Teacher Guide
Novel
Companion
A Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L’Engle
The True Confessions
of Charlotte Doyle
Avi
Bearstone
Will Hobbs
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry
Bridge to Terabithia
Tuck Everlasting
Katherine Paterson
Natalie Babbitt
Photo Credits
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CORBIS; 40 Bettmann/CORBIS; 50 Keystone/CORBIS; 60 B. Agee/Photex/zefa/CORBIS.
Acknowledgments
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and agents for permission to reprint the following copyrighted material. Every effort
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will be pleased to make suitable acknowledgments in future editions.
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database or retrieval system, without prior permission of the publisher.
Send all inquiries to:
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill
8787 Orion Place
Columbus, OH 43240-4027
ISBN 13: 978-0-07-889158-8
ISBN 10: 0-07-889158-2
Printed in the United States of America.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 047 14 13 12 11 10 09 08
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About the Novel Companion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Connection to the Glencoe Literature Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Connection to Glencoe’s Literature Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Overview of the Structure of the Novel Companion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Interacting with Excerpts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Using Excerpts to Compare and Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Interactive Reading Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Note-Taking Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Note-Taking Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Outline of the Novel Companion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Unit 1
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
About the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Options for Motivating Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Options for Using Related Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Unit 2
Bearstone by Will Hobbs
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
About the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Options for Motivating Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Options for Using Related Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
A bout the Nov el Compani on
iii
TA BLE OF CONTENTS
Unit 3
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
About the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Options for Motivating Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Options for Using Related Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Unit 4
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
About the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Options for Motivating Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Options for Using Related Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Unit 5
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
50
About the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Options for Motivating Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Options for Using Related Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Unit 6
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
60
About the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Options for Motivating Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Options for Using Related Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
iv
ABOUT THE NOVEL COMPANION
The Novel Companion is the advanced
level of Glencoe’s interactive reading
workbooks, Interactive Read and Write,
which accompany the literature program,
Glencoe Literature. Students will study six
novels, autobiographies, and plays as they
complete the Novel Companion workbook.
Each title they study is paired with one
unit of Glencoe Literature. The titles, chosen
from those offered in Glencoe’s Literature
Library, represent well-known and muchloved literature both from the literary
canon and from award-winning modern
works. They challenge advanced students
by offering readabilities that are either at
grade level or one grade above level.
The Novel Companion workbook does not
include the full text of the novels (and the
other longer works). Each student should
have easy access to their own copies of
the novels. The Novel Companion does
include numerous excerpts from the
novels. These excerpts allow students to
do close readings of the text as they study
key aspects of the novel that reflect
important concepts already covered in
Glencoe Literature.
Connection to the Glencoe
Literature Program
The major themes and concepts represented
by the literary works featured in the Novel
Companion have been carefully matched to
Glencoe Literature’s Big Questions, the
major themes and concepts that appear in
each unit of the Glencoe Literature program.
The Novel Companion’s approach to
teaching literature and reading is also
modeled after that of Glencoe Literature:
students study literary elements, apply
reading skills and strategies, learn new
vocabulary, write about literature, and
engage in other activities related to the
literature. The Novel Companion, however,
additionally teaches students note-taking
techniques to help them make connections
between the Novel Companion’s longer
works and Glencoe Literature’s shorter
works.
Although the Novel Companion is
designed to be used in conjunction with
Glencoe Literature, it can easily be used
independently. For example, students
may wish to delay beginning their novels
until after they’ve finished their unit work
in Glencoe Literature. (Note that the
literary elements paired with a novel
draw from literary elements taught in
units up to and including the unit to
which the novel has been assigned,
whereas the Big Questions and
reading skills and strategies draw
only from the unit to which the
novel has been assigned.)
Connection to Glencoe’s
Literature Library
Students may use any published version
of the novel in their work with the Novel
Companion. Library editions of the titles are
offered by Glencoe in its Literature Library
series. These editions include related
readings, for which the Novel Companion
offeres activities that give students the
opportunity to relate themes and concepts
from the novel to other types of literature.
A bout the Novel Compani on
1
ABOUT TH E NOVEL COMPANION
Overview of the Structure
of the Novel Companion
The Novel Companion has students practice
applying advanced-level skills, first taught
in Glencoe Literature, to excerpts from novels
and other longer works. The workbook
begins by introducing each novel and its
author. It then breaks down the literary
work into sets consisting of several chapters
each. The teaching apparatus for the
chapter sets mirrors that for the literature
selections in Glencoe Literature: each has an
assigned literary element, a reading strategy
or skill, accompanying vocabulary words,
and writing and extension activities.
Students study the literary element, reading
strategy and skill, and the Big Question as
reflected in the excerpts.
The Novel Companion includes two general
types of lessons:
• Interactive Reading Lessons are lessons
based on the sequential chapter
groupings (chapter sets) in each novel.
In this part of the workbook, students
practice identifying important ideas and
themes, analyzing literary elements,
applying reading strategies, completing
graphic organizers, and mastering
vocabulary—all skills that expert readers
use to help them comprehend novels
and other lengthy works of literature.
