  What is the name of this month? What is the name of the month just ended? What is the name of the month following May? What season is this? What season follows spring? How many days has May? What other months have thirty-one days? TuesdayTeach the proper method of salutation on the street. Have the boys put on their caps, and the girls their hats. Have a boy and a girl go to the front of the room, and from opposite sides of the room walk toward each other. As they meet, the girl nods her head politely, and the boy lifts his hat. After the simple ceremony the two children return to their seats, and their places are taken by other boys and girls, in WednesdayWrite a sentence about birds. Write a sentence about the grass. Write a sentence about May. ThursdayStory for reproduction. (Let the children test the results of mixing colors, with their paint boxes, if they have paints.) THE RAINBOW FAIRIES One night three little fairies were playing under a tree. They were flower fairies. Each had on a dress of the same color as the flower for which it was named. Little Fairy Buttercup wore a bright yellow dress. Forget-me-not wore a blue dress. Geranium wore a red dress. Not far from the three fairies in red, yellow and blue, were three other fairies. These fairies had on old, faded dresses. They stood and watched the gaily-dressed fairies dance in the moonlight. “Come,” said Buttercup, “won’t you come and dance with us?” “We cannot,” said the three. “We cannot dance, for we have on our old clothes. We have worked hard all day and are just going home, but we like to see you dance in your pretty clothes.” Then Buttercup took the skirt of her yellow dress and dipped it into a lily cup filled with dew. The dew was quickly dyed yellow. Forget-me-not dipped the skirt of her blue dress into another lily cup filled with dew. The dew was quickly dyed blue. Then the fairies mixed the yellow dew and the blue dew together. “Now jump in, little fairy,” cried Buttercup. In jumped one of the fairies in faded gown, and when she came out her dress was a beautiful green. Then Geranium dipped her dress into dew, and Forget-me-not did the same. They mixed blue and red, and the second fairy jumped in. When she came out, her dress was bright purple. Then Buttercup and Geranium dipped their dresses into dew again, to make a mixture for the third fairy. When she came out of the lily cup her dress was bright orange. Then the six fairies laughed and sang, and danced about. By and by a dark cloud covered the moon, and the rain came pattering down. The six fairies hid themselves in the flowers. The next morning, when the rain stopped, the sun came out and shone brightly. The six fairies came out of the flowers, and hand in hand they ran up to the sky. There they made a beautiful rainbow. Since then, they have been called the Rainbow Fairies.—Adapted FridayTalk about the rainbow, and its six colors. Have the children tell the combinations that make green, purple, and orange. SECOND WEEKMondayTo be committed to memory: THE DANDELION A brave little dandelion woke up from his nap, And hunted around in the dark for his cap, “I’m certain,” he muttered, “it ought to be here, In the very same place where I left it last year.” He poked all about in the dirt and the dark, For the same little hat that he wore in the ark; For fashions may vary with people and clime, But dandelions wear the same hats all the time. “What’s o’clock?” and he paused while he counted the fuzz That had crept through his locks, as old age always does; Then he settled himself to pluck out the old feathers, That had done so much service in all kinds of weathers. Rather frowsy he looked, getting into his hat, But he knew that the rain would take care of all that, If he only were up; so he pulled on his boots, And began to push up from his tough little roots. Kept pushing, and cheerful and hopeful, he pushed, And he came to the surface, close by an old bush, With the frost hardly gone, and the ground hardly mellow, Here he is on the top now, the brave little fellow. The first dandelion! Well may we delight And call all the children to see the glad sight, For of all the brave prospects of hope and of spring, The golden-crowned dandelion surely is king. —Selected and slightly adapted Teach the children the first stanza of the poem. TuesdayTeach the children the second stanza of the poem. WednesdayTeach the children the third stanza of the poem, explaining what is meant by the “fuzz.” ThursdayTeach the fourth stanza of the poem. FridayTeach the fifth stanza of the poem. THIRD WEEKMondayTeach the sixth stanza of the poem. TuesdayHave the children play the poem, each child acting the part of the dandelion, as all recite the poem in