1. In lesson 1.1, the author, Alexander Ross, refers to “two clumsy Chinook canoes, each filled with fifteen or twenty packages of goods, of ninety pounds weight.”
   
   
   1. If one canoe had 15 packages and the second canoe had 20 packages, what is the total weight of the goods that the expedition started out with? (Assume each package weighed the same, 90 pounds.) Explain your thinking.
      
      
   2. Also in lesson 1.1, the author refers to the members of his group, the members of Mr. Thompson’s group, and two strangers for a total of 21 people starting out together. How many people were in Mr. Ross’s group? Using the information from item a, determine the average weight of goods for each person on this trip. Explain your thinking.
      
      
   3. In 1898 during the Alaska gold rush, everyone who wanted to get to the gold fields over Chilkoot Pass was required to have at least 2,000 pounds of goods before he could cross from the United States into Canada. How much less were the men of the 1811 expedition expected to take with them in their two Chinook canoes? Explain your thinking.
      
      
2. In lessons 1.1 through 1.5, Mr. Ross makes several references to “early starts,” “late starts,” and making camp (encampment) earlier than they had planned.
   
   
   1. Determine the number of days the men had been on their trip through August 2, 1811. Explain your thinking.
      
      
   2. Determine the increase or decrease in minutes and hours of daylight over that period of time. Explain your thinking.

Bonus Questions

Click here for bonus questions to answer. These questions involve higher-level thinking skills for additional challenge.