FUNdamentals Unit Carrie De Francisco, 2014 Page 1

SUGGESTED MATERIALS FOR UNIT:

Novels

Black Beauty (1958) by Anna Sewell

Misty of Chincoteague (1947) by Marguerite Henry

Black Stallion (1941) by Walter Farley

Mr. Revere and I (1953) by Robert Lawson

Tales of Trojan War (2002) by Usborne Publishing

Random House Book of Horse Stories (1996) Anthology

Non-Fiction Reference (may contain evolutionary content)

*Horse anatomy coloring Book by John Green

*Horses: An Educational Read and Color Book ($2.95 at EIE)

Album of Horses by Marguerite Henry

Horses (DK Eyewitness Handbooks) by Elwyn Hartley Edwards

The Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies by Tamsin Pickeral

Other Multimedia:

Black Beauty

National Velvet

Secatariat

Misty Movies

Games:

Horseopoly

Herd Your Horses

Art Supplies:

Draw 50 Horses by Lee J. Ames Draw

Draw Horses by Lee Hammond

watercolor paper & paint brushes

water color pencils or watercolors

playdough or modeling clay

FUNdamentals Unit Carrie De Francisco, 2014 Page 2

Horses: What is a horse? Well, that is loaded question! According to the Webster dictionary, a horse is:

a large, odd-toed ungulate, herbivorous quadruped belonging to the family Equidae, including

the horse, zebra, donkey, and mule, having a thick, flat coat with a narrow mane along the back

of the neck which can be wild, feral, or domesticated, bred in a number of varieties, and used for

work, for riding, and for racing.

Let’s break this definition down:

A horse is a LARGE animal. The average horse is about 5 feet tall (or 16 hands) and can

weigh between 800- 1200 lbs depending on the breed.

A horse is an ODD-toed UNGULATE. Ungulate is a scientific term for hoofed animals.

Horses have an odd number of “toes”.

Horses are HERBIVOROUS. “Herb” means herb or plant and “vore” means devour.

Herbivore means horses only eat plants such as hay, oats, and grass. They are

vegetarians!

Horses are also QUADRUPED. The Greek prefix “quad” means four. Horses are

animals with four legs. Can you think of other words that have “quad” in them?

Horses belong to the family EQUIDAE. In Latin, Equus means “horse”. Horses are

related to other four-legged, odd-hoofed vegetarians that look like them. Zebras, donkeys

and mules come to mind!

Some horses are FERAL. A feral horse was once domesticated but now runs free or is

wild.

Most horses are DOMESTICATED. A domesticated horse is bred, broken or trained to

live with or work for humans or to race professionally. They are tame.

In this unit, you will delve deeper into each of these characteristics of the horse and its family.

Before you begin, let’s get an overview of horses in general.

1. Watch the “Horses” PowerPoint Slide Show” that came with this unit.

2. Begin reading Black Beauty by Anne Sewell.

3. Start collecting and looking through a horse reference book such as Album of Horses by

Marguerite Henry , Horses (DK Eyewitness Handbooks) by Elwyn Hartley Edwards , or

The Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies by Tamsin Pickeral

FUNdamentals Unit Carrie De Francisco, 2014 Page 3

Language Arts:

Equines Vocabulary (Words that have to do with horses!)

Let’s get familiar with some of the vocabulary that is unique to horses. You have been riding,

training and caring for horses for several years now. The word “equestrian” is everywhere in

your horse world! In the space below, list all of the words you use, see or know that have the

Latin root word “equis”. Then define each word.

You are already an Equestrian Expert. However, you will encounter these words while reading

Black Beauty, in your research and when watching videos about horses. You are also a

Grammarian Graduate! You are very familiar with the eight parts of speech and how they are

used in the English language. However, we will begin our unit by reviewing horse vocabulary

and the eight parts of speech.