(See pages 4–5.)
• Note-Taking Lessons present two
methods of note-taking to help students
connect the major themes in Glencoe
Literature to the novels and other works
they will be reading. Learning these
valuable methods will help students take
effective notes whenever they study. (See
pages 6–7.)
2
For an annotated outline of the Novel
Companion structure, see pages 8–9.
Interacting with Excerpts
For each novel, students interact with 9–15
excerpts, each one or two pages long. The
excerpts allow students to use targeted
skills to work with targeted text. These
targeted skills include 1) analyzing and
evaluating literary elements inherent in
the text, 2) applying advanced-level reading
skills and strategies, and 3) utilizing
specialized methods of note-taking.
Interacting with Excerpts: Literary Elements
Great works of literature are ideal for
studying the application of literary
techniques, such as satire, and literary
devices, such as hyperbole, as well as
for identifying literary elements, such
as diction. In both Glencoe Literature and
the Novel Companion, literary techniques,
devices, and elements are all referred to
as literary elements because they are present
in the literature and help to define the
literature and create effects. In the Novel
Companion, students study the particular
literary elements of an excerpt by
answering two literary element questions
that address specific highlighted sections
of that excerpt. (See page 4.)
Interacting with Excerpts: Reading Skills
and Strategies Literary works are sometimes
difficult to read and understand, even for
advanced-level students. To help students
read such works more easily and effectively,
the Novel Companion re-teaches certain
reading skills and strategies already taught
in Glencoe Literature. The specific skills and
strategies are determined by the complexity
of the literature as well as by whether the
literary elements require a review of certain
ABOUT THE NOVEL COMPANION
reading skills and strategies. For example, to
help students understand an author’s style,
it may be necessary to first teach how to
recognize and analyze an author’s style as
you read. Just as with the literary elements
lessons, students study and apply particular
reading skills and strategies to an excerpt
by answering two questions that address
specific highlighted sections of that excerpt.
(See page 4.)
Interacting with Excerpts: Note-Taking To
help students retain what they have read,
the Novel Companion introduces two notetaking systems and demonstrates the value
of these systems by applying them to
targeted areas of literary study: the study
of themes and concepts. These themes and
concepts appear in the form of Big
Questions that occur in each unit of
Glencoe Literature. By applying both notetaking approaches to a specific excerpt,
students get the most out of what they’ve
read. (See page 7).
Using Excerpts to Compare
and Contrast
In addition to including excerpts from
novels and other longer works, the Novel
Companion also includes excerpts from
selections that appear in Glencoe Literature.
Students compare and contrast three or
four of the longer work’s literary elements
with those of the Glencoe Literature excerpt.
A bout the Novel Compani on
3
ABOUT THE NOVEL COMPANION
Interactive Reading Lessons
The questions that appear in the interactive reading lessons help direct
students through the process of reading and extracting meaning from the
excerpts. The diagrams on the following pages also appear on pages 2–3 of the
Novel Companion’s student edition and serve to introduce students to these
types of lessons. You may wish to review that section of the student edition
with your students before having them work on the Novel Companion.
Chapte rs 1–8
BEFOR E YOU READ:
Get Set to Read
ture
Conne ct to the Litera
goal and then worked
set yourself a challenging
Think of a time when you
you feel when you
you work so hard? How did
hard to meet it. What made
achieved your goal?
After reading about the novel and the author, you
will begin to read the novel. You will study it in
groupings of chapters, or chapter sets, in the
Novel Companion. Each chapter set begins with
an activity to connect your personal experience to
the literature. You will also read background
material to provide context for the chapter set
content.
Write a Journal Entry
hard to meet
goal, your reasons for working
In your journal, describe the
when you achieved it.
the goal, and your feelings
NOVEL NOTEBOOK
to record
Keep a special notebook
you
entries about the novels that
read this year.
SUMMARIZE
the
Summarize in one sentence
the text
most important idea(s) of
in Build Background.
Build Backg round
Settlers Change Ute Ways
BEF ORE YOU
REA D: Cha
pter s 1–8
of Life
d eastern
after the Ute, who once dominate
The state of Utah is named
settlement, the
. Before the time of European
Utah and western Colorado
were introduced, they
and nomads. After horses
Ute were fierce warriors
rituals were the
Among their most important
became great horse riders.
sun dance and the bear dance.
Set Pur pos es
for Rea din g
왘 BIG Quest
ion Why Read
?
How do you find
out about the lives
of people who
places or cultur
come from differe
es? One way you
nt
can find out is
reading can help
by reading. Explo
you learn about
re how
the world.
numbers of
in California in 1848, growing
After the discovery of gold
went through the
travel routes of these settlers
settlers moved west. The
with Native
areas, often causing conflict
Great Plains and Great Basin
1880s, pioneer
living there. In the 1870s and
American groups already
in the
settled
Utes
their lands. Northern
miners forced the Ute from
Utes were
Southern
while
Utah,
in northeastern
Uintah-Ouray Reservation
. Today, about four
in southwestern Colorado
restricted to a small area
Utah.
and
Colorado
in
ns
thousand Ute live on reservatio
You’re invited to interact with the information in
Build Background by summarizing content or
writing a caption for an image related to the
content.
