The Cay
The Cay
by Theodore Taylor
Name:___________________________ Number of activities to be completed: _______
About the Book
i
r are traveling to Miam
Phillip and his mothe
their
a submarine torpedoes
on the SS Hato when
r hits Phillip in the head
freighter. A piece of timbe
.
knocks him unconscious
while he’s escaping and
crew
raft with an old black
Phillip wakes up on a
hy. As
Timot
is
name
His
member of the Hato.
drift for days on the raft,
Timothy and Phillip
worsens into blindness.
Phillip’s head injury
spots a small cay. There
Eventually, Timothy
p how to survive. Their
Timothy teaches Philli
sickness,
together, they battle
as,
grows
ship
friend
death. Phillip, blind and
hy’s
Timot
and
nature,
reunited with his
and
d
rescue
be
to
alone, survives
ting Timothy of the cay.
parents—never forget
1
3
5
ce _
ther
_
___ _____
___
_
___ ____
___
___
Great-G
ra
Birthpla ndfather ____
______
ce ____
_
______
______
__
___
Great-Grandmothe
r ___________
Birthplace ________
___________
Music
Research
coconuts and
research materials on
seed dispersal
pieces
le materials, such as
• Activity #9: reusab
glue
of cork, sponge, and wood;
ce materials on the
• Activity #10: referen
rs, Cay
Name
markeThe
or
s
crayon
ean,
Caribb
1
/2 sheet of poster board
als
of page 7, reference materi
• Activity #11: copy
_
colored
or
s
crayon
,
_
on sharks
__ __
pencils ___ Conflict
problem in a story that triggers action. Look
_rs, 15 index
the
is
cards,
_
_
_s or marke
__ referen
• Activity #12: crayon
alsCay and find important conflicts that Phillip
_back
ce materi
The
__ __box,
through
index
r _ _card
_
below.
res
e
l sea creatu
h on tropica
_
Timothy face. Write each conflict on a coconut
• Activity #8:
and
_
ot
dm ___
_ of conflict is experienced, and then lightly
_kind
Decide which
___
ran ___
2 to the code. Make sure you have
___ ___ according
t-G ce _
color
a
___the_coconut
__
e
erat_ least
_one
of each type of conflict listed.
_
example
th
Gr thpla
_
fa
_
nd
__
_
ra
_
Bir
G
_
_
atGre lace __
_
p
_____
Birth
_____ ___
other
m
d
Color
n
_____
Gra
___Conflict
Code
Great- ce ______
la
_______________
Birthp
Person
__
___
___
_______________
her ___ vs.
Red
Great-Grandfat
_____
Person
_________
Birthplace ___
_______________
Grand
Person
mothe
______________
Yellow
r ____ vs.
Birthp
__Self
lace _
_
_
_
_
_____
_____ __
Gr
___
an
Bir dfa
Person
thp the
D
Blue
vs.
lac
r
e _ ____
Bi ad _
Nature
__
rth _
__ ____
pl __
__
__
ac __
_
_
__
e
__ ____
__ ___
__
__ __
_ _
__ __
_______________
_______________
__ __
__ __
_______________
__ __
_______________
_ _
Me
_______________
_______________
________
______________
______________
®
©The Mailbox
My
Tree
M
Bi om
rth __
pl __
ac _
e __
__ __
__ __
__ __
__ __
__ __
__ __
__
_
s
to family member
Directions: Talk
photo albums or
and consult old
to fill in each
nts
ume
doc
family
family tree. If
branch of your
et
back of this she
desired, use the
r
ils, such as othe
deta
to add more
s.
ortant date
relatives or imp
Reading
___________
___________
Sisters
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
___________
_______________
_______________
____________
______________
______________
____________
5
©The Mailbox
®
11
10
Science
12
Research
“The Cay”
Answer Keys
3
®
®
Writing
The sea creatures listed
below are mentioned
in The Cay. Research
these interesting animals. Next, write each
animal’s name on the
front of an index card.
On the back of each
corresponding card, draw
a picture of the animal and write several
facts about it. Then use
The Cay
reference materials on
Caribbean sea animals
to make five additional
sea creature cards.
Store your cards in an
index card box to create
a Caribbean sea creatu
Page 6
re fact file.
Students’ respons
langosta mussels
es will
scallops
vary
parrot fish
. Pos
sibl
1. Person vs. Per pomp
ano
e resp
sea
urchin
s ons
eelses are listed belo
sonshark
(Resd): Fac
w.
ed
skates
with Timbarrac
drink too much
othy’suda
unwillingnes
of the
Shark Smart!
water on the raft,
s to
2. Person vs.
Phillip begins to
Self (Yellow): Phi
dislike him.
llip discovers he
©The Mailbox
3. Person vs. ©The
is blind.
