Balto, the Dog Who Saved Nome Name ______________________________ Balto, the Dog Who Saved Nome By Margaret Davidson Illustrated by Doug Rugh Prediction ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Author’s Purpose inform persuade entertain

Balto Focus Skills: To classify word relationships To read and understand a narrative nonfiction selection To compare a time line selection with a narrative nonfiction selection To use common and proper nouns correctly Make predictions Genre Narrative Nonfiction- a story that tells about real people or real events Summary Diphtheria has broken out in Nome, Alaska. Teams of sled dogs carry medicine 800 miles over snow and ice to prevent an epidemic. Reading Strategy Using Decoding/ Phonics Good readers use different strategies to figure out words they don’t know. They use letter sounds, or phonics, to help figure out many new words. A good reader recognizes and blends letter sounds in a word to read unfamiliar or difficult words.

QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS *Why does the man in Nome use a telegraph to send this urgent message? Why do people in Nome need help? Look at the map on page 187. How will the medicine be carried from Anchorage to Nenana? How do you know? *How do the people plan to get the medicine to Nome? Why do you think it is necessary to use several dog teams instead of just one? *How much of the journey from Anchorage to Nome has been completed? How much remains? What choice is Gunnar Kasson faced with? What does he decide to do? Do you think Kasson has made the right choice? Why?

*What makes this part of the journey more difficult? Why do you think Gunnar Kasson trusts Balto to lead them safely to the next village? The author uses the words up and down when she describes how the sea ice is moving. How do these opposite words help you understand what is going on? *Why does Balto head out to sea when he hears the ice crack? Why do you think Balto works so hard to lead the team? Is Balto an exceptionally smart dog? How do you know? *What difficulties do Gunnar Kasson and the dogs have after leaving the sea ice? Find the word reached in the third paragraph on page 197. Now find an antonym for that word. What does the author use these antonyms to tell about?

How do you think Gunnar Kasson feels when he realizes that he and the dog team have accidentally passed Safety? Explain why. THINK AND RESPOND How did Gunnar Kasson and Balto save the city of Nome? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How do the map and illustrations help you understand what is was like on the trail from Bluff to Nome? How did Balto show that he was a good leader? Who do you think was more of a hero, Gunnar Kasson or Balto? Why? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SENDING A MESSAGE- page 200-201 Look at the title of the time line? What do you think the information on the time line will contain? 2. What happened to make it easier to send telegraph messages across America? How are telegraph messages carried from one place to another? Look at the purple column on the left. Why are these ways to send messages listed here? Gunnar Kasson and his dogs finally arrived in Nome after 20 hours on the trail. Write a message that Kasson might have written on a postcard to his family. Dear _______________________, __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________ 105 Seppala Drive Nome, Alaska 99762