Stuart Little Lesson Plans

Summer Garden Maintenance

Now that the hot, drier weather of summer has arrived, most gardeners have scaled back their outdoor activities to simple maintenance of the gardens. Everything was planted by the end of last month. The flowers should be blooming profusely now. The vegetable gardens are just starting to produce regularly. So maintenance is all that is required. Next month it may be time to start the next crop of vegetables but we can take things a little slower for now.

Watering and weed control are perhaps the most important things to be doing. Feeding or fertilizing can give good results as well id the plants are otherwise in good condition.

Since the weather has gone from spring monsoons to being very dry and the daytime temperatures are always above 85 degrees the soil will dry out faster through evaporation and what the plants are taking up through their roots. Many plants can get by with only minimal irrigation but they will not be as lush nor as fruitful as they would be with a well managed irrigation plan. The trick is to supply enough water to the plants to keep them productive but not so much that the plants drown or become infected with a moisture related disease.

It is important to know both the soil and its ability to hold water and the individual plants need for water. Different soil will hold water for greater or shorter periods depending on their composition. Sandy soil with little organic matter dry out quickly. Clay soils with a lot of organic material will hold moisture in the plants’ root zone for a relatively longer period of time. Of course, hot and dry weather will dry the soils faster where cooler and cloudy weather will not. The best thing to do is to water the garden thoroughly so that the water penetrates at least 6 inches deep and then don’t water again until it is needed. A garden trowel will help with this, simply dig down a few inches and see how much moisture is there. Keep in mind that too much water can “wash out” some of the sugar content of the vegetables, this is especially true of melons. Reduced sugar means reduced taste so do not overdo the irrigation.

Weeding is always a necessary task. It is best to combine this job with other garden duties as they are performed. As the garden is watered the soil becomes loose and the weeds are easier to pull out. When dead flower heads are being removed or vegetables are being picked take advantage of this time to look for and remove weeds, why bend over twice in the same place when you can do everything at one time. Removing the weeds will not only keep the garden attractive it will protect the health of the plants. Weeds compete with the desirable plants for growing space and will cause the garden to become too crowded and the plants will not produce as well. This competition takes place below the ground as well as above the ground so the weeds must be pulled out by the roots, not simply cut back. Weeds tend to be more efficient at collecting water and nutrients from the soil than the desirable plants so they tend to grow faster, try to catch them when they are small. Weeding two or three times a week can keep the weeds from developing a strong root system and that means they are easier to pull out. There are no shortcuts to weeding, this is something that simply must be done.

Adirondack Almanack: Adirondack Family Activities: Stuart Little ...

Once again commercials are doling out advice on what to get me for Mother's Day. Well, not just me but any mother. Jewelry and flowers seem to have a stronghold of the market share of Mother's Day ad dollars. If I were to dog-ear each magazine ad or keep the TV on during the commercials, clearly the hints would lead to some sort of diamond tiara coming my way. Though I have been bedazzling a few items with my daughter (because everything does look better with a bit of sparkle) I feel saddened by those commercials that only indicate that buying something expensive is the way to appreciate the one who labored through birth and probably wiped a few noses as well. On May 8th, Pendragon Theatre will open with the E.B. White classic story of Stuart Little adapted for the stage by Joseph Robinette. Personally I belief that seeing a family play isn't just for people with kids. Sometimes in my hectic life I want to be reminded of magic and animals that talk and to be pulled along into a story that exercises my imagination. Stuart Little promises all of that. The 1:00 p.m. show is general seating only with the next performance happening on June 29. There will be a limited run of nine performances for this showing of the little mouse throughout the summer and into the fall. Admission is $10 for adults and seniors, $8 for those 6-15 and $5 for anyone 5 and under. For more information, please call the theatre at 518-891-1854. Pettee specifically mentions Sweeney Todd (opening July 13 with 12 performances) Mouse Trap (opening August 18 with nine performances) and Les Liaisons Dangereuses (opening July 27 with ten performances). Pettee wants to make sure audience members know to check the schedule and not rely on each performance traveling to the Lake Placid Center for the Arts.

A Guide for Using Stuart Little in the Classroom

A lesson plan book for Stuart Little by E.B. White

Teaching emergent readers, collaborative library lesson plans

The fiction gateway, enriching the curriculum with children's literature

Language Arts, Integrating Skills for Classroom Teaching