Farmer boy book unit

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FARMER BOY by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Multiple Choice Questions

Chapter 1 "School Days" Chapter 2 "Winter Evening"

1. Who was nine years old and going to school for the first time? a. Royal b. Eliza Jane c. Alice d. Almanzo

2. Almanzo's clothes were all made of fabric from his father's sheep. What is this fabric called?

a. wool b. cotton c. silk d. denim

3. What happened to Almanzo when he did not know a spelling word? a. his hand was hit with a ruler b. he had to stay in at recess c. the teacher told his father d. he had to stand in a corner

4. What were the names of the two little calves that belonged to Almanzo?

a. Star and Bright b. Pat and Penny c. Bill and Bob d. Tom and Jerry

5. In Almanzo's time, children were told to be seen and not heard. What were the only two words Almanzo was permitted to say at the table?

a. You're welcome b. Let's eat c. Thank you d. I'm hungry

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Chapter 3 "Winter Night" Chapter 4 "Surprise"

1 What did Almanzo take care of every night by rubbing them with tallow?

a. shoes b. cattle c. dishes d. moccasins

2. Almanzo thought about this bedtime snack as he ate it. What was the snack?

a. popcorn b. candy c. oranges d. cake

3. What did Almanzo decide were the only two foods you could put together in a cup without having them run over?

a. bread and milk b. popcorn and milk c. apples and cider d. raisins and cider

4. What was the name of the big boy who bragged about thrashing each teacher in the school?

a. Tom Collins b. Royal Wilder c. Big Bill Ritchie d. Amos Ritchie

5. What did Mr. Coarse use to run the big boys out of school? a. a blacksnake whip b. a switch c. a ruler d. a school board

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Chapter 5 "Birthday" Chapter 6 "Filling the Ice-House"

1. Almanzo almost forgot it was his birthday. He remembered when his Father told him he would find a gift in the woodshed. What was Almanzo's first gift?

a. a sled b. a calf yoke c. a pony d. a book

2. What was Almanzo's second gift? a. a sled b. a calf yoke c. a pony d. a book

3. Almanzo spent part of his birthday helping his father make something. What did Almanzo and father make?

a. shingles b. wool c. firewood d. a new loom

4. What were the names of Father's friends who helped to saw the ice? a. Irish John and Skinny Pete b. Mr. Coarse and Big Bill c. French Joe and Lazy John d. Lazy Joe and Russian Pete

5. What did Royal and Almanzo pack between the ice cubes to keep them from melting even in the hottest weather?

a. sawdust b. logs c. straw d. hay

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Chapter 7 "Saturday Night" Chapter 8 "Sunday"

1. Why didn't Almanzo like Saturday night? a. It was bath night. b. It was baking night. c. He had to do homework. d. He couldn't eat popcorn.

2. What did Royal and Almanzo break from the house's eaves to use in the bath water?

a. snow b. icicles c. rain water d. ice blocks

3. Mrs. Wilder made a bread from rye four and cornmeal. What funny name did she give this bread?

a. rye'n'injun b. injun bread c. rye'n'cornmeal d. cornmeal cakes

4. What was Almanzo's favorite Sunday breakfast? a. oatmeal b. sausage cakes c. stacked pancakes d. eggs and biscuits

5. Almanzo's cousin Frank showed them his new cap at church. How much did Frank pay for his new cap?

a. 50 cents b. 40 cents c. 60 cents d. 20 cents

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Chapter 9 "Breaking the Calves" Chapter 10 "The Turn of the Year"

1. What did Almanzo say when he wanted his calves to come forward? a. Giddap b. Whoa c. Gee d. Haw

2. When Almanzo wanted the calves to turn to the right, what word did he shout?

a. Gee b. Haw c. Giddap d. Whoa

3. What happened when Almanzo tried to hitch a sled to Star�s and Bright's yoke?

a. They ran away. b. They refused to Giddap. c. The yoke broke. d. They pulled the sled too slowly.

