"Sarah was in charge of the cows. She didn't know how to keep the livestock close by and safe."
What does the word livestock mean? What information in the text helps you know?
Livestock means farm animals. I know this because Sarah was in charge of cows and wanted to keep them close by and safe.
100
What is the author's purpose for writing this story?
A. to persuade the reader to move west
B. to inform us about sod houses
C. to entertain us with a funny story about Sarah's family
D. to inform us about what it was like for new settlers
D. to inform us about what it was like for new settlers.
"A New Start" is historical fiction so the author wanted us to see what it was like for pioneer families like Sarah's
100
What happened first?
A. Sarah and her mother made sod walls
B. Sarah's father builds a windmill
C. Sarah's parents make a pen for the cows
D. Sarah and her parents welcome new neighbors
B. Sarah's father builds a windmill
100
What can you conclude about Sarah?
A. She is shy and well-mannered
B. She must be encouraged to work
C. She has many younger brothers and sisters
D. She learns many new things moving west
D. She learns many new things moving west
100
Why did the first settlers decided to build their homes right on the river and streams?
They built their homes right on the river so they would have a water sources close to their homes.
200
"Sarah quickly learned how to build a house without timber."
What does the word timber mean? What information from the story helps you know?
The word timber means wood. I know this because they used sod to build the house so they did not need much wood to build it.
200
Why did the author chose the title story "A New Start"? Use two details from the text to support your answer.
The author titled this "A New Start" because Sarah's family was moving from the East Coast to the Great Plains. They went there to begin their new life. Her family built a new home and created a new community with their neighbors.
200
Which of the following happens last?
A. Sarah's neighbors tell her about the weather
B. Sarah's family offers to share the water from the windmill
C. Sarah's neighbors give Sarah's family fresh eggs
D. Sarah's family leaves the East Coast
C. Sarah's neighbors give Sarah's family fresh eggs
200
Which of the following would likely be a challenge facing Sarah's family: nosy neighbors, smelly factories, winter storms, or landslides? What information in the story helped you know?
Winter storms since they have very cold winters.
200
What problem did building the windmill solve?
Sarah's family built the windmill because they could not build their house close to the water. They needed the windmill to pump water from underground so they would not have to walk all the way down to the stream and carry it back.
300
"They piled the plants high and tied them together. This formed a rough enclosure that would work as a pen."
What does the word enclosure mean? What information from the story helps you know?
The word enclosure means a fenced in area. I know this because they were using the brush to make a pen so the cows would not escape.
300
Describe the setting of the story. Why is the setting important to the story? Use two details from the text to support your answer.
The setting of the story is in the Great Plains during the 1800s. It is important to the story because the story shows us what it was like for families who were new settlers hundreds of years ago.
300
What happened since Sarah could not keep track of all the cows?
Sarah's parents collected thorny brush to make an enclosure for the cows.
300
What would happen to the cows if they tried to get out of their pen? Use details to support your answer.
Since the pen was made of thorny brush, if the cows tried to get out they would probably get scratched by thorns.
300
Why did Sarah's parents collect thorny bush?
Sarah's parents collected thorny brush to build a pen to keep the livestock in so that they would not get lost or hurt.
400
"She and her mother cut strips of sod. The soil was held together by long grass roots."
What is the meaning of the word sod? What information from the story helps you know?
The word sod means pieces of ground with the grass still in it. I know this because the author said they were strips of soil held together by grass roots.
400
What do sod houses have in common with today's modern homes?
Sod houses keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter and give you protection and shelter just like modern homes do today.
400
What happened after the new neighbors moved in?
Sarah's family offered to share their windmill.
400
Do you think it was easy to make friends during this time? Why or why not. Use details from the text to support your anwer.
It was probably easy to make friends during this time because everyone was helping each other build houses or get water. They also shared the windmill and fresh eggs.
400
How did the pioneers solve their problems?
The pioneers solved their problems by using what they had and helping each other. They let their neighbors use the windmill and neighbors gave them eggs.
500
"In no time, a community formed and families traded goods and friendships."
What does the word communities mean? What information from the story helps you know?
The word communities means a place where people help and care for each other. I know this because Sarah's family helped the new neighbors and the new neighbors gave them eggs.
500
What word would you use to describe Sarah and her family. Use two details from the text to support your answer.
I would use the word perserverant to describe Sarah's family. Since other families had taken all the room along the river for their homes, they had to build a windmill to get water. Even though there were not many trees on the plains they used sod to build houses.
500
How did Sarah's feelings change from first getting to the Great Plains to when their new neighbors moved in.
Sarah was scared because she did not know how they would stay comfortable in the cold winter and hot summer weather. At the end Sarah realized that living on the plains was good because they made friends with their new neighbors.
500
Why did Sarah's mother offer to let the neighbors use the windmill?
She let them use the windmill because life is already difficult and unpredictable. She knew it was difficult for her family since all the land was taken around the rivers, and you don't know what land is out there until you get to the plains. So she decided to help her new neighbors.
500
How did Sarah and her family solve the problem that cold winters and hot summers cause?
They used sod walls to keep the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter.