This is a unit study on the book Lentil. You will need a copy of the book to go along with this unit study. This is one of the book titles featured in the Five in a Row curriculum. FIAR suggests for you to complete a book study in a week and to complete the curriculum in a year. I found that if we expanded our study we could make the curriculum last 2 years or more. Also, if you aren't able to obtain every book title it allows you the flexability to pick and choose. Additionally, if you have slightly older children and you still want to include them in the study there isn't much suggested for them. I have made this unit study to include multiple ages and abilities. Of course as is with all curriculum do as much or as little you feel is a blessing to your family. Thanks for visiting Noah's Ark Homeschool Academy's Lentil Unit Study. I hope you and your children enjoyed it and found it useful.
Please click this link to download the FREE 40 Page Lentil Unit Study Notebook from Noah's Ark Homeschool Academy to compliment this Unit Study.Pages 1-2:
- What are the children doing? (jump roping and playing marbles)
- What is Lentil swinging in his hand? (pocket knife)
- Pocket Knife Safety for Kids
- Notice the School in the background. It isn't like schools today, It's a One-Room Schoolhouse.
- Marble Math Addition and Subtraction Worksheet
Pages 3-4:
- Traditional song lyrics and many with music to listen
- You could use the link from above to create your own homeschool song book.
- Bible verses for contentment with your blessings
- History of the Piano
Pages 5-6:
- Notice Lentil is not wearing shoes. Ask your child what is missing from Lentil's outfit?
- Embarrassing: define it and then ask your child to tell you times when they've been embarrassed. To take this further you can discuss the synonyms and antonyms, or have your child make a vocabulary card including their experience of being embarrassed.
- Notice the animals. Have your child point to all three. What are they doing? Why are they running away?
Pages 7-8:
- There are 4 birds and 1 flew away. How many birds are on the fence to stay?
- Ask the child if there is anything they feel is really hard that they'd like to learn to do better.
- If at all possible have a lesson about their answer.
- Fence posts, fence posts, two by two, can you count the fence posts two by two? 2, 4, 6, 8, 10!
- Pucker: define pucker and ask your child if they know how to pucker.
Pages 9-10:
- How many pennies would it take to buy a harmonica today?
- How to play the harmonica for kids
- Free printable tools for your child to name and color
- Ask your child what is different about this store from Wal-Mart or another store you go to often.
Pages 11-12:
- Expert: define expert and ask your child what they are an expert at and what they'd like to become an expert at. Again, if you are making vocabulary cards add this one as well, including the answers from your child. Sometimes it's fun to ask a child what they think it means before you look up the definition.
- Character Training Bible Study on Pride and Humility
- Proud: define proud and ask your child if they have ever felt proud.
- Ask your child how does someone get good or talented at something. (they practice and the Lord blesses)
- Have your child make a list of things that they are talented at. Then pray with them and thank the Lord for all their talents.
- Become,Whenever, and Wherever are compound words. Discuss how compound words work and ask your child to find the 3 compound words on page 12 and then have them start a list and write down all the compound words they can find in this book. If they are younger you can stick to just those three and have your child write them a couple of times for practice, or have your child divide them with lines. (be/come)
Pages 13-14:
- What is tone?
- Why did the tone improve in the bathroom?
- Slide show explaining the science.
- What does 100 percent mean? (this link is for ages 6 and above)
- Video lesson on percents from Homeschool Math
- Is there something unusual in the bathroom? (fan) Why is it there? (they don't have air conditioning)
Pages 15-16:
- If you don't live in a small town with a Main St. then travel to the closest one. If weather permits walk down Main St. and take in all the sites and sounds.
- Do a little more exploring and see if you can find the finest house in the town. Take a picture of it to put in your child's lapbook or record. Have your child imagine what they think that person does.
- While you are exploring the town make a map of important locations that you have found. It doesn't have to be fancy. It could be lines and boxes with labels.
- What does Colonel stand for and how is it pronounced?
- The finest house in Alto, Ohio is a Victorian.
Pages 17-18:
- Point out that a drug store is now what we call a pharmacy.
- What is a barber shop?
- If you find all those buildings in the town you visit make sure you add them to your map.