4. When Almanzo went to help his father gather maple syrup, what berries did he find in the woods?

a. raspberries b. wintergreen berries c. blackberries d. blueberries

5. Father came hurrying home to announce that buyers were in town. What produce did the buyers want?

a. cabbages b. corn c. potatoes d. beets

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Chapter 11 "Springtime" Chapter 12 "Tin-Peddler"

1. What vegetable did Almanzo think was fun to plant? a. carrots b. corn c. potatoes d. squash

2. What did Almanzo tell Alice a baby squirrel is called? a. a cub b. a baby squirrel c. a kitten d. a pup

3. Corn planting time comes when the ash leaves are as big as what animal's ears?

a. fox b. kitten c. squirrel d. horse

4. Who was Nick Brown? a. the tin peddler b. a friend c. Mr. Wilder's neighbor d. the new school teacher

5. What did the tin peddler give to Almanzo? a. a dishpan b. a tin top c. cake pans d. a tin horn

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Chapter 13 "The Strange Dog" Chapter 14 "Sheep Shearing"

1. How much money did Almanzo's father get for his matched team of Morgan horses?

a. $175 each b. $200 each c. $135 each d. $167 each

2. Why was Almanzo's mother afraid to keep the money in the house? a. She was afraid of being robbed. b. She thought she might lose it. c. She thought the banker might be angry. d. She didn't like money.

3. What did the strange dog do during the night? a. slept b. ate all the food Alice gave him c. ran away d. scared away two robbers

4. Who helped Father shear the sheep? a. Royal b. Lazy John c. Almanzo d. all three

5. What did Almanzo do to keep Royal from finishing his job first? a. worked faster b. ran away c. hid a sheep d. played with the kittens

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Chapter 15 "Cold Snap" Chapter 16 "Independence Day"

1. Why did Almanzo watch for the dark of the moon? a. he wanted to play ghost b. school was over for the summer c. he could stay home to plant pumpkins d. he liked to watch the sky

2. What happened to threaten the corn field? a. a thunderstorm b. hail c. grasshoppers d. frost

3. Why did the family pour cold water over the corn? a. to keep the sun from killing it b. to make it freeze c. it was dying of thirst d. corn needs water

4. Name the patriotic song the band played on Independence Day. a. Yankee Doodle b. The Star Spangled Banner c. America d. My Country 'Tis of Thee

5. Why did Almanzo want a nickel? a. to buy popcorn b. to buy pink lemonade c. to buy candy d. to buy a flag

6. What amount of money did Father give Almanzo instead of a nickel? a. a penny b. a dime c. a quarter d. a half-dollar

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Chapter 17 "Summer-Time" Chapter 18 "Keeping House"

1. What special "treat" did Almanzo feed his pumpkin? a. milk b. cream c. sugar water d. vitamins

2. What did Almanzo hope Father would do on rainy days? a. churn b. go fishing c. go berrying d. train colts

3. When their parents went on vacation, what did the children do first? a. went fishing b. churned c. made ice cream d. went swimming

4. What happened when Almanzo gave Lucy the pig some candy? a. she got sick b. it stuck her teeth together c. she squealed d. she ate it

5. Who patched the parlor wall after Almanzo made a black stain? a. Royal b. Alice c. Mother d. Eliza Jane

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Chapter 19 "Early Harvest" Chapter 20 "Late Harvest"

1. What special drink did Almanzo look forward to during harvest time? a. ginger water b. egg nog c. lemonade d. iced tea

2. How much did the butter buyer pay Mother for her butter? a. $1.00 a pound b. $200.00 a pound c. .50 cents a pound d. .25 cents a pound

3. What did Alice and Almanzo use to make a fire while they harvested the potato crop?

a. carrot tops b. wood c. cow chips d. potato tops

4. How did Almanzo's eye get burnt? a. a potato exploded b. the fire popped into his face c. he stood too close to a flame d. he looked into the sun

5. What activity did the family look forward to once the harvests were all stored in the barn?

a. County Fair b. Christmas c. Thanksgiving d. Church Social

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Chapter 21 "County Fair" Chapter 22 "Fall of the Year"

1. When Father asked Almanzo what he wanted to see first at the fair, what did Almanzo choose?

a. to see the cows b. to see if his pumpkin won c. to look at the horses d. to eat cotton candy

2. Almanzo saw a new animal at the fair he had never seen before. What was the animal?

a. a mule b. a Morgan horse c. a jackrabbit d. a moose

3. What did Almanzo win a prize for at the County Fair? a. Starlight, the colt b. his pumpkin c. a shell game d. his potatoes

4. What type of nuts did Alice and Almanzo like to gather these nuts? a. hazelnuts b. walnuts c. hickory nuts d. beechnuts