Literary Elem
ent Character
A character is
a person or other
creature in a literar
character is one
y work. A dynam
who changes during
ic
the same throug
the story. A static
hout the story.
character remai
A character with
ns
called round. A
many different
character with
traits is
only one trait is
people in a story
called flat. The
are the main chara
important
cters. Less impor
minor characters.
tant people are
Often, main chara
cters are round
minor characters
and dynamic, and
are flat and static
. Round, dynam
usually more intere
ic
chara
sting to read about
cters are
than flat, static
characters.
Recognizing the
types of characters
in a story is impor
of events—the
plot—usually revolv
tant.
es around the action The sequence
characters. Howe
ver, minor chara
s of the main
cters can affect
the plot too.
As you read, think
about each chara
cter as he or she
identify each chara
is introduced. Try
cter’s traits. Use
to
the graphic organ
page to help you
record the inform
izer on the follow
ing
ation.
Reading Strat
egy Connect
to Today
When you conne
ct to today, you
link what you read
in today’s world
to
.
51-94_NC_889150.indd
You are then introduced to the targeted skills for
the chapter set: the Big Question, the literary
element, and the reading skill or strategy. You will
also get vocabulary for the chapter set.
56
NOVE L COM
PANI ON:
wither [with ər]
v. to dry up; to
die
As soon as Luke
picked the
flower, it began
to wither.
events and issues
Connecting to
today helps you
understand the
When reading
author’s
works that have
an unusual or unfam message.
important to consi
iliar setting, it is
der how the event
s in the story relate
real world today
.
s 1–8 55
to issues in the
Bear stone: Chapter
To connect to today
,
• identify the main
issues in 1/23/08
10:45:03 AM
the story
• link events and
issues in the story
• look for a messa
to those in today
’s world
ge or lesson that
the author might
be trying to conve
As you read, think
y
about ways that
the events in the
linked to issues
characters’ lives
in the news today
are
. You may find it
organizer like the
helpful to use a
one at the right.
graphic
55
Vocabulary
admonish [ad mon
ish]
v. to warn; to scold
My parents admo
nish me about
my bad homework
habits.
gingerly [jin jər
lē]
adv. cautiously;
carefully
Danielle handled
the delicate
ornament ginge
rly.
relentlessly [ri
lent lis lē]
adv. sternly; witho
ut stopping
It rained relent
lessly, forcing the
children to stay
inside for hours
.
tediously [tē dē
əs lē]
adv. boringly; uneve
ntfully
The man spoke
tediously,
repeating ideas
and adding
nothing new.
Event in
Story
Cloyd tries
to find his
father.
Unit 2
51-94_NC_889150.
indd 56
1/23/08 10:45:04
AM
AC TI VE READ I NG : C h a p ter s 1– 8
The narrator describes some of Cloyd Atcitty’s
personal qualities and characteristics. Other
qualities and characteristics are revealed in Cloyd’s
words, thoughts, and actions. Use the web diagram
on this page to make a list of Cloyd’s personal
qualities and characteristics—both positive and
negative—as you learn about them in this section of
the novel. Write the qualities, along with comments
you have about them, in the circles connected to
the circle with Cloyd’s name.
Read, Respond, Interpret
Every lesson includes an active reading
graphic organizer to fill in as you read.
This graphic organizer is related to
either the literary element or the reading
skill or strategy for the chapter set.
Thoughtful,
quick-thinking,
able to make
good plans
t
ING: Literar y Elemen
INTER ACTIV E READ
Literary Element
redCharacter Think about the
he is a
haired man. Do you think
main character or a minor
know?
character? How do you
Interactive reading pages include text
excerpts from the novels that emphasize
a literary element or a reading skill or
strategy. Questions in the margin help
you interact with highlighted portions of
the text.
58
4
Author’s
Message
Teens in
trouble
probably
want and
need a
father or
father
figure.
NOVEL COMPAN ION:
TER 8
INT ERA CTI
VE REA DIN
NOVE L EXCER PT: CHAP
G: Rea din
the redg Stra teg
old man was bringing
Cloyd Atcitty
y
With no warning, the
to meet,
Reading Stra
someone I’d like you
tegy
haired man over. “Got
Cloyd.”
Connect to Toda
friend. “This here’s
NO VEL EXC
y What are
Rusty,” he said to his
the
saw
ERP T: CH
the
Cloyd
issues or chall
he looked away,
AP TER 2
enges in Cloyd
Cloyd wan
For an instant, before
Cloyd
’s
How
ted
life?
meeting
are they the
to go home
man thought that
Every mile
same or differ
to Utah, back
bear hunter’s eyes. The
from the chall
ent
took him farth
and said
to White Mes
enges and issue
stuck out his giant hand,
er into Colo
than Durang
a.
s that
some students
was a joke. The tall man
rado, farther
o, where he’d
it? Never
face today?
even
to meet ’ya. ‘Cloyd,’ is
spent the lone
group hom
in his raspy voice, “Glad
e. He was look
ly winter in
the
ing out the
before.”
the beaver
win
heard a name like that
dam
dow
Cloyd.
s
in
with
of the van at
the creek alon
to shake hands
weren’t any
g the highway
Walter had never tried
to
beav
but
choice
er
no
dam
.
