Cappy The Lonely Camel

Author: Donald Rubinetti
Illustrated by: Liisa Chauncy Guida
ISBN 0-382-39151-9
Summary: All the camels in the Southwest Asian village spend their time laughing and playing together. All but one. Cappy is taunted and rejected because he has two humps on his back, while all the other camels have one. Told with warmth and simplicity, this is a touching story with an important message about tolerance and returning good for evil.

Geography
Locate Asia on the map. Then locate Africa-(Egypt the middle east and southwest Asia)-Also including the area around Afghanistan and Pakistan-the great Indian Desert. This is the area where Arabian (1 humped camels are commonly found.) Locate Central Asia-(Central China-Tibet) -the area north of the Himalayas. This is the area that the Bactrian camels are commonly found.

In the Hands of a Child- Asia Lapbook

(The book does not mention these areas specifically-but this could be a route he took. You could also come up with other starting and ending places based on your own research.)

Afghanistan
This is the area where Cappy lived with the other camels-it is a land full of deserts and rocky mountains. The children of Afghanistan have never known a time when people in their country weren’t fighting a war. The constant fighting has made many families poor, and a lot of boys and girls don’t have enough to eat or even a place to live. Christian missionaries help these hurting people by giving them food, blankets. shoes and other things they need. Pray for them this week that God would take care of the children of Afghanistan and make it possible for them to learn about Jesus Christ.

Nepal--Rajbanshi (Rahj-BAHN-shee)
These people lived to the north-this would be in the general area where Cappy traveled to find the doctor to help save Nastella’s baby. These are a Bible-less people group. (They do not have the Bible translated into their language.) Pray for them as well as other people of Asia.

Map Skills
If you have a printable copy of a map of this area-you might track Cappy’s route. Start in Afghanistan and end around Nepal.

Social Studies-People and Camels
Millions of people who live in Africa and Asia depend on camels to supply most of their needs. In lands at the edge of the deserts, camels pull plows, turn water wheels to irrigate fields, and carry grain to market places. Deep in the deserts, camels are almost the only source of transportation, food, clothing, and shelter. In turn, camels need people to fetch water for them from wells if they are to survive the hot summers.

Camels work hard for people, but their behavior is unpredictable. Bactrian camels may spit at people, and all camels can kick. Camels may groan and bawl when they are loaded and have to rise to their feet. But they routinely carry loads of up to 150 kilograms for eight hours. They can carry more but do so unwillingly. Usually, camels work only six months of the year. If too much is demanded of them, they will die from over exertion.

Camels are an important source of food in the desert. People eat the meat of young camels, though it can be very tough. They melt fat from the animal's hump and use it as butter. People drink camel's milk and also make cheese from it.

The camel also supplies wool and leather for clothing and shelter. Camel owners weave the animal's soft, woolly fur into fine cloth and warm blankets. The long fur of the Bactrian camel is especially good for weaving into cloth. Arabs use the cloth for much of their clothing, and they also make tents from it. Camel's hair cloth is sold in many parts of the world for making blankets, coats, and suits.

The strong, tough skin of the camel provides leather for shoes, bags, and saddles. Dried camel bones can be carved like ivory for jewelry or utensils. Camel droppings are dried and used for fuel.

http://camelfarm.com/camel_information.html

Recalling and List Making
Recall the Cappy's differences: Shorter, hairier, 2 humps.

List the mean things that the other camels did to him: called him names, spit on him, excluded him from games.

Nastella gave him a nickname. What was it? Roller Coaster
Why did they call him this?
Was this meant to be a nice nickname? No
Can you think of some people that have nice nicknames?
Discuss with your student that some Nicknames are nice and are okay--but others are meant to hurt the person.
Does your student understand the difference? Does your student have a nickname?

After Cappy saved Nastella’s baby-she came to his house. She said she came for 3 reasons. What were they?

Story Pattern:
There are other stories that follow a similar pattern. Someone is different-they are made fun of. The special difference they have enables them to do something that is of great importance. Can you think of some other stories like that?

Example: Rudolph-what made Rudolph different/special? How did the other reindeer feel about him? What did they do to exclude him? What did Rudolph do that was of great benefit and a blessing to others. (He used his light to guide Santa’s sleigh.)

Are there any other stories you can think of: You may wish to list these like this.