Vocabulary: The Horse and Its Family

Stallion: adult male horse

Mare: adult female horse

Sire: a horse’s father

Dam: a horse’s mother

Foal: a baby horse in its first year of life

Yearling: A horse from its first official birthday on 1/1 to the following 1/1

Colt: a male horse less than 5 years old

Filly: a female horse less than 5 years old

FUNdamentals Unit Carrie De Francisco, 2014 Page 4

Compare the Horse’s family to your own. Fill in the blanks with family members (or extended

family if necessary).

Stallion (adult male) _________________________________

Mare (adult female) _________________________________

Sire (father’s father) _________________________________

Dam (mother’s mother) _________________________________

Foal (a baby in its first year of life) _________________________________

Yearling (1 years old) _________________________________

Colt (a male less than 5 years old) _________________________________

Filly (a female less than 5 years old) _________________________________

“Horse” Grammar: NOUNS

A noun is a person, place or thing. Each of the words above are nouns. A proper noun names a

particular person, place or thing. Proper nouns are always capitalized. When you listed your

father’s name as the “Stallion”, you probably capitalized his name. Check your list above.

Make sure you capitalized all of the proper nouns.

More “Horse” Grammar:

A noun is a person, place or thing. Each of the words below are also nouns. Some name places

and some name things such as tools and even units of measurement. Next to each noun write a

capital T if it is a “thing” or a capital P if it a “place”. Some can be both so be careful.

Vocabulary: The Horse and Its Stable

saddle horn: the big hard bump at the front of the saddle

bridle: usually made of leather and fits over a horse's head and ears;

when the reins are attached to it, a person can control the direction of the horse

corral: a fenced in riding area for a horse

stable: a barn

curry comb: a plastic or rubber brush used to bring the dirt on a horse to the surface

reins: the leather straps attached to the bit

stall: an enclosure within the barn or stable where the horse eats and sleeps

bit: a bar in the horse’s mouth that allows the rider to have control over the horse

blinkers: a cup-shaped piece of equipment that limits the horse's vision fits over the head.

furlong: an eighth of a mile on the racetrack.

FUNdamentals Unit Carrie De Francisco, 2014 Page 5

halter: like a bridle, but without a bit attached; used to lead the horse around.

hand: the unit of measure for the height of a horse; a hand is four inches.

stirrups: metal D-shaped rings that hang from the saddle, rider places his or her feet.

tack: the rider's racing equipment.

withers: the horse's shoulders

hitching post (or rail): what you tie the horse to while putting the saddle on

Memorize Vocabulary Words:

Write a vocabulary word on one side of an index card. Use photos from the internet, pictures

from resource books or illustrations draw by you to paste on to the front of the index card with

the vocabulary word. Then on the backside, neatly write the definition. Use these index cards to

help you become an Equestrian Expert!

“Horse” Grammar: Verbs

A verb is an action word. A horse can come & go from one place to another but if you have

every watched a horse move, “come and go” just do not fully describe the beauty, elegance and

speed at which a horse can travel. Equine Experts have a special term for the way a horse

moves. It is called the gait of the horse. The way a horse moves, or its gait, is a verb! It is an

action word! Read the verbs below and then try to act them out.

Vocabulary: The Gait of a Horse

Gait: the four natural ways a horse moves: walk, trot, canter and gallop.

Walk: the slowest pace, each footsteps individually

Trot: a faster walk that is the horse’s natural pace

Canter: a fast three-beat run

Gallop: a full speed run

More “Horse” Grammar: VERBS

Use a thesaurus to help you find synonyms (words that have a similar meanings) for each of the

verbs, or gaits, below. Write at least five on each blank.

Walk: _______________________________________________________________

Trot: _______________________________________________________________

Canter: _______________________________________________________________

Gallop: _______________________________________________________________

FUNdamentals Unit Carrie De Francisco, 2014 Page 6

“Horse” Grammar: ADVERBS

An adverb modifies or describes a verb. It describes how the verb is moving, where the verb is

moving, when the verb is moving, why the verb is moving or how often the verb is moving.

