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Copyright 2002

Created by Brian Thornton
Click here for more information Capo Creations, Box 1411, Haileybury, Ontario, CANADA. POJ 1KO

Not to be used or copied in any manner without specific written consent of the publisher All Rights Reserved

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Two Against the North

Original Title: Lost in the Barrens

Farley Mowat

Student Study Guide

All Answers must be in sentence form.

Chapter 1--Jamie and Awasin

  1. Write two or three sentences describing each of the following characters: Jamie Macnair, Angus Macnair and Awasin Meewasin.
  2. Find The Pas in your atlas.
  3. Why did Angus pay for Jamie's schooling?
  4. Why was it necessary for Angus to end Jamie's schooling?
  5. What band of Natives was located only twenty miles from Angus Macnair's cabin?
  6. How did Jamie feel about living in the Canadian wilderness?
  7. Young people often write a story in the first person.  From what point of view is Two Against the North told?
  8. What is the disadvantage of using the first person narrative?

Vocabulary: subarctic, schooner, guardian, shanties, prophet, tousled, chinked, tanned, stolidly

Enrichment: Awasin had attended an Indian school for three seasons in Pelican Narrows and consequently was able to speak English.  Are there any Native people in your region who attended an English speaking boarding school when they were younger? Interview them and make a presentation to the class.

How would you feel if suddenly you had to attend a school far from your home? How did the teachers 'encourage' the Native students to speak English?

Construct a chart comparing the advantages and disadvantages of attending a boarding school.  You may be able to contact a boarding school in your area for advertising brochures.

 

Chapter 2--The Camp of the Crees

  1. What relationship existed between Angus and Alphonse?
  2. Why did Angus suggest that Alphonse take his furs to the market in The Pas?
  3. How long would the trip take?
  4. What did Angus promise to buy Jamie while he was in The Pas?
  5. What did Jamie and Awasin plan to do during the summer?
  6. What was another name for the Chipeweyans?
  7. Describe Denikazi's physical appearance. Who was he?
  8. What do the Chipeweyans require from the Cree?
  9. Why do Awasin and Jamie intend to accompany the Chipeweyans on their expedition?
  10. Personification occurs when an inanimate (non-living) object is given human charateristics.  Give two examples from chapters one and two which describe Angus Macnair's cabin and those of the Crees.

Vocabulary: altered, emphatically, indignantly, gunwales, jovial, bannock, grouse, Chipeweyans, ravenously, migrate, famine

Enrichment: Find out where the following three groups of Indians have traditionally lived: Eskimo (Inuit), Chipeweyans, Cree. According to Awasin some of these Natives fought amongst themselves. Is this an accurate statement?

Dialect refers to regional variation in language.  Different groups of people may speak a common language but pronounce some of the words differently or even use a slight variation on a number of particular words.  For example, what does Angus Macnair mean when he uses the word "ye"?  What dialect might he be using?  Research the number of dialects found in your country and make a presentation to your classmates.

 

Chapter 3--To the Camps of the Deer Eaters

  1. What is a gill net?
  2. Are gillnets legal in your region? Why or why not?
  3. What is meant by "tracking" a canoe up rapids?
  4. Why did Jamie and Awasin switch sides every three strokes of their paddle?
  5. Why did the Chipeweyans give a "wide berth" to the Red-Head Post?
  6. Why did Awasin instruct Jamie to accept the Chipeweyan offer of hospitality?
  7. Why was Awasin reluctant to travel into the Barrens?
  8. What comment from Jamie changed Awasin's mind?
  9. How long would Denikazi be away on the hunt?
  10. How long did the boys expect they would be away?

Vocabulary: anticipation, forged, desolate, quaver, begrudged, repented, barbaric, hummock, erratic, muskeg, sparsely, discreet, vague

Enrichment: Talk to an experienced canoeist. How far can an experienced canoeist expect to travel in one day? What dangers does a canoeist face? Why in our modern world of technological advances do some people still chose to travel by canoe? What are some advantages that a canoe has over other types of water transportation?

Onomatopoeia refers to words that sound similar to their meaning.  For example, the bee buzzed or the boy gulped.  Give an example of onomatopoeia in this chapter.

 

Chapter 4--North to the Barrenlands

  1. Compare the construction of the four Chipeweyan canoes with that of modern canoes?
  2. Would there be any advantage to the more traditional use of construction materials?
  3. What did Denikazi mean when he said to the boys, "there the forests die"?
  4. Why were the boys shamefaced the next morning?

