Directions: Read the summary below about Exploring the United States. Then respond to the discussion

questions below. The stories are fictional narratives written by an alien visiting Earth for the first time.

Exploring the United States of America : Exploring the United States of America The United States, excluding

Alaska and Hawaii, stretches about three thousand miles from coast to coast—or east to west. Because of its great size,

it is often divided into smaller geographical areas, or regions. The states in each region have many things in common,

such as geography, including climate, natural resources, economic activity, and other important geographical conditions.

Mission: Explore Earth : As you know, Admiral Zorg, the

spaceship that I command has been exploring the planet known as

Earth for almost a year. We have discovered that Earth is very

different from our planet Proteus. We have studied its interesting

physical features and life forms and reported our observations to

you. Now, as our year of exploring draws to a close, there is one

last place to explore—the United States of America. We will

explore and report on each area of the United States. In each report

we will answer questions such as: Which states make up each

region? What does the land look like in this region? What plants and

animals live there? What is the weather like? What kinds of jobs do

people do? What do people eat and drink? What do they do for fun?

These are the regions we will report from: New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the South, the Midwest, the Great Plains, the

Rocky Mountains, the Southwest, and the West Coast. There are also two states that do not belong to a region because

they are not connected to any other state. They are called Alaska and Hawaii. We will send a separate report about

these two states. We will gather information for our reports through observation. When we have questions, we will talk

to some of the people we meet. (Of course, we will always remember to be disguised as humans!) Right now, as I

record this audio message, we are flying over a huge body of water called the Atlantic Ocean. The next land we see will

be the United States of America.

A Vast and Varied Country

The United States of America is reported to be a huge country. Earthlings in other places have described it as having a

great variety of landforms and life forms. On the east side, the United States is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. On the

west side, it is bordered by the Pacific Ocean.

Lieutenant Koola just informed me that she has sighted land below us. She is pretty sure that it is the state of Maine in

the northeastern United States. Our map shows that the country is divided into fifty smaller units, or states. I expect

that’s why the country is called the United States! Each of the fifty states has its own government and its own capital

city. This is because the United States is a democracy. In other words, it has a system of government in which the

people rule through elected representatives. The head of the national government, or all fifty states, is called the

president. This person lives in a place called Washington, D.C., which is the capital of the United States.

Now we are flying low over the coast of Maine. Through our spaceship’s porthole, I can see huge, gray waves crashing

against rocky cliffs. We will look for a place where people live and land nearby. We are all very excited to meet our first

Americans. In my next report, I hope to have plenty to tell you about this interesting country. I have given the order to

turn on the invisibility shield and start our descent.

Recently in fourth grade students began learning about the regions in the United

States. In these at home learning opportunities you can continue this exploration.

Some information may be review and some may be new. Feel free to use any

resources you have (such as the internet or books) to explore the topics more

each week. Each week will connect to the last as much as possible.

Social Studies - 4

1. Describe what you already know about each of the nine regions shown on the map.

a. Using information you already know, identify the environmental characteristics of each of the regions.

b. Using information you already know, identify cultural characteristics of each of the regions.

4th - 5th Grade Music

Please use the menu of options below to engage in music making and

exploration!

10-minute dance

party. Put on

some music and

dance your

favorite dance

moves.

Ask your family to

share their

favorite songs

with you.

Dance with just

one part of your

body: finger,

elbow, eyebrow,

etc.

Listen to a piece

of music (anything

you want) and

draw a picture of

what you think it

is about or what it

made you feel.

Explain the 4

instrument

families (strings,

brass,

woodwinds,

percussion) to

someone in your

house.

Find an object

around your

house to use like

a drum. Put on

some music and

play along with

the steady beat or

rhythm of the

song.

Pick 5

movements.

(Clap, Stomp,

Jump, etc.) Do 5

of the 1st 4 of the

2nd, 3 of the 3rd,

2 of the 4th, and 1

of the last. Can

you speed up?

Play “Glue

Dance”: Pretend

to “glue” different

parts of your body

(foot, hand, knee,

etc) to the floor

and then play

some music. Try

to dance along to

music with body

part glued to the

floor.