There
s where he
But he had
His housem
came from.
Cloyd hated shaking hands.
other didn’t
speak, and
said it all befo
he was glad
offer his now.
re. How he
. She’d
just shake his hand, he
couldn’t go
summer, how
home for the
The red-haired man didn’t
t. It
she’d had this
to do that, Cloyd though
with an old
idea to put
man whose
crushed it. He didn’t have
him on a ranc
the
show
face
his
let
wife had died
h
was going
tried not to
, and how muc
to like it.
hurt really bad. Cloyd
eyes said
h he
man’s mocking eyes. The
What was the
pain. He glimpsed the
old
Indian.
man
an
only
going to be
at all,
he didn’t hav
like? Cloyd
e to meet this
Cloyd was nothing, nothing
wished
Walter Lan
these people
to get them to talk. “Cloyd
dis. Why wou
just leave him
The old man was trying
“That
g.
beamin
said,
ldn’
home, thro
alone? All win
t
horses,” Walter
ugh the mis
ter in the grou
here’s real good with
him.”
erable days
forward to
p
really taken a shine to
in school, he
going home
blue roan of mine has
“Well,
had
for the sum
r said with a short laugh.
g take
B e a r s t one : bein
C ha pte
r s 1n
– 8awa
57
mer. Now even looked
“Is that so?” the outfitte
y from him
you. All
that was
. They were
grandmother
It could care less about
afraid his
wouldn’t mak
a horse ain’t a dog, Cloyd.
animal, not
work
a
is
disa
e
horse
him
A
ppear into
mind, that
about is getting fed.
the cany
it cares
she’d let him
51-94_NC_889150.indd 57
1/23/08 10:45:04 AM ons agai
how good that
n. Cloyd thou
would be, to
a pet.”
ng. The
wanted to run
disappear and ght about
hand was still throbbi
away again,
be free. He
Cloyd turned away. His
mounted his
hitchhike hom
When he was
his own business and
trying to find
e to White
bear hunter turned to
red-haired
the
to
Mesa.
do
his
could
“Ge
he
fath
what
tting close,”
er, he’d hitc
horse. Cloyd imagined
his housem
hed all ove
every
She pulled
r.
other announ
twice the man’s size. Break
off the high
ced cheerful
man’s hand if he were
way
there’s the
ly.
river, Cloyd— onto a bumpy dirt road
bone in it.
. “Look,
disappear
the
tree
dogs
Pied
their
s!”
and
ra
River—throu
Cloyd watched the riders
gh the
didn’t even
man
Cloy
old
the
and
d
,
had already
upriver. He was furious
to the
noticed the
was so diffe
river and the
now that he meant nothing
rent from the
big pines. It
know it. Cloyd was sure
high desert
the window
back home.
down all the
He rolled
way. It sme
“Walter ’s is
lled like . . .
the only plac
pine cones.
James said.
e north of the
“After his plac
highway,”
Susan
e, it’s all wild
hundred mile
erness for a
s and
Cloyd noticed more.”
how she drov
through the
e slowly and
potholes, slow
deliberately
er than she
There was
only a shor
would hav
e had to.
t time left befo
off. Probably
re she drop
she was goin
ped him
g to tell him
rancher was
to behave.
an old frien
This
d of hers. The
gate. Cloyd
re, ahead, was
thought how
Unit 2
the
much he didn
’t want to mee
60 NOV EL
COM PAN
t this
AM
1/23/08 10:45:04
ION:
Unit
2
51-94_NC_889150.indd
58
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4 AM
ABOUT THE NOVEL COMPANION
Show What You Know
: Chapte rs 1–8
AFTER YOU READ
APPLY BACKGROUND
on page
Reread Build Background
n help
55. How did that informatio
te
you understand or apprecia
what you read in the novel?
Critic ally
Respo nd and Think
what is the
the bearstone? In your opinion,
1. Where does Cloyd find
t]
Cloyd chooses? [Interpre
meaning of the secret name
After you read the chapters in the chapter set,
you will answer questions about the content,
including how the background information helped
you as you read.
dislike him? Support
d man? Why does Cloyd
2. Who is the red-haire
the story. [Infer]
response with details from
the fence?
to work so hard to complete
3. What motivates Cloyd
[Evaluate]
job believable? Explain.
find his attitude toward the
You will then demonstrate what you learned from
your interactive reading of the excerpts. You will
also practice using the vocabulary words you
were introduced to and learn a new vocabulary
word that can be used in your academic writing.
your
AFT ER YO
U REA D:
Cha pte rs
Do you
Literary Elem
ent Characte
r
1. What are
Walter’s main
traits? Is he
flat characte
a round or
r? Provide exam
ples from the
to support your
novel
answer. [App
ly]
of view. What sort of
is told from Walter’s point
4. Imagine that the story
from the thirdWalter that you do not learn
things would you learn from
Do you feel the
would Walter not know?
on
person narrator? What things
with Walter as the first-pers
stronger
or
weaker
be
novel would
[Conclude]
narrator? Explain your answer.
l beliefs or customs of the
5. Why Read? What traditiona
ize]
you learned about? [Summar
In addition, you will complete a short writing
assignment and other activities related to what
you read in the chapter set content. These
activities will draw on what you studied in your
interactive work on the excerpts from the
chapters.