Vocabulary: flotilla, dwindling, immensity, isolated, stunted, funneled, somber, dusk, fatigue, maelstrom, eddy, caldron

Enrichment: Canoeists use certain strategies when running rapids. List some strategies that you might employ if you were running rapids in a canoe.   Locate a book on canoeing skills and see what strategies are suggested for running rapids.  How do they compare with the ones you listed?  Would you rather be in a canoe or kayak if you were going through rapids?  Defend your choice.


A simile is a comparison between two different things using the word like or as.  For example, "The boy swam like a fish".
  Towards the end of this chapter Mowat uses a simile to compare the speed of the canoe to an express train.  Your task is to replace Mowat's simile with three more of your own.

 

Chapter 5--Of Eskimos and Indians

  1. List two things about which Denikazi was worried?
  2. What did the boys discover when they crawled out of their sleeping robes the next morning?
  3. What decision did Denikazi make when the caribou did not arrive at the "Killing Place"?
  4. What did Denikazi warn the others to do if they saw any signs of the Eskimos?
  5. What did Jamie want to do when he heard about the Great Stone House?
  6. Why are caribou threatened in today's north by our growing demand for energy?

Vocabulary: scud, hillock, mediated, stolidly, hordes, morosely, sullenly, sulked

Enrichment: Locate information about the caribou. Where are its migration routes located?


A simile is a comparison between two different things using the word like or as.  For example, "The boy swam like a fish".
  Towards the end of this chapter Mowat uses a simile to compare the speed of the canoe to an express train.  Your task is to replace Mowat's simile with three more of your own.

 

Chapter 6--No Man's Land

  1. Why did Awasin decide to accompany Jamie to the stone house?
  2. What was the universal symbol for two days?
  3. Why was Jamie worried about these rapids despite the fact that they had run far worse rapids in forest country?
  4. Do you think it was cruel of Jamie to kill the duck? Why or why not?

Vocabulary: nonchalance, universal, radiating, puny, prehistoric, bluff, eddies, fatal, adroitly, skittering, tundra, seething, spume, plucking, lingered

Enrichment: What are some of the necessities if you wish to survive in Canada's north?  What do you think your immediate reaction would be if you were lost in the wilderness?  Research survival strategies and report to the class.

 

Chapter 7--The Rapid

  1. Why was Awasin so excited about seeing the ravens?
  2. What reason did Awasin give for wanting to return immediately to the "Killing Place"?
  3. What additional reason did he have for wanting to return which he would not reveal to Jamie?
  4. What happened to the two boys in the cataract?
  5. Why did Awasin go back to retrieve the canoe?

Vocabulary: sparse, maze, carcass, wraith, islets, exhilaration, chaos, cataract, abyss, poised, nausea

Enrichment: Make a list of what you would pack if you were going on a three day camping trip.  Why is it important for canoeists to travel light?

 

Chapter 8--Alone in the Wilderness

  1. Make a short list of some of the problems they faced after the accident.
  2. What did Jamie suggest?
  3. What was Awasin's plan?
  4. Describe how Awasin caught the ground squirrel.
  5. What did Awasin see about a mile downstream?

Vocabulary: plunging, frigid, spasm, peevishly, brusquely, remnant, flushed, bow thwart, barren

Enrichment: What makes a wilderness so beautiful and yet so dangerous?

 

The boys faced many dangers in the barrens.  Explain the phrase, "God always forgives, man sometimes forgives but nature never forgives."

Chapter 9--The Kayaks on the Lake

  1. Why were they so anxious to start a fire?
  2. Why were Awasin and Jamie so frightened when they saw Eskimos?
  3. Why did the Chipeweyans turn back immediately upon seeing the "three slim kayaks"?
  4. Is the size of the fish they caught realistic or far-fetched?
  5. What simile does the author use when describing how Awasin kept the fish from escaping?
  6. What is the world's record for a trout? How and where was it caught? (Guinness World Records)

Vocabulary: conical, cavity, punky, salvaged, infectious, exertion, curlews, rummaged, barb, flanks, incredulously, fillets

Enrichment: Construct a fire drill and see if you can successfully light a fire. Once you have succeeded demonstrate it to your classmates. Research the various methods that civilization has employed to start fires.

 

Chapter 10--The Great Stone House

  1. Where did Awasin suggest the boys meet Denikazi of the Chipeweyans?
  2. Why was Jamie convinced that neither native nor white man had built the stone house?
  3. What fascinating things did Jamie find when he reached the stone house?
  4. What did Awasin finally realize the stone house actually was?

Vocabulary: muskegs,abruptly, resolutely, cairn, crevice, muffled, convulsive, brandished, apparition, skimpy, tomb

Enrichment: Who were the Vikings? Write a short note on their travels in North America.

