While reading this book, have children write a diary while pretending
to be the canoe traveler. You could also have them draw the sights Paddle
sees along the way.
The following suggestions are starting points. Dig deeper into any
subject in which your children show an interest.
Chapter 1: Vocabulary: rudder, ballast. Ask children why the
returning geese are significant to the boy. Try to find a whittler who
is willing to teach your children.
Chapter 2: Find Lake Nipigon on a map (it is north of Lake Superior).Use
a blank map to mark Paddle's starting point. Use a symbol and start
a map legend to label the symbol.
Chapter 3: Find out what the tracks of the animals look like
that visited Paddle. Go on a nature walk to look for animal tracks and
identify them.
Chapter 4: Look up more information about the animals mentioned
that live in this pond. Find out what animals live in ponds where you
live. Build
your own beaver pond.
Chapter 5: Find out more about logging camps. How did they cut
down the trees? What were the trees used for? How did they get the trees
to the river banks? Paul
Bunyan Camp has some good logging camp history information.
Chapter 6: Vocabulary: bay. At the end of Chapter 6, have children
write what they think will happen next.
Chapter 7: Visit a saw mill. Compare how they make lumber today
to how they did it in the story.
Chapter 8: Trace Paddle's journey so far on your map. Have children
draw logs where the saw mill should be, and add it to their legends.
Vocabulary: currents.
Chapter 9: Find Thunder Bay on your map and label. Add grain
elevators to the map and legend. Research how grain is moved and what
it is used for. Find out what a marsh habitat is like. Make a list of
what lives in a marsh. Enchanted Learning has a nice basic
marsh printout.
Chapter 10: Compare your list of marsh animals to those in the
book. Mark the marsh on your map and legend.
Chapter 11: Find out about iron ore and coal: how they are mined
and what they are used for. Mark Duluth and Superior on your map. Continue
to trace Paddle's route. Here is some good information about coal
mining. Here for information about iron
ore.
Chapter 12: Find out how commercial fishermen fish today. Visit
some commercial fishermen if possible. Compare how fishing is done today
with how it was done in the book. Go fishing!
Chapter 13: Research how electricity is made from water. Find
out other ways electricity is made. Visit a power plant. Find Keweenaw
Peninsula and label on your map. Here is some information about how
electricity
is made.
Chapter 14: Research lighthouses.
Find out if they are still used. Pick one and draw it and paint with
watercolors.
Chapter 15: Find out what the Coast
Guard does. Add White Fish Bay to your map and mark Paddle's journey.
Chapter 16: Visit a lock and dam if there are any in your area.
Explain to your children how they work and why they are necessary. Label
the Soo on the map.
Chapter 17: Label Gary, Indiana on your map. Mark Paddle's route.
Chapter 19: Discuss what causes forest fires and if there are
any benefits to them.
Chapter 20: Find out how to ice
fish. Research what Indians lived in the Lake Huron region. Plot
Paddle's route and label Saginaw Bay.
Chapter 21: Label Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair, and Detroit. Research
the auto industry. Why was Detroit the center of it? Who made the first
car?
Chapter 22: Mark Paddle's route on the map. Label Niagara Falls.
Look at pictures of Niagara Falls. Visit a waterfall nearby.
Chapter 23: Mark Paddle's route. What are coots and terns?
Chapter 24: Find out how Canada went from being "New France"
to an English territory.
Chapter 25: Label Newfoundland. Find out what is the Labrador
Current.
Chapter 26: Trace the rest of Paddle's journey
Chapter 27: Write a story about a toy you make and set out on
a journey.
Other ideas:
Build a diorama of the journey Paddle made to the sea.
Create a scrapbook for Paddle using tourism magazines and brochures.
Color Canoe
picture.
Disclaimer: All links
are for informational purposes only - a link to a web site does not imply
agreement with or endorsement of that site. Because of the changing nature
of the internet, always preview a site before viewing it with your children.
