My Side of the Mountain

By Jean Craighead George

Activity Guide

Day One – My Side of the Mountain

1. Make a list of things you would take with you if you planned to “Rough it” all alone in the wilderness for an

entire year. Remember you must carry things in your pack. Please remember everything in this packet should be in cursive!! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 2. Get into your groups and share your list. Predict what you think the story is about by looking at the cover and reading the title. 3. Vocabulary – look up in dictionary or at www.dictionary.com

Snug – Tethers – 4. Read ch. 1 together pg. 3-9 5. HW write a summary for chapter one in the back of this packet. Clearly label with Day one - Chapter one summary.

Day Two – My Side of the Mountain

1. Read and discuss your summaries in your group. 2. Vocab matching exercise as a group. Connect the words on the left with the correct definition on the right. 1. snug A. a large rock 2. diameter B. warmly comfortable 3. boulder C. a straight line passing through the center of a circle 4. tethers D. a rope by which an animal is attached to a fixed object to limit movement 3. Read and discuss ch. 2 together pg. 9 – 20 4. Choose a discussion leader to come up with 3 questions from this chapter for HW. Write questions in back of the packet and clearly label Discussion leader –chapter one questions.

Day Three – My Side of the Mountain 1. Go over group leaders discussion questions 2. Read chapter three together pg. 20 – 25 4. Answer the questions for HW in the back of this packet in complete sentences. Clearly label questions 1. At what time of year does this novel take begin? 2. Where does this story take place? 3. Who is the Baron? 4. Who is Frightful?

Day four – My Side of the Mountain 1. Go over questions together 2. Read chapter four together pg. 25 – 28 3. Do these vocab. words together Depression – edible – 4. HW read chapter 5 pg. 28 – 35 and add your version of the map that Sam made of the farm to the next page in your journal. Include the hickory trees, stream, foundation of the old farmhouse, apple trees, walnut trees, stone walls, marsh, stand of hemlocks, Sam's tree, and gorge/pool.

Day Five – My Side of the Mountain

1. Discussion of chapter 5 (anything important happen? What did you like? dislike? etc.) 2. Vocab. activity words 1. remote 2.fretting 3. reaped 4. local 5. cavity 1. Even though she is an excellent student, she is always _____________ about her grades. 2. Vegetables that are grown at ______________ farms always taste better than those that are shipped a great distance. 3. Sam was afraid vacationers would find him even in his ________ tree house. 4. The squirrels lived in a _____________ in an old tree. 5. After they _____________ the grapes, they began the winemaking process. HW read chapter 6 pg. 35 – 41 and choose a discussion leader to write 3 questions in the back of the packet. Please clearly label!

Day six – My Side of the Mountain 1. Discussion of questions with your group 2. Answer the questions in complete sentences in the back of the packet. Questions 1. Why was the big tree an ideal home for Sam? 2. What are Sam’s major problems during his first month in the woods? 3. Explain the title “In Which I Meet One of my Own Kind”. 4. So far Sam has had contact with 3 humans: Bill, Mrs. Turner, and the old woman. How does he feel about human companionship at this time?

3. HW read Chapter 7 (pg. 41-46) 4. Write a summary of chapter 7 in the back of this packet.

Day seven – My Side of the Mountain 1. Read summaries and discuss 2. Read chapter eight together Pg. 46 – 50 3. HW. Vocab. 1. Sam fed Frightful some of the more savory parts of the rabbit. Savory means ___________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 2. The falcon was designed for a swifter life than mine. Swifter means ___________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 4. HW Read chapter 9 and 10 (pg. 50 – 58)

Day Eight – My Side of the Mountain 1. Go over vocab answers 2. Answer these questions orally in your group. 1. What did Sam have to do in order to obtain a falcon? 2. How did the mother hawk try to stop Sam? 3. Why did Sam call his falcon Frightful? 4. How did Sam react when he realized there was another man at his campsite? 5. Who was this man, and why was he there? 3. Read chapter 11 together (pg. 58) 4. HW read chapter 12. (until pg. 68)

Day Nine – My Side of the Mountain

1. Go over your recipes with the group 2. Discuss Ch. 12 together 3. Read chapter 13 together (pg. 68 – 85) 4. Finish for HW whatever you don’t get done 5. HW Answer the following questions in the back of your packets (label clearly) Questions: 1. Who is the man who comes to Sam’s tree? 2. What does this man do to improve Sam’s life? 3. How does Sam feel when he leaves? Why? 4. In what way has Frightful become Sam’s eyes and ears? 5. How does this season make Sam feel?

Day Ten – My Side of the Mountain

1. Answer questions together 2. Read chapter 14 and 15 (Pages 85 – 101) 3. Finish for HW 4. Choose discussion leader to come up with 3 questions from this section

Day Eleven – My Side of the Mountain 1. Go over discussion questions 2. Answer these questions orally in your group Questions 1. What did Sam learn about the woodland animals as his Halloween party ended? Explain. 2. What did Sam mean when he said, “Hunters are excellent friends if used correctly.”? 3. In what ways has Sam prepared himself for winter? 3. Read chapter 16 and 17 (Pages 101 – 112) 4. Finish for Homework

Day Twelve – My Side of the Mountain

1. Discuss the chapters (Anything important happen? Any new characters?) 2. Read chapter 18 together (Page 112 – 116) 3. HW: essay should be at least 3 good paragraphs (Write in back of packet) Writing activity Imagine that you are the boy that Sam calls “Mr. Jacket”, and you have just met Sam at the local store. Using the style of a diary entry, record your impressions of this meeting. Tell what happened, what this stranger looked like, and any value judgments you want to place upon this character and explain. (dirty, lucky, unusual, etc.)

Day Thirteen – My Side of the Mountain 1. Share essays 2. Read chapter 19 together (pg. 116 – 131) 3. HW read chapter 20 (Pg. 131 – 148) 4. Each person come up with 3 questions from chapter 20.

Day Fourteen – My Side of the Mountain 1. Answer questions together 2. Finish reading book together 3. Essay The last words of the book are, “And that ended it.” But, is it really the end? Write another chapter describing the experiences of the Gribley family in the wilderness. (If time type a final copy and draw a picture to go along with it.)

For Teachers: This reading guide is designed so the

students can work together in groups or independently with only help and insight from the teacher. The teacher

has several options. Rotate among all the groups to check for understanding and make sure they are on task, or pick a different group everyday to work with.

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