 

Chapter 11--Flight to the West

  1. Who has the stronger character--Jamie or Awasin? Give reasons.
  2. Which of the two boys appears to be the more optimistic?
  3. What parts of the deer did they eat?
  4. How does this compare with what you might normally eat from an animal?
  5. Give a brief description of the "deer fence"
  6. Why did the Chipeweyan suddenly decide to abandon their site and return home?

Vocabulary: twinge, draped, obscured, recurring, dispelled, ordeal, specter,dispersed, pallid, frenzied, turmoil, heedless

Enrichment: Suspense often makes for enjoyable reading. How does Farley Mowat build suspense in the last few lines of the chapter? How might you make use of such a device if you are writing a story?

 

Chapter 12--River of the Frozen Lake

  1. Why were the boys excited to find the cache at the campsite?
  2. When did the boys realize that the Chipeweyan had returned to their homes?
  3. Why did the sheet of lead from the Norse tomb give Jamie Macnair courage?

Vocabulary: plover, resolve, sombre, debris, cache, fatalism

Enrichment: A variety of species of birds have been mentioned in this chapter as well as elsewhere in the book. Find illustrations in a bird book and see where they live during the various seasons.

 

Chapter 13--Plans and Preparation

  1. Why would they have to stay in one place to survive?
  2. If you could add one item to their stock what would it be?
  3. List two reasons why the fat from the animals would be important to Awasin and Jamie.
  4. Why was Jamie reluctant to kill the does?

Vocabulary: predicament, ungainly, deftly, doggedly, parchment, tattered, makeshift, sinew, durable, clammy, wistfully, submerged, spawn, surge, imposing

Enrichment: What is a vegetarian? Speak to a vegetarian and find out why people choose this particular type of diet?

 

Chapter 14--Camp at the Deer Fence

  1. How long did it take for the meat to dry?
  2. Why was the house only built three feet high? (about 90cm high)
  3. Describe how Awasin made the needle.
  4. The fish they caught were quite large. How might this be explained?

Vocabulary: mortar, pliable, durable, spawn

Enrichment: What is the difference between commercial and sport fishing? What types of sports' licences are available in your area? Why have Canada and the United States had disagreements over commercial fishing? Has commercial fishing ever been conducted in your area? What is a fisher?

 

Chapter 15--The Hidden Valley

  1. What was there main concern after the first snow?
  2. How were they able to preserve the fish?
  3. According to Awasin why was it necessary to pile rocks on top of the fish?
  4. Why did the boys refuse to shoot ptarmigan Canada geese?
  5. Give two pieces of evidence that suggest that the gravel streak was originally a lakeshore.
  6. Why were trees and other plants able to grow in the valley?
  • Give an example of foreshadowing at the end of this chapter.

    • Vocabulary: scanty, ferment, wizened, pemmican, sanctuaries

    Enrichment: What is Labrador tea? Is there any in your area of the country?

     

    Chapter 16--The Coming of the Bucks

    1. What were the dimensions of the valley?
    2. Write a brief description of the valley.
    3. Describe an esker.
    4. What was the significance of the name Otanak?
    5. What was the main concern of Jamie and Awasin as the caribou passed them?

    Vocabulary: diversion, Manitou, myriad, imbued, pinnacle

    Enrichment: Farley Mowat said that neither boy would ever forget the day of the caribou. Have you ever experienced something in nature that caused you to be spell bound or mesmerised? Describe the moment.

     

    Chapter 17--Building a Home

    1. Describe the two different kinds of fat.
    2. Why did the tree trunks have such an unusual shape?
    3. Jamie had an idea so that they no longer required 14 foot logs which were too heavy to carry? Explain his idea.
    4. What is Babiche or Indian rope?
    5. According to Awasin, why did the chimney not work immediately?
    6. Why was wolf fur essential for trim when making winter clothes?

    Vocabulary: inventory, gnarled

    Enrichment: Farley Mowat has been a very prolific Canadian writer. Make a short list of books he has written. Select one that you think you might like to read at a later time.

     

    Chapter 18--Of Wolverines and Sleds

    1. Why were the boys forced to make a tree-cache?
    2. Why was it necessary to make a sled?
    3. How were they able to 'drill' holes in the runners of the sled?
    4. What two things might have made the mysterious tracks or prints in the snow?

    Vocabulary: saplings, wily, bleak

    Enrichment: Locate some information on the wolverine.

     

    Chapter 19--Gifts from the Dead

    1. Why did Jamie tell Awasin that the burial site was just an old campsite of Eskimos?
    2. How was Awasin able to make use of the bowl found by Jamie at the burial grounds?
    3. What does Awasin suggest they do upon realizing they only have twenty shells remaining?
    4. Why does Awasin describe the dead as friendly spirits?