5. Almanzo helped his mother to make these during butchering time. What did he help make?

a. mincemeat b. head cheese c. candles d. lard

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Chapter 23 "Cobbler" Chapter 24 "The Little Bobsled"

1. Royal, Alice and Eliza Jane were all going away. Where did they go? a. Malone Academy b. County Fair c. New York d. To visit their grandmother

2. What does a cobbler do? a. makes butter molds b. makes shoes and boots c. teaches school d. shears sheep

3. Why was Almanzo happy to see the cobbler come? a. he got new boots b. Royal did the chores c. the cobbler liked him d. Alice liked to tell him jokes

4. Which kind of wood did Father say was best to make a bobsled? a. elm b. hickory c. oak d. maple

5. What tool did Father use to bore holes in the wood of the bobsled? a. hammer b. awl c. screwdriver d. auger

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Chapter 25 "Threshing" Chapter 26 "Christmas" Chapter 27 "Wood-Hauling"

1. What did Father and Almanzo use to thresh the wheat? a. a threshing machine b. a flail c. an auger d. brooms

2. Almanzo found two presents in his Christmas stocking. What two presents did he find?

a. a �boughten� sled and candy b. Candy and a switch c. a �boughten� cap and a jack knife d. a silk muffler and mittens

3. What game did Royal, Almanzo and the cousins play on Christmas Day?

a. Snow Fort b. Ride the Colt c. Run, Sheep, Run d. Hide and Seek

4. Why didn't Almanzo have to go to school that winter? a. Mother needed him to help with the cooking. b. Father needed him to thresh the wheat. c. He was needed to haul wood. d. Father wanted him to stay home and break the colts.

5. What did Almanzo study hard so he could stop going to school? a. history b. grammar c. spelling d. arithmetic

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Chapter 28 "Mr. Thompson's Pocketbook" Chapter 29 "Farmer Boy"

1. Why did Father need ash witches? a. to cast a spell b. to bale hay c. to thresh wheat d. to train the colts

2. Almanzo spied something flat and black lying beside the road. What did he find?

a. an autograph album b. a pocketbook c. a book d. a box

3. Who got angry when Mr. Thompson accused Almanzo of stealing his money?

a. Mr. Case b. Father c. Mr. Ritchie d. Mr. Paddock

4. How much money did Mr. Thompson give Almanzo for a reward? a. $100 b. $200 c. $309 d. $456

5. What did Father promise to give Almanzo? a. Starlight, the colt b. two cows c. a new buggy d. a bobsled

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Multiple Choice Questions/Answer Key

Chapters 1 & 2 1. d 2. a 3. b 4. a 5. c

Chapters 3 & 4 1. d 2. a 3. b 4. c 5. a

Chapters 5 & 6 1. b 2. a 3. a 4. c 5. a

Chapters 7 & 8 1. a 2. b 3. a 4. c 5. a

Chapters 9 & 10 1. a 2. a 3. a 4. b 5. c

Chapters 11 & 12 1. c 2. c 3. c 4. a 5. d

Chapters 13 & 14 1. b 2. a 3. d 4. d 5. c

Chapters 15 & 16 1. c 2. d 3. a 4. a 5. b 6. d

Chapters 17 & 18 1. a 2. b 3. c 4. b 5. d

Chapters 19 & 20 1. b 2. c 3. d 4. a 5. a

Chapters 21 & 22 1. c 2. a 3. b 4. d 5. c

Chapters 23 & 24 1. a 2. b 3. a 4. c 5. d

Chapters 25, 26 & 27

1. b 2. c 3. a 4. c 5. d

Chapters 28 & 29 1. b 2. b 3. d 4. b 5. a

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FARMER BOY by Laura Ingalls Wilder Discussion Questions

Almanzo Wilder began school at age nine. His teacher's name was Mr. Corse. Mr.Corse had trouble with a group of older boys who did not want to obey the rules. They joked about being able to run off any teacher. Mr. Corse is able to overcome the rude, troublesome boys by using Mr. Wilder's blacksnake whip. Are there any children at your school who act like Bill Ritchie? How do they act? How do the teachers treat them? How do you think these children should be handled? Should they be allowed to disrupt the school with their behavior? If you have never known children like Big Bill Ritchie, try to imagine you are a classmate of Almanzo's. Did Mr. Corse handle the boys correctly? What would you have done if you were the teacher at Hardscrabble School?

