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Where the Watermelons Grow Unit Study - Harvesting Hope (Middle School)
Where the Watermelons Grow Unit Study - Harvesting Hope (Middle School)
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Comprehensive Unit Study: Enhance your study of Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin with this in-depth companion, Harvesting Hope, exploring themes of family, mental health, and life on a farm.
Essential Questions: Delve into critical discussions on hope, the impact of stigmas, and the healing power of nurturing a garden.
Engaging Themes: Follow the protagonist’s journey as she navigates the challenges of growing up on a farm while dealing with her mother’s mental health struggles.
Critical Thinking: Encourage students to explore how hope helps overcome challenges and develop strategies to combat stigmas in their own lives.
Holistic Learning: Connect the lessons of gardening to personal growth and well-being, creating meaningful, real-world connections.
Included in this unit study is everything your student will need, from start to finish. Activities include:
- Exploration of unit themes
- Academic vocabulary
- TED Talk and accompanying activity
- Mini research task
- Extensive 4-week farmstand project
- Art analysis and accompanying activity
- Non-fiction articles
- Short story pairings and accompanying assignments
- Annotation Guide and instructions for annotating while reading the text
- Journal prompts for before and after each chapter of Where the Watermelons Grow
- Reading Logs - an assignment that spans the entirety of the text, utilizing a research-based close reading strategy that improves reading comprehension and analytical skills. Grading rubric included.
- Film pairing and accompanying assignments
- Music pairings and accompanying assignments
- Poetry pairings and accompanying assignments
- Character analysis project
- Expository Essay Writing, grading rubric included
BONUS RESOURCES
- Informational Text Graphic Organizer (can be used with any informational text)
- An original recipe that is not only delicious, but pairs well with the text
- Invitation to join our private Facebook group, exclusively for purchasers of our curriculum (where you will have direct access to the creators of this curriculum)
Complete parent/teacher guide included - the parent guide provides all necessary information for the implementation of this unit including an example 8-week pacing guide.
You will need to purchase a copy of the anchor text, Where the Watermelons Grow, to accompany this unit. We encourage you to purchase through your local bookstore, or purchase here.
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Additional Information
Included Activities
At Prairie & Pine Curriculum, each unit study incorporates a variety of activities designed to engage students with literature and critical thinking. Here's a breakdown of the typical activities found across their unit studies:
- Annotation guides to enhance comprehension
- Journal prompts for reflection before and after reading each chapter
- Reading logs to develop close reading and analytical skills. These are customized to each unit study and include grading rubrics.
- Research projects such as mini-research tasks on relevant themes
- Film, music, art, and poetry pairings with assignments that encourage deeper analysis
- Hands-on activities like creating collages, designing market stands, building shelters, or working on botany projects (depending on the unit)
- Vocabulary building exercises to expand academic language
- Essay prompts (analytical, argumentative, and creative) with step-by-step instructions, graphic organizers, and grading rubrics included
These activities offer a mix of creative and academic approaches that cater to diverse learning styles, ensuring a rich, multifaceted educational experience
Bonus Resources
- Informational text graphic organizers, designed to support student comprehension of nonfiction texts.
- Original recipes related to the content of the unit, adding a fun, cultural element that engages multiple senses.
- Exclusive access to a private Facebook group for purchasers, where parents can connect and ask questions directly to the creators for additional support.
These extras offer both enrichment and practical tools for making the curriculum more interactive and enjoyable for students and parents
Parent/Teacher Guide
At Prairie & Pine Curriculum, the Parent Guide is a key component of every unit study, designed to empower parents and help them feel confident in providing a high-quality education to their children. Each guide offers the following:
- Comprehensive Overview: The guide lays out the structure of the unit, including pacing suggestions, key concepts, and how to integrate the material smoothly into your homeschool schedule.
- Step-by-Step Instructions: Whether you’re familiar with the subject matter or new to the content, the guide walks you through each lesson with clear, detailed instructions.
- Grading Rubrics: For assignments like essays, projects, and reading logs, rubrics are included to make assessment straightforward, giving you peace of mind when evaluating your child’s work.
- Supplemental Tips: From how to spark meaningful discussions to ways of enriching your child’s experience with hands-on activities, the guide includes practical advice to enhance learning.
The Parent Guide ensures that parents of all experience levels can feel confident guiding their child through rich, meaningful lessons that foster both academic growth and personal connection