- If you have a boy and you find a barber shop ask them if they will do a pretend shave on him.
- Point out the utility pole and ask your child what they think it does or is used for.
- Fun games, experiments, quizzes, videos, worksheets and more all about Electricity.
Pages 19-20:
- Take your child to a Memorial Park or discuss their meaning.
- Monument: define monument and then have your child create a monument from clay for someone they think is really special.
- Methodist might or might not be a confusing word. This link will give you the history of the church.
Pages 21-22:
- While you are on your visit in the small town find an alley and walk or drive down it. Make sure to include an alley in your map.
- This would be a good time for your child to practice their harmonica skills they learned on pages 9-10.
- You could also practice songs from your homeschool song book.
Pages 23-24:
- Whittled: define whittled and try whittling something out of a soap bar with a butter knife.
- Grumbled: define grumbled and try to think of other words to describe Old Sneep's mood.
- Ephesians 4:31-32
- Learn different ways to say hello.
Pages 25-26:
- Help your child plan a grand welcome for Dad when he comes home from work. Make welcome signs and party decorations and plan to sing him one of the songs from your homeschool song book, or play the harmonica. If you have alot of children have them make band instruments from cereal boxes and other household items.
- Have your child count how many newspapers there are.
- Then study the history of the newspaper.
- Get a Sunday or local paper and study the different parts. Have your child(ren) write and illustrate their own newspaper of their daily events.
- What is short fluffy and has a tail? Can you find it?
Pages 27-28:
- Study the United States Flag.
- Prepare a speech for Dad's welcome home party.
- What is a Brass Band?
- What is an ice man? (there is some cool information in here but read it before reading it to your kids)
Pages 29-30:
- Ask your child how many horse and buggies can they find. If you know of a place that gives horse and buggy rides that would be a great field trip.
- How does a Steam Engine work?
- Build your own Steam Engine (paper craft)
- Steam Engine Children's Video Poem
- Steam Engines for Kids
- Steam Engine Experiments for Kids
- Look at the cars in the illustration. Here is a link to pictures of cars from the 1940's.
Pages 31-32:
- These pages are building suspense. Go over parts of a story with your children.
- Roller Coaster Plot Graphic Organizer
- This is another great time to practice your harmonica skills or sing songs from your homeschool song book.
- If you didn't finish all the Steam Engine lessons from above you can finish those today.
- For younger children, have them count all the people in the illustration.
- Explore the History of the United States Flag. (lots to explore here)
Pages 33-34:
- Have your child describe what each person might be thinking. (what would be in a thought bubble above their head)
- This is a great opportunity to talk about adjectives (describing words). Make a list of describing words for these pages with your child.
- Adjective Activities, Compare Adjectives,Fun Dip Adjectives Activity
- Activity;cut 1 lemon in half and ask the child the following questions and write down their answers. This should create a nice list of adjectives.
- What does the lemon look like?
- What does the lemon smell like?
- What does the lemon feel like?
- What does the lemon taste like?
- Have your child illustrate a lemon and then in black (in a graphic arts style) have them write all the adjectives they used to describe the lemon.
Pages 35-36:
- How did that old man get onto the roof? Have your children write a paragraph using the hamburger method to tell how Old Sneep got onto the roof.
- Learn all about lemons, learn even more
- Why do sour foods make your lips pucker? Whyzz tells you why for kids. (This should not be missed! And don't forget to take a look at their experiment and source links)
- The number 3981 appears on the passenger car. This would be a good time to go over place values to the thousands.
- Place values worksheet with answer key for practice.
- Have your child make 3981 with base ten blocks. (this links to virtual base ten blocks to the thousands, very cool) You can use this link to practice other problems as well.
Pages 37-38:
- What's the difference between the trumpet and the cornet? Video Lesson: Cornet vs. Trumpet
- Trumpet (lots of cool stuff here for kids)What is a trumpet and how does it sound?
- What is a piccolo and how does it sound? (very simple and fun)
- What is a trombone and how does it sound?
- What is a tuba and how does it sound?
- Mom, it's your turn to suck on a lemon :) Suck on a lemon and ask your child if they are like the band or like Lentil. (Do their lips pucker when you suck on a lemon?)
