Activities Coloring Pages Word Puzzles Word Treasures Return to the Story
Get ready to discuss, share, play, create, and read your way to developing and empowering a strong character.
Imagine
Imagine waiting all year for this very special party. All the people from across Breakers Island will be coming to celebrate the Fall Festival.
Story Focus, Virtues, and Life Lessons
Story Focus:
A Community Celebration
The community holds a celebration to recognize the good health and harvest of Breakers Island. It’s a time for fellowship and many activities enjoyed by the people who live there.
Virtues:
Pride, Honoring Elders, Courtesy, Care, Love, and Responsibility.
Life Lessons:
- Pride
Mrs. Baker was proud of her work. Her apple pies and king cakes won first prize ribbons.
Farmer John was modest about his accomplishments. He did not brag about his blue ribbons but simply said, “Yes, we had a very good harvest.” - Honoring Elders
Rich oral history was shared by elders. The learners sat and listened to the old stories about Breakers Island, told by Sue’s mother. - Courtesy
Daniel said “Thank you” to Farmer John for the hayride.
Mrs. Bakers said “Thank you” to Farmer John for complimenting her six first place ribbons.
Daniel said to Emily, “Please don’t play with the ribbons.” - Care, Love, Responsibility
Daniel watched and protected Emily, his younger sister. He did not complain and stayed with her throughout the day. He warned her of danger and kept her safe and out of trouble.
Magical Moments
Interactive Discussion and Activities
Reading Story Techniques
First, pre-read the story before reading it aloud with your learner. Use expressive language, gestures, motions, and sounds to make the story come alive:
- Read the first line of the story with excitement and enthusiasm.
- Change your tone of voice to reflect a little girl for Emily and an older boy for Daniel.
- Continue with voice changes for the dialogue between Mrs. Baker and Farmer John.
- Clap your hands, as Emily does with the pet parade.
- Change to another tone of voice for Sue’s mother as she tells stories about Breakers Island.
- Raise your voice a bit when Daniel tells Emily to wake up, and when he tells her to get back from the fire.
- Give a happy and excited yell when the Fire Bird is lit up.
- In a loud and deep voice, say the booms for the fireworks.
- End the story with more booms gradually fading your voice to a soft whisper.
While Reading
Interject these questions to involve the learner:
- What did Emily and Daniel do at the Farmer’s Market?
- Who had on big green glasses in the pet parade?
- Why did Emily and Daniel go to Sue’s Supply Store?
- Where was the pumpkin patch?
- When did the dance start?
After Reading
Use the answers to these questions to recall points in the story.
- Who were Emily and Daniel?
They were learners who lived in the village of Red Haven. Daniel loved his sister but he had to keep an eye on her. - What animals did Emily see in the pet parade?
Emily saw a pink pig with big green glasses. A black horse had on a small red hat. She liked the cats and dogs the best. - Where did they go to hear a story?
He said, “Yes, Sue’s mother is at her store today. She is going to tell stories about Breakers Island. We must run fast or we will not get there in time.” - Why did they leave with Farmer John?
They went on a hayride. Farmer John said, “We will make one stop at my farm. There are some pumpkins left on the ground. You may pick a pumpkin, if you like.” - How did Emily and Daniel end their day?
The sound of fireworks filled the air. Daniel and Emily sat with their mother and father to watch the show.
Behavior/Social Development (All Ages):
- To encourage pride in your learner, praise accomplishments and efforts in attempting new tasks.
- To encourage respect and honor for elders, connect your learner with grandparents and great-grandparents.
- To encourage them to read books together, talk about growing up, tell stories and sing songs from their generation.
- To encourage courtesy, remind your learner to always say the magic words, “please” and “thank you.”
- To demonstrate care, take notice of your learner’s positive behaviors and comment on and praise those behaviors.
- To encourage responsibility, limit the amount and type of television your learner watches. Discuss the shows that are being watched, the amount of time spent watching, and alternative activities that could be accomplished during that time.
