
K-2-692: Share the Harvest & Give Thanks
Season 6 Episode 129 | 27m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
Valley PBS presents Reading Explorers Lessons for Kindergarten through 2nd Grade.
Valley PBS presents Reading Explorers Lessons for Kindergarten through 2nd Grade.
Reading Explorers is a local public television program presented by Valley PBS

K-2-692: Share the Harvest & Give Thanks
Season 6 Episode 129 | 27m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
Valley PBS presents Reading Explorers Lessons for Kindergarten through 2nd Grade.
How to Watch Reading Explorers
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(upbeat music) - (in unison) Good morning, Super Readers.
- Thank you for joining us in our Valley PBS classroom.
I'm Mrs. Nix.
- I'm Mrs. Hammack.
- And I'm Mrs. Vang.
- This is a place for us to learn, practice, and- - (in unison) Grow our brains.
- To become even stronger readers, writers, and thinkers.
So let's get started by warming up our brains with some... - Ear training.
- Called - (in unison) Daily phonemic awareness.
- All right, Super Readers, today we're going to go through and we're going to do some blending.
And I know Mrs. Hammack is going to talk to us about some letters later on, but I want us to listen to the sounds today.
- Okay.
- And we're working on the "air" sound.
So let's practice some words with that sound in them.
- I love it.
- Are you ready?
Now to blend we're going to just do it down our arm, and I'm going to give you some sounds and then we're going to blend them or smash them all together so that they're touching.
Are you ready?
Okay, here we go.
"Ff".
"Air".
- (in unison) Fair.
- Oh.
- Fair.
Got it?
- Oh.
That only had two sounds.
- Two sounds.
- Mmm-hmm.
How about this one?
- "Buh".
"Air".
Bear.
- Bear.
- Bear.
- Nicely done.
- Wow.
- Kind of easy, right?
Okay.
Let me- I'll make it a little harder this time.
- Okay.
- Here we go.
"Ss".
"Kk".
"Air".
- (in unison) Scare.
- Scare.
- Scare.
- Ah, very nice.
- Ah, do you get it?
- That's good.
- All right.
Nicely done.
And they all had what sound?
- (Mrs. Hammack and Mrs. Vang in unison) "Air" sound.
- Air sound.
We're going to practice those a little bit later, but I think in the meantime, maybe we should do a little... - I think so.
- Dancing?
- Yes.
- Let's do it.
(laughing) - Let's warm up those brains.
(gentle music) ♪ Koala, koala ♪ ♪ As happy as can be ♪ ♪ Koala, koala ♪ ♪ Won't you come and visit me?
♪ ♪ Koala, koala ♪ ♪ Sitting high up in the tree ♪ ♪ Koala, koala ♪ ♪ Munching eucalyptus leaves ♪ ♪ Koala, koala ♪ ♪ As happy as can be ♪ ♪ Koala, koala ♪ ♪ Won't you come and visit me?
♪ ♪ Koala, koala ♪ ♪ Sitting high up in the tree ♪ ♪ Koala, koala ♪ ♪ Munching eucalyptus leaves ♪ - Ta-da!
- Ta-da!
- Oh, I love that.
- Oh, I love koalas.
They're so cute.
- Mm-hmm.
- And they really do eat eucalyptus leaves.
- Yes they do.
And they're really not related to a bear.
- No they are not, but that's another that's another lesson- - For another day.
- Today we're going to go back and work on our chair card a little bit more, okay?
So I'll see you guys later?
- Okay.
- Well, Super Readers, are you ready?
All right, let's go.
Here we are at our word work board.
And today we were- we listened to the "air" sound in words with Mrs. Nix when we did our phonemic awareness.
And now we're going to bridge that sound into letters.
So now we're going to take a look at the way that we can spell that sound, and what it looks like when we're reading words.
Let's call our friends in to help us, shall we?
Hey guys, are you ready to come help us?
- Ready.
- Yes, Mrs. Hammack.
- Now you had left yesterday going to practice some of our spelling patterns for the chair card.
