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Newbery Honor Medal Winner 1960 • New York State Writer's Hall of Fame • ALA Notable Book

Young Sam Gribley has always heard "The land is no place for a Gribley." He knows his great-grandfather built a farmstead in the Catskill Mountains and then left to become a sailor, so he sets off (with his Dad's permission) on his own to find the remains of his great-grandfather's farm with just $40, a ball of cord, a penknife, an ax, some flint and steel, and determination to live off the land.
Arriving at the old Gribley farmstead, Sam hollows out a tree for his home and learns to hunt, fish, trap, and forage for edible plants. When he captures a young falcon, Frightful, and trains her to hunt, she becomes a good friend and great help in supplying food. After months of carving out a life for himself on the side of a Catskill Mountain, Sam is sure that the land is the perfect place for a Gribley!

Check out the companion My Side of the Mountain Outdoor Pocket Guide handbook HERE

Progeny Press English/Language Arts curriculum provides your Middle School grade student with:

Author Biography: Learn about Jean Craighead George.
Vocabulary: Understand words used throughout the novel, utilizing a variety of activities to stimulate retention and growth.
Literary Techniques: Point of view, verbs, anthropomorphism, irony, flashback, in context, adjectives, similes, recap, paraphrase, fact vs. opinion, onomatopoeia, comic relief, mood, metaphors, allusion, alphabetical order, idioms, oxymoron, alliteration, assonance, consonance, extended metaphors, willing suspension of disbelief, conflict, quest, dramatic structure, full-circle ending, coming of age, bildungsroman, compare & contrast.
Moral Lessons and Character Values: Understanding God, being alone, superstitions, fear & worry, patience, provision, acceptance, hospitality, bullying, God’s care, honoring parents, lying, daily life.
Activities and Writing Assignments: Field trips, plant research, creative writing, safety discussion, letter writing, math connections, superstitions, legends, poster project, cooking centers, research writing, drama projects, journal writing, rock climbing, wooden toys, science connections, crossword puzzle, Christmas wreath project, peregrine falcons, health & nutrition, maple syrup, parody, essay choices, power point project, art & design, class party, journalism newspaper.
Suggestions for Further Reading:  We include an in-depth reading list of more plays by the same author(s) and other books that tie in with, or are similar to, My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. 

All of Progeny Press Language Arts unit lessons are written from a Christian perspective!

Features and Benefits of a Progeny Press ELA study guide

Printed Workbook Format

• Large 8.5x11 format is convenient to read and easy on Middle School student's eyes
• Every question in our novel unit study has plenty of whitespace for middle school level student answers
• Encourages neat and clean handwriting practice
• Easily transports without the need for a laptop or other expensive equipment
• Provides a permanent record of the middle school student’s work
• Complete, removable answer key included for the teacher to make grading simple!

CD Format

• Contains the complete study guide in universally compatible PDF format (works on Mac AND Windows)
• No costly software purchases necessary
• PDf files open in the FREE Adobe Reader program.
  Note: Mobile devices may require an alternative app that supports and saves fillable form fields and interactive features.
• Upgraded, fillable form fields allow the student the opportunity to complete their work on the computer, saving you printing costs
• Conveniently print what you need, when you need it:
• Print the whole ELA study guide at once
• Print single literature lessons or pages as the student completes them
• Print multiple copies of the entire curriculum study guide for classroom sets
• PDF format makes it easy to use with multiple students
• Complete answer key PDF file included for the teacher to make grading simple!

Formatted with your Middle School grade student in mind, Progeny Press language arts study guides divide the book into writing assignments and lessons that strengthen their reading comprehension, vocabulary, and refine their critical analysis and writing skills. Each Progeny Press novel study accomplishes all of this without busy work that can drain the fun out of reading and literature! Kids have loved using Progeny Press ELA curriculum in homeschool, co-ops, and private schools around the world for over 30 years!

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