Guiding Comprehension

Draw Conclusions • Critical

Do you think a ship is a good place for children to live?
Why or why not?

Possible response: It sounds
like fun, but it may be too dangerous for children.

Character • Inferential

Does the narrator enjoy her
life at sea? How can you tell?

Yes. She says she likes to climb the rigging. She says all the crew members are her friends.
She says she didn't miss
out on anything that other children enjoyed.

Predict • Inferential

What do you think might prevent the family from celebrating Christmas?

Possible response: A bad storm or the ship almost sinking could prevent the family from celebrating Christmas.

STRATEGY SELF-CHECK

Predict

Ask students to predict what will happen next. Remind them that good predictions are based on what has happened already. To help them predict, students can think about the author's purpose for writing this part of the story and what she might write next.

SELF-CHECK

Students can ask themselves questions to assess their ability to use the skill and strategy.

Did I predict as I read the story?
Did I think about the author's purpose? How did this help me predict?

then…
revisit the skill
lesson on
pp. 516–517.
Reteach as necessary.

If… students have difficulty identifying the
author’s purpose and using it to predict,

Author's Purpose

Monitor Comprehension Ask students to look back at what they wrote about boats or being on a boat. (See p. 520.) Have them write one or two new things they learned about sailing from this story.

If you want to teach this story in two sessions, stop here.

"Sailing Home: A Story of a Childhood at Sea"
by Gloria Rand

Student Edition
Unit 5, pp. 520–533

Historical fiction is based on real events in history to which the writer has added details from his or her imagination. As you read about a family's life at sea, think about which details are real and which are from the author's imagination.

My two sisters, brother, and I, Matilda, grew up on a huge sailing ship in the 1800s. It carried cargo everywhere in the world. The captain of the ship was our father. He had a crew of men to help him. Our part of the ship had a bathroom, bedrooms, and a huge saloon. The saloon was our dining room and living room. There was also a kitchen, or galley, and a huge storage room for our things.
Mother raised animals for the ship's meat and eggs. They stayed in pens below deck. We children took care of our cat and a dog. We even had a pig! She fell into some hot tar and died. We gave her a dignified burial at sea.
We learned to count and read from Mother. And we learned about planets, stars, and celestial navigation from Father. He even taught us to use signaling flags. He gave us our own set of flags. Sometimes we used them to send messages back and forth from the stern to Father at the bow.
Later, Miss Shipman became our governess. She lived on the ship. She was a good teacher. But we taught her geography. We had been all over the world. So we knew more than she did!
One year we were on the China Sea. It was right before Christmas. We were just starting to put up some decorations. A huge storm came down on us. We had to take the decorations down. We rushed around tying down the piano and furniture. Mother put away little things. Otherwise, when big waves hit, they would fly all over. The storm lasted for days. We had to sit on the floor when Miss Shipman conducted class. The ship rolled back and forth, and the sky stayed black.
The storm got worse. Lifeboats were torn away and broken up by the waves. The sails were ripped apart. Father put us all on the floor of the chart room. Then we got scared. He tried to get us to think about the Christmas party we would have when the storm was over. Just then the ship rolled over onto her side. It stayed there. Father said to Mother, "Mary, I think we are going to sink." Their bravery made us all feel brave. We all hugged each other for a very long time.
Suddenly the ship quivered. It slowly rolled upright! We were safe! And we had the best Christmas ever. The crew sang, and Father and Mother danced.

Afterword: What you have read is based on a real family's life. The children loved their life on the ship. When faster steamships were invented, their way of life ended. Their hearts broke when they walked off the ship for the last time. Father turned and saluted the ship and the crew.



	Close
	Predict For the Strategy Self-Check, have students reread p. 527, starting with paragraph 3, and discuss what they think will happen next. Extend Critical Thinking The narrator compares her life at sea to the lives of other children of her time. Use a T-chart to list similarities and differences of the two ways of life. Have students support their ideas with examples from the story. Build Background Describe traditional American childhood activities mentioned on p. 527, paragraph 2: A marshmallow roast is the skewering of a marshmallow on a stick and browning it over a campfire. A taffy pull is when two people pull apart a mass of sticky candy repeatedly. PRACTICE LESSON VOCABULARY Students orally respond to each question and provide a reason for each answer. Possible reasons are given. If you want to be at the front of the ship, should you be at the stern or bow? (The bow; it's in the front.) *If you're gazing at a celestial* view, what are you looking at?** (Stars or the Sun or Moon; you're looking at the sky.) *What kind of tool is helpful for navigation* on the road?** (A map; it helps you find your way.) BUILD CONCEPT VOCABULARY Review previous concept words with students. Ask if students have come across any words today in their reading or elsewhere that they would like to add to The Sea Concept Web, such as knots or rigging.

"Sailing Home: A Story of a Childhood at Sea" by Gloria Rand

"Sailing Home: A Story of a Childhood at Sea"
by Gloria Rand