Most adverbs have an –ly ending. Pick 5 –ly words (or adverbs) to describe each of the gaits

below. Try to pick a few that describe how the horse moved, when it moved, why it moved or

even how often it moved. Write them in the blanks below.

Walk: _______________________________________________________________

Trot: _______________________________________________________________

Canter: _______________________________________________________________

Gallop: _______________________________________________________________

Run: _______________________________________________________________

Jump: _______________________________________________________________

Saunter: _______________________________________________________________

Adverb List

abruptly evenly joyfully safely calmly furiously

abnormally eventually kindly scarcely mournfully stubbornly

aimlessly excitedly laboriously serenely cautiously gravely

amazingly explicitly lavishly seriously naturally suddenly

anxiously extremely liberally slyly clumsily gently

apparently lightly smoothly carefully neatly surprisingly

assuredly ferociously longingly soothingly closely gleefully

fervently loudly sharply successfully nicely suspiciously

bashfully finally sheepishly willfully coaxingly gradually

beautifully foolishly meaningfully smugly notable sympathetically

bravely frankly mechanically snidely commonly gratefully

brightly frantically mightily silently confidently greatly

briskly freely miserably softly causally wholeheartedly

casually greedily openly tenderly openly tenderly

continually happily tightly curiously hopefully pointedly

conveniently hastily partially tragically decidedly immediately

coolly helpfully patiently tremendously powerfully undeniably

correctly hesitantly physically crossly highly playfully truly

FUNdamentals Unit Carrie De Francisco, 2014 Page 7

delightfully impatiently proudly unknowingly

diligently innocently properly unmercifully

discreetly instantly quickly utterly

definitely intently rapidly viciously

distinctly intensely readily violently

More “Horse” Grammar: SUBJECTS AND PREDICATES

Every sentence has a subject and a predicate (or a verb). The predicate describes what the

subject is doing. Use the horse family vocabulary (nouns) as your subjects and mix and match

them with your gait vocabulary (verbs and adverbs above) as your predicates. Put them together

to write complete sentences. Remember sentences always begin with a capital and always end

with an end mark. For example: The stallion swiftly galloped.

1. The stallion _______________________________________________________.

2. The mare _________________________________________________________.

3. The sire __________________________________________________________.

4. The dam__________________________________________________________.

5. The foal__________________________________________________________.

6. The yearling _______________________________________________________.

7. The filly __________________________________________________________.

8. The colt ___________________________________________________________.

“Horsing Around”- Idioms

An idiom is an expression that means something different from the meaning of the individual

words. For example, it is raining cats and dogs certainly doesn’t mean it is literally raining cats

and dogs. It simply means it is pouring. The English language is full of idioms using horses as

its subject. Read each one. Some may sound familiar to you and you may already know what

they mean. If so, write the meaning of the expression or the idiom. If you do not know the

meaning, discuss the expression with your parent and then write it in your own words.

1. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

2. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

3. Straight from the horse's mouth.

FUNdamentals Unit Carrie De Francisco, 2014 Page 8

4. A charlie horse

5. Every horse thinks its own pack heaviest

6. A one-horse race

7. A Trojan horse

8. I could eat a horse

9. He eats like a horse

10. Don't back the wrong horse

11. Don't beat a dead horse

12. Don't change horses in midstream

13. Don't put the cart before the horse

14. Don't spare the horses

15. Get off your high horse

16. Get it straight from the horse's mouth

17. Hold your horses!

18. Stop horsing around

19. That's a horse of another color

FUNdamentals Unit Carrie De Francisco, 2014 Page 9

20. A dark horse

21. If two ride on a horse, one must ride behind

22. If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride

23. Put a horse out to pasture

24. Don't put the cart before the horse

25. Wild horses couldn't drag him away

26. That's horseplay

Which one is your favorite? Why?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

“Hungry as a Horse”: Similes:

A simile compares two unlike things using the words like or as. For example, the little girl was

as hungry as a horse. There is no way a little girl can eat as much grass and hay as a horse. But

the two were compared to make a point that the little girl was really hungry. There are quite a

few similes comparing things to horses and other animals. Here are a few. After the list, make

up a few of your own.

