Hemlock Mountain Literature Guide
Uploaded by
Brenda SainHemlock Mountain Literature Guide
Uploaded by
Brenda SainThe Bears on Hemlock Mountain
1. Where does this story happen? (setting) At the foot of, on, and over Hemlock Mountain,
which is really a hill that is not so big.
2. Who is the story about? (characters) Jonathan, Ma, Pa, Uncles, Aunt. How old is
Jonathan? eight.
3. This story is about Jonathan trying to do what? (theme) Retrieve the pot. Be brave. Avoid
bears on the mountain.
4. What other problems are there in the story? (conflict) Jonathan falls asleep at his aunt’s
house and has to travel home in the dark with a very heavy pot. (climax) Jonathan
encounters bears and hides from them under the huge pot.
5. How does this story end? (conclusion) Jonathan is found by his Pa and goes into the cabin
only to proclaim that there are bears on Hemlock Mountain!
6. Does the author use sound words to tell his story?
This literary device is called onomatopoeia. Find examples of this throughout the book.
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
Whisk! (squirrels hide in the tree and birds fly away)
drip, drip, drip! (ice melting)
sniff, sniff (Jonathan smelling cookies
tick-tock, tick-tock (clock ticking in Aunt’s house)
Purr-rr-rr (black cat)
Woo-ooh. woo-ooh! (owl)
Summary:
Jonathan is an eight year old boy that lives with is Ma and Pa in a grey stone farmhouse and the
bottom of Hemlock Mountain. His Ma asks him to borrow a pot from his aunt on the other
side of Hemlock Mountain. Jonathan is afraid that there are bears on the mountain. After
retrieving the huge pot from his aunt, Jonathan encounters bears. he tuns the huge pot
upside down and climbs under the pot until the bears leave and his Pa and uncles arrive.
Theme - courage
Man vs. Nature - Will Jonathan meet a bear on Hemlock Mountain?
Man vs. Himself - Will Jonathan have the courage to retrieve the pot alone?
Further questions to ask:
1. Were you satisfied with the resolution? If not, why not?
2. Does Jonathan look at himself differently at the end of the story? Find the line on the last
page that points to how Jonathan felt. “Now his voice was proud.” Why was Jonathan
proud?
© 2011, Brenda Sain, www.thetiethatbindsus.com
Sound cards - Onomatopoeia
Draw a picture to represent the sound word.
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Whisk!
drip! drip! drip! sniff, sniff
Purr-rr-rr tick-tock, tick-tock
© 2011, Brenda Sain, www.thetiethatbindsus.com
Woo-oo. Woo-oo!
Color the bear.
© 2011, Brenda Sain, www.thetiethatbindsus.com
Dear Moms,
If you want to turn this into a unit study on bears, I found a great site for you to get ideas
from: http://www.americanbear.org/Helloteacher.htm
Always learning,
Brenda
© 2011, Brenda Sain, www.thetiethatbindsus.com