64
2. In addition
to the red-haired
man, who else
static characte
is a
r in this nove
l? Why? [App
ly]
Ute people have
1–8
Vocabulary
Practice
A synonym is
a word that
has the same
the same mean
or nearly
ing as another
boldfaced voca
word. Match
each
bulary word
below with its
synonym. Use
a thesaurus
or dictionary
your answers.
to check
1. admonish
a. sternly
2. gingerly
b. boringly
3. relentless
ly c. carefully
4. wither
d. warn
5. tediously
e. wash
f. happily
g. die
Academic
Vocabulary
Cloyd has almo
st completely
lost his own
Walter is a pote
father, but
ntial father-figu
preceding sente
re for Cloyd.
In the
nce, potential
Think about
means poss
ible.
something that
might be poss
your future.
ible in
Describe a pote
ntial relationsh
change, or othe
ip,
r development
in your life.
Unit 2
NOVEL COMPAN ION:
1/23/08 10:45:05 AM
rs 1–8
Rea
pte
ding
Cha
Strategy Conn
U REA D: 1.
ect to Today
What are the
AFT ER YO
64
51-94_NC_889150.indd
some of main
issue
far? How do
s in the nove
as
they conn
l so
t Are
tenect
to issues in
worl t to
[AnaCon
today’s
lyze]
Con necd?
Wr itin g
Social Studies
of the San Juan
r cities
Create a map
Assignment
your map majo
n. Include on
peaks
tain ranges,
mountain regio
s, lakes, moun
nal
passes, natio
and towns, river
g
key roads and
),
tions
other outstandin
(with eleva
state lines, and
s,
darie
boun
forest
res.
featu
:
steps
Follow these
the
Investigate
ces, including
variety of sour
• Consult a
print atlases.
map. You
Internet and
an accurate
ns
you will make
or instructio
• Decide how
load software
down
to
may be able
net.
from the Inter
for mapmaking
map.
51-94_NC_8891
area you will
t
50.indd 65
exac
the
• Choose
ld put together
that you shou
that your
• Keep in mind
more maps so
from three or
someone
information
not a copy of
own work and
map is your
else’s work.
le.
, clear, and legib
large
map
to help
e your
, and symbols
Create Mak
use colors, lines
as mountain
Remember to
mation, such
explains
standard infor
de a key that
you present
s, and to inclu
about the
road
and
think
es
map,
rang
have made the
live or
them. After you
by people who
enges faced
enges.
special chall
List the chall
rness areas.
travel in wilde
in what it
map and expla
your
the
lay
Report Disp
challenges that
your list of the
travel in
shows. Read
le who live or
ents to peop
geography pres
the area.
Walter’s
are living on
r to a
r Imagine you
. Write a lette
Write a Lette
ng to know Cloyd tions to his new
ranch and getti
’s reac
g how Cloyd
ribin
Cloyd’s
desc
Use
d
far.
frien
ged so
d have chan
. End your
ideas
life and frien
your
ns to support
friendship
words and actio
how Cloyd’s
prediction of
letter with a
will turn out.
with Walter
notes here first.
Jot down some
After you read the entire novel, you will work with
related readings, connect the novel to an excerpt
from Glencoe Literature, and finally, write an
essay or story that draws upon what you learned
by reading.
PAN
NOV EL COM
66
2
ION : Unit
Bear ston
e: Cha pter
s 1–8
65
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5 AM
5 AM
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CON NEC T
AD IN
LA TED RE
WI TH RE
WO RK
CON NEC T
LITE RAT URE
TO OTH ER
GS
LITE RAT URE
a-E -Ka
EXC ERP T: Ta-N
TO OTH ER
LITE RAT URE
RE SP ON
Compare the novel
you have just read
tables in right, which is
to the literature
excerpted from
for each of the
selection at the
“Ta-Na-E-Ka”
picked flowers
r. I was up Literature. Then answ
by Mary White
he
er the quest
bird in Glencoe
never felt bette
I ever heard,”
Ernie’s. I had
sun rise on theselections to support your answ ions below. Provide details from
“Darnedest thing gh. “Lived next to
the
ers.
gh to watch the
I
enou
throu
set.