Language Development (Younger Learners):
- Antonyms: big – little, large – small, up – down
- Identify word patterns: Long I Sounds “– ight”
Bolded words, among the following, were used in Fall Festival — bright, fight, flight, fright, light, might, night, plight, right, sight, slight, tight - Colors: black, blue, pink, green, red, orange, and yellow
- Compare and contrast sizes in the story: big – little, large – small
- Identify and explain some of the unfamiliar words in the story, such as “harvest” and “tradition.”
- The Fall Festival was a special holiday for the people of Breakers Island. Provide the opportunity for your learner to tell stories about their family’s special occasions or holidays.
- Ask your learner to tell you what the magic words are — “please” and “thank you.”
Language Development (Older Learners):
- Discuss the definition of “courtesy” – the showing of politeness in one’s attitude and behavior toward others.
- Have your learner identify as many examples of “courteous behavior” they can think of. Extend the discussion to identify as many “courteous” words they can think of.
- Identify 5 common courtesy behaviors such as:
- Give full attention when adults are speaking.
- Give your seat to a pregnant woman or an elderly person.
- Open and hold doors for others.
- Give sincere compliments.
- Express gratitude.
- Ask your learner what manners are — Manners are about fostering respectfulness and teaching responsibility. Extend the discussion to cite examples of good manners.
- Advise your learner that having manners creates a great first impression. Respect means honoring other people and treating them with care and courtesy. Ask your learner what are some of the ways they can show respect to those who are older than them. Examples are “address elders properly using titles;” “speak clearly and properly – no slang;” “make eye contact during conversations;” “give your time and attention;” “show good manners.”
- Ask your learner to describe a special holiday or occasion that the family traditionally celebrates. Have your learner identify the best things (most liked) and worst things (least liked) about the particular event.
Making Memories
Discover the values covered in this story through guided activities and fun projects that ensure learner involvement.
Arts and Crafts ideas for Creatively Understanding the Virtues
Arts & Crafts Activities (Younger Learners):
- Apple Stamps
- Use apples as stamps to create works of art.
- Cut a few apples horizontally in half and the core will resemble a star.
- Provide a tray of paint.
- Have your learner dip the apples into the paint and stamp onto paper.
- Designate apple stars for certificates for displaying courtesy, responsibility, care, and love (give certificates to your learner).
- Simon Says (Game)
- Play the game Simon Says but instead of saying “Simon Says,” say “please.”
- The learner follows through with the given command if the word “please” is used.
Arts & Crafts Activities (Older Learners):
- Courtesy Poster
Create a common courtesy poster listing 5-10 courteous behaviors they should be doing. Decorate the poster and place it where it can be visible for reference. - Gratitude Journal
Decorate the cover of a small journal and entitle it “My Gratitude Journal.” Have your learner record all the things they appreciate and are grateful for.
Farmer John said, “We will make one stop at my farm. There are some pumpkins left on the ground. You may pick a pumpkin, if you like.”
Lasting Impressions
Continue with learning experiences to extend your stay.
Follow-up Activities (All Ages):
Dress up and put on a show or parade (Younger Learners)
- Dress up using old clothes and accessory items such as shoes, hats, purses and costume jewelry.
- Make costumes out of paper or paper bags, such as a mask or hat. Decorate them with crayons or stickers.
- If your learner has a pet, dress it up for fun. If not, dress up a toy stuffed animal or doll.
Cooking Connections (Older Learners)
- Make a simple fall dish, such as apple crisp, roasted pumpkin seeds or pumpkin muffins. After making the dish, have your learner help you make a recipe card with the directions.
Real-Life Activities (All Ages):
- Make a “to do” list for preparation of a special occasion or holiday.
- Follow through with the common courtesy poster, noted under the Arts and Crafts section, and track the number of times each courteous behavior was performed.
The sound of fireworks filled the air. Daniel and Emily sat with their mother and father to watch the show.
Activities Coloring Pages Word Puzzles Word Treasures Return to the Story
She told them old stories about magical places, lost treasure and animals that talked.