Based on Holling C. Holling's book of the same name, Paddle to the Sea is Bill Mason's film adaptation of the classic tale of an Indigenous boy who sets out to carve a man and a canoe. Calling the man "Paddle to the Sea," he sets his carving down on a frozen stream to await spring’s arrival. The film follows the adventures that befall the canoe on its long odyssey from Lake Superior to the sea.
Ages 6 to 11
English Language Arts - Children's Stories/Fables
Indigenous Studies - Arts
Why did the little boy make Paddle? Discuss the many dangers and adventures that Paddle faced from Nature and "the world of men". Was his journey to the sea successful? Suggest reasons why everyone who found Paddle put him back in the water.