My Side of the Mountain

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What might you need if you were going to live alone in the wilderness? What kind of physical items and skills are required to be self-sufficient?

Teaching Suggestion: Sam, the protagonist of the novel, chooses to live on his own in the wilderness after living in a crowded New York apartment. Consider asking students to discuss the fundamental needs of all living things before discussing items and skills that might be required to make an individual self-sufficient. Consider using the resources to further explore these topics.   

• This 8-minute video explains the tools that are needed for wilderness survival.
• This article describes a rationale for wilderness training and provides practical tips for survival situations.

Short Activity

Research and explore the Catskill Mountains. Make predictions about the survival skills that may be required to survive in this area.

• How might the weather have an impact on survival?
• What kinds of dangerous animals live in this area?
• ·How might the terrain pose a threat to a survivalist?
• What kind of shelter can be built in the mountains?
• Where can water be found in the Catskill Mountains?
• What other considerations might be made for a survivalist in these mountains?

Teaching Suggestion: Sam escapes to the Catskill Mountains on a farm that belonged to his great-grandfather. Students may find it helpful to explore the terrain, animals, and resources of the area to develop an idea of the skills Sam might need to survive. Consider asking students to research the Catskill Mountains using the guiding questions to draw conclusions. It may be useful to students if predictions are recorded on an anchor chart that can be referenced and updated as they read the novel.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who require an additional challenge may find it beneficial to create an infographic providing survival tips in extreme situations. Consider providing students with parameters to remain within school guidelines.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Consider videos or other media about wilderness survival. Would you ever consider living in the wilderness on your own? Why or why not? What kind of feelings might survivalists have in the wilderness?

Teaching Suggestion: Sam enjoys living in the wilderness rather than his cramped apartment in New York, but the wilderness presents its own set of troubles as Sam struggles to survive and remain anonymous in the mountains. Consider asking students about emotions that may be associated with surviving alone in the wilderness.