Science:

Classification: KPCOFGS

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species

Horses are in the Animal Kingdom and the Phylum Chordata, which means they have a

vertebrate or backbone. Horses are also in the Mammal class much like dogs, cats, you and me!

However, horses are in the Perissodactyla Order which means they are related to tapirs and

rhinos. The horse Family is the Equidae and Genus is Equus which also includes donkeys, mules

and zebras. Finally, its species is E. Ferus (Domesticated). Within species there are breeds.

FUNdamentals Unit Carrie De Francisco, 2014 Page 10

Donkeys, Tapirs, and Zebras, Oh My!:

Research each Horse Cousin. Use the links below to get you started. On the Fun Fact Sheet,

draw and color a picture of each Horse cousin. Find the animal’s classification and list it on the

Fun Fact Sheet. Then add interesting facts about each animal on the sheet. After researching

each Equidae and its cousin, pick one to write a 5 paragraph report. Use the notes on the Fun

Fact sheets to help you organize your thoughts and information. The research report will begin

with an introduction paragraph stating your thesis and what three topics you will discuss in your

report. Then follows three body paragraphs on the three topics. Finally, the report will end with

a concluding paragraph which restates the three main topics discussed, summarizes the subject

and ends with a final clincher! You will eventually do the same thing for each breed of horse as

well!

Zebras

Tapirs

Donkeys

Mules

Horse

Unicorns

Zorse (No Lie!!!)

FUNdamentals Unit Carrie De Francisco, 2014 Page 11

Interesting Facts:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Kingdom: _______________________________________________

Phylum: ________________________________________________

Class: ___________________________________________________

Order: __________________________________________________

Family:__________________________________________________ Genus: _________________________________________________

Species__________________________________________________

FUNdamentals Unit Carrie De Francisco, 2014 Page 12

Geography: Black Beauty, England and Kentucky

Black Beauty was set in England in the 1800’s. Find Europe on a world map. Now locate the

country of England. Find the city of London. Black Beauty was probably a thoroughbred. One

the world’s most famous horse races are the Kentucky Derby. Find the United States on the

world map. Now located the state of Kentucky in the United States.

Perhaps one of the most famous Kentucky Derby winners, Secretariat holds the record for fastest

Kentucky Derby at 1:59.40 minutes and fastest Belmont Stakes at 2:24 minutes. He also won the

Triple Crown in 1978. He was nicknamed “Big Red” due to his size (16 hands, 2 inches and

1175 lbs) and his color, a beautiful chestnut red. Secretariat was born March 30, 1970 and died

October 4, 1989 Disney recently released a major motion picture -- Secretariat.

Make a traditional Kentucky Derby soup called Kentucky Burgoo

Ingredients:

1 pound mixed

cooked meats

(beef, lamb, pork,

chicken, game,

etc.)

1/2 gallon chicken

stock

1/2 gallon beef

stock

1 ounce

Worcestershire

sauce

1 cup tomatoes,

diced

1 large onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 small green bell

pepper, diced

1 large potato,

diced

2 large carrots,

diced

1/4 cup peas

1/2 cup okra

1/4 cup lima beans

1/2 cup yellow corn

2 teaspoons garlic,

minced

salt and pepper to

taste

FUNdamentals Unit Carrie De Francisco, 2014 Page 13

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, skimming the

top as needed.

Geography: Misty of Chincoteague & Virginia

Misty of Chincoteague is a 1947 book by American author Marguerite Henry, inspired by a real

Chincoteague Pony named Misty. Set on the coastal island of Chincoteague, Virginia. Locate

Virginia on the United States map. Chincoteague is an island. Find the definition of an island.

How is it different than an isthmus, an atoll and a peninsula? Locate five examples of each

around the world and place them in the appropriate columns. Make sure you include which

continent, country or state the land feature can be found.

Island Isthmus Peninsula Atoll

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.