concert. WednesdayWrite: A dandelion is yellow. Dandelions bloom in May. ThursdayChildren name a flower (besides dandelions) that is yellow; one that is blue; green; pink; white; purple. Which of these are in blossom in May? FridayTalk about different kinds of dogs, and what each is good for; e. g., terrier, catching rats; collie, driving sheep; St. Bernard, saving life; hound, hunting, etc. FOURTH WEEKMondayWhat flowers bloom in May? What are their colors? What are the birds doing this month? Have you seen any birds’ nests this spring? Where? What kinds of birds do you know? What have the trees been doing this month? (Growing leaves.) TuesdayAsk each child to bring a penny to school. See how many things can be found on the penny. What is the motto of our country? (In God we trust.) WednesdayHave the children write: Under the green trees, Just over the way, Jack-in-the-pulpit Preaches to-day. ThursdayHave the pupils told, the preceding day, to bring into the school-room three different green objects, as a leaf from a tree, a blade of grass, a branch of some plant, etc. Have pupils write the words describing what they have brought, as leaf, grass, twig, etc. FridayTalk about Decoration Day. What it means, and how to celebrate it. SECOND YEARFIRST WEEKMondayLearn the first two stanzas of the poem: THE SEED As wonderful things are hidden away In the heart of a little brown seed As ever were found in the fairy nut Of which we sometimes read. Over the dainty shining coat, We sprinkle the earth so brown, And then the sunshine warms its bed, And the rain comes pattering down. Patter, patter, the soft warm rain Knocks at the tiny door, And two little heads come peeping out, Like a story in fairy lore. —Selected and slightly adapted TuesdayLearn the entire poem. WednesdayTalk about the meaning of the poem, and sow some morning glory seed in a box or flower pot. Talk about the need of moist earth to make the seeds grow. Have the children water the seeds every day, until the “two little heads come peeping out.” ThursdayWrite a list of the naming words (nouns) in the poem of the week. FridayChildren write five sentences about seeds and the way they grow. SECOND WEEKMondayFor dictation: Sing, O sing, thou merry bird, As you fly so lightly; Sing your song of joy and love, While the sun shines brightly. TuesdayWrite, in complete sentences, answers to the following questions: What bird has a red breast? (Robin.) What bird picks worms from under the bark of large trees? (Woodpecker.) What bird lays large white eggs that we like to eat for breakfast? (Hen.) What bird likes to eat the farmer’s corn? (Crow.) What bird says, “Coo, coo, coo?” (Pigeon.) WednesdayTalk about the birds and nest-building. Talk about the different kinds of nests: the robin’s; the oriole’s, hung from the limb of a tall tree; the bobolink’s, built in the grass; the sparrow’s, tucked under the eaves; the swallow’s, built in the barn, etc. ThursdayRead the following poem to the children, and have them tell the story back to you: THE JOLLY OLD CROW On the limb of an oak sat a jolly old crow, And chattered away with glee, with glee, As he saw the old farmer go out to sow, And he cried, “It’s all for me, for me! “Look, look, how he scatters his seeds around; He’s tremendously kind to the poor, the poor; If he’d empty it down in a pile on the ground. I could find it much better, I’m sure, I’m sure! “I’ve learned all the tricks of this wonderful man, Who shows such regard for the crow, the crow, That he lays out his grounds on a regular plan, And covers his corn in a row, a row! “He must have a very great fancy for me; He tries to entrap me enough, enough, But I measure his distance as well as he, And when he comes near I am off!”—Selected FridayHave the children write a little story about the crow and the corn. THIRD WEEKMondayWrite five words beginning with m. Write five words beginning with s. Write five words beginning with b. TuesdayAdd a word to violet, to show what color it is. Add a word to tulip, to show what color it is. Add a word to apple blossom, to show what color it is. Add a word to hyacinth, to show what color it is. Add a word to grass, to show what color it is. WednesdayFor dictation: Into my window a sunbeam bright Comes with a glad good morning, “The night is gone, it is time you were up,” It is thus he gives me warning. ThursdayWrite five sentences, telling what the warm sunshine does. FridayPlay, as a game, “I went to the woods and brought back a violet.” One child says, “I went to the woods, and brought back a violet and an anemone” (or any other flower). The next child says, “I went to the woods and brough back a violet, an anemone, and a hepatica.” Each child adds a flower to the list, as long as the