Character Difference Others' actions toward him His return action Their response

Jesus without sin persecution, hate, crucified him asked God to forgive repentance

Cappy 2 humps name calling, spitting, excluding saved Nastella’s baby repentance

orphan, tormentor, wending, exhausted, sincerity, moist, paced, ancestors, oasis, particles, replied, shocked, streaming, devoted.

Descriptive Language: Using STRONG Words
Using descriptive language adds interest to the story. For example, instead of saying Cappy’s meanest enemy was Nastella, the author chose the word tormentor. Another word used was exhausted which means overly tired. It makes the person think about it more than just using the word tired.

Try this with a few of the words above or find some other passages in the text that do this.

They couldn’t survive the bitterly cold temperatures.

Here are some samples (not in the text) for you to work with--
1. I walked to the store (what can you replace walk with?)
2. They sang a song (how did they sing a song? can your student add an -ly word in?)
3. She was hungry (what can you replace hungry with?)

Spelling Trick: Desert vs. Dessert
This is something my dad told me years ago that always helped me remember how to distinguish desert from dessert.

Desert is a dry hot area and is spelled with one “s”-You would only want to go their once.

Dessert- however is a yummy treat and is spelled with two (ss) because you always want two of them. Another way to remember dessert is to think of the delicious-- Strawberry Shortcake (two ss).

Bible and Character Studies
Cappy was mistreated by Nastella. She was the main one that led the attacks against Cappy. Why do you think the other camels were mean to Cappy, too? (Maybe they were afraid to go against Nastella and then be picked on themselves.) Has this ever happened to you? Were you with some friends that were being mean to someone and you did not try to stop them? What do you think Jesus would do if he were in the crowd?

What did Cappy do in return to Nastella and the other camels? He tried to explain why he was different -but they just laughed at him-finally he just quit trying and remained alone. Did he try to get revenge by planning to do something mean to her.
What happened when Cappy found out that her baby was sick? He went to find a doctor.
Why do you think Cappy cared? Nastella was mean to him and she did not deserve his goodness, did she?
Compare this to the scripture: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
What do you think this means?
Do we deserve God’s forgiveness, love, etc.?
What is the result of God's forgiveness and love for us?
What was the result of Cappy's forgiveness and love for Nastella?

Judging the Outward Appearance
In the Bible, David was someone who was judged by his outward appearance (twice!). Read one or both of the stories to your child-
David asks to Fight Goliath (I Samuel 17)
Choosing of a King (I Samuel 16)
Memory Verse- I Samuel 16:7
"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."

Making Fun of People who are "Different"
Differences make us special. We should not make fun of others because they are different. Have your child name some differences they have from their siblings or friends. Perhaps their eyes or hair is a different color, perhaps they are good at drawing and their sibling or friend is good at music. God made us all unique, and we should learn to appreciate those differences.

Loving Our Enemies
What does the Bible tell us we should do to people that are mean to us and treat us wrong? Look up some scriptures about this. Forgive those who persecute you and do evil to you. Love your enemies and do good to them. Overcome evil with good. Forgive others.

Character Building: Tolerance
Cappy exhibits tolerance toward Nastella and the other camels. (He is smarter than them and he realizes they just don’t understand.) Can you think of some Bible characters that had to demonstrate tolerance? Moses-dealing with the Hebrew people as he led them to the promised land. They were always grumbling, moaning and complaining and Moses prayed and interceded for them. Jesus also showed tolerance to his enemies-loving and extending grace and forgiveness. While the Bible does call us to tolerance like this, we are not to tolerate sin in our lives.

Science

Camels
The one-humped camel is known as an Arabian camel or Dromedary. Dromedaries dwell in hot, dry areas such as Northern Africa and Southwest Asia. The two-humped or Bactrian camel can also tolerate hot climates, but they are principally found in Central Asia where the temperatures can get quite cold.

Camels are born singly, and as babies, are called foals. A mature dromedary is taller than a Bactrian camel, and is a faster runner. On the other hand, a mature Bactrian camel is more powerfully built and can carry heavier loads. It is well-known that camels can survive without water for long periods of time. It is, however, a fallacy that they store water in their humps. Camels can withstand a loss of up to one-fourth of their body weight in water. Dehydrated camels have been known to drink in excess of twenty-five gallons in a very short period of time.

Camels are sometimes referred to as "Ships of the desert"-- why does your student think this is so? (Camels are used for transportation, to carry caravans, cargo, etc.) List the differences and things in common these camels have with one another. List the special features that these Camels have that help them live and survive in the desert.