PerMailbox
son (Red): Phi
llip becomes ang
making him wea
4
ry with Timothy
ve sleeping mat
for
4. Person vs.
s while blind.
Nature (Blue):
A hurricane pas
5. Person vs.
ses over the sma
Self (Yellow): Phi
ll
cay.
llip is angry at
him on the isla
Timothy for leav
nd alone after
ing
he has died.
6. Person vs.
False
Nature (Blue):
While swimming
Phillip is attacke
in the fishing hole
d by a moray eel.
,
R7. Person vs. Self
(Yellow): Phillip
knows that he
the island blind
cannot survive
and alone. The
on
thought makes
D8. Person vs. Self (Ye
him miserable.
llow): Phillip liste
the island and
ns as a plane pas
then leaves. Phi
ses over
llip wishes he wer
M
e dead.
Page 7
1. False
H
9. True
2. True
10. False
3.
P True
11. True
4. False
12.
False
5.
H True
13. False
6. False
14. True
7.L True
15. True
8. False
E
HAM
MERHEAD SHA
RK
S
®
®
Part I Directions: Read the statements about
sharks below. Decide if each statement is true
or false. Use reference materials for help, if
needed. Color in the correct answer.
_______________
1. Sharks can’t replace their teeth.
_______________
True
T
2. Sharks, rays, and skates all belong to the
same class of fish.
_______________
3. Most______
sharks are not dangerous to people.
________
M
D
4. Scientists classify about 100 species of
sharks.
5. Sharks have the same five senses that
humans
N
do.
S
fish.
T
7. Most_______
sharks give birth to live young.
________
E
________
8. Baby_______
sharks are called cubs.
_______________
9. Sharks use an electrosense for navigation
and finding prey.
______________
10. All sharks are herbivores.
A
R
O
A
K
L
12. Sharks often die of cancer.
W
A
_______
________
13.
A person
who studies sharks is called a stenographer.
W
M
_______________
14. White sharks rank among the most dangerou
s sharks.
A
U
_______________
15. A shark has no bones in its body.
______________
H
B
Part II Directions: Unscramble the colored
letters to find the name of an unusual shark
that is
sometimes found in tropical seas. Wrtie your
answer in the blanks below.
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
©The Mailbox®
be completed: _______
Science
The Cay shows what
life was like in the
Caribbean during World
War II. Today, tourism
is big business in the
Caribb
books, magazines, broch ean. Use travel
ures, and the Internet to find information
about the Caribbean.
Then write a script for
a television commercial
advertising an island in
the Caribbean. Along
with your script, includ
e a poster that describes
the island and highlights
the attractions of that
island.
After Phillip stumbles
off the raft into the water,
Timothy yells, “I tol’ you
’bout d’shark!” What
do you know about shark
s? Obtain a copy of
page 7 from your teach
er and test your knowl
edge about these amaz
ing fish.
From the moment that Phillip ends up on the
raft
with Timothy, the two of them are surrounded
by
sharks. There are sharks in the water around
the raft
and sharks in the water around the cay. Follow
the
©The
Mailbox
directions
below to separate the true shark statements
©The
Mailbox
from the false shark statements.
6. The spiny dogfish shark is the world’s largest
8
Critical Thinking
9
11. The movie Jaws featured a mechanical
great white shark and
was directed by Steven Spielberg.
__________
Art
When Phillip explores
the island after the hurricane, he finds no use
for items blown ashore,
such as pieces of cork
and sponge. Gather
similar reusable mater
ials from home and
school to construct a mode
l raft or boat. Place
your vessel in water to
make sure it floats.
Then give your seawo
rthy vessel a name.
Art
Cracking Conflict
Brothers
you know about
How much do
llip knew more
your family? Phi
Timothy knew
than
ily
fam
about his
out as much as
about his. Find
by
your family tree
you can about
ctions below.
following the dire
7
As Phillip weaves palm
branches together
into sleeping mats, the
Timothy feels that he is
cay weaves Phillip and
too old to climb, so he
Timothy together as friend
wants Phillip to climb
the coconut palm trees
s.
to
rectangle from two differe Obtain a 2” x 3”
get coconuts for them.
nt colors of construction
Timothy longs to taste
paper. Choose one of
the milk and meat of this
the two-inch ends of each
tropical fruit. How do
rectangle as the top and
you think the coconut
trim
palm trees got on the
them. Cut about four equal the edges to round
cay? Research cocon
uts and seed dispersal
slits in each rectanto
gle, from the bottom to
find out how this wonde
one-fourth inch from the
rful tree probably found
rounded top. Weave the
itself on an out-of-the-w
two pieces together to
ay cay. Then write
make a heart. Glue the
a story as if you were
heart to a 31/2” x 5” sheet
a coconut, using your
of construction paper
research to tell about
to make a friendship card.
your travels and how you
Personalize your card
helped Phillip and Timot
with a
hy on the cay.
ship and give it to a specia quote about friendl friend.