children can remember the list of flowers. FOURTH WEEKMondayTalk about birds’ eggs, and the wrong of robbing nests. TuesdayRead the following poem to the children: THE FRIGHTENED BIRDS “Hush! hush!” said the little brown thrush, To her mate on the nest in the alder bush. “Keep still! don’t open your bill, There’s a boy coming bird-nesting over the hill. “Let go your wings out, so That not an egg on the nest shall show. Chee! chee! it seems to me I’m as frightened as ever a bird can be.” Then still, with a quivering bill, They watched the boy out of sight o’er the hill. And then, in the branches again Their glad song rang out over valley and glen. Oh! oh! if only that boy could know How glad they were when they saw him go, Say, do you think that next day, He could possibly steal those eggs away? —Selected Talk about the advantage that the birds are, in eating insects and protecting the trees. WednesdayWrite five sentences, telling what birds do for us, and why it is wrong to steal birds’ eggs. ThursdayFill the blank spaces in the following: —— blackbirds —— on a hill, One named ——, the other —— Jill. Fly away ——, —— away, Jill, Come ——, Jack, —— back, ——. FridayWrite a letter to your cousin, telling about birds, and why you will never steal their eggs. THIRD YEARFIRST WEEKMondayPoem to be committed to memory: WE THANK THEE For flowers that bloom about our feet; For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet; For song of bird and hum of bee; For all things fair we hear or see, Father in heaven, we thank Thee! For blue of stream and blue of sky; For pleasant shade of branches high; For fragrant air and cooling breeze; For beauty of the blooming trees— Father in heaven, we Thank Thee! For mother-love and father-care, For brothers strong and sisters fair; For love at home and here each day; For guidance, lest we go astray— Father in heaven, we Thank Thee!—Selected Have the poem copied. TuesdayLearn the first stanza of the poem. WednesdayLearn the second stanza of the poem. ThursdayLearn and recite the entire poem. FridayWrite a list of the nouns in the poem. SECOND WEEKMondayWrite a list of the adjectives in the poem. TuesdayWrite the name of a flower that is blue; one that is yellow; pink; red; purple; white. Write a sentence describing each of the flowers in your list. WednesdayWrite the name of a bird that is brown; one that is black; blue; green; yellow. Class exchange papers. Write a sentence about each bird on the list you receive. ThursdayTalk about May, and how it differs from any other month of the year. What garden flowers are in blossom this month? What wild flowers are in blossom? What fruit trees? What forest trees? FridayWrite five sentences about the flowers and trees that blossom in May. THIRD WEEKMondayStory for reproduction: ANEMONE Once upon a time there lived a youth whose name was Adonis. He was a fine-looking boy, tall and straight, and he was very fond of hunting. Every day, with only his dogs for company, he would go into the woods, carrying his bow and arrows. He had a fast horse on which he rode. His friends often urged him not to go too far into the deep woods, but Adonis was not at all afraid. He had killed bears, and he had killed lions, so why should he be afraid? One day Adonis was in the woods as usual, when he caught sight of two wild hogs. He left his dogs to worry one of the hogs, and he started after the other with his spear. The angry hog bit him and he had to hasten to the brook to bathe his wounds. The angry hog followed him. Swimming in the brook were some beautiful white swans. When they saw Adonis wounded, they went to Venus and told her what they had seen. Venus hastened to the brook in her silver chariot. “Adonis! Adonis!” she cried. No answer came. The only trace she could find of Adonis was some drops of blood on the green grass. Venus was very sorry, for she loved the boy Adonis very much. From a silver cup which she carried with her, she sprinkled a few drops of blood over the grass. In a little while, tiny flower buds peeped out from the spot where each drop of blood had fallen. A gentle wind came up and blew the little buds open and before night it had blown them all away. People called the little flowers wind-flowers, or anemones. Their delicate pink coloring was believed to have come from the heart of Adonis. Have you seen the dainty little anemones, the wind-flowers?—Adapted Tell the story to the children. TuesdayHave the children tell back to you the story of the anemones. WednesdayWrite the story of the anemones. ThursdayWrite five sentences about the woods where the anemones grow. FridayHave the children play in their own way the story of Adonis. |
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