Camel Report Forms and Copywork Pages
Bactrian Camel (report form with writing cues)
Dromedary Camel (report form with writing cues)

Bactrian Camel (blank report form)
Dromedary Camel (blank report form)

Ruminants-- Animals that Chew the Cud
Does your child know what this means? What are some other animals that chew the cud? Cows, Yaks, Goats, Kangaroos, Buffalo, Sheep, Deer, and Antelope. What purpose does this serve?

Facts: A camel does not chew its food well before swallowing it. The animal's stomach has three sections, one of which stores the poorly chewed food. This food, or cud, is later returned to the mouth in a ball-like glob, and the camel chews it. The chewed food is then swallowed and goes to the other parts of the stomach to be completely digested. Camels, deer, cattle, and other kinds of animals that digest their food in this way are called ruminants.

Freezing Point
Cappy walked in freezing temperatures: What is a freezing temperature? Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (or 0 degrees Celsius). Put a thermometer in your freezer to check the temperature. Have your student hypothesize how cold he thinks it will be and compare that to the actual reading of the thermometer.

Experiment: Freezing Water Mixed With Salt

Applied Math

Math History: English Numeration
that we have today actually came from the Arabs, who got it from the Hindus of India. At first the Hindus had a number system much like other early number systems-without place value. They had many numerals-one for each of the first nine numbers, as well as for ten, twenty and so on. (This is how the roman numeral system works.) Then about 1500 years ago, the Hindus did away with all except for the first nine numerals. And they invented a new numeral to stand for an empty wire on an abacus. This number is our 0. The Arabs picked up this new symbol and introduced it into Europe. The word zero comes from the Arabic word sifr, meaning empty. The invention of the number 0 is very important. In a number system that has place value, the 0 acts as a place holder.

Shapes
How many different shapes can you find? List the different shapes, practice drawing them, or count them. Count shapes on different pages, how many triangles? How many are purple? How many semi-circles? How many arches? If you wanted to include a younger and older student together for this activity, the older one could even make a graph.

Triangles
lesson from HSS unit The Firekeeper's Son
Review the number of sides on a triangle (tri = three). What objects in this story are shaped like triangles?

Can your student identify the triangles in the story by their sides?

Identifying Triangles by their sides
Isosceles- has two sides the same length and the third side a different length
Scalene- has all three sides different lengths
Equilateral-has all three sides the same length

You may want to cut some triangles out of paper and let your student measure the sides with a ruler to determine if they are isosceles, scalene, or equilateral.

Your older student may want to delve even deeper by learning to identify triangles according to their angles

Every triangle has at least two acute angles. It is the measure of the third angle that determines what type of triangle it is.

Acute-measures between 0 and 90 degrees.
Right-the angle measures 90 degrees.
Obtuse- measures between 90 and 180 degrees.

Art

Blending Colors
Look at the blended colors in the different pictures with your student and note how the illustrator blended different colors together to achieve this effect. Can your student try layering colors? Your student may want to use some chalks to draw a scene and then color it in with chalks. She can smooth out and spread color on chalked areas with cotton balls or q-tips. She could also try the layering techniques using colored pencils, crayons, or oil pastels.

Warm and Cool Colors
On some pages the illustrator chose to use only 3-4 colors. While on other pages there are many colors shown. Discuss with your student which pages are warm (earthy tones- red, yellow, orange) and which pages are cool (blue, green, purple). Discuss why the illustrator may have chosen to do this.

Use of Line
Various lines are used in the illustrations. Curved lines are used for desert sand. Spiral’s are in the background as well as lines. Straight lines for the camels legs, Cappy’s fur consists of straight and curved lines. Look at his hair on his head and his tail and the lines in it. Can you find some straight and curved lines? Can your student draw hair or a tail like Cappy’s?

Patterns: Mosaics
Mosaic is the art of decoration with small pieces of colored glass, stone or other material. Notice the borders of the illustrations. Does your student see the small pieces? Can your student recreate some borders like the ones illustrated in the story? Your student could draw them or use construction paper and cut different patterns, or even try to create a mosaic picture out of small squares of colored paper.
Mosaic Computer Game

Illustrating the Wind
Notice what the illustrator does to show wind blowing. In the scene with the doctor on Cappy’s back, the picture has many colors and spirals that represent the wind. The next time your student makes an illustration, encourage her to try adding some "wind" by using the same technique.

Camels: Ships of The Desert by John Waters
This is the best book to get for great camel facts and science.

The Camel’s Lament Charles Santore

The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss

You Are Special by Max Lucado