Home-School Connection
Dear Family Member:
This week our class will be focusing on how the Earth changes. We’ll
explore what causes the different ways the Earth looks on its surface.
Here are some activities that you can
do with your child to help reinforce the
skills we’ll be practicing.
Word Workout (see page 84)
• Words to Know: sentence clues
Your child will answer each question
about one of the words on the list.
• Spelling/Phonics: r-controlled
vowels er, ir, ur, or You and your child will fold a sheet of paper
into four sections, with one of these words written at the top of each
section: dirt, purse, word, or Bert. Your child will write each list word
in the appropriate section that shows how the vowel sound is
spelled. This week’s words contain the phonic sound of r-controlled
vowels spelled er, ir, ur, and or.
Comprehension: cause and effect (see page 85)
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You and your child will read sentences and look at pictures, and then
match causes with effects.
Unit 4 • Week 2 81
Word Workout
Words to Know
Let’s discuss each word. Then answer each question I ask, using a
complete sentence and the list word in your answer.
solid steep active local
explode island properties Earth
1. Which is solid: water or ice?
2. Which is local: your school, or a school in China?
3. Which is Earth: a planet or a star?
4. Which is steep: a hill or a desert?
5. Which is an island: Hawaii or Europe?
6. Which is active: someone sleeping or someone running?
7. Which might explode: a volcano or a river?
8. Which are properties of water: flowing and wet, or dry and sandy?
Spelling Words
Let’s fold a piece of paper into four sections. Write a different word at the
top of each section: dirt, purse, word, or Bert. Then write each of the list
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
words in the appropriate section to show how the vowel sound is spelled.
Underline the letters that spell the vowel sound in each word.
work herd churn skirt hurt
first stir burst clerk worse
Review: know wrist
84 Unit 4 • Week 2
Comprehension: Cause and Effect
Mario’s Busy Day
Let’s read each sentence below that describes an effect of Mario’s day.
Then find the cause for each event. Write the letter of the correct cause
next to each numbered effect.
1. Mario was late to school.
2. Mario had to buy food at school.
3. Mario had to walk home.
4. Mario had to give Rollo a bath.
5. Mario couldn’t do his homework.
a. Mario’s bike had a flat tire.
b. A storm knocked out the power.
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c. Rollo rolled in the mud.
d. Mario overslept.
e. Mario forgot his lunch.
Unit 4 • Week 2 85
