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The year is 1849 and the California
Gold Rush is on. Together with his butler Praiseworthy, young
Jack Flagg sets out to save his pretty Aunt Arabella's fortune.
On a ship bound from Boston to the California gold fields, they
stow away in potato barrels . . . and their wild, swashbuckling
adventures begin. |
To accompany our study of the California Gold Rush, we will be reading the book By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman. The book, published in 1963, is a bit of a spoof on the days of the gold rush and somewhat of a tall tale when looking at the character of Praiseworthy. Use the links on this page to extend the thoughts from the story as we get a humorous and comprehensive look at the gold rush of California.
After
arriving in California, Jack developed a case of Gold Fever.
Ways to get that shiny metal out of the ground!
How did they get to California?
Life in the camps!
This and That-miscellaneous links
Gold fever-overview of the gold rush
People to know from the CA Gold Rush
What does "By the Great Horn Spoon" mean?
Take the online quiz for chapter1-Millionaire Style!
Take the online quiz for chapter 2-Millionaire Style!
Vocabulary to know:
| Chapter 1 |
slake, scoundrels, defraud, fray, lanky, venture |
| Chapter 2 | infernal, rogue, undaunted |
| Chapter 3 | forage, stout, hawser, dispel |
| Chapter 4 | tarry, haste |
| Chapter 5 | vile, inclement, squall |
| Chapter 6 | monotony, stalwart |
| Chapter 7 | wily |
| Chapter 8 | peddlers, typhoon |
| Chapter 9 | bandied |
| Chapter 10 | ruffian |
| Chapter 11 | exasperation, hospitality, skewer, deft |
| Chapter 12 | tatters |
| Chapter 13 | notoriety, paunchy, plummet, basked |
| Chapter 14 | haughty , brawler |
Guiding questions:
| Chapter 1 | Is Captain Swain good or bad? Explain and give evidence. |
| Chapter 2 | Cut Eye Higgins says, "We'll meet again." Will they? If so how? If not, why not? |
| Chapter 3 | Does the Lady Wilma have a chance of winning the race? |
| Chapter 4 | What was the most important event of the chapter? Why? |
| Chapter 5 | Does Capt. Swain have the right to go through the St. of Magellan and risk the passengers' safety? |
| Chapter 6 | What makes Jack and Praiseworthy such likable characters? |
| Chapter 7 | Now what? |
| Chapter 8 | What are the signs of the Gold Rush? |
| Chapter 9 | What will be the effect of Mr. Cut-Eye Higgins? |
| Chapter 10 | What would be good nicknames for Jack and Praiseworthy? |
| Chapter 11 | What are Jack's impressions of the gold fields? |
| Chapter 12 | What does the title of the chapter mean? |
| Chapter 13 | What are some problems facing Jack and Praiseworthy? |
| Chapter 14 | Describe Jack and Praiseworthy's relationship. |
| Chapter 15 | Will they catch Cut-Eye? If so, then what? If not, how come? |
| Chapter 16 | Will saving Cut-Eye turn out to be good or bad? |
| Chapter 17 | What lesson gets learned in this chapter? |
| Chapter 18 | And now what ? |
