Name ______________________________
Balto, the Dog Who Saved Nome
By Margaret Davidson
Illustrated by Doug Rugh
Prediction
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Author’s Purpose
inform
persuade
entertain
Balto
Focus Skills:
•To classify word relationships
•To read and understand a narrative nonfiction
selection
•To compare a time line selection with a narrative
nonfiction selection
•To use common and proper nouns correctly
•Make predictions
Genre
Narrative Nonfiction- a story that tells about real
people or real events
Summary
Diphtheria has broken out in Nome, Alaska. Teams of
sled dogs carry medicine 800 miles over snow and ice
to prevent an epidemic.
Reading Strategy
Using Decoding/ Phonics
Good readers use different strategies to figure out
words they don’t know. They use letter sounds, or
phonics, to help figure out many new words. A good
reader recognizes and blends letter sounds in a word
to read unfamiliar or difficult words.
QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS
1.
*Why does the man in Nome use a telegraph to
send this urgent message?
2.
Why do people in Nome need help?
3.
Look at the map on page 187. How will the
medicine be carried from Anchorage to
Nenana? How do you know?
4.
*How do the people plan to get the medicine to
Nome?
5.
Why do you think it is necessary to use several
dog teams instead of just one?
6.
*How much of the journey from Anchorage to
Nome has been completed? How much
remains?
7.
What choice is Gunnar Kasson faced with?
What does he decide to do?
8.
Do you think Kasson has made the right choice?
Why?
9.
*What makes this part of the journey more
difficult?
10. Why do you think Gunnar Kasson trusts Balto to
lead them safely to the next village?
11. The author uses the words up and down when
she describes how the sea ice is moving. How
do these opposite words help you understand
what is going on?
12. *Why does Balto head out to sea when he hears
the ice crack?
13. Why do you think Balto works so hard to lead the
team?
14. Is Balto an exceptionally smart dog? How do
you know?
15. *What difficulties do Gunnar Kasson and the
dogs have after leaving the sea ice?
16. Find the word reached in the third paragraph on
page 197. Now find an antonym for that word.
What does the author use these antonyms to tell
about?
17. How do you think Gunnar Kasson feels when he
realizes that he and the dog team have
accidentally passed Safety? Explain why.
THINK AND RESPOND
1.
How did Gunnar Kasson and Balto save the city
of Nome?
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2.
How do the map and illustrations help you
understand what is was like on the trail from Bluff
to Nome?
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3.
How did Balto show that he was a good leader?
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4.
Who do you think was more of a hero, Gunnar
Kasson or Balto? Why?
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SENDING A MESSAGE- page 200-201
1.
Look at the title of the time line? What do you
think the information on the time line will
contain?
2.
What happened to make it easier to send
telegraph messages across America?
3.
How are telegraph messages carried from one
place to another?
4.
Look at the purple column on the left. Why are
these ways to send messages listed here?
Gunnar Kasson and his dogs finally arrived in Nome
after 20 hours on the trail. Write a message that
Kasson might have written on a postcard to his
family.
Dear _______________________,
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105 Seppala Drive
Nome, Alaska
99762