Library
it
was
e
early
I
n
atur
after
is the
t to bed
ers said, whe
coe’s Liter
my life and this
ouri, and I wen
all
dings in Glen texts. Write your answ
that
n
Miss
Rea
ting
vatio
Com
ted
insis
Rela
par e & Con
the
r-you
the reser
ything I wanted— the food.
tras t
s refer to the
details from
Ta-Na whateve
provided.
ever
of
stion
with
d
ate
lines
que
ers
hear
the
ey for
e
first I’ve
1. Character:
The following
port your answ n some notes first on
Are Mary and
at me, all goos
take all my mon
e
ed
novel. Sup
y,”
Erni
look
dow
this
Mar
Cloyd
He
jot
of
both dynamic chara
each does or does
call-it.”
er, but
edition
“Pretty silly
in trust for you,
cters? Explain
Dead Buck
sheet of pap
not change and
Hill
“I’ll keep this
my bathing suit.
how
are ever
Prayer to a
develop.
on a separate
d by W. W. bumps in
ered.
“in case you
er translate
a kid,” he mutt
describe the
Ernie promised,
(He did, too,
Navajo pray
would you thing to do to
thinking
I Am”
five dollars.”
nections How life and death? How was just what I’d been
desperate for
“I Know Who
Make Con
That
I
.)
toward
from
rstone?
nner
s another story
n Ernie said it,
ude in Bea
living away
ker’s attitude
that’
whe
were
attit
but
but
that
spea
s
Brent Ashabra
d’s
days
ths,
feel
Cloy
é
in
for
It’s a
n the five
describe
lar? mon
experience
nections Ren
would you
I was sorry whe
“No, it isn’t silly.
attitudes simi
Make Con
te with
and gaining
s are their
became angry.
doing
ton are
reservation
yed every minu
In what way
and Washing
Kaw. We’ve been
the Apache
e
over. I’d enjo
make
custom of the
, Las Cruces,
d would agre
My mother
ht me how to
Albuquerque Do you think that Cloy
Ernie
reds of years.
Ernie. He taug
at Walter’s
gs.
y in
to make Chili
this for hund
pens to him
positive thin
er and everybod
ern omelets and
dfath
West
on what hap
d
dishes).
gran
rite
my
base
and
ceremony.
of my favo
with her,
ns?
t through this
ds of
Style (still one
the mountai
my family wen
about the legen
iors.”
farm and in
are great warr
I told Ernie all
so
Kaw
And
the
,
knew
I
why
kled
It’s
e chuc
’t realized
warrior,” Erni
the Kaw. I hadn
“Okay, great
le.
t to stick
2. Imagery: Can
h about my peop
you see, hear,
I
And, if you wan
as
muc
self.
and
,
to
your
t
feel, or otherwise
over
“suit
e wen
as well as you
a was
experience Mary
can experience
with me.” Erni
But Ta-Na-E-K
d Wolf
t nine’s world
Cloyd’s? Explain
around, it’s okay
The Wounde
house, at abou
d me a bundle.
ggle
ad George
strum
approached my
closet and tosse
nervous
broo
theical
Jean Craighe
t,” he
ing, I became
pare the phys
r
y in the even
and-found close
asked
inne
er
thirt
lostnections Com
the
the
dfath
Con
e
with
t’s
be
f
Gran
“Tha
Mak
s. May
What if
nded Wol
ne. “Stuff people left on boat
all over again.
o in The Wou
rstosaid.
t
Rok
Bea
the
of
in
.”
Quil
s
warm
e-Well
berries and
Cloyd face
g to keep you
me about the
The Haste-M
struggle that
were hardly
felt
there’s somethin
is
s
? And my feet
loosely, but it
short story
grasshoppers
Elizabeth Yate
my hair
quilt in this
The sweater fitted
d a new
a pound and
nections The
erstand the
. And I’d foun
cut. I hadn’t lost
Make Con
Simon to und
g.
iving
good. I felt good
that leads
one is doin
rtant, I was surv
combed.
the object
py in what
impo
was
t
hap
me,” I told
?
g
Mos
see
d.
role
to
bein
y
of
frien
happ
s a similar
importance
“They’ll be so
rstone play
’t ask
these
a.
Bea
won
in
from
a-E-K
n
they
ct
t
Ta-N
, “tha
Cloyd lear
What obje
er had said the
myself hopefully
t Simon and
My grandfath
.”
3. Conflict: How
Compare wha
many questions
ld be filled with
are Mary and Cloyd
too
wou
e
dfather
gran
rienc
cts.
And
My
’s external confli
expe
obje
my fill.
door.
cts similar?
I was having
ing
I opened the
and
wear
e,
was
ntur
dn’t
He
Fox
.
adve
room
r said we coul
The Black
was in the front
d’shad neve
dfath
t Cloyer
ed deerskin shirt
contras
andGran
Betsy Byars
y.
er.
ceremonial bead
’s
the
italit
dfath
Tom
s Compare
hosp
gran
tion
pt
with
his
the
nec
to
ne
acce
nged
rside for
Bearsto
Make Con
.”
which had belo
the bear in
back
” d at Ernie’s Rive
e
Fox.
with
k
lcom
into
staye
t
ce
I
“We
Blac
I wen
experien
he said.
in “The
In the mornings
“N’g’da’ma,”
with the fox
als and
entire period.
experience
watched the anim
the woods and
Bearstone
92
AM
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51-94_NC_88915
0.indd 93
AM
10:45:10
1/23/08
or y Es sa
Image
cloud sta
ndi
top of the ng on
red and
white san
dstone
cliffs
D TH RO
UG H
How It Sho
ws Setting
or Theme
sho ws bea
utiful mo
untain wor
ld
W RI TIN
G
UNDERSTAN
D THE TAS
• Theme
K
is the mai
n idea of
story, poe
a
m, novel,
or play.
