Setting:Setting:Time and PlaceTime and Place

Imagine!

Imagine a place where giant clear-water lakes feed sparkling mountain rivers, ancient towering bluffs rise above rushing waters, magnificent underground caverns are preserved forever, record-breaking trout play in cool mountain streams, abundant wildlife roam in mountain forests, the night sky shines with the brilliance of the heavens.

Your Destination…

The Ozark Mountain Region.

Most of the novel, “Where the Red Fern Most of the novel, “Where the Red Fern Grows” is set beside the Illinois River in the Grows” is set beside the Illinois River in the Ozark Mountains of northeastern Oklahoma.Ozark Mountains of northeastern Oklahoma.

Although the year is never Although the year is never specified, the time appears to specified, the time appears to be the late 1920’s or early be the late 1920’s or early 1930’s.1930’s.

Where the Red Fern Grows is set in the mountain country of the Ozarks. The word “Ozark” is the French name for the region Aux Arks, which means “at the bows.” It is an area of astonishing beauty.

PlacePlace

Deep valleys Deep valleys contrast with low contrast with low mountains and are mountains and are cut by winding cut by winding rivers and deep rivers and deep caves.caves.

The Ozark PlateauThe Ozark Plateau

Natural ResourcesNatural Resources

Thick forests of oak, maple, hickory, and pineThick forests of oak, maple, hickory, and pine Mountain StreamsMountain Streams Deep CavesDeep Caves A Vast array of plants and animalsA Vast array of plants and animals

The Ozark Mountains are The Ozark Mountains are spectacular!spectacular!

Map It!Map It! The Ozarks are surrounded by five major

rivers, the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Osage, the Neosho, and the Arkansas Rivers.  The Ozarks cover 50,000 square miles. The area in green shows where the story takes place.

The Cherokee Strip in OklahomaThe Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma

The land Billy lived on was Cherokee land, allotted to his mother because of the Cherokee blood that flowed in her veins.

TimeTime

It is the late 1920’s- early 1930’s and the It is the late 1920’s- early 1930’s and the world was in an economic crisis. This crisis world was in an economic crisis. This crisis was called the Great Depression.was called the Great Depression.

Nearly everyone in the Ozarks was poor.

In 1929, the New York stock market crashed. The stock market crash affected everyone

around the world. Almost overnight, the world plunged into the

Great Depression. Stores, companies, and banks went out of Stores, companies, and banks went out of

business. People lost their jobs, homes, and business. People lost their jobs, homes, and savings. savings.

The Great Depression

Daily Life for Billy Daily Life for Billy There was not much There was not much

running water, indoor running water, indoor plumbing or electricityplumbing or electricity

There were few cars or There were few cars or outside contact.outside contact.

People walk to get places such as the fields, farms, and to town.

The crisp smell of Autumn and The crisp smell of Autumn and vibrant (alive) colors!vibrant (alive) colors!

In the winter, the family shivered in In the winter, the family shivered in the chilly wind and crackly frost.the chilly wind and crackly frost.

In the spring, the family woke up to the rich smell of the earth after a

gentle rain.

The Ozarks today…

Tour of the OzarksTour of the Ozarks

Caves to Explore….Caves to Explore….

Winding roads…Winding roads…

Fishing holes….are the fish biting?Fishing holes….are the fish biting?

Great views….Great views….

Down the river….Down the river….

……and through the woods.and through the woods.

Billy loves the land. Billy loves the land. “I had never seen “I had never seen

a night a night so peaceful and still,” so peaceful and still,”

he says. he says. “All around me “All around me tall sycamores tall sycamores

gleamed gleamed like like

white streamers white streamers in the moonlight.”in the moonlight.”

Credits

http://www.ozarksnaturalistsnotebook.com/PAGE040112-ozarks.html

http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade30.html

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/mtai/rawls.html

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/dogs/fern/rawls.htm

http://www.todaysteacher.com/TheGreatDepressionWebQuest/briefoverview.htm

http://www.ozarkgateway.com/

http://www.akc.org/breeds/recbreeds/redbonecoon.cfm

Wilson, R.(1961). Where the Red Fern Grows. New York:Bantam.