How did you do?
- Wooh, it is a little bit of work, I'm not going to lie, but I think I'm starting to see some patterns.
- Excellent.
How about you, Ricky?
- And then I read them and then I went, "Hey that has a different meaning."
So I really had to read the sentence and try to think about what that word means, okay.
Because yesterday we did "where" "wear".
- Mm-hmm.
- I had to think about- I had to use my context clues to figure out which one was the correct meaning.
So that was what was hard.
- That's what good readers do though, so I'm glad you were practicing that.
And I think you're going to notice a few words that sound the same as other words today too, but they're spelled differently.
So we'll talk a little bit about that.
Are you ready to do some blending with me?
- Oh yeah, let's do it.
- Okay.
First let's review our sound spelling patterns, okay?
- Okay.
- All right.
Me first, and then you be my echo.
A-I-R says air.
- (in unison) A-I-R says "air".
- Perfect.
A-R-E says "air".
- (in unison) A-R-E says "air".
- Good.
E-A-R says "air".
- (in unison) E-A-R says "air".
- Fantastic.
All right, now we're going to take that and apply it to some words.
Now, here is our first word- Oh, and I forgot to tell our Super Readers and you at home on our sound spelling cards remember, the sound spelling pattern that is most common is first.
And they go in order.
So you'll most often see A-I-R and then A-R-E and then- So you can see that there's an order of how frequent or how many words there are.
So that's just something to know.
- Yeah.
That's helpful.
- So here's our first spelling pattern, and let's blend this together.
What does the F letter stand for?
"Fff".
- (in unison) "Fff".
- Very good.
And then we have "air".
- (in unison) Air.
- (in unison) Fair.
- Oh, fair.
- Very good.
That's the word you did with Mrs. Nix for a blending practice, right?
- Yeah.
- Then you just were blending it by looking at the letters.
- And it was so interesting, because we were talking about how many sounds we said, "Ooh, that's so easy, it only has two sounds."
- That's right.
- But I'm looking up there and there are actually four letters - That is right.
We have only two sound parts, but to make those sound parts, we have more letters, don't we?
- Mm-hmm.
- That's something to notice.
All right, let's take a look at this.
Here we have the A-R-E spelling pattern, and then we have a consonant blend at the beginning.
Let's see if we can remember what this consonant blend says.
You ready?
- Mm-hmm.
- Okay.
Here we go.
- (in unison) "Ss" "Kk" "Air".
Scare.
- Scare.
- Very nicely done.
Good job.
I hope this sound spelling card doesn't- - Boo!
- scare you.
(laughter) - Did I scare you?
- That was funny.
- Oh, that was good, Ricky.
Very nice.
Let's take a look at this word here.
Here we have the P, and the letter P stands for what sound?
- (in unison) "Puh".
- Good.
And then we have - (in unison) "Air".
- Let's put it together.
- (in unison) Pair.
- Pair.
- Pair.
Very nice.
Now this pair is... do you know?
What do you think?
- I remember with Mrs. Nix yesterday.
She had that word in her sentence because she said she likes grapes, but her favorite was pears- - Very nice.
- It's the fruit.
- Very good.
It is the fruit.
All right.
Now, are you ready to do some building with me?
- Ooh.
Yes, let's do it.
- Okay.
So let's start with a little bit of an easier one.
Let's start and build the word hair.
"Hah" "air".
- (in unison) Hair.
- So what do you think?
- Mrs. Hammack, can you put that in a sentence?
Because I'm thinking of two different hair in my brain.
- Very nice.
And you think a sentence will help you?
- Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
- Okay.
I forgot to comb my hair today.
What do you think?
- I think that Ricky's going to have to talk about it because I don't have any hair.
(laughter) - You're so funny.
- What do you think, Ricky?
- "Hah, hah, hah."
That's the H. - Yes it is.
- And then "air".
And it's the hair you're combing, so it's the A-I-R. - Oh, good thinking.
That's right.
Now, what would the other kind of hair be?
- Ooh, Ooh.
