Time Period Use clues to determine the time
period of the story
-clothing
-hairstyles
-camera
-furniture
-use of a plow horse
Was it 100 years ago? 50 years
ago? Find a book on that time period in the library to learn more about
life 50 years ago.
Reward for a Job Well Done
Has your child ever received an
award? Did he have to work hard for it? What are some of the things he
had to do? Has your child ever worked hard for an award but not won
it? Discuss those feelings as well.
Bible verses about rewards:
I Cor. 9:24-27
Phil. 3:13-14 Matchbook
Matt. 16:27
Pet Names (this includes
some math, too) How does Billy
choose names for his pets? How do you? (If you have read the
Before FIAR titles The Little Rabbit and Jenny's Surprise Summer,
you could review how these characters picked names for their pets.)
Let your student survey (we usually make phone calls) family and friends.
How did they decide on a pet name?
Use the Prepared Survey Chart
to record the results. If someone has more than one pet (a bird
and two dogs) make sure to record each pet as a separate entry.
Pet named for color
Pet named for body markings
Pet named for personality
Pet named for character (television, movie, book, etc.)
Pet named just because you loved the name!
Other
Birthday Traditions Why do
we celebrate birthdays? Discuss the different birthday traditions you
share in your family.
Geography
This story doesn't reveal it's exact setting. If you'd like to study
some geography this week, you may want to choose the state of Kentucky.
Kentucky has many different horse shows; the Kentucky State Fair hosts the
World Championship Horse Show; this prestigious event attracts over 2,000
horses and people from all over the country and the world, awarding more
than $1 million in premiums. In another Billy and Blaze book, Blaze
and the Spotted Gray Pony, there are many horse farms which are also
found in Kentucky.
Classic Story: 1936 Classic A classic is a book that has survived the test of time. You may want
to explain this to your student by making (or using what you already have) a
time line. Let your student place your date of birth, his date of
birth, and the "birth" of this book on the line. The visual
representation will help him understand what a classic is. Mention
other classics you have read/rowed; you may even want to place them on the
time line as well.
Time-Line to
Print from FIAR Circle
Point of View This story is written in 3rd person. Someone else is telling the story using words like "he, she, his,
etc." Find a book written in the 1st person point of view and compare.
Descriptive words: Adjectives Words that help describe an object (telling us more about that object)
are
called adjectives, they tell us more about an object. Look at page 6.
Listen for the descriptive words about the pony (beautiful, bay, four white,
white) These words help you to picture the object in your mind.
Pick an item. Make a list of
describing words for it.
Go-along book for learning about adjectives: Many Luscious Lollipops
by Ruth Heller
Vocabulary Prepared Vocabulary Cards prancing- to walk or move about in a lively and proud manner
proud- much pleased
stable- a building in which domestic animals are sheltered and fed
galloping- running fast
limped- to go slowly or with difficulty
bridle- device for controlling a horse made up of a set of straps enclosing
the head, a bit, and a pair of reins
gaily- in a happy or lively way
Art
Medium: Black Ink Practice
drawing with black ink. Make a picture of your pet (real or desired) and
yourself.
Crosshatching Crosshatching is a technique of
crisscrossing lines of ink to create depth, shading, or texture.
Look at the wide variety in the
book (Billy's curly hair vs. his shorts, Blaze's hair vs. Rex's hair, the
curtains vs. the table cloth, trees vs. grass, etc. Encourage
your student to add some crosshatching to her black
ink drawing.
Detail Can you find hidden animals in the woods on pages 18-19?
Math
Measurement- Hands How to measure a horse or pony.
A "hand" is equal to 4 inches. A horse/pony is measured from the ground to
the top of his withers (shoulders). So a pony that is 40 inches high is
said to be 10 hands high. Practice counting by 4s. How many inches tall
would a 15 hands horse be? A 17 hands horse? An 8 hands high pony?
Measurement- Dog Years Conventional Wisdom says 1 human year is equal to 7 dog years. So a
dog that is 2 years old is considered to be 14 dog years old. Practice
counting by 7s. How old is a 5 year old dog? A 10 year old dog?
