Katy and the Big Snow {FIAR}

This week we had the pleasure of rowing Katy and the Snow.  My family had a wonderful time with this book.  Perfect for this winter season. Hopefully we will get to make the most of our Five In A Row (FIAR) selections by aligning them with the seasons.

* For those of you who read this blog and are not homeschoolers.  Rowing is a termed used when you take books and find a way to use it for subjects, like art, math, science, history etc.  You can do this with many books but there are guides out there.  We are using a guide called Five In A Row that list great children's books, most time award winning books.  It pairs the books with learning ideas that you can try with your children.  Last year I purchased all five volumes.  Generally, the books listed can be found at the library and if it’s a  title we love I will purchase it for our personal collection.

Math

In the margins of the book you can see that Katy has fifty five horse power.  As a math tie in I had Christopher count by 5 to 55 using the pictures.  Emmanuel used pennies and counted by ones to 55.

Social Studies

Emmanuel and I discussed all the different traffic signs.  Some of these signs are not used in modern times but it was great to get a four year olds perspective about them.

Below is a numbered map of Geoppolis the fictional city in the book.  Emmanuel and I discussed all the reasons a city needs, schools, hospitals, factories, farms, police department etc. and what the city would be like without these. 

Language Arts and Art

Katy was personified in the book.  We knew that Katy was a girl because she was referenced as she.  Also Katy would respond back when sought out for help.  Of course I discussed with the boys that tractors can not talk but that giving objects human characteristics is called personification. 

I decided to have them draw pictures using personification and detailed action. 

In the book whenever Katy is moving you see the words chug, chug, chug.  This indicates movement. 

Here is Christopher’s example of personification and detailed action. By naming the car Timmy after the football player Tim Tebow no surprise there, he gives the car a human quality.  And the words vroom vroom are the detailed action. 

 

Here is Emmanuel's picture.  He used his imagination to draw Katy.  Way to go Emmanuel!