That is someone that is rather frisky and always is trying to beat me at a race.
- (laughs) Oh, you're right.
- It's a rabbit.
- It is a rabbit.
Very good.
So you can see how confusing it can be.
Ricky, that was a great clue.
A great idea to give a sentence.
So you know which one you're writing.
- Because I just read "The Tortoise and the Hare", so I almost spelled it H-A-R-E because that was in my brain and I went no, no, no, no.
I need a sentence.
- Good thinking.
I love that.
All right, so let's stick with this spelling pattern for today.
So we have hair.
So what if I wanted it to say "stare"?
Stare.
- (in unison) "Ss" "tair".
- Ooh.
Ooh.
Ooh.
That's the little constonant and I can see it.
It's right here next to me with the S-T. - Very nice, very nice.
- Stair.
- We can just stick that right in front.
Yep.
And now we have "ss" "tair".
Stair.
Very good.
Now this stair is something you would step up on, right?
- Mm-hmm.
- A stair.
All right.
How about one last one?
Just for fun.
How about pair?
I have a pair of socks in my dresser.
- Oh.
- Oh, that's just a "pah" sound.
We just need to put the P there- - You are right.
- because you said that we were working with the A-I-R spelling pattern today.
- You are right.
Look at- here we have pear the fruit, and pair when there are two things that go together.
Good thinking.
Wow.
I can't trick you at all, and it's only Tuesday.
Good job.
- Ooh.
- Those are a lot of hard things.
- Oh, they sure are.
But you can do hard things, can't you?
- Mm-hmm.
- All right.
Hey, I'm going to let you guys go and practice writing some words.
Maybe make a few lists, and I'm going to read this sentence with our Super Readers.
- (in unison) Okay, bye-bye.
- See you later.
You ready, Super Readers?
Did that big bear stare at Claire?
Oh, these are tricky.
They're tricky.
Let's- speaking of tricky, let's go see what tricky words Mrs. Nix has for us today with our high frequency words.
- Oh, Mrs. Hammack, you're so silly.
We don't have any tricky words over here.
They're all fun ones.
All right, these are our high frequency words.
Our words that we see often in our reading and our writing.
And so we want to make sure that we're able to do just that.
We want to be able to read them and write them.
So let's go through and read them together.
Favorite, young, surprise, few, wonder, and gone.
Okay.
Today we're going practice this word, young.
Spell it with me.
Y-O-U-N-G. Young.
Great job.
All right, help me read it and use it in a sentence.
Spot is a very "mmm" dog.
What kind of dog is he?
Let's see.
Spot is a very young dog.
Did you see that?
Great job.
Okay, so here's one of my most favorite things to do to practice because it's always a good thing to do, is to practice spelling our words.
And so, you might have a chart like this or you could just write your letters out on a piece of paper and practice tapping it out with a pencil or whatever you have at home that you can do it.
I like to have a little fun little wand.
But I'm going go through and I'm going to whack my word today and I'm going to spell young.
So I'm looking for my- Oh, here it is.
Y-O-U-N-G. Did you get it?
Great job.
That is a wonderful way to go through and practice saying your letters out loud, and spelling your words, because then they get locked in place and you'll know how to spell them.
All right.
So I'm going to kick it over to our story now.
I want you guys to listen carefully, and I believe Mrs. Vang has some comprehension when we come back.
We'll see you in a minute.
- [Narrator] Share the harvest and give thanks.
Each year, farmers pick crops from their fields.
This is called the harvest.
It marks the end of the growing season, a fun time of the year.
Say thanks.
In our nation, families celebrate the harvest in a number of ways.
You can eat a harvest dinner at home, or you can go to a fair or a festival.
Harvest is a time to unite with friends and family.
It is also a time when people share harvest foods.
Caption: Farm stands have harvest fruits and vegetables.
These may include pumpkins and apples in the fall, and berries and tomatoes in the spring.
All across the United States, people give thanks for the fall harvest.
This day is called Thanksgiving.
It is on the fourth Thursday in November.