Explore what

makes sound in

your house or

neighborhood,

both inside and

outside.

Make up your

own song and sing

it/play it for

someone or

something (a

parent, a cat or

dog, a stuffed

animal).

Make a music band:

Find different objects from the house that produce sound and make your own band. Pots, plastic

bags, a container with rice, a plastic box and a wooden spoon can be some of our 'instruments'. Play

your favorite song and accompany it with your band. You can also sing your favorite song and play the

rhythms and beat with the instruments of your band.

Music Scavenger Hunt:

Find something you can tap and use as a drum.

Find something that makes noise when you strum it with a stick.

Find something that is metal and makes a cool sound when you tap it with your hand.

Find something that makes a silly noise when you blow into it.

Find 2 things that are round that you can “play” together and make a sound.

Find something you can twist and make a sound.

Find a rubber band, stretch it (not too tight) then strum it with your finger. Did it make a sound? Do

that again, a little tighter. Did the sound get higher or lower?

Get 3 glasses, fill one ALMOST all the way with water, fill the second one halfway with water, fill the

third one with just a little water. Tap the sides gently with the back of a spoon. Which glass has the

highest sound? Which glass has the lowest sound?

5th Grade Band and Orchestra Students: Practice your instrument using your lesson book or music you

have at home 2-3 times a week for 20 minutes (or more!).

FOSS Next Generation© The Regents of the University of CaliforniaCan be duplicated for classroom or workshop use.

hOmE/schOOL cOnnEcTiOnInvestigation 1: Soils and Weathering

Explain to members of your family how you tested rocks to find out which ones react with acid rain. Explain that rocks are made of various mineral ingredients. The mineral calcite, an ingredient in many rocks, is the mineral that reacts with acid rain.

Take a short walk with your family. See if you can find five or six rocks to test for calcite.

Test the rocks by putting a few drops of vinegar on each rock. Record your findings in the table below. safety note: Be careful using vinegar.Do not test special rocks, such as fancy crystals or valuable rocks. The vinegar could change their appearance and lessen their value.

Rock location Test results

Soils, Rocks, and Landforms ModuleInvestigation 1: Soils and Weathering

No. 6—Teacher Master

1487598_SRL_TM_toDeltaFinalist_150213.indd 6 2/17/15 11:20 AM

Do one of the activities below and mark it off with an X. The next time you do an activity, mark it with a O. Switch back and forth between X and O until you have a tic tac toe!

Why did you choose this

book to read?

Write a three sentence

summary of what you read

today. Write the details in

order.

If you could ask your main

character one question,

what would it be?

What character in your

story would you like to

invite over to your house?

Explain why.

If you were the author,

what’s one thing you would

change about the book and

why?

If you wrote a sequel to this

book, what title would you

give it and why?

Describe the setting in your

book including time and

place.

You are going to give one

character in your book an

award for one of

their character

traits. What

would the award

be and why?

What lesson do you think

the author wants you to

learn from reading this

story?

Talk about your responses to someone at your house or write them on the back of

this paper.

Journal Writing

Select a topic, or think of your own, and draw or write

about it in the space below.

➢ Imagine that you can become invisible whenever you wanted to. What are

some of the things you would do?

➢ If I were President, I would…

➢ Write a story about a singer who can’t stop singing.

➢ If I were a turtle living my a pond, I would..

Copyright ©2012 K12Reader - http://www.k12reader.com

1. pleasant 8.

2. 9.

3. 10.

4. 11.

5. 12.

6. 13.

7. 14.

