deerskin, designed, families, formed, frame, horse’s, importance, joins, leans, mischief, notch, packing, parfleche, pegs, poking, raise, raising, respected, rugs, searching, shorten, sister’s, support, tightens, tipi, tipi’s, toddles, travois, unpacks, upright, worry
Chapter Three: Where’s Winona?
This is Mapiya. She’s a Lakota Sioux girl. Why is she so happy? Every year, she looks forward to moving with her family. They leave their winter camp. They go to their summer camp. It takes a few days to get there. They move here to hunt buffalo. The men do the hunting. All the Lakota families come. This way, they can support the men. They’ll live in this special spot until the days shorten. Fall will come then. And they’ll move back to winter camp.
Let’s learn about Mapiya’s family. With her are her mother, father, and grandma. Her little sister’s named Tashna. Her baby brother’s named Chetan. Remember what we learned about buffalo skins? Their clothes and moccasins are made from these skins. And so are their tipis. Think how easy it would be to move if you had a tipi. You’d carry your house! You can take apart a tipi quickly. You can set it back up in no time. Look at the picture. See the two poles near the horse’s head? There are poles behind the horse. A frame is connected to them. That forms a “travois.” This is a type of sled. It’s used to pull the family’s tipi and their things.
Mom packs and unpacks everything. She works hard to get ready! She planned things out before they left winter camp. Mom piled up clothes, blankets, and rugs. She placed them onto the backs of horses. Many things were placed onto a travois. Grandma and Tashna rode on a travois! Chetan was in a cradleboard on Mom’s back.
Mapiya packed her toys. She put them in a “parfleche.” This was a small bag. It was made of buffalo hide. She took care of her doll. The doll was named Winona. Mapiya wrapped her doll up in a fur blanket. Then she put her in the parfleche. Mom made Winona for Mapiya. Mom also helped Mapiya make things for the doll to wear. She sewed clothes and beaded moccasins for the doll. She loves her doll!
The Lakota are busy now. They’re setting up summer camp. There are strong winds on the plains. They come from the west. So, their tipis form a circle. All the doors face the same way, east. That’s away from the winds. They’re set up in order of the family’s importance. The chief is in charge of the tribe. So, his tipi is the most important. Mapiya’s dad is a respected hunter and warrior. So, their tipi is near the chief’s.
Mapiya’s family sees some cottonwood trees. That’s where they raise their tipi. Mom finds some shade. She leans Chetan’s cradleboard next to a tree trunk there. He is sound asleep. Mapiya often has to watch over Tashna. But not today. Grandma will look after her. She will take Tashna to visit her aunt. Her aunt’s tipi is all ready. Mapiya is glad to get a break. Tashna’s always getting into mischief!
Mom starts by raising the tipi’s frame. She puts up its long, thin, wooden poles. She ties three poles together. She has a long rope. She pulls the poles upright. They form the shape of a triangle. This makes a strong base. She adds more poles to the frame. She leans them against a notch. The notch was formed by the three poles at the top.
The tipi cover is attached to the last pole. Mom lifts that pole up. It’s at the back of the tipi. She leans it onto the other poles. Mapiya helps her with the cover. They pull it around the poles. This makes the walls of the tipi. They join the two sides of the cover with pegs. This leaves an opening for the doorway. That’s just under the last peg. The tipi is well-designed for the hot summer months. They’ll roll the cover up from the bottom. This lets in air. There’s a smoke hole at the top of the tipi. It can be opened and closed, too. This allows smoke to escape. And it lets more air flow in.
At last, the tipi is ready. Mapiya has her own toy tipi. She wants to set it up for her doll. She took the toy apart before packing it. She’ll put it together now. This will be just as her mom did with the family’s tipi. She copies her mom in her play. That’s a good thing. It helps her learn how to do grown-up things. She’ll be better prepared when she’s an adult.
Mapiya finds the parfleche with her toys. It lies open on the ground. She puts her hand in it. She pulls out the deerskin tipi cover. She grabs its wooden poles. The doll’s fur blanket is there, too. But Winona isn’t in the blanket. Mapiya pulls everything out of the bag. No Winona!
Now she’s worried. She looks through the other bags. But her doll isn’t in any of them. Did she fall out of the bag while on their trip here? Is she lost in the long grass that covers the plains? So much grass! Such a long trip! What if the doll fell out on the way? How will Mapiya find her? Her dad finds her searching for Winona. Mapiya is looking in the long grass.
“Have you seen my doll?” she asks him.
“No,” he says.
“My parfleche was open. Maybe she fell out on our trip!”
“Don’t worry,” says her dad. “I took all the parfleches off of the horses. I did that right when we got here. None were open. Your doll could not have fallen out.”
Mapiya joins her mom. She has made a fire, and she’s starting to cook. Father tightens his bow. Chetan continues to sleep.
“Mother, have you seen Winona?” asks Mapiya.
“No,” says her mom. “I haven’t seen your doll.”