Timothy and Phillip have some differences but
Timothy takes safety precautions prior to the
also share many similarities. Use two paper
hurricane that hits the cay. Would you know
plates, crayons or markers, and yarn to make
what to do in a hurricane? Contact your local
the faces of these characters. On the back of
weather station or use the Internet to find inforeach plate, list at least five character qualities
mation on how to stay safe during a hurricane.
for each person, some of which may be listed
Then, using this information, design a public
Cay
The Attach
on both plates.
a craft stick handle to
service poster outlining the steps you should Name
the bottom of each plate. Then use the faces to
take to prepare for a hurricane.
act out a scene from the story.
Family
_
______
er ____
____
randfath
Great-G ____________
__
ce
___ _
Birthpla
___ ___
___ ____
_
__
_
_
__
er _ ___
__ __
oth ___
__ __
ndm ce __
__ ___
a
r
_
G hpla
_
_
t
__ __
Bir
r _ __
the ___
dfa ce _
n
a
Gr thpla
Bir
Writing
Timothy and Phillip face many conflicts in
The Cay. Obtain a copy of page 6 from
your teacher and list some of the different challenges they face.
6
t
____________ Number
of activities to
An important lesson I learned is…
The best thing about the cay is…
I was frightened when…
The food was…
The animals were…
4
Timothy hums and sings calypso in The Cay.
This island music originated on Trinidad in
the Caribbean Sea. Improvising lyrics is very
important in calypso; many singers make up
rhymes on the spot. Go to the library and
obtain a copy of “The Banana Boat Song
(Day-O)” or find the lyrics online. Then make
up your own words to the song. Ask your
classmates to join you in singing your version
of this popular song.
List
dent Contract Materials
Name
2
Independent Contrac
Name:_______________
Pretend you are Phillip, writing journal entries
to tell your friend Henrik van Boven about
your experiences on the cay. On five separate sheets of paper, write one paragraph per
page, using the prompts below to help you get
started. Then illustrate your entries. Bind your
pages together using a hole puncher and yarn.
•
•
•
•
•
About the Author
of page 5
• Activity #1: copy
er,
s or markers, hole punch
• Activity #2: crayon
paper
yarn, 5 sheets of white
et
to the library or Intern
• Activity #3: access
6
of page
1
• Activity #4: copy
of
s or markers, /2 sheet
• Activity #5: crayon
the Internet
poster board, access to
craft
s or markers, glue, 2
• Activity #6: crayon
yarn
sticks, 2 paper plates,
scissors, two 2” x 3” sheets
• Activity #7: glue,
uction
of different-colored constr
Gre
lighta
one 31/2” x 5” sheet of
Birth t-Grapaper,
ndm construction paper
pla colored
o
Social Studies
Chapters 1 and 2 tell about Phillip and his parents. In chapter 4 Timothy tells about himself
and his family. How much could you tell about
your family? Obtain a copy of page 5 from
your teacher and ask family members to help
you fill in your family tree. Share your family
tree with the class.
the
ore was raised during
in North Carolina. Theod
ated
born on June 23, 1921,
at age 13. When he gradu
Theodore Taylor was
a Virginia newspaper
wrote sports stories for
and
ssion
Daily
Depre
ngton
Great
e a copyboy for the Washi
from high school, he becam
aper developed his
DC. Working for the newsp college.
News in Washington,
going to
always regretted not
the naval reserve.
writing skills, but he
and
es
marin
ant
merch
At 21, Taylor joined the
the background for
history, which gave him
round for The
He grew to love naval
off Midway Island. Backg
books such as The Battle
in the Caribbean,
iences while stationed
exper
his
from
came
is based on
Cay
relief. Phillip Enright
ane
hurric
ed
provid
where he
as a child.
someone Taylor knew
Stu
The Cay
Independent Contract
6
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___ ___ ___ ___ ___
7
©The Mailbox®
8