My side of the mountain

Learn about the classic story My Side of the Mountain with a free literature unit! You'll find iscussion questions, art, science, life skills, and more!

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George This is a great choice for middle-elementary school grades because it is outdoorsy without being too gritty. A young boy decides to leave his cramped apartment life in the city with his family and move to his family's abandoned farm to live off the land like Thoreau. The boy faces many challenges but ultimately learns to find balance between his need for people and his desire for solitude and self-sufficiency.

In "My Side of the Mountain," Sam runs away to the wilderness to escape his family. He is tested and discovers strength and self-confidence. Today, the Boy Scouts teach survival skills in their Wilderness Survival badge. A century ago, we all knew these things, but now they must be learned on purpose… Positive attitude: You can live 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, and 3 minutes without air…but only 3 seconds without a clear mind. Panic leads to bad decisions, and while fear is a…

My fascination with hollow trees began when I watched Sam Gribley set up camp inside one in the film adaptation of My Side of the Mountain. Several weeks after watching it, I convinced my younger…

My Side of the Mountain movie night snacks

Illustration from the book: Sam Gribley and his falcon, Frightful. And his homemade shirt with extra large pockets. Naturalist and author Jean Craigshead George wrote My Side of the Mountain--the story of a boy from New York City who runs away to live on his own in the Catskill Mountains--in 1959.

I have memories of running away from home at least two times as a child. The first was somewhere around 2nd and 3rd grade. My memory involves a sunny day, a backpack, saltines crackers and making it as far as the golf course just outside my neighborhood. The second was in 4th grade and I...

Join Sam Gribley's quest for independence in My Side of the Mountain. Enhance classroom learning with StoryboardThat's summary, lessons & student activities.

In this activity, students will analyze Sam Gribley's character traits and how they helped him survive in the wild in My Side of the Mountain.

We have been using My Side of the Mountain as a mentor text for our WEX writing assignments. In this lesson the students needed to find...