Long ago, a mighty Scottish giant with a long name (we'll call him "Mac") rowed across the Irish sea on a raft made of 1,000 tree trunks. Arriving on the Emerald Isle, Mac set about pillaging the countryside. He swallowed cows in two gulps apiece and set cottages afire just to warm his massive, hairy hands.
Ireland had its very own giant, Finn McCool. Huge but benevolent, McCool's sworn duty was to defend his native land. Finn caught up to the Scottish marauder in a meadow. Snatching up a sod patch, he hurled it at Mac's head. THUD! The Scottish giant fell down dead.
In yanking out the sod patch, Finn had left a huge hole in the ground that soon filled up with rainwater. After felling Mac, the sod patch plopped into the Irish Sea. Today, the hole is known as Logh Neagh (lokh nay), and it is the largest lake in Ireland. The sod patch is known as the Isle of Man.
Some questions to answer in your blog comments. Remember- you can also comment on someone else's comments!
- What do you think will happen to FInn McCool after he defeats Mac?
- How did the mighty Scottish giant get to the Emerald Isle?
- Why do you think the author included a map?
- Where did Finn McCool catch up with the Scottish marauder?
- Why do you think Finn McCool tracked down Mac?
- What happened to the sod patch Finn snatched from the ground?
- Why do you think ancient people made up this myth?
- Who was Ireland's sworn defender?
- How many tree trunks were used to make Mac's raft?
- Do you think it's OK to hurt someone else if you did it to defend someone else?
Material (C) Mondo Publishing K-5 Comprehension Strategies for Fiction and Non-Fiction as part of the "Now I Get It!" series.
