Steamboats on Okanagan Lake
Writing

Write a paragraph on what you thought of Steamboats on the Okanagan Lake. Don’t write on what the story was about, but rather write a paragraph on what your thoughts and feelings were as you read this vignette. For example, ask yourself questions like:

Did you like the vignette? Why or why not?
Could you relate to any of the vignette?
Would you have liked living 100 years ago during the early steamboat era?

Pretend that you are a newspaper reporter and you are going to interview Captain George L. Estabrooks in 1914 after his first month on the S.S. Sicamous.

First, do some brainstorming to think up some possible questions that you would like to ask Captain Estabrooks.

When you are making up your questions, make sure you have open-ended questions. An open-ended question is one that cannot be answered with just a one word answer. An example of an open-ended question to George Estabrooks might be: “What did you think when the boat got stuck on the day of her launching?”

After you have brainstormed a number of questions, then choose the best five questions.

Then get together with another student. One of you will pretend to be George Estabrooks, the other student will be the interviewer. After you have asked the five questions and written down the answers, then switch places. After both of you have had a chance to be George Estabrooks, then share your questions and answers with the class.