Just then, Chetan wakes up. He starts to cry. Mapiya is good at getting Chetan to stop crying. She’s the best in her family at doing this! She walks to the tree. She makes a silly face. She sticks out her tongue. Chetan stops crying, and he laughs and laughs. And that’s when Mapiya sees them! Two little beaded moccasins. They’re poking upside down from the cradleboard! She tugs hard. Out come the legs. Then the dress. Then the arms and head of Winona! Mapiya gives her doll a huge hug. She asks, “How did you get in there you silly girl?!”
Right then, Tashna toddles over. She comes from her Aunt’s tipi. Grandma is trying her best to keep up. Tashna sees the doll. “Nona!” she calls out. She pulls the doll out of Mapiya’s hand. She sticks the doll back inside Chetan’s cradleboard.
“Now I know who did it!” says Mapiya. “It was Tashna!”
“You’re right!” says her mom. “I’ll need to do something tomorrow. I’ll make Tashna a doll of her own.”
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view. This lesson is a “READ-ALOUD” Core Knowledge (R) passage that has been rewritten to be at a lower-grade independent reading level complexity than the original, largely by shortening and simplifying sentence structures while maintaining the richness of the text content.)
Native Americans
Lesson 10 – Part Four
NEW WORDS: Sioux’s, bear’s, depended, galloped, glimmer, grandpa, grasses, graze, grazed, hammers, horizon, mane, nuzzled, remains, rising, sewn, stored, stroked
Chapter Four: Little Bear Goes Hunting
Little Bear woke up. The sun wasn’t up yet. Today was a key day for him. He just turned ten years old. He could now join in to hunt buffalo. He was not scared. He was excited. He knew that a buffalo can weigh as much as ten grown men. But he didn’t care.
Little Bear was a Lakota Sioux Indian. He lived on the Great Plains. This wide stretch of land was fairly flat. It was filled with grass and buffalo. His home was where his tribe placed their tipis. And that depended on the buffalo. The buffalo lived on the Great Plains, too. There were many large herds of them. But they moved from place to place. Their main food was the grass. They grazed on the wild grasses. They moved to find more.
You’ve learned this. Buffalo was the Sioux’s main food. So, they moved with the herds. The buffalo was fresh meat for the Sioux. The meat could also be dried. They turned it into “pemmican.” Pemmican was stored for later use. It was needed in the cold winter months.
And you know this. Each part of the buffalo had a special use. The buffalo gave them warm fur. Its hair was used to make rope. Their bones were used to make knives, axes, and hammers. Toys were made from the bones. Their skin was also used. It helped make tipis, clothes, bedding, and moccasins. These were jobs for women and girls.
Little Bear learned much as he grew up. He had watched his grandma, mom, and sisters while they worked. They used the buffalo hide to make clothes. They stretched and scraped it. They soaked and dried it many times. They pulled and stretched it. This made it soft. At the end, it was ready to be cut and sewn. They made it into things their people needed. Little Bear’s sister was good at sewing. She made his first pair of moccasins. She added pretty beads to them. They were like a beautiful work of art!
Little Bear dressed quickly. He stepped out of his tipi. The sun was rising. It was just a faint glimmer on the horizon. It was already warm. Little Bear looked around. No one else was up. He was the only one. This made the day seem more important. He sniffed the air. He learned that from his grandpa. He could not smell rain. He could smell the remains of their fires. They had burned out the night before. Buffalo meat had been cooked on those fires. Little Bear could still taste the tasty meat.
He made his way to the horses. They’d ride these horses in the hunt. He knew where the horses liked to graze. Today, he’d ride his brother’s horse. He’d carry a bow and arrow. His father had made them. Little Bear had helped to shape the arrow tip.
Hunting buffalo was hard. They could run like the wind. It often took many men to take down just one of them. Little Bear hoped that he’d be brave. He hoped his father would be proud. He saw how his dad was proud of his brother.
Little Bear stroked his brother’s horse. He whispered to him. He asked the horse to help him catch the buffalo. The horse nuzzled him. The horse’s mane tickled his nose. Little Bear laughed.
Some time passed. The sun was rising. Now, some others were awake. They were coming out of their tipis. He saw his mom. She was breathing life back into their fire. She and his sisters would start to work. They would prepare food for the hunters. Then it would be time to go.
Little Bear went back to his tipi. He sat on the ground. He sat beside his mom. She smiled at him. She brushed his hair. She smiled and wished him well. “You’ll be a brave hunter, just like your brother.” Little Bear smiled at his mom. She was wise and kind. He loved her very much.
Little Bear was joined by his grandpa, dad, and brother. They were all around the fire. They were served tasty buffalo stew.
It was time to go. The men and boys got on their horses. They rode out of their village. Little Bear looked back at his mom. She stood by the fire. She smiled. She put her hand on her heart. Little Bear thought to himself. “She’s telling me I’ll be a brave hunter.” He smiled at his mom. He then galloped off. He would hunt the buffalo for the very first time.
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Click on this link to move forward to Module C, Lessons 11 – 20
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