• Imager
y is languag
e that
emphasizes
sense imp
ressions
to help the
reader see
, hear, feel
smell, and
,
taste thin
gs describ
in the wor
ed
k.
• Setting
is the time
and place
which the
in
events of
a short
story, nov
el, or dra
ma occur.
Grammar
Draft Wri
te an
imagery help introduction. Be
sure it incl
s support
udes a thes
least one
the setting
is that tells
paragraph
and them
how
about how
e of Bearsto
paragraph
imagery sup
ne. Develop
about how
ports the
imagery sup
the novel
setting and at
to suppor
ports the
t the
ano
theme. Pro
by restatin
vide exampl ther
g your thes ideas in each of you
es from
is but do
r body par
not repeat
agraphs.
Conclude
it word for
Revise Exc
word.
hange pap
ers with a
classmate’s
classmate.
work ans
wers the
Decide whe
evidence
assignment,
from
ther your
provides
decide whe the novel, and rela
enough quo
tes the evid
ther the writ
ted
ence to the
feedback,
ing is clea
and be sure
r and focu
thesis. Also
sed
makes on
you underst
.
your own
and the com Give your classma
work.
te
ments you
r classma
Edit and Pro
te
ofread Edit
effectively
your writing
and is wel
so that it
l organized.
and punctua
expresses
Carefully
you
tion errors.
r
thoughts
proofread
for gramm
ar, spelling
,
94
91ON: Unit 2
L r COM
ston ePANI
NOVE
Bea
0.indd 92
51-94_NC_88915
Ex po sit
y
TALK ABOUT IT Interpre
t Imagery
With a small group
help
s the reader Cloyd feels a dee
, talk
p connec
howsee and
both Mary and exploreabout
tion to the
feel what
Cloyd respe
s the
land. Ima
ct their
mountains,
Cloyd see
heritage in some how
gery
s and feel
mea
the
dows, and
ways butima
s as he look
gery help
also
canyons.
move away from
s support
s at and
In an ess
it in others.
the setting
ay, interpre
and them
t
Jot down some Prewrite Look for
e of Bearsto
notes
images that
ne.
them here
in an first.
help show
organizer
the setting
like this one
or theme.
:
Record
NO VEL
CO MPAN
Bear stone
51-94_NC_
889150.indd
94
Tip
Ellipses
Use ellipsis
points to
show that
you are leav
ing somethi
words you
ng out of
quote from
a text. If
you omit
words from
the middle
of a sentenc
e, use thre
in place of
e periods
the
Leave a spa omitted words.
ce
periods, betw before the three
after them een them, and
:
“The sun
was
neared Wh rising . . . as they
ite Mesa.”
If you leav
e out wor
ds from the
end of the
sentence,
end the
sentence
with a per
iod.
add three
periods with Then
between
spaces
them:
“The sun
was
high desert. rising over the
. . .”
ION : Uni
t 2
93
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AM
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AM
A bout the Novel Compani on
5
ABOUT TH E NOVEL COMPANION
Note-Taking Systems
Pages 4–5 of the Novel Companion’s student edition introduce students to the
two note-taking systems (described below) taught in the workbook. You may
wish to review those pages of the student edition with your students before
having them having them complete lessons in the workbook.
On-Page Note-Taking To help students connect to the Big Question, the On-Page
Note-Taking lessons have students use symbols to mark up an excerpt directly
on the page.
The Cornell Note-Taking System The Novel Companion also trains students on the
Cornell Note-Taking System, developed at Cornell University to help students
take more effective notes. In this system, the page is divided into two
columns, one wide and one narrow. This format allows students to effectively
organize their thinking by having them record, reduce, and then recap their
notes. Students take notes on excerpts from the novels and relate the excerpts
to the Big Question. The following summarizes the steps of the system:
Record
First, students will record notes in the wide column as they read.
Their notes may include summaries, bulleted lists, and graphic organizers.
Reduce
Next, students will reduce, or condense, their notes into key words,
phrases, questions, and comments in the narrow column. This step will help
them clarify meaning, find information within their notes, and trigger their
memories when they study.
Recap
Finally, students use the bottom portion of the page to recap,
or summarize, what they have learned from their notes. This step helps
strengthen their grasp of what they just read before they move on to the
next section of text.
6
ABOUT THE NOVEL COMPANION
Note-Taking Lessons
The Novel Companion’s note-taking lessons teach students how to record important
information in their own words, reduce the information to key words they will
remember, and recap their notes in a summary. Questions and activities in pages
that follow allow students to apply the information from their notes.
