Student Question
How did Sam from My Side of the Mountain hollow out his tree?
Quick answer:
Sam hollowed out his hemlock tree by using fire, inspired by the method Native Americans used to create dugout canoes. After cooking lunch one day, he decided to start a fire inside the tree trunk. This process allowed him to burn out the inside of the tree, creating a hollow space suitable for living. With limited tools available, this innovative approach enabled Sam to create a home within the tree.
Sam finds a hemlock tree that he thinks would make a good home, but he needs to hollow it out. He doesn't really have much in the way of tools, so he uses fire.
One day, Sam had been cooking some lunch for himself on a fire. He was about to put the fire out, but then he had a thought. He realized that the Indians used to use fire to make dugout canoes. He realized that he could do the same thing to make the hemlock tree hollow and allow him to live in it. So he started a fire burning inside the trunk.
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