Where the Red Fern GrowsWritten by Wilson Rawls

PowerPoint by Mrs. McFarlane

Teacher’s Guide begin

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.

Author! Author!

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.

Ozarks OverviewThe 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.

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.

The area in the light green shows the area the story takes place.

Find the Region

Remember, Billy’s family lived in the Oklahoma area.

Return to the quiz

The Great Depression

FACTS about this decade. Population: 123,188,000 in 48 states Life Expectancy: Male, 58.1; Female, 61.6 Average salary: $1,368 Unemployment rises to 25% Huey Long proposes a guaranteed annual income of $2,500 Car Sales: 2,787,400 Food Prices: Milk, 14 cents a qt.; Bread, 9 cents a loaf; Round Steak, 42 cents a pound Lynchings: 21

No job, no hope . . .

Click photo to learn more.

1930 - 1939

Redbone HoundsIn 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 Billy’s 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

Take a quick quiz

Question 1Where was the author Wilson Rawls born?

A. Oklahoma

B. Mississippi

C. Nevada

Try again.

No!

That answer is incorrect.

That is the correct answer!

Go on to the next question.

YES!

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

Sorry, incorrect.Go back to the map, and look again.

Then, try the question once more.

To the map To the quiz

You’ve got it!

Try another question.

When does this story take place?

Question 3

A. World War II

B. The Great Depression

C. The Pioneer Days

Try again.Go back

Good Job!Last question, are you ready?

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.

Not exactly.Choose a different answer.

Go back

Excellent! That was the last question of

this quiz. You did it!

Click to read the final task for you

to complete.

Your final task is to write a paper

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.

One page minimum

!

Your Final Task

Back to start Look at the rubric

Teacher’s GuideWHERE 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. 

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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.

Purpose

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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.

Teaching StrategiesInstructional 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. 

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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.

Assessment

4 pts / A

Well written. Shows evidence of critical thinking. Use of web links was specifically stated. Good use of accurate details. Responded to the prompt with no grammar errors.

3pts / B

Good job. Response shows thought. Indicates use of web links.Some specific details were used, although not a thorough answer. Responded with few grammar errors.

2pts / C

Paper is simple, yet clear. Details were general and did not show evidence of critical thinking. Grammar errors are interfering with understanding.

1pt / D

This paper did not follow the prompt. The details are inaccurate, or very general and do not respond to the prompt’s instructions.

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.dogbreedinfo.com/redbonecoonhound.htm

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

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