Add Interest With Synonyms

Name:__________________________________

Synonyms are two words that mean the same or nearly the same as each other. You can use synonyms for over-used or “tired” words in your writing to add interest to what you are saying. Read the paragraph below. The numbered words in bold print are over-used words. Think of a synonym you could use to replace each tired word to add interest. Write the word on the corresponding numbered line. The first one has been done for you. Jennifer and Laritza had a nice1 day at school. In the morning, they listened as their teacher read a nice2 story. The work was hard3 during math because they had just started learning a new skill. The teacher was happy4 with their progress. It was a nice5 day, so they were able to play soccer outside for P.E. The class was happy6 when the teacher said they would have a party that afternoon. Jennifer was excited about the party, but Laritza did not want to go to the party. She was tired7 because she did not sleep well the night before. She stayed in at recess and made a pretty8 sign while the other children played outside. She used big9 letters to write the word “celebrate.” She even drew butterflies with small10 dots on their wings. Jennifer came back a few minutes later to help her. Together, they colored the pictures and letters that Laritza had drawn. When the other students came back in after recess, they all agreed it was a nice11 sign. The teacher put it up on the board in the front of the room. Then she passed out some good12 cookies. She told them they were celebrating because they did a good13 job on their recent test. She was happy14 they did well.

Name:__________________________________

Choose the

Correct

Homophone

Name:__________________________________

Recall that homophones are words that sound the same, but have different meanings. For example, a home can be for sale, while a boat can have a sail. The context of the word can help you decide which homophone should be used. Complete each sentence by choosing the correct homophone and writing it in the blank.

1. After he was sick for several days, his face was ___________________(pail/pale).

2. She purchased a beautiful new gown _________________(for/four) the dance.

3. Walking down the _______________(I’ll/aisle/isle) to get married can be scary.

4. Glass containers have been ________________(band/banned) on the beach.

5. The baker systematically kneaded the _____________(doe/dough) for the bread.

6. I’d rather receive my _________________(male/mail) electronically than on paper.

7. He was considered __________________(bald/bawled) because he had no hair.

8. We searched everywhere trying to ________________(fined/find) our lost dog.

9. My favorite stringed instrument is the ___________(base/bass) because it is so big.

10. The fight __________________(scene/seen) in the movie was extremely exciting!

11. Though he was already tired, the farmer had to ________(so/sew/sow) the seeds.

12. Annabella sat on the bottom ________________(stair/stare) without being noticed.

13. After running out of _____________(flour/flower), the baker had to stop baking.

14. Fierce winds _________________(blew/blue) all night during the thunderstorm.

15. Rover sat and scratched the place where the ______________(flea/flee) bit him.

16. The government has the right to __________(sees/seas/seize) the stolen property.

Copyright © 2012 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms. http://www.k12reader.com

Visual Arts Activities The Color Wheel

Challenge

(4th-8th)

Gather items in bright, solid colors from around your home, assemble them into the circular color wheel order

(red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet). Snap a pic and share your creation on social media using the hashtag

#colorwheelchallenge. For an additional challenge, complete a FULL color wheel by adding the tertiary colors

(yellow-orange, red-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet).

Automatic Drawing

(3rd-8th)

With 2 or more people, grab a sheet of paper and fold it into 3-4 equal sections. Have one person start drawing

in the top section (Don’t let anyone else see!). Afterward, fold the paper (or cover it up) so that the next drawer

can only see a couple of guiding lines for what the previous person has drawn. Repeat this process until everyone

has drawn and each section is filled. Unfold to reveal the entire drawing!

Paper Telephone

(3rd-8th)

This game involves drawing and writing. Start with a piece of paper and a pencil and write a sentence (any

sentence will work!). Then, pass the paper to the next person. They draw what the sentence says. When they’re

done, fold over the original sentence so it’s not visible and just the drawing remains. Give the paper to someone

else, who writes a sentence about the drawing. Repeat this sequence until the paper is full, and then unfold to see

the results!

Blind Contour Drawing

(6th-8th)

A blind contour drawing is a sketch that is completed while only looking at your subject (no peeking!) and keeping

your pencil/pen on the paper. For added amusement, find a partner and draw the same subject at the same time.

Compare artworks afterward!

Blindfold Drawing

(3rd-8th)

Following the instructions of a partner, the drawer must complete a drawing while blindfolded. For an added

challenge, have the person describing the subject utilize only directional, shape, and line type directions (for

example: up/down/left/right, circle/square/triangle, and straight/curved/wavy/zig-zag).

