By Laura Ingalls Wilder By Laura Ingalls Wilder Illustrations by Garth WilliamsIllustrations by Garth Williams

The Swimming Hole

Genre: Classic Historical Fiction

Author’s Purpose: Inform, Entertain

Reading Skill: Theme

SummarySummary     Laura loves wading in the creek of her prairie Laura loves wading in the creek of her prairie

home.  But when Ma and Pa take her to the home.  But when Ma and Pa take her to the swimming hole, she realizes that she loves swimming hole, she realizes that she loves swimming even more.  Laura knows that she is swimming even more.  Laura knows that she is never supposed to go to the swimming hole never supposed to go to the swimming hole without a grownup to take her.  One hot day, without a grownup to take her.  One hot day, though, she just can't resist heading for the though, she just can't resist heading for the swimming hole's cool water.  One thing that stops swimming hole's cool water.  One thing that stops her from going in the water is a fierce badger that her from going in the water is a fierce badger that snarls at her and frightens her into returning snarls at her and frightens her into returning homehome. .

Genre: Historical FictionGenre: Historical Fiction Historical FictionHistorical Fiction is fiction that takes

place in the past. The author makes up the characters

and events, but the characters and events seem real.

The setting is important, and the problems and events are based on things that really did or could have happened during the time period.

Comprehension Skill - Comprehension Skill - ThemeTheme

•Theme is the underlying meaning or “big idea” of a story. •Sometimes an author states the theme directly. •Sometimes readers have to figure out the theme on their own, using evidence from the text to support their big idea.

Vocabulary Skill – Vocabulary Skill – AntonymsAntonyms Antonyms are words that have opposite

meanings. Many writers create sentences in which a

known word may be used as a clue to the meaning of an antonym.

Examples :I’m not happy, I’m distraught.

She waded through the shallow creed because it wasn’t too deep to cross.

Comprehension Review – Cause and Effect

An effect is something that happen

Ask yourself the question What happens?

A cause is something that makes an effect happen

Ask yourself Why did it happen?

Click on the words “Cause and Effect” to practice the skill.

More Good StuffMore Good Stuff Vocabulary Word Search Vocabulary Word Search Vocabulary Hang ManVocabulary Hang Man Vocabulary MatchingVocabulary Matching Internet WorkshopInternet Workshop Learn About Laura Ingalls Wilder Learn About Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Ingalls Wilder Scavenger HuntLaura Ingalls Wilder Scavenger Hunt

More on Fables More on Fables Listen to Fables Listen to Fables

Aesop's Fables Aesop's Fables

More Aesop’s Fables More Aesop’s Fables WebquestWebquest

Writing AssignmentWriting Assignment

Write a paragraph telling Write a paragraph telling whether you are more like whether you are more like Mary or more like Laura. Give Mary or more like Laura. Give specific reasons for your specific reasons for your answer. Be sure to proofread answer. Be sure to proofread for punctuation and grammar.for punctuation and grammar.

Weekly Fluency Check -Weekly Fluency Check -Read with ExpressionRead with Expression

● Students should match the tone of voice to Students should match the tone of voice to the tone of the piece. In this passage the the tone of the piece. In this passage the tone of the story is light and cheery. But tone of the story is light and cheery. But soon the tone becomes more serious soon the tone becomes more serious when Laura gets dunked. This change when Laura gets dunked. This change should reflect in the readers voice. should reflect in the readers voice.

Go to pages 203-204, beginning with Go to pages 203-204, beginning with “Everything was watery. . .”“Everything was watery. . .”

Say It!Say It!bristled dugoutjointednaughty

punishrushesshallow

More Words to KnowMore Words to Know

badger

tableland

frightful

bristledbristledhad one's hair stand up had one's hair stand up straightstraight

dugoutdugouta shelter formed a shelter formed by digging into the by digging into the side of a hillside of a hill

Click on the word to see real pioneer dugouts.

rushesrushesgrasslike plants with hollow grasslike plants with hollow

stems that grow in wet placesstems that grow in wet places

jointed jointed having places where having places where two parts join together; two parts join together; having jointshaving joints

naughtynaughtybad; not bad; not behaving wellbehaving well

punishpunishto discipline; to discipline;

cause pain for cause pain for doing doing something something wrongwrong

shallowshallownot not deepdeep

badgerbadgera gray hairy animal that feeds a gray hairy animal that feeds

at night and lives in a holeat night and lives in a hole

Click on the word badger to hear his sound! Give it time to load.

tablelandtablelanda high plain; a high plain; a plateaua plateau

frightfulfrightfulcausing fear or terror

Long hair bristled along the animal’s back.

Long hair bristled along the animal’s back.

Laura lived in a dugout.

Laura lived in a dugout.

The jointed rushes swayed in the wind.

The jointed rushes swayed in the wind.

The naughty girl slapped William.

The naughty girl slapped William.

They passed a high, almost straight-up wall of earth called a tableland.

They passed a high, almost straight-up wall of earth called a tableland.

The man said, “I will have to punish you for hitting her.”

The man said, “I will have to punish you for hitting her.”

The pool is to shallow to swim in.

The pool is too shallow to swim in.

That was a frightful experience when I heard that awful sound.

That was a frightful experience when I heard that awful sound.

I waded out into the water where the rushes grew.

I waded out into the water where the rushes grew.

Review QuestionsReview Questions

1.1. Why do you think Laura and Mary are told Why do you think Laura and Mary are told never to go near the hole?never to go near the hole?

2.2. How does Laura act at the swimming hole?How does Laura act at the swimming hole?

What does this say about her character?What does this say about her character?

3.3. Do you think Laura really understands why Do you think Laura really understands why “being good could never be as hard as “being good could never be as hard as being watched”? Why or why not?being watched”? Why or why not?

4.4. Why do you think Mrs. Wilder chose the Why do you think Mrs. Wilder chose the prairie as the setting of her books?prairie as the setting of her books?

Review Questions 2Review Questions 2

1.1. What part does the badger play in the What part does the badger play in the story?story?

2.2. Why do Ma and Pa not want the girls to go Why do Ma and Pa not want the girls to go to the swimming hole?to the swimming hole?

3.3. What is the theme (big idea) of this story?What is the theme (big idea) of this story?

4.4. What troubled Laura the most after What troubled Laura the most after returning home after going near the returning home after going near the swimming hole?swimming hole?

5.5. How does Laura probably feel about her How does Laura probably feel about her parents?parents?

Spelling WordsSpelling WordsHomophonesHomophones

woodwouldtootwoto

theirtherethey’reyouryou’re

Spelling WordsSpelling WordsHomophonesHomophones

beatbeetbreakbrakeclothes

closepiecepeacethrownthrone

Let’s review our words.

Watch carefully because they will flash on the screen for just a moment. We will clap as we

spell the word.Don’t be fooled this week. You have to get the correct

homophone in the sentence!

throne

thrown

peace

piece

close

clothes

brake

break

beet

beat

you’re

your

they’re

there

their

to

two

too

would

wood

GREAT JOB!GREAT JOB!