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Title |
Author |
Grade
level |
Make
Way for Ducklings |
Robert
McCloskey |
K to 5th grade |
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Summary of the story : |
The
story begins as Mr. and Mrs. Mallard fly over various
potential locations to start a family. Each time Mr. Mallard
selects a location, Mrs. Mallard finds something wrong with
it. Tired from their search, the mallards land at the Public
Garden Lagoon to spend the night. In the morning, a swan
boat passes
by the mallards. The mallards mistake the swan boat for a
real bird and have a second breakfast of peanuts thrown from
the people on the boat. Mrs. Mallard suggests that they
build their nest in the Public Garden. However, just as she
says this, she is nearly run down by a passing bicyclist.
The mallards continue their search, flying over Boston
landmarks such as Beacon
Hill, the
Massachusetts
State House, and Louisburg
Square. The mallards finally decide on an island
in the Charles
River. From this island, the mallards visit a
policeman named Michael on the shore, who feeds them peanuts
every day.
Shortly thereafter, the mallards molt,
and Mrs. Mallard hatches eight ducklings named Jack, Kack,
Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack. After the
ducklings are born, Mr. Mallard decides to take a trip up
the river to see what the rest of it is like. Mr. and Mrs.
Mallard agree to meet at the Public Garden in one week. In
the meantime, Mrs. Mallard teaches the eight ducklings all
they need to know about being ducks.
One week later, Mrs. Mallard leads the ducklings ashore and
straight to the highway in hopes of crossing to reach the
Garden, but she has trouble crossing as the cars will not
yield to her. Michael, the policeman who fed peanuts to the
Mallards, stops traffic for the family to cross. Michael
calls police headquarters and instructs them to send a
police car to stop traffic along the route for the ducks.
The ducks cross the highway, Embankment
Road, then proceed down Mount Vernon Street to
Charles Street where they head south to the Garden. When the
family must cross Beacon Street to enter the Garden, there
are four policeman standing in the intersection stopping
traffic to make way for the ducklings. Mr. Mallard is
waiting in the Public Garden for the rest of the family.
Finally, the family decides to stay in the Garden and lives happily
ever after
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Possible Design Challenges: |
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Design a nest for the ducks at the Boston Garden that
would keep the ducks safe.
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Design a product that will keep the eggs warm while Mrs.
Mallard visits with Michael the policeman.
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Design
a way to keep the ducks together and safe on their long
walk to the Boston Garden.
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Design a play area for the ducks.
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Design a way to keep the duck sculptures that are
currently at the Boston Garden safe from the public
(some people like to steal them!).
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