Summary

Vera feels she doesn’t have a place in her house after baby Ruthie comes. But Grandfather’s plan of planting beans gave Vera a special place all through the spring, summer, and authmn. Then Vera sees how Ruthie has grown and thinks maybe it isn’t so bad to have a little sister.

Activities

1. Draw a line down a sheet of paper to make two columns. In the first column list several reasons why Vera hates her baby sister. In the second column put how each of these has changed by the autumn.

2. Look at the Illustrations. Estimate the length of the sticks Vera and Grandfater gathered. Do you see another way a stick like this is used?

3. What is Mother doing while Vera is in her bean tent?

4. Read about the Plant Life Cycle told by second-grade students.

5. The last page is just a picture. Write 2 or 3 centences that go with this picture to end the story.

6. Tell about a time when someone did something for you that made you feel special.

7. The parts of a bean plant have some long names. Label the parts of a sprouting bean plant. Check your answers.

8. Have a been plant growing contest between teams in your classroom. Measure bean growth and record on graph paper.

9. Look at several of the book illustrations created by Vera Rosenberry. What do you like best about her pictures?

10. Teacher directed activity.
• Preparation: Using the Google search engine, click "maps" and enter Grantchester England. Select a view about 1/3 up the scale from the bottom to see the community where Vera Rosenberry lives.
• Activity: Show students the approximate location of Grantchester on the globe. Find the approximate location of your school on the globe.

About the Author

• author biography, brief

• Artists and Craftsmen in Grantchester

Related books

Other adventures of Vera:

• Rosenberry, V. (1997). Vera’s first day of school. Henry Holt. also Owlet Paperback, 2003

• Rosenberry, V. (1998). When Vera was sick. Henry Holt. also Owlet Paperback, 2002

• Rosenberry, V. (2000). Vera runs away. Henry Holt.

• Rosenberry, V. (2002). Vera goes to the dentist. Henry Holt.

• Rosenberry, V. (2004). Vera rides a bike. Henry Holt.

• Rosenberry, V. (2006). Vera’s new school Henry Holt.

More for the teacher

• Print the Sprouting Bean Sequencing Cards.
  If you have a membership to the Enchanted Learning website, you can print two books:
  Sprouting Bean Shape Book
  Growing and Changing Book

Assessment

Vera’s Baby Sister. Accelerated Reader: Quiz #102613 EN; Book Level 3.2; Points= 0.5

• Vera Runs Away by Rosenberry, Vera. AR Quiz #47524 EN; Book Level 2.9; Points= 0.5
• Vera’s First Day of School by Rosenberry, Vera. AR Quiz #47525 EN; Book Level 2.9; Points= 0.5