The Sign of the Beaver
by
Elizabeth George Speare
Yearling Trade Paperback - July 1984
I would use this book
with sixth through eighth graders. Its main subject of study would be in the
areas of Reading and Writing, but because it is a historical fiction it is easy
to incorporate history and social studies into the thematic unit. Also
environmental and time issues allow the incorporation of Science and Math.
The Sign of the Beaver is an outstanding story that
students can relate to and it has great literary merit. This book is fairly easy
to read so it can be used as a novel study for all students or read aloud in the
classroom. There are several themes that can be explored: survival, friendship,
fear, and courage, pride, gender roles, communication, and initiation.
ABOUT THIS BOOK
In the early summer of 1768, Matt Hallowell and his father take a journey into
the wilderness of the Maine territory establish a homestead. His father returns
to Quincy, Massachusetts to fetch Matt's mother and sister. This trip is
supposed to take six weeks, and Matt is left alone to guard the house. One day
he is almost killed by a swarm of bees, but is rescued by Chief Saknis, a
Penobscot Indian, and his grandson, Attean. To repay Saknis for saving his life,
Matt agrees to teach Attean to read English. At the same time, Matt is learning
to become a skilled hunter from Attean. When his father and the family don’t
return after several months because of illness, Saknis offers to adopt Matt and
take him north with the tribe as it moves to new hunting grounds. Matt knows
that he would be proud to be Attean's brother, but he also knows he must wait
for his own family.
AWARDS
A Newbery Honor Book
An ALA Notable Children's Book
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Horn Book Fanfare
A Booklist Editors' Choice
Christopher Award
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
The New York Times Best Book of the Year
Some ideas for
this unit were taken from:
Teaching Ideas prepared by Elizabeth A. Poe, Associate Professor of English,
Radford University, Radford, VA.
Reading Beyond the Basal Plus The Sign of the
Beaver Teachers Guide by Doris Roettger
Activities for Enhancing Literature Fifth - Sixth Grade, Creative
Teaching Press
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