At Home on the Fringes of the Prairie

Read all the directions before going on to the assignment.

* The following story is based on a decision made by a real person.
* At the end of the story, you will find questions and activities.
* For more information, click on the pictures with captions
* Read through the entire story.
* You must read through the entire story before you try to answer the questions.
* When you get to the end, answer the following question using complete sentences in your notebook.
* Click on the link below to go to the story.

At Home of the Fringes of the Prairie

1. How should McMurty protect his family during the Indian uprising?

Next, read through the links provided and explain if your decision was a good one or not. You will need to click on all the links to get to the next section.

2. Click on and answer, What happened to John McMurty and his family?

Click on Timeline

3. Looking at the timeline, when was the Black Hawk War?
4. Referring to the timeline, find the two technological innovations (inventions) discovered during this era, that would greatly aid farmers like McMurty?
5. Have you and your family ever moved from one location to another? What was this like for you?
6. If you lived in a settled place (a place where other people lived), why would you move to an unsettled (a place where almost know one else lives) place as McMurty and his family did?
7. What kind of difficulties might you face if you moved to an unsettled place?
8. Why would a family want to make such a move?
9. Write a journal entry as if you are a member of the McMurty family. Write about one of the days you experienced on the fringes of the prairie.