Where the Red Fern Grows

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Where the Red Fern Grows
Christine McFarlane 6th Grade CI
401 Instructional Media And Technology Dr. Cheri
Toledo Dec. 2004
Teachers Guide
begin
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Author! Author!
Wilson Rawls was born in 1919 on a farm near
Scraper, Oklahoma. He was the son of Minzy and
Winnie Rawls. He spent most of childhood
exploring the hills and valleys of the Ozarks.
When it came to writing, Mr. Rawls was not always
successful. Explore these links to learn more.
Click here to a visit a site on this famous
author.
Click here to visit another site.
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Ozarks
Where the Red Fern Grows is set in the mountain
country of the Ozarks. Some of the locations
mentioned in the novel were Cyclone Timber
county, Black Fox Hollow, Tahlequah, and Cherokee
land.
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Ozarks Overview
The Ozarks is an upland area of low mountains
which are deeply incised by water erosion. The
eroded areas are often very rugged, being
difficult and treacherous to foot travel.
Though the mountains of the Ozarks are relatively
low, the highest point being only 2,578 feet
above sea level, they nonetheless are the only
large area of elevated land between the
Appalachian Mountains and the Rockies. Because
the mountain peaks are relatively uniform in
height, the term Ozarks Plateau is quite
descriptive.
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Find the Region
Encompassing about 55,000 square miles, the
Ozarks Plateau is roughly bounded by the
Mississippi River on the east, the Missouri River
on the northeast, the Osage and Neosho rivers on
the northwest and west, and the Arkansas River
along the south. All of south central Missouri
and most of northern Arkansas fall within these
bounds. On a highway map, connect New Madrid to
Cape Girardeau to St. Louis to Jefferson City to
Osceola, in Missouri, to Miami to Tahlequah, in
Oklahoma, to Russellville, in Arkansas, back to
New Madrid, and you will have a good outline of
the Ozarks Plateau.
Return to the quiz
The area in the light green shows the area the
story takes place.
Remember, Billys family lived in the Oklahoma
area.
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The Great Depression
1930 - 1939
No job, no hope . . . Click photo to learn more.
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Redbone Hounds
In the story, Billy saves his money for 2 years
to buy his coonhound pups. The 2 dogs together
are a remarkable hunting team, and help earn
money during these difficult Depression years.
These dogs became Billys best friends. It is
these two pets who become the central focus of
the story. Explore these links to learn more
about the attributes of Redbone Coonhounds.
Redbone Hounds
American Kennel Club
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Take a quick quizQuestion 1
Where was the author Wilson Rawls born?
A. Oklahoma
B. Mississippi
C. Nevada
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No!
That answer is incorrect.
Try again.
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YES!
That is the correct answer!
Go on to the next question.
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Question 2
Which 3 states do the Ozark Mountains include?
A. Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky
B. Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee
C. Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma
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Sorry, incorrect.
Go back to the map, and look again. Then, try
the question once more.
To the map
To the quiz
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Youve got it!
Try another question.
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Question 3
When does this story take place?
A. World War II
B. The Great Depression
C. The Pioneer Days
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Try again.
Go back
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Good Job!
Last question, are you ready?
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Question 4
Why are Redbone Coonhounds good hunters?
A. They are quite large and intimidating.
B. They are quick and agile runners.
C.They have a rich, red color.
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Not exactly.
Choose a different answer.
Go back
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Excellent!
That was the last question of this quiz. You did
it!
Click to read the final task for you to complete.
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Your Final Task

• Your final task is to write an expository essay
• that responds to one of the following
• Describe the author Wilson Rawls.
• Describe the Ozarks Region.
• Describe the time in the U.S. known as The Great
  Depression.
• Describe the attributes of the Redbone Coon dog.
• Use the basic essay structure that includes an
• introduction, body, and conclusion. Rough draft
  is due tomorrow,
• so get started!

Back to start
Look at the rubric
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Teachers Guide
WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS    Introduction Where
the Red Fern Grows is a Newberry Award winning
novel about a young boy and his two coon hunting
hound dogs. It is set during the Depression Era,
when Billy, the main character saves up his money
to buy two dogs that become his best friends.
The major themes of determination, spirituality,
sacrifice, love beyond loyalty, and family make
this a novel students will always remember.
  Aim This novel provides the perfect
springboard for learning more about the
Depression Era, the Ozark Mountains, dog breeds,
and hunting traditions. The vocabulary is rich
and meaningful. It is my aim to create a
curriculum web to compliment the teaching of the
text. It will educate students about the
geography surrounding the Ozarks and the
circumstances surrounding The Great Depression.
Students will learn the attributes of hunting dog
breeds, and construct an understanding of the man
who wrote the novel in 1960.  
continued
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Purpose
Rationale Using good literature that appeals to
middle school students motivates reluctant
readers. It transmits ideas, reflects societies
and eras, and expresses the human imagination. A
well-chosen novel brings enrichment and joy to
the reader. A curriculum web that supports this
type of literature will draw the reader into the
novel even further. Description of audience
prerequisites 5th 6th grade is an appropriate
grade level range. The novel Where the Red Fern
Grows must have been read. Basic use of computers
is required to navigate through the curriculum
web. Students must have experience with
expository essay writing.
Learning objectives standards Students will
read and interpret a work of literature. It is a
state goal to read and understand stories that
are representative of various societies, eras,
and ideas. Illinois State Goal 2 in English
Language Arts indicates this.
continued
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Teaching Strategies

• Instructional Plan The students will spend 3
  weeks engaged in the process of reading the novel
  Where the Red Fern Grows.
• After reading of the novel, the students will
  complete the curriculum web to emphasize other
  areas. These areas are
• The Ozark Mountains
• The Great Depression Era
• Wilson Rawls, author
• Attributes of Redbone Coon dogs

List of Materials A classroom set of the novel
(25 copies) Access
to computers Curriculum Web
Lined paper for note taking
and essay writing I hope you will enjoy this
curriculum web.  
Back to start
continued
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Assessment
Plan for Assessment and Evaluation This
curriculum web will assist students with research
needed to write a simple expository paper. The
paper is scored under the English component of
Language Arts, making this project
multidisciplinary in scope. The quality and
accuracy of the information presented in a
written format will reflect the knowledge
acquired during the task.
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Credits
Wilson, R.(1961). Where the Red Fern Grows. New
YorkBantam.
http//www.akc.org/breeds/recbreeds/redbonecoon.cf
m
http//www.dogbreedinfo.com/redbonecoonhound.htm
http//www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/mtai/rawls.html
http//kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade30.html
http//www.mce.k12tn.net/dogs/fern/rawls.htm
http//www.ozarksnaturalistsnotebook.com/PAGE04011
2-ozarks.html
http//www.todaysteacher.com/TheGreatDepressionWeb
Quest/briefoverview.htm