Texture Guessing Game

(PK-2nd)

Place different objects in an opaque bag. Take turns placing your hand in the bag, grab an object and then drawing

a picture of what you think the object is. For a twist on this game, place your hand in the bag and grab an object

(but don’t look at it) and then try finding a different object from your house or outside that has a similar texture.

Shadow Tracing

(PK-3rd)

Place an object (toy animals work great!) at the edge of a piece of paper so that it casts a shadow on the paper and

then trace the shadow with your pencil (it’s that simple!). Add details to your tracing. For added challenge, trace

the object at different times of day or with multiple light sources from different angles and compare the results.

Sketchbook/Drawing

Prompts

(PK-8th)

Use one of the following prompts to guide the creation of a drawing: 1) Draw a portrait of yourself from 20 years

in the future, 2) Draw an animal playing a musical instrument, 3) Draw a creature that is a combination of at least 3

different animals, 4) Draw each step in the preparation of your favorite food, 5) Draw an egg (this is harder than it

sounds!), 6) Draw your interpretation of an emotion, 7) Draw an illustration of your favorite song lyrics, 8) Draw

an illustration of the last dream that you had, 9) Draw your favorite character from a book, 10) Draw a self-

portrait while looking in the mirror, 11) Draw the same object 3 days in a row, 12) Draw a sink full of dirty dishes

before and after they get washed.

Random Monster

Drawing Game

(K-3rd)

Find a 6 sided dice. Assign a specific body part to each number (example: 1=Eye, 2=Mouth, 3=Ear, 4=Nose, 5=Leg

& Foot, and 6=Arm & Hand). Start by drawing a simple shape for the head and body of your creature then roll the

dice and add the body part associated with the number that you rolled. For more variety, try adding additional

dice and more drawing prompts!

Grade level suggestions are flexible. With guidance and/or support, these activities and prompts are appropriate for children of any age.

4th Grade Math Resources

1) Composite Numbers (Source: https://www.openmiddle.com/) Use the digits 1 to 9, at most one time each, to make 5 composite numbers.

2) Alligators

Ten alligators went down to the river. Three of them laid eggs. They laid 5 eggs each. A snake ate 8 eggs.

How many eggs are left?

3) Stacking Shapes

You have a sphere, a cube, a cylinder, a cone, a rectangular prism and a pyramid. Which shapes will stack?

Which shapes will roll? Explain your reasons for each answer.

4) Noticing (Source: https://samedifferentimages.wordpress.com/)

On a piece of paper, make two columns. In one column, list the things that are the same in this picture, and in the other column, list the things that are different.

5) Prime Numbers (Source: https://www.openmiddle.com/)

Use the digits 1 to 9, at most one time each, to make 5 prime numbers.

6) Multiplication Strategies (Source: mathlearningcenter.org) Solve these problems in your head. Fill in the blanks.

7) Which One Doesn’t Belong? (Source: wodb.ca)

Choose one sum in this picture that you don’t think it belongs with the rest. Explain why. Can you pick another sum and give a different reason?

8) Ratio Table (Source: mathlearningcenter.org) Fill in the ratio table for 31.

9) Mountain Ranges (Source: https://playwithyourmath.com/) There are 5 mountain ranges that are 3 units wide. How many mountain ranges are 4 units wide?

10) Visual Pattern (Source: visualpatterns.org)

Below is a pattern of footballs in stages 1-3 below. Draw what you think stage 4 might look like. Label how

many footballs are in each stage.

11) Multiplying by Multiples of Ten (Source: mathlearningcenter.org) Solve each problem below:

12) Story Problem (Source: mathlearningcenter.org)

LaToya had a large collection of basketball cards. She decided to give half of them to her friend, Erin, and a

fourth of them to her brother. She still has 75 cards left. How many cards did she start with?

13) Life Savers (Source: mathlearningcenter.org) Did you know that there are 14 Life Saver candies in a roll of Life Savers? Fill in the blanks on the ratio table

to show how many Life Savers there are in different numbers of rolls.