Fact/Opinion Questions

• It was Jonathan and Mary's job on the boat to watch out for sandbars and danger so they could warn their father to steer clear of disasters.

Answer- Fact, because when describing the journey it clearly states, on page 8, that they rode up front with the    wagon and barrels and their job was to watch for sandbars and snags, and to give a holler if they saw any danger ahead.

• The McClure's were the best pioneers of the time because they had the best boat, the best tools, and the best navigator of all families at that time.

Answer- Opinion, because the we are not told in the book that the McClure's are the best pioneers or that they had the best tools.  We only know that they carried lots of tools with them and that the children helped to navigate so that they would not run into trouble.

Multiple Choice/ End of Grade Questions

• What is the name of the settlement that the McClure's are headed to lies near the Ohio River?

a) Point Pleasant

b) Jeffersonville

c) North Carolina

d) Marietta

• When it was foggy, how could the McClure's tell what their distance was from the shoreline?

a) they swam to the shore to see where it was

b) they used a flashlight to see the shore

c) they threw stones at the shore to hear a splash or thud to detect land

d) they yelled to shore and waited for people to answer them and tell them how far away they were

Problem Solution Question

What are problems that children may have encountered during this journey down the Ohio River and how do these problems differ from what children are faced with today?

Possible Answer:  Children on a journey down the Ohio River during 1815, may have encountered more problems of making sure their family had provisions for travel and making sure their boats and supplies stayed afloat.  They did not have problems with doing homework or getting to school on time like today's children face.  They problems were more of a survival issue.  They worried more about finding their destination and a place to call home.  They worried with gathering food and helping to navigate voyages to finding a place to build a home.  If they did not do their job and watch for dangers their family would be faced with deaf.  This of all was the greatest worry for Jonathan and Mary.