Matthew+Henson+Reading+Questions

Sixth grade reading plans


 * Reading Guide for “Matthew Henson at the Top of the World”**
 * Answer these questions in your reading notebook, Reader’s Notebook section**

1. After reading paragraph one, identify the main idea of the paragraph. Then list the details that support that idea.

2. Why did the Hensons move to Washington, D.C.?

3. What kind of a source do you think the author used to gather the information in the middle paragraph of the left column on p. 104?

4. What details did the author use to characterize Matthew Henson in the last paragraph on p. 105?

5. Before going on to read p. 106, answer these questions: a. What happened when Henson went to Baltimore to get a job on a ship? b. Why did Henson leave the ship? c. For what job did Peary first hire Henson?

6. Why was Peary willing to accompany Peary even without pay?

7. On p. 106, answer the Active Reading question in the middle of the page?

8. Summarize the relationship between Henson and Peary.

9. Explain why Peary put part of an American flag and two letters in the jar that he left at the pole.

10. Primary sources are things like diaries, letters, or notes that were written a person. They include first-hand knowledge of an event or period. Secondary sources are things like biographies and textbooks that are written by someone probably a few years or more after the event or the person lived. On p. 108, what kind of source is used, primary or secondary?

11. What is the main idea of the second paragraph in the left column on p. 110? List the supporting details for it.

12. What purpose do you think the author had for writing this biography?


 * Literary Activity**

With a partner do the activity in the Literary Analysis on p. 111. This is asking you to look for ways the author created voice in this biography.