1a. On what does Kennie have his heart set? Why does Ken's father not want to grant his wish?
2a. Who persuades Rob McLaughlin to give Ken a horse of his own?
3a. Which horse does Ken choose? How does his father feel about this choice? How does the filly act when she is put in the corral?
4a. How does Ken make the filly gentle? How does he save the filly from death?
1b. Do you think that Kennie's father is being reasonable in denying him this wish? Why, or why not?
2b. Why does this person believe that a horse will be good for Ken? How does Ken prove that this person is right?
3b. Why does Ken choose that filly? Why doesn't the filly's wild behavior make him change his mind about keeping her?
4b. Why does Ken's father finally change his mind about both Ken and the filly? In what way does he change?
5a. In what specific ways does Ken demonstrate that he is becoming more responsible?
5b. How does the filly become a factor in Ken's becoming more responsible? What does this story say about the value of owning and caring for animals?
6a. Which person do you think is wiser in Kennie's parenting, Kennie's mother or his father? Why?
6b. What specific things do you tell yourself you will or will not do if and when you become a parent?
Character. Use the graphic organizer below to determine which characters in the story are dynamic and which are static. Fill in the names of the main characters, major characters, and minor characters. Then indicate whether the character is dynamic or static. Is there any pattern between the major and minor characters and the dynamic and static characters?
1. Write a list of chores that need to be done every day at the McLaughlins' horse ranch.
2. Think up names for colts that match the following descriptions: a high-spirited jet-black filly; a large, gallant, chestnut (gold) Arabian; a friendly pair of white Appaloosas.
3. Write a true or false quiz, along with answers, about the story "My Friend Flicka."
Forming Adverbs. Auspicious, a Word for Everyday Use from "My Friend Flicka," is an adjective. An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun. By adding the suffix -ly, it becomes an adverb. An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Create new words by adding -ly to the following words.
1. auspicious + -ly =
2. fanatical + -ly =
3. inimitable + -ly =
4. monotonous + -ly =
5. prosperous + -ly =
6. rebellious + -ly =
7. stoical + -ly =
8. triumphant + -ly =
9. vivid + -ly =
10. winsome + -ly =
Correcting Sentence Fragments. Review the Language Arts Survey 3.31, "Correcting Sentence Fragments." Then make the following sentence fragments complete sentences.
1. Enjoying the ice cream.
2. The tall elm tree.
3. My new dog.
4. Preparing a large lunch.
5. Overlooking the ocean.
6. Entered the movie theater.
7. The thick forest.
8. Until tomorrow morning.
9. The small baby boy.
10. Opening the doors slightly.
Decision Making. When making a decision, you often must weigh several factors. To do this, you may want to make a pro-con chart. Think of two things you have to decide between, and make a pro-con chart to see the reasons for and against deciding each way.
Example