One of Almanzo's deepest desires was to work with his father's colts. Do you have a secret desire? What is it? Why aren't you able to accomplish your desire right now? When do you think you might?

In Farmer Boy, Almanzo celebrates his birthday. He is surprised to find two gifts, a calf-yoke and a sled. Which gift would you have enjoyed more? Have you ever had a special birthday you remembered always? Why? What made it more special than any other birthday?

One of the yearly chores Almanzo helped with was filling the ice house. Can you imagine living in a time when you had to store all your summer ice in the winter? Do you think you would enjoy living then? Why? Why not? What happened if you ran out of ice in July? While he is helping with the ice, Almanzo is almost drowned in the pond. Almanzo feels he should be punished because he should have known better. Do you agree? Were you glad Mr. Wilder let him off with just a warning?

Almanzo, his brother and sisters helped the family to plant all the crops for spring. They also helped gather and sort the potatoes when the potato buyer came to town. When frost threatened the crops, the whole family worked to save their harvest. Can you think of some ways your family might work together in the same way? Are there some chores you do as a family? Do you enjoy this? If your family does not work together as Almanzo's did, would you enjoy it if they did? Why or why not?

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Children's lives in Almanzo's day were very different than they are today. Can you name six ways Almanzo's life is different than yours? Are you allowed to speak up at your supper table? Are Sundays treated differently in your home than Almanzo's? How? Do you think you would prefer to live now or back in Almanzo's time?

When Mr. Wilder sold two colts, the family had a large sum of money in the house. Mrs. Wilder was nervous about having the money at home instead of in the bank. Do you remember what happened that night? Why do you think the strange dog appeared to guard the family? Have you ever had an unusual experience like this in your life? What happened? Have you ever known an animal who protected someone? What happened? Why do you think the Wilder family never saw the strange dog again?

Almanzo is puzzled when Royal and Lazy John tease him during the sheep shearing. They tell Almanzo they will be done shearing sheep before he is. How did this make Almanzo feel? What did he decide to do so that Royal would not be finished before he was? Did you think this was a good idea? Why? Have you ever been picked on because you were younger? How did it make you feel? Were you ever able to come up with an idea like Almanzo�s to "best" the bigger children who teased you?

On Independence Day, Almanzo's cousin Frank taunts him to ask his father for a nickel to buy pink lemonade. Mr. Wilder gives Almanzo a half-dollar and an explanation about work. Did you understand Mr. Wilder's explanation? Have you ever thought of money being equal to a certain amount of work? Do you work for an allowance? How much do you make? Did you think Almanzo's choice to save the half-dollar and buy a pig was wise? Would you rather buy the pink lemonade or the pig?

Mr. and Mrs. Wilder decided to take a trip and leave the children in charge of the house. What did the children do after their parents left? Were the children being obedient or not? Have you ever been left alone to do as you pleased? Would you have eaten all the cake and ice cream as the Wilder children did? How else did Almanzo get into mischief that week? Do you think Eliza Jane was wise to hide the black splotch on the parlor wallpaper? If Almanzo were your brother, what would you have done? Why? Why do you think Eliza Jane didn't want her parents to know what Almanzo had done?

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Almanzo had raised a pumpkin for the County Fair. Have you ever entered a contest and hoped to win, as Almanzo did? What happened? Did you enjoy the experience even if you didn't win? Do you think Almanzo would have enjoyed the Fair as much if he hadn�t won the blue ribbon?

Royal, Alice and Eliza Jane all left home to go to school. Do you think Almanzo liked being the only child at home? Why? Do you think you would? What other changes happened in Almanzo's life when his siblings went to school?

When Mr. Wilder and Almanzo found a man's wallet by the side of the road, they knew they must find who it belonged to. Do you think they did the right thing? What would you have done if you found all that money without a name in the pocketbook? Would you try to figure out who owned it? Why? Do you think it was fair of Mr. Paddock to demand that Mr. Thompson give Almanzo such a generous reward? Why or why not? Did Almanzo deserve to have the money?

Which choice do you think Almanzo should have made when Mr. Paddock asked him to be his apprentice? What would you have done? Would you rather make wagons and buggies or be a farmer? Why? Do you think Almanzo made the right choice? Why or why not?

Farmer boy book unit

Education

Transcript of Farmer boy book unit