The Sack Garden
Learning Goals
In this chapter, you will learn to:
- Print the alphabet in order using upper case letters
- Hear, read, and write words with a short /e/
- Hear, read, and write words with a long /e/ (spelled ee)
- Copy short sentences
- Read common sight words in a paragraph
- Answer questions about a story
- Describe the sequence of a story
- State an opinion about a reading
- Use an upper case letter to begin a person’s name
Talk About it
- Have you ever had a garden? What did you grow?
- What did you like about having a garden?
- What was hard about having a garden?
Picture Dictionary |
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Use the pictures to help you figure out the words. |
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| South Africa | three | white |
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| farm | money | land |
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| sack | rock | middle |
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| dirt | one | hole |
Practice reading these words without the pictures. |
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| one | sack | land | dirt |
| South Africa | hole | money | three |
| white | middle | farm | rock |
Word Skills
The letters a, e, i, o, and u are called vowels. Vowels have short sounds and long sounds. So far, you have looked at short vowel sounds:
- A short /a/ says /a/ like in apple.
- A short /i/ says /i/ like in itch. A short /o/ says /o/ like in octopus.
- A short /u/ says /u/ like in up.
Word Patterns
A short /e/ makes an /e/ sound like in Expo.
Match each word to a picture.
| bed | pet | net | red |
| web | pen | wet | vet |
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| 1. ____________ | 2. ____________ | 3. ____________ |
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| 4. ____________ | 5. ____________ | 6. ____________ |
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| 7. ____________ | 8. ____________ |
Word Patterns
Vowels can also make a long sound. The letters ee make a long /e/ sound like in jeep.
Match each word to a picture.
| see | bee | green | weed |
| tree | feet | three | feed |
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| 9. __________ | 10. __________ | 11. __________ |
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| 12. __________ | 13. __________ | 14. __________ |
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| 15. __________ | 16. __________ |
Pick the word that matches the picture. |
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| 17. | |
wet | weet |
| 18. | |
neet | net |
| 19. | |
weed | wed |
| 20. | |
se | see |
| 21. | |
web | weeb |
| 22. | |
peet | pet |
Read these sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters correctly. Use periods and question marks correctly. |
| My pet is at the vet. |
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| I did not see the bee. |
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| I got my feet wet. |
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| This is a red pen. |
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| She is not in bed. |
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You will see these words in the reading. They have the short /e/ sound like Expo.
| Meg | rest | eggplant |
You will see these words in the reading. They have the long /e/ sound like jeep.
| three | feed | weeds |
| green | need |
Use Your Reading Skills
Listen to The Sack Garden. Then read The Sack Garden in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.
Check Your Understanding
1. Where does Meg live?
Meg lives in _____________________.
2. Who owns most of the farmland in South Africa?
_____________________ own most of the farmland in South Africa.
3. What does Meg use to grow a garden?
Meg uses a _____________________ to grow a garden.
Are these sentences true? Circle yes or no.
| 4. A sack garden costs a lot of money. | yes | no |
| 5. A sack garden takes up a lot of room. | yes | no |
| 6. A sack garden does not have many weeds. | yes | no |
7. How do you make a sack garden? Put these steps in the right order (1, 2, 3).
_____ Make little holes in the side of the sack.
_____ Put dirt and rocks in the sack.
_____ Put plants in the holes.
Writing
Write all the letters of the alphabet in order. Use upper case letters.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Grammar Rule
Use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name.
This is Meg. – YES
This is meg. – NO
Write your full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.
_______________________________________________________
Find a classmate. Write their full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.
_______________________________________________________
Find another classmate. Write their full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.
_______________________________________________________
Writing Task
Have you ever had a garden?
If so, tell your instructor about your garden. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.
If not, imagine you were going to plant a garden. Think about what you would want to grow. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.
When you are done, read your story.
- Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
- Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
- Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
- Are you missing any words?
Answer Key |
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| Word Skills | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | web |
| 2 | net |
| 3 | red |
| 4 | vet |
| 5 | pen |
| 6 | bed |
| 7 | pet |
| 8 | wet |
| 9 | green |
| 10 | bee |
| 11 | feet |
| 12 | see |
| 13 | feed |
| 14 | tree |
| 15 | three |
| 16 | weed |
| 17 | wet |
| 18 | net |
| 19 | weed |
| 20 | see |
| 21 | web |
| 22 | pet |
| Check Your Understanding | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | South Africa |
| 2 | white people |
| 3 | sack |
| 4 | no |
| 5 | no |
| 6 | yes |
| 7 | 2, 1, 3 |
| Writing | |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
Attributions
See the Attributions page near the end of this book.