Families eat together and show that they are thankful.
But are you aware of the very first Thanksgiving?
The first Thanksgiving in our nation was in 1621.
The pilgrims who had come to America had a feast to show thanks for the harvest.
They ate duck, deer, corn, and squash.
Can you compare that to a meal today?
Caption: In 1620, the people we call pilgrims sailed from England and landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The Native Americans there taught the pilgrims which crops to plant.
Today, families still give thanks with a feast, but they may eat such favorite foods as turkey, corn, and green beans.
People like to enjoy the harvest foods before they are gone.
Caption: Many families eat a special meal on Thanksgiving.
Foods that are harvested in the fall may be part of the celebration.
Festivals and fairs.
In many states, Thanksgiving is a fun affair.
Some places hold big parades where people march, sing, and dance.
At one parade, young actors wear costumes.
They act out the first Thanksgiving.
That is so you can see what harvest was like so many years ago.
Caption: In Plymouth, the city of the first Thanksgiving, some people dress up like pilgrims and Native Americans.
At the Kentucky harvest festival, the corn crop is the star.
Kids have a contest to peel the most ears of corn.
Families join teams to play a corn hole toss game.
The teams toss a few bags filled with corn kernels.
They follow rules to score.
The winning team gets a surprise.
Caption: A bean bag toss game is popular at Kentucky and Ohio harvest festivals.
Players pitch their corn bags and try to get them into a hole.
Kwanzaa is also a harvest celebration.
Kwanzaa means "first fruits".
At this time, people give thanks for crops, such as corn, apples, and pears.
In some places, pumpkins are a big deal.
Large pumpkins are dug out and used as boats.
After the race, the pumpkins are used for compost or to make new dirt.
Captions: Row, row, row, your pumpkin.
These giant pumpkins make a splash at Oregon's giant pumpkin race.
Kwanzaa begins on December 26.
It celebrates the harvest of Africa.
Many people in the United States celebrate Kwanzaa traditions.
Across the nation, people celebrate the harvest.
At home or with others, it is no wonder that harvest is a fun time for all.
Key.
Pumpkin symbol: Pumpkin race in Oregon.
Corn symbol: Corn festivals in Kentucky and Ohio.
Pilgrim symbol: Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving in Massachusetts.
- Did you guys enjoy that story called "Share the Harvest and Give Thanks"?
That was a great nonfiction story.
Now, today we're going to be working with Author's Purpose.
Now it is usually when an author writes, they have what we call their purpose, and it's usually in second grade, I teach it to them as "pie".
Which, the P stands for persuade, the I in "pie" stands for inform, and the E stands for entertain.
But because this is a nonfiction text, I know that the author's purpose or the reason of writing this selection was to give us information, right?
So it's that I part, right?
In pie.
So the author's purpose was to inform us or give us information.
And so, I have my graphic organizer here to help me figure out the author's purpose.
So I found two clues in the story, and then I'm going show you how I found the author's purpose.
So as I was reading the story, I was thinking about what the text was telling me.
And so I knew that the first clue that this author wanted me to know was, they talked a lot about the harvest is when the farmers pick the crop, right?
So that's one clue.
Farmers pick crops.
And I know that's the harvest, right?
And then the other clue was, it also states that the harvest is the end of the growing season.
Okay.
So's talking about when, what harvest is, because it's the when the farmers pick the crops and it's talking about the harvest is the end of the growing season.
Now remember, and I already said because this is a nonfiction text, the author's purpose was to inform us.
So what was the author's purpose of this text?
Oh, I hear some of you guys.
Good.
It was to give information about what a harvest is.
Did you guys get that?
Oh, good job.
Now that we know the author's purpose, let's use some of those information that the author gave us and use it in our writing.
So our writing prompt today says, "In your opinion, what is the most interesting way people celebrate the harvest?"
So I want you to think, because this is an opinion writing.
So that just means you write what you think.
That's right.
You are going to write what you think, I'm going to write what I think, your friend's going to write about what they think, and guess what, we're all right, because it's our opinion.