Science
Ponies and Horses
A pony is NOT a baby horse. It
is entirely fully grown. Ponies are equine breeds that are less than 14.2
hands high (57 inches).
1. Ponies need a field with plenty
of short juicy grass to eat (or plenty of hay in a stable)
2. Ponies are tough, but they need some sort of accessible shelter (shade
from the sun and bad weather); they also need shelter on cold winter nights
3. Ponies need a trough of fresh, clean water every day
4. A pony needs company; it's best to keep it with a donkey or another pony
5. If a pony is kept in a stable, the stable needs cleaned twice
daily. The pony will need taken out of the stable each day for at
least two hours of exercise.
Your older student may be interested in researching different breeds of
ponies-- Shetland Pony, Welsh Mountain Pony, and Chincoteague Pony will get
him started. He may also want to learn more about The Pony Express.
Just for fun--
Mounting Sequence Cards
Horses- Facial Markings Horses have are unique just like people. Ask your student to
recall how Blaze got his name. Tell him that there are other facial
markings as well.
Blaze -
a wide white stripe down the center of the face
Star - a
white patch between the eyes
Snip - a
white patch between the nostrils
Stripe -
a long narrow white strip down the center of the face
Dogs- German Shepherd Rex is a German Shepherd breed. Why are there different kinds of
dogs?
God created all kinds of living things with the ability for variations when
genetic information is rearranged. You can explain this to your
student by mentioning the differences from sibling to sibling (or the
differences from your own brothers and sisters). One may have
freckles...one may not; one may have blonde hair...one may have brown.
These variations are possible even though you come from the same two people
(the same genes). The variations are basically limited to what
is available in the created genes. It's not possible for two humans to
give birth to a pig; it's also not possible for two dogs to mate and give
birth to an animal that isn't a dog. genetic capacity for variation by
the rearranging of the genetic information, the genes, through the
reproductive process.
Things reproduce according to their kind, just like the Bible says (Genesis
1:11,12,21,24,25). Within that, one species can have variations.
If you have the opportunity, check out a book about dogs and look at all the
variations! Isn't God creative? However, note with your student,
that they are all STILL dogs. Dogs aren't evolving into anything but
dogs!
Your student may want to make a minit book for his lapbook or notebook on
different breeds of dogs.
Caring for an Injured Animal
(information from The
Wildlife Center of Virginia) What should your student do if she finds an injured animal?
If you find a sick or injured wild animal, or a baby animal in need of
intervention, please contact the a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your
area as soon as possible. Special care should be taken in dealing with
high-risk rabies species - raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats and groundhogs.
You should wear heavy leather gloves when handling; try to get the animal to
move into a box or crate on its own.
To provide temporary shelter for a sick, injured or orphaned animal: keep
the patient warm and dry (a box with a cloth/towel in the bottom and a lid)
and keep the patient in a quiet place. A heating pad underneath the box may
be used to help keep the patient warm (put the pad on a low setting).
You shouldn't offer food or water to an animal unless advised to do so by a
licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Many times, if you find a baby animal, you should leave it alone; it's
probably fine (unless it is obviously injured). You can read more in
the following links about whether or not to "rescue" a baby animal.
Just for Fun
Field Trip Ideas Plan a field trip to your local vet.
Plan a visit to the 4-H fair. Watch a horse show, visit the barn
and talk to someone about
horse care, breeds, western vs. English riding, what you have to do to
get a horse ready to show (training, clipping, hooves, currying,
vaccines, braiding, etc), and parts of the horse and tack (saddle,
bridle, halter, etc).
If your student enjoys this book, you may also want to read-- Blaze and the Gray Spotted Pony by C.W. Anderson Blaze Shows the Way by C.W. Anderson Blaze and Thunderbolt by C.W. Anderson Blaze and the Lost Quarry by C.W. Anderson Blaze and the Mountain Lion by C.W. Anderson
