Classroom Reading Guide, Daniel Boone's Great Escape

Class Discussion Materials

PRE-READING:

Brainstorm everything you know about Daniel Boone and what it was like to be a pioneer during his time.

DISCUSSION GUIDE:

1. Why was Daniel Boone leading men to the Licking River? Why was their mission so important?
2. How did Boone first try to escape from the Shawnee warriors? Did it work? Why?
3. Why were the Shawnee so angry with Kentucky settlers? What compromise did Boone make with Chief Blackfish? Have you ever made a compromise with someone?
4. What was the gauntlet? Why did Boone have to run it but not any of the other men? What was the result?
5. Explain how Boone planned his escape from the Shawnee. What do you think was the most important part of his plan? Would you be willing to take such a risk?
6. What did Daniel Boone do for food and shelter during his escape?
7. Why do you think the Shawnee decided to pursue him? Can one person be really that important? Why?
8. Which part of his journey was the most dangerous? Why? Have you ever been in the wilderness by yourself? What was it like?
9. How long did it take Boone to reach Boonesborough? Who did he find? Did he accomplish his task or not?
10.Which illustration is your favorite? Why? Why do you think Ard Hoyt used the colors and style of illustration that he did?

PROJECTS:

Language Arts: Create a board game based on Daniel Boone’s Great Escape. Use incidences from the book to create obstacles, challenges and rewards. Decorate your board with illustrations you create inspired by the text.

Math: Create a map of Boone’s escape from Old Chillicothe, Ohio to Boonesborough, Kentucky. Calculate how many miles Boone must have traveled each day to reach the settlement in four days. Calculate how many miles per hour most people can run and whether he exceeded that number

History: Research another great American figure from America’s early days including Native Peoples. Create a timeline of their life and try your hand at writing a narrative of one of their most famous moments.

Music: Sing these new verses to “She’ll be coming around the Mountain” Verse 1: He’ll be running from the Shawnee when he comes. Verse 2: He’ll be running through Kentucky when he comes. Verse 3: He’ll be warning everybody when he comes. Repeat, as needed, for fun!

This guide was created by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a reading specialist and the author of Reaching for Sun and The Floating Circus (also from Bloomsbury). Visit her website to find hundreds of guides to children’s literature.