So, I started it for you guys.
Now it says, "People celebrate the harvest in many ways.
Some families gather to share a meal of harvest foods."
But now, since I gave you guys my beginning, or my topic sentence, and I gave you a detail about the harvest, you know what I think we're going to do?
I think you're right.
I think we should start with our opinion now.
So in our opinion, or in my opinion, I wonder what the most interesting part was.
And you know what?
I think I'm going to invite some of my friends to come and help me write.
Are you ready?
Let's call them.
Let's say, "Friends!"
- Woo.
Hello.
- Hello.
- Hello Mrs. Vang.
- Did you guys enjoy that story?
- Oh yes.
- Okay.
What did you guys think?
I want your opinion of what was the most interesting part of the way people celebrate the harvest.
- Okay.
Okay.
I'm going to tell her, okay?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- All right.
So we came up with a sentence together, and we said because you have some families gather to share a meal of harvest foods, which- a lot of people do that, but we thought the most interesting celebration of the fall harvest are the people who use huge pumpkins as boats.
- Yeah.
Yeah, that was so fun.
I want to do that.
- Oh, wasn't that- - I couldn't believe a pumpkin boat.
Can you imagine having a pumpkin so big you can float in it?
- I did not know they float.
That's so cool.
- Yes.
- Oh, I love that.
But the most interesting celebration of fall harvest are the people who use huge pumpkins as boats.
Oh I do love that.
- I wrote a sentence, "It's known as the giant pumpkin race in Oregon."
- Ooh, great detail to add to our sentence.
- I'm planning my trip to Oregon right now.
- Fun.
Okay.
What else can we add to it?
- Well, I think, because it said it was our opinion, and when we said what the most interesting thing was, so now we can have a concluding sentence.
- Good.
I like that.
That's a great idea.
- No matter now you choose celebrating, the fall harvest can be both fun and entertaining.
- Oh yes.
I definitely think- - What a great concluding- - the pumpkin boats.
- sentence.
- That's very entertaining.
- Yes, I thought so too.
- And I love that you thought of a concluding sentence because that tells the reader that I'm done with my writing.
- (animal in unison) Ooh.
- So, I want you guys at home to think about what you thought was the most interesting part of the harvest.
And I want you guys to write it down.
Okay.
You guys ready?
Because I have a friend who has another story that they want us- or another book they want us to read.
Let's see what book we're going to- or want to read today.
- Well, yes I have a story for you.
- That's great.
I love stories.
- Well, this one is about a little bird.
- Whoa, I like it.
- So let's- Hey, Super Readers.
Have you heard of the story "Mel Fell" by Corey Taber?
It is such an interesting book.
It's such a cute story.
But look at how the author made this book.
So as you read the story, you read it this way, and then when you get to about the middle of the story, it switches direction.
And then you have to turn it and go this way.
Isn't that fun?
So not only does it have a fun story, but it also has just a different way to look at a book.
The story is about a little bird and she learns how to fly.
And she decides to try it when her mom's not home.
And she has all kinds of adventures.
If you would like to know what happens when Mel fell, you should check out this book by Corey Taber at your county public library or your school library.
You could even check for it on Sora and see if they have that story for you.
I think you'll really like it.
All right.
Well thank you for watching Valley PBS.
See you later.
- Aw, Mrs. Hammack.
That was so sweet.
- That's such a cute book.
- It was very cute.
And I love how the book, I know it was turned- - Directions.
- It was awesome.
(Ricky clears throat) - Hey.
- Yes?
I have a knock-knock joke for you.
- Okay, let's hear it.
- Knock, knock.
- (in unison) Who's there?
Kent.
- (in unison) Kent who?
- Kent you tell by my voice?
It's me, Ricky.
(laughter) - Oh my Golly.
You are so silly, Ricky.
Hey, thanks for watching us today, Super Readers.
We can't wait to see you back here at Valley PBS tomorrow.
Have a great afternoon.
- Bye.
(upbeat guitar music)
Reading Explorers is a local public television program presented by Valley PBS