- If you have more than one child you can have them graph their results of who puckers and who doesn't.
Pages 39-40:
- Have your child count the drops of juice dripping down from the lemon.
- There is some different punctuation marks then the usual period or question mark. This a great time to talk about punctuation.
- Punctuation online games and activities
- Punctuation Pals 20 project curriculum (This is beyond awesome and free! Start is now and do a little each day.)
- Punctuation Posters and Worksheet (in a very cute owl theme)
- Use the hamburger method again to tell how Old Sneep will get off the roof.
- Ask your child if they were the most important citizen what their famous quote would be. (This will be funny, so allow the giggles :)
- What does a Mayor do?
Pages 41-42:
- What is sound?
- There are several proper nouns in this sentence. Here is a proper nouns worksheet that describes what a proper noun is.
- Watch this noun video
- Look how handsome the Col. is dressed. He even has a top hat. This book was first published in the 1940's. Here are some fun and free printable 1940's paper dolls.
Pages 43-44:
- Indignant: define indignant and have your child use it in a sentence.
- This would be a good time to practice the harmonica again.
- Listen to "Comin' 'round the Mountain When She Comes (also includes lyrics and chords)
- Little people can do big things too! Visit this Bible study on David and Goliath and pick which ideas you want to use. In the story Lentil is a kid, but he was able to help in a BIG way.
Pages 45-46:
- When you are learning a new song it's good to get practice. Practice "Comin' 'round the Mountain When She Comes" as many times as is enjoyable.
- Get in some more harmonica practice with these free online lessons.
- Learn more about the harmonica.
- Learn about the History of the harmonica.
Pages 47-48:
- What is the History behind "Comin' 'round the Mountain When She Comes?"
- Point out that Col. Carter is snapping his fingers and tapping his heels together. Challenge your child to snap his fingers (a hard skill to acquire, so stop when it becomes frustrating) and/ or tap his heels together. If your child is older have them try both at the same time!
- How many buttons can you find?(I counted 19 visible buttons) For younger children see how many different ways they can add/subtract to get the answer 19. For older children have then multiply/divide to get the answer 19. If you have actual buttons allow them to use them as manipulative's.
- Download and print this button sort game. If you don't have your own buttons to do the above activity print out extras of the button's in this printable.
Pages 49-50:
- Have your child count how many flags there are. Then multiply by how many stripes are in the American Flag to find out how many stripes there are total. Then multiply by how many stars there are.
- If you didn't get to all the Flag activities before, then now would be a good time to finish up or expand with these craft ideas.
- Practice the harmonica, sing songs from your song book, Practice She'll be "Coming Around the Mountain When She Comes."
- Get the band instruments back out and have a parade for an audience of teddy bears.
Pages 51-52:
- Lentil still needs some shoes, so why not make him some. Or you could try your hand at these.
- Make some memories with your kids, and give it a try with the harmonica. They will never forget it.
- Call attention to the baton in the picture then let your child make their own Patriotic Baton.
- Learn how to read music notes in a kid friendly manner. (don't miss this one, it's a good one!)
- On the license plate is the number 19,323. Click this link to create your own place value worksheet.
- Study the history of license plates.
- Here is a bunch of images of old license plates that you can just look at, or you can prints some of them out and play games (order by year, of find one for every state), or you could make a craft out of them.
Pages 53-54:
- Citizen: define citizen and have your child use it in a sentence and of course if you are making the vocabulary cards add this word to your collection.
- Committee: define committee and have your child use it in a sentence.
- Invite some friends over for an ice cream social.
- Ice cream party printables (scroll down to find them)
- Homemade ice cream science experiment
- Here are some fun ice cream party game printables
Pages 55-56:
- Make a cardboard Alto, Ohio including the new hospital building.
- Ohio Unit Study Resources
- Ohio Unit Study Resources 2
Other Resources
- Homeschool Share Lentil Lapbook
- The Homeschool Mom has all of the FIAR books listed (click on Lentil)
- Pledge of Allegiance Rebus
- FIAR Forum
- Lentil FIAR Adeventures
- Blog post for Lentil FIAR
- Teaching Stars Lentil blog post
- Simple Little Home Lentil blog post
- Delightful Learning Lentil blog post