    Vocabulary: inexplicable, brittle, scrutinize, eddies

    Enrichment: Locate some soapstone carvings.  If you are fortunate enough you may be able to locate some raw soapstone and make your very own carving.

     

    Chapter 20--Winter Strikes

    1. How did Otanak wake Jamie?
    2. Why was Awasin embarrassed when Jamie asked him if he knew how to make a bow?
    3. Why did they feed the fawn moss from the mattress?
    4. How was the final bow constructed?

    Vocabulary: scoured, unabated, stave, engrossed

    Enrichment: Successful writers are good at describing things in such a way as to create an image in our minds. For example, Farley Mowat compares the winter blizzard to the 'constant screaming of unleashed demons'. Describe a winter blizzard in at least two or three unique ways.

    Many native cultures are rich in oral traditions.  For example, folk tales were anonymous stories handed down orally from one generation to another amongst native groups.  Research some native folk tales and with a partner write and illustrate one of your own.  Once you have completed and memorized it, pass it on to your classmates in the oral tradition.

     

    Chapter 21--A Welcome Discovery

    1. What happened to Otanak?
    2. How did Jamie plan on using the two dogs if they could capture them?
    3. What names did they give to the two dogs?
    4. Why were the boys both happy and uneasy about acquiring the two dogs?

    Vocabulary: reverberated, unabashed, dispel, ravenous, pandemonium, fawning, repletion

    Enrichment: Research the origin and history of husky dogs.

     

    Chapter 22--The Great One of the Barrens

    1. What is an anchor line?
    2. What do the terms "chaw" and "hew" mean?
    3. Why were the boys suddenly concerned about their meat supplies?
    4. Who was the Great One of the Barrenlands?
    5. What caused Jamie to pass out?
    6. At the end of the chapter what realization do the boys come to about the tracks they had seen earlier at the Stone Igloo Camp?

    Vocabulary: prophecy, traces, sentimental, quiver,

    Enrichment: Research dog sled teams? Are there any in your area? How are dog teams used today? What do the native people use today instead of the dog team? Were there any advantages to having a dog team?

     

    Chapter 23--The Escape

    1. How did the boys pass the time during the winter?
    2. What was the main topic of conversation during these long days?
    3. What foolish decision did the two boys make during a brief respite from the cold weather?

    Vocabulary: minor, fitful, pulverized, staple, moped, listless, traverse

    Enrichment: How much do the hours of daylight vary in your area between summer and winter? When is the longest period of daylight in summer and in winter? What is the equinox? How do many areas in North America cope with the variations in the amount of daylight?

     

    Chapter 24--The White Fire

    1. Why was their initial progress so slow?
    2. What is the cure for snow blindness?
    3. What did Awasin discover had vanished from their sled?
    4. Why was snow blindness referred to as the white fire?
    5. Why was snow blindness rare in the forests where the Cree lived?
    6. What lesson had Jamie learned about dealing with nature?

    Vocabulary: overladen, tumult, shambles, calamity, hummocks

    Enrichment: How did the Eskimos protect themselves against snow blindness?

     

    Chapter 25--Peetyuk

    1. Why is it important never to travel alone in the wilderness?
    2. Why was Awasin unafraid to enter the igloo during the storm?
    3. How does Awasin react when the stranger enters the igloo?
    4. What connection is there between Peetyuk and the Red Head Post?

    Vocabulary: repress, dome, niche, congealed, diffused, gorged, melee

    Enrichment: How is an igloo constructed? What type of implements and snow are required? Describe life in an igloo? How would it be very different from your home?

     

    Chapter 26--The Eaters of Raw Meat

    1. Describe the scene when the two sleds arrived at the settlement of seven igloos.
    2. Pretend you are Awasin. How would you convince the Eskimos that it was safe to travel south?
    3. Why were the Eskimos surprised by the big generous fires of the forest?
    4. Why did the Eskimos avoid the Chipeweyans?
    5. What did Awasin discover when he awoke in the morning?

    Vocabulary: babel, acrid, paroxysms, plumes

    Enrichment: What is the modern history of the Eskimo?

     

    Chapter 27--The Return

    1. What did Alphonse mean by the expression 'the shadow world'?
    2. Why was everyone so happy to see the boys?
    3. How had Denikazi offered to pay for the loss of the young boys?

    Vocabulary: timidly, recriminations, yon 

    Enrichment: The sequel to this book is "The Curse of the Viking Grave". Read it and compare it to "Two Against the North".

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    Copyright 2002

    Created by Brian Thornton, Capo Creations, Box 1411, Haileybury, Ontario, CANADA. POJ 1KO

    Not to be used or copied in any manner without specific written consent of the publisher All Rights Reserved

    Click here for a complete list of the novels