Purpose: Run a complete lesson using Chapter 28 and the Student Self-Study page as the student material.
Recommended Level: A2–B1 | Lesson Length: 30–45 minutes
1) Lesson Overview
- Theme: purpose, gratitude, neighborly help, honest work, and beginning again after rescue.
- Skills: Listening, reading, discussion, vocabulary building, critical thinking, and personal reflection.
- Outcome: Student can explain why Morgan chooses to help the Whitaker family and discuss how receiving mercy can lead a person to serve others.
Tutor tip: This chapter works especially well when discussing the difference between wandering without direction and living with a clear purpose.
2) Warm-Up Questions
- Have you ever helped someone because someone first helped you?
- Why can work give a person hope and direction?
- What does it mean to be a good neighbor?
3) Vocabulary
| Word/Phrase | Meaning | Tutor Prompt |
|---|---|---|
| purpose | a reason or goal that gives direction to a person's actions | “How does Morgan begin to find purpose in this chapter?” |
| furrows | long narrow lines made in soil by a plow for planting | “Why are furrows important to a farmer?” |
| crate | a strong box used to carry goods or food | “Why does Jake send a crate of food to the Whitakers?” |
| laid up | unable to work because of injury or illness | “How does Samuel feel about being laid up?” |
| wounded pride | hurt feelings caused by shame, failure, or needing help | “Why does Samuel not want people to see him?” |
| plow | a farm tool used to turn soil before planting | “What does the plow represent for Morgan?” |
| half-broke | partly trained, but not yet fully safe or dependable | “Why will the Whitaker mule need patience and training?” |
| interest | extra money charged when a debt is paid later | “How does Gideon Pike use interest to pressure the family?” |
4) First Listening
- Listen once without reading.
- Ask: “Why do Eli, Tiny, and Morgan go to the Whitaker place?”
- Ask: “What problem does Morgan discover about the mule and Gideon Pike?”
Expected big idea: Chapter 28 teaches that mercy received can become mercy given, and that honest work can help a discouraged person find new purpose.
5) Speaking Practice
- Why does Morgan want to help the Whitaker family?
- How does Mrs. Whitaker show both strength and weariness?
- Why does Samuel feel ashamed or useless?
- What does Tiny mean when he says, “Because winter won’t care what happened to his arm”?
- Why is Gideon Pike’s offer dangerous for the Whitaker family?
- How is something “planted” in Morgan by the end of the chapter?
6) Writing Task
- Option A: Summarize Chapter 28 in 6–10 sentences.
- Option B: Explain how Morgan changes from a rescued man into a man with a purpose.
- Option C: Write about a time when helping someone gave you new energy, hope, or direction.
Fluency Tip: Ask students to retell the story in order: the trip to the Whitaker farm, meeting Mrs. Whitaker, speaking with Samuel, looking at the field and mule, learning about Gideon Pike, and Morgan’s new determination.
7) Wrap-Up
Wrap-up: This chapter reminds readers that a rescued person can become a helper. Morgan’s new purpose begins not with speeches, but with a plow, a field, and a willingness to work for someone else’s future.
Final question: “Why do you think Morgan looks forward to hard work at the end of the chapter?”