About Charlotte Doyle's ship "The Seahawk"
This will be the second core novel we will read together. Please don't read ahead, but I do encourage you to research the following so that you will be able to achieve a greater understanding of the events and people in the story. Here is what I recommend you investigate:
Shipping between Europe and America in the mid 1800's
The parts of a schooner and how it is manuvered at sea
Have fun with this for now and look forward to an exciting journey of adventure!!!
Below are the chapter questions and vocabulary for each set of chapters: Chapter 1-3: destiny, somber, commendation, ferretlike, deputized, dirk, countenance, beguiling, ardent, sallow, waning, succumb, vermin, scrimshaw, contempt, pallor, rash, agog, hull, permeated, vexation, rasping, sardonically, eminent, decorum, bulwarks, decrepit, chaotic, incomprehensible, reprieve, transpired, distainfully, gesticulated, compliance, trepidation, conspired, unimpeachable Comprehension Questions - Chapter 1 1. Why do you think the author wrote "An Important Warning? And to whom was it written? 2. What did you learn about Charlotte? 3. Research: Locate Liverpool, England and Providence, Rhode Island on a map. How many miles apart are they? How long would it take to get to the U.Sin today's ships from England? 4. What kind of character was Mr. Grummage? 5. What forewarnings did the author give? What do you think these warned of? 6. Do you think Charlotte's father would have approved of Mr. Grummage's decisions? Why or why not?
Chapter 2 7. Why was Mr. Keetch an unattractive host on the ship? 8. Why did Mr. Keetch say that Charlotte should take another ship? Do you think he was sincere? Why do you think Keetch spoke in "an unnecessarily loud voice", and why do you think the sailors who overheard the conversations of Keetch, Grummage and charlotte were looking at her with such hostility? Charlotte had done nothing to them! 9. Measure the size of Charlotte's cabin - 6 feet in length, 4 feet wide and 4 and a half feet high. What is the average height of one of your friends? Would you be comfortable ina cabin this size? 10. Why didn't Charlotte listen to Barlow who said she should not be on the ship? Do you think that Charlotte could have really arranged to get off of the ship? How would that have affected the story? 11. What did Zachariah offer Charlotte? 12. Whom did Charlotte overhear talking with Mr. Keetch? What do you think the captain meant when he said, "With her as a witness, they'll not dare to move."? What kind of relationship did the captain have with Keetch?
