#2090. Paddle-to-the-Sea

Literature, level: Elementary
Posted Tue Jan 2 18:00:54 PST 2001 by Cyndi Goff (goff@elps.k12.mi.us).
Whitehills Elementary, East Lansing, USA
Materials Required: Book; Lit Guide; Map of Great Lakes
Activity Time: 7-10 class periods
Concepts Taught: Great Lakes Geography

Paddle-to-the-Sea, by Holling Clancy Holling

Vocabulary list and Comprehension Questions for this 1942 Caldecott Honor Book.
(Ch. 1-3)
SECTION 1
cackle
hollow
whittling
rudder
ballast
Nipigon
crept
swooped
wolverine
weasel
arbutus
plunge
crest

(Ch. 4-7)
SECTION 2
gnawed
wade
muskrat
porcupine
lain
plunged
mist
disgusted
waddle
solemnly

(Ch. 8-11)
SECTION 3
spanked
gazed
warbler
currents
steadily
Thunder Bay
horizon
driftwood
galloping
briskly
international
lagoon
marsh
herons
kingfisher
ruffed grouse
bull moose
jerked
scolded
romp
crayfish
bass
moss
squawk
muskrat
watercress

(Ch. 11-13)
SECTION 4
steadily
gulls
mournfully
loons
ore
region
Injun
reels
Apostle Islands
paused
wobbly
refuse
dynamos
freighters
ashore

(Chapter 14-18)
SECTION 5
smothering
stern
bristling
wallowed
coiled
stout
explosions
doomed
stern
violent
instruments
continue
St. Mary's River
acquainted
littered
cast-away
heaps
drawled

(Chapter 19-23)
SECTION 6
squatted
lynx
frantically
hurricane
blackened
shanties
howling
buoys
curiosities
picnickers
astern
clanging
commerce
satisfaction
giddy

(Chapter 2-27)
SECTION 7
curios
pelts
Champlain
French Indian War
peering
spectacles
rigging
wharf
moccasins
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
All answers should be in complete sentences.

Section 1 Chapter 1-3

1. How did Paddle-to-the-Sea come to be?
2. Explain the Indian boy's theory about the water in Nipigon country.
3. Start a list of all the animals and people Paddle encounters.
4. What did the boy do that helped the canoe float upright in rough water?
5. How do you think the boy felt when Paddle set off on his journey?

Section 2 Chapters 4-8

1. What type of deer is a buck? Why do they shed their antlers?
2. What caused the "mad current of the river?"

3. What industry relied on the thaw? For what?

4. What saved Paddle from the saw?

5. What would you have done if Paddle came ashore near you?

Section 3 Chapters 8-10
1. What's the largest fresh water lake in the work?
2. Label you map with Paddle's destinations. Be sure to keep track of your people and animals, also.

3. Write the definition for lagoon, and then use it in a sentence.

4. Close your eyes and think about smelling mint, wintergreen, and pine needles. What does it make you think of?
5. What caused Paddle to be on his way to be on his way from the marsh?

Section 4 Chapters 11-13

1. What caused the water to be red at the western edge of the largest lake in the world?

2. Why were the people on the dock in such a hurry?

3. Look at the map. List 3 cities located on the Keweenaw Peninsula.

4. Where were the ducks in the marsh headed?

Section 5 Chapters 14-18

1. What types of sounds do you think Paddle heard during the storm?

2. While Paddle was in dry dock, he received repairs. What were the repairs?

3. Why were the Soo Locks built?

4. Why did Paddle get a ride from Pierre?

5. Do you think the Indian boy will mind if he hears about Paddle's ride? Explain.

Section 6 Chapters19-23

1. How did the animals protect themselves from the fire?

2. What cities are listed in Paddle through Chapter 20?

3. What did the girl's father do to insure Paddle's success?
4. How do ships navigate Niagara Falls?

5. What 3 places did Paddle pass before making it to the St. Lawrence River?

Section 7 Chapters 24-27

1. What is the third largest French-speaking city in the world?

2. Who fought in the French/ Indian War?

3. Who called Canada New France?

4. What happened to Paddle when the tides came in and out?

5. Who found Paddle-to-the-Sea?

6. What Sea did Paddle make it to?

7. How did the Indian boy feel when he learned of Paddle's arrival at the sea?

After each section of Paddle-to-the-Sea, you have several responsibilities:
A) Map Paddle's travels on the map inside your folder.
B) Record the animals/people Paddle encounters on his journey and their significance.
C) Answer the comprehension questions for each section.

Identify any animals or people listed in the story. Under other, you could include things like what they were doing, how they were acting, or any other important information. Make a chart with the following headings:

Animal/Person
Location
Season
Other