Sign of the Beaver

By: Elizabeth George-Speare

Newbery Honor Award

Citation: Sign of the Beaver. Speare, Elizabeth George, Houghton Mifflin, c1983.

Summary:
Matt is a twelve year old boy who moves to the Maine wilderness with his father to build a cabin for their family. His father goes back to Massachusetts to get the rest of the family and leaves Matt alone to protect the cabin. Matt knows that he has to provide his own food, and be aware of Indians and wild animals, in order to survive. His father will be gone for six to seven weeks. MANY months pass, and there's no sign of his family's arrival. Should he abandon his hopes of ever seeing them alive again and move on to live with the Indians?

  Goals:

 1.  Students will brainstorm major ideas from The Sign of the Beaver (setting, plot, theme, etc)

2.  The students will discuss the different Native American tribes in the novel and begin to learn more about their life.

NCTE/IRA Standards:

1.  Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
 

5.  Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
 

11.  Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
 

12.  Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Contemporary Issues:
    Survival

    Friendship

    Fear and Courage

Pride

    Gender Roles

    Initiation

Classroom Activities:

       Listening/Speaking:
        Storytelling is important in both Matt and Attean's culture. Matt tells his version of the bear story in the book. Attean is expected to tell his version of the story at the tribe's feasting ceremony. Ask students to think about Attean's version of the story and make preparation to tell it to the class.
 

http://www.lifecurriculum.org/cplc_story.htm

        Reading:

    Read Sing Down the Moon which is told from the Indian point-of-view and compare the two novels. Students to find a picture book about either Indians or pioneers - or something related. Read and summarize. Possibly share with class. Read Robinson Crusoe which Matt reads in the novel. Write a short summary. Research the Penobscot Indians from the Maine area. Share interesting traits. Every Indian boy had to have a "manitou" or rite of passage into manhood. Research rites of passage in other cultures.

www.native-languages.org/penobscot.htm

www.bchs.k12.va.us/Technology%20Class/owen/studentpage.html

  Writing:
Attean cannot read English at all. Consider, also, that people read best when they are interested in the subject. Have the students write a story that Matt could use in teaching Attean.
                                                     http://www.hopcott.com/writing-tips/

          Social Studies
The Penobscot Indians originally inhabited the part of the United States that is now the state of Maine. Send students to the library to identify other Native American tribes that originally lived in the New England area.    

                http://www.mainerec.com/wcindian.asp?Category=135&PageNum=135

                                       The Penobscots Indians

                                             http://www.indians.org/welker/penobsco.htm

                                       The Legend of the Bear Family

                                             http://www.indians.org/welker/bearfami.htm

           Science:
Matt's father tells him that there were no bees in America until the colonists brought them from England. Ask students to find information that verifies this fact. Students might also want to research the appropriate first aid for a bee sting.
                           http://www.honey.com/kids/

 

 Natural Relief From Insect Bites

         http://www.life.ca/nl/43/insects.html

 

                 Lanacane Itch Information Center

 

         http://www.lanacane.com/insects.html

 

                 First Aid from The Police Handbook

 

         http://www.ou.edu/oupd/perhonb.htm

     Mathematics:
    How does Matt keep track of time? Ask students to relate his method of keeping time with early forms of math.
                              http://www.teachrkids.com/

       Art/Music:
     Both Matt and Attean give detailed instructions for making various domestic objects. Ask students to carefully read the directions that the boys give for making instruments for survival, living shelters, or other items. Then, have students draw these items or construct replicas.

http://www.songsforteaching.com/BoyAndBear.html

 http://www.songsforteaching.net/sarajordan/preparingforwinter.htm

    E-books

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