Elementary Library

Resource & Discussion Guide

Headstrong Hallie! The Story of Hallie Morse Daggett, the First Female “Fire Guard” by Aimee Bisonette (BIO DAG) In the 1880s the U.S. Forest Service didn't hire women, thinking they couldn't handle the physical challenges of the work, but Hallie Morse Daggett overcame discrimination to become the first woman 'fire guard' hired by the U.S. Forest Service. Discussion prompts: ●​ Where and when do you think this story takes place? ●​ What does the term “headstrong” mean? ●​ What is the woman looking at through her binoculars? ●​ What do you think a fire guard does? ●​ What is the most surprising part of Hallie’s life? ●​ How does it make you feel to know that we don’t have very many actual facts about Hallie’s life? ●​ Why wasn’t city life a good fit for Hallie? ●​ While Hallie was a brave person, she feared one thing–fire. Why was she so afraid? ●​ How did Hallie feel when she asked to help fight fires and was told no again and again? ●​ How important is the job of fire guard? ●​ What do you think Hallie liked most about being the lookout up at Eddy Gulch? ●​ What made Hallie qualified to be a fire guard? Was she good at her job? Why or why not? Crossings: Extraordinary Structures for Extraordinary Animals by Katy S. Duffield (333.95 DUF) A non-fiction exploration of animal crossings built by animal lovers around the world to help animals cross over, under, around, and through human construction. Discussion prompts: ●​ What problem did human development create for wildlife? ●​ What other solutions could we have tried? ●​ Why do some crossings work better than others? ●​ What do you notice about this crossing? What makes it effective? ●​ Have you seen a wildlife crossing? Where was it and what did it look like? ●​ Do we have a responsibility to make crossings for wildlife as we develop different lands? Why or why not?

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