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Back then, our country had so many trees. There were enough trees to cover more than a billion football fields. That is A LOT of trees.
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images (Cutting Tree); Lizzie Renaud (Nosey bonnet); Shutterstock.com (All Other Images)
Paul Bunyan’s America
You are going to read the tale of a giant named Paul Bunyan. It takes place in our country about 140 years ago. Here are four things to know first.
From the May/June 2026 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will build background information about America 140 years ago to prepare to read a tall tale about Paul Bunyan.
Lexiles: 470L
Featured Skill: Key details
Standards
1. So Many Trees!
2. Chop, Chop!
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Long ago, there were very few cities or towns. People wanted to build them. They used wood.
Who cut all that wood? Lumberjacks did! It is a lumberjack’s job to cut down trees.
3. Animal Helpers
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Today people use machines to do work on farms. But long ago, people only had animals to help them out. An ox is a big animal that helps people farm. It can pull heavy tools.
4. A Time for Stories
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People did not have TV back then. They sat around a fire and told each other stories. Some stories were about a giant lumberjack named Paul Bunyan and his big blue ox.
Activities
(2)
Skills Activities
Answer Key
(1)
Text-to-Speech