1.4: The Sack Garden

Sack garden

Learning Goals

In this chapter, you will learn to:

• Print the alphabet in order using upper case letters
• Hear, read, and write words with a short /e/
• Hear, read, and write words with a long /e/ (spelled ee)
• Copy short sentences
• Read common sight words in a paragraph
• Answer questions about a story
• Describe the sequence of a story
• State an opinion about a reading
• Use an upper case letter to begin a person’s name

Talk About it

• Have you ever had a garden? What did you grow?
• What did you like about having a garden?
• What was hard about having a garden?

Picture Dictionary
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.
South Africa	three	white
farm	money	land
sack	rock	middle
dirt	one	hole

Practice reading these words without the pictures.
one	sack	land	dirt
South Africa	hole	money	three
white	middle	farm	rock

Word Skills

The letters a, e, i, o, and u are called vowels. Vowels have short sounds and long sounds. So far, you have looked at short vowel sounds:

• A short /a/ says /a/ like in apple.
• A short /i/ says /i/ like in itch. A short /o/ says /o/ like in octopus.
• A short /u/ says /u/ like in up.

Word Patterns

A short /e/ makes an /e/ sound like in Expo.

A short /e/ says /e/ like in Expo.

Match each word to a picture.

bed	pet	net	red
web	pen	wet	vet

1. ____________	2. ____________	3. ____________
4. ____________	5. ____________	6. ____________
7. ____________	8. ____________

Word Patterns

Vowels can also make a long sound. The letters ee make a long /e/ sound like in jeep.

The letters ee make a long /e/ sound like in jeep.

Match each word to a picture.

see	bee	green	weed
tree	feet	three	feed

9. __________	10. __________	11. __________
12. __________	13. __________	14. __________
15. __________	16. __________

Pick the word that matches the picture.
17.		wet	weet
18.		neet	net
19.		weed	wed
20.		se	see
21.		web	weeb
22.		peet	pet

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Read these sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters correctly. Use periods and question marks correctly.

My pet is at the vet.

I did not see the bee.

I got my feet wet.

This is a red pen.

She is not in bed.

Ask your instructor to check your work.

You will see these words in the reading. They have the short /e/ sound like Expo.

Meg

rest

eggplant

You will see these words in the reading. They have the long /e/ sound like jeep.

three	feed	weeds
green	need

Use Your Reading Skills

Listen to The Sack Garden. Then read The Sack Garden in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.

An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: opentextbc.ca/abealf1/?p=55

Check Your Understanding

1. Where does Meg live?
Meg lives in _____________________.

2. Who owns most of the farmland in South Africa?
_____________________ own most of the farmland in South Africa.

3. What does Meg use to grow a garden?
Meg uses a _____________________ to grow a garden.

Are these sentences true? Circle yes or no.

4. A sack garden costs a lot of money.	yes	no
5. A sack garden takes up a lot of room.	yes	no
6. A sack garden does not have many weeds.	yes	no

7. How do you make a sack garden? Put these steps in the right order (1, 2, 3).

_____ Make little holes in the side of the sack.

_____ Put dirt and rocks in the sack.

_____ Put plants in the holes.

Writing

Write all the letters of the alphabet in order. Use upper case letters.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Check your work with the Answer Key at the end of this chapter.

Grammar Rule

Use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name.

This is Meg. – YES

This is meg. – NO

Write your full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.

_______________________________________________________

Find a classmate. Write their full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.

_______________________________________________________

Find another classmate. Write their full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.

_______________________________________________________

Writing Task

Have you ever had a garden?

If so, tell your instructor about your garden. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.

If not, imagine you were going to plant a garden. Think about what you would want to grow. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.

When you are done, read your story.

• Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
• Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
• Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
• Are you missing any words?

Answer Key
Word Skills
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	web
2	net
3	red
4	vet
5	pen
6	bed
7	pet
8	wet
9	green
10	bee
11	feet
12	see
13	feed
14	tree
15	three
16	weed
17	wet
18	net
19	weed
20	see
21	web
22	pet
Check Your Understanding
QUESTION	ANSWER
1	South Africa
2	white people
3	sack
4	no
5	no
6	yes
7	2, 1, 3
Writing
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Attributions

See the Attributions page near the end of this book.