Swiss Family Robinson Unit – Chapter 5
Chapter Five entitled Fresh Discoveries, continues the unit study of the Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
For a complete copy of The Swiss Family Robinson online, check out http://www.ccel.org/w/wyss/swiss/swiss.html.
Suggested Vocabulary:
Snuffbox
Cassava
Tortoise
Scone
Anvil
Frolic
Prodigious
Suggested Questions:
1. Why did father call Jack and Ernest a couple of merry rogues?
2. Why was salt so important to the family?
3. What did father and Fritz want to bring back from the ship? What did they actually bring back?
4. Why were the common supplies more useful to them than the riches that they found in the chest filled with fancy goods?
5. Why do you think father was so happy at finding the young fruit trees?
6. What was the reason given for the ship to be carrying so much that was so useful to the Robinson family?
7. How did Fritz capture the turtle and why was father so worried about it?
8. What made mother the happiest?
9. After they returned to the ship a second time, with Jack taking his turn, what did they find that was so important? [Answer: the small boat]
10. What were the “little gentlemen” who awaited their return on the beach?
11. Why didn’t mother at first like the tobacco graters?
12. What did father really intend to use the tobacco graters for?
Suggested Activities:
1. You may wish to learn how animals skins are preserved.
2. Build a model raft like father and Fritz built; or, sketch was the raft may have looked like using the description from this chapter.
3. Learn about the young fruit trees they discovered packed on board the ship: apple, pear, chestnut, orange, almond, peach, apricot, plum, cherry, etc. How do you plant and take care of these young trees?
4. Not all bread is made from wheat. Learn about, and find recipes for, bread that is made from other substances.
Online Lessons:
http://www.suhsd.k12.ca.us/mvm/netlinks/1swiss/1swiss.html
Island Survival
http://www.penguinreaders.com/downloads/0582426642.pdf
Teach With Movies
Sites You May Find A Good Resource:
Swiss Family Robinson Fan Site