The information below also appears on page 6 of the Novel Companion’s
student edition and serves to introduce students to these types of lesson
pages. You may wish to review that page of the student edition with your
students before having them complete lessons in the workbook.
O N- PA G E NO TE - TA K ING : B I G Qu e s tio n
Read, Question, and Mark-Up
Not only will you be interacting with excerpts from
the novels as you work with the literary elements
and reading skills or strategies assigned to a
chapter set, but you will also be working with
excerpts that relate to the Big Question assigned
to each chapter set.
MARK IT UP
Are you allowed to write in your
novel? If so, then mark up the
pages as you read, or reread, to
help with your note-taking. Develop
a shorthand system, including
symbols, that works for you. Here
are some ideas:
Underline = important idea
Bracket = text to quote
Asterisk = just what you were
looking for
Checkmark = might be useful
Circle = unfamiliar word or phrase
to look up
왘 BIG Question
Why Read? What have you found
out about the values and customs
of the Ute people?
Mark up the excerpt, looking for
evidence of how it expresses or
answers the Big Question.
You will take notes on the excerpt—right on the
page. With practice, you will devise a short-hand
system that works for you. In the meantime, you
can use the suggested on-page mark-up system.
62
NOVEL EXCERPT: CHAPTER 3
He noticed something wedged between the wall and the
fin—a shape that didn’t look quite natural. He shimmied
into the dark, narrow crack until his hands closed on some
kind of a bundle, and then he backed out into the light to
see what it was.
He knelt and examined it up close. He probed with his
fingers. Turkey feathers and fur, probably rabbit: hundreds
of tiny bits of feather and fur wrapped around cords of
yucca fiber. A blanket, a whole blanket in the style of the
Ancient Ones.
Carefully he folded the blanket back and gasped to see a
very small human face with empty eye sockets. The brown
skin and black hair were still intact. At once he knew he
was holding a burial in his hands, one of the Ancient Ones.
His grandmother talked about such things, but he’d never
seen one in all his time in the canyons. Her advice came to
mind: behave carefully, treat the buried one with the
utmost respect, and don’t make any mistakes. The Ancient
Ones are not people to be trifled with.
An infant, he realized. Buried in the position his
grandmother had described, with the legs folded and
tucked against the stomach. The best thing to do was think
a good intention and return it to its resting place.
When Cloyd wriggled back with the bundle to the place
where he’d found it, he saw the silhouette of a piece of
pottery, a jar with handles and a short, slender neck. He
brought it into the open where he could see it, and took in
its beauty and wholeness. Before this he’d found countless
shards with similar black-lined designs, but never anything
close to a whole pot. It was said they were worth a
thousand dollars unbroken.
As he turned the pot on its side to admire it, something
moved inside. He let the loose object fall gently into his
hand. His heart leaped to see a small blue stone about two
inches long, worn smooth by long handling. Turquoise.
Two eyes, a snout, and a humped back. A bear. Surely, a
bear to accompany the infant on the long journey.
N OV E L C O M PA N I O N : U n i t 2
51-94_NC_889150.indd 62
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Record, Reduce, and Recap
You will also learn the Cornell Note-Taking
System, described on the previous page.
Here you will take notes on the excerpt you
marked-up on the On-Page Note-Taking page.
C O R NELL NO TE-TA K ING : BI G Q ues ti o n
Use the Cornell Note-Taking system to take notes on the excerpt at the left.
Record your notes, Reduce them, and then Recap (summarize) them.
Record
Reduce
Try the following approach as you
reduce your notes.
MY VIEW
Comment on what you learned from
your own notes.
Recap
B ear s tone: C hapters 1– 8
51-94_NC_889150.indd 63
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A bout the Novel Compani on
7
ABOUT TH E NOVEL COMPANION
Outline of the Novel Companion
The following is an annotated outline of the lesson structure of the Novel Companion:
Novel Title Page
I. Introduction to the Novel
Students read about the novel and its place in literary history, including details
about its themes and how and when it was written and published.
II. Meet the Author
Students read about the author’s background and the historical, cultural,
and literary context of his or her work.
III. Chapter Set
A. Before You Read
1. Connect to the Literature
Students identify with the selection in a brief activity that links the novel
with the student’s own experience.
2. Build Background
Students are provided with any context they will need to fully understand
and appreciate the chapter set content. An accompanying activity asks
students either to summarize the ideas in the background text or write
a caption for a related image.
3. Big Question
This links the chapter set content to the Big Question that appears in the
unit the novel accompanies.
4. Literary Element
Students are introduced to the targeted literary element for the chapter set.
5. Reading Skill or Strategy
This introduces students to the targeted reading skill or strategy for the
chapter set and also includes a model of a graphic organizer that students
might re-create for themselves as they read.
6. Vocabulary
Students are introduced to the targeted vocabulary for the chapter.
A sample sentence shows use of each word.
7. Active Reading Graphic Organizer
A graphic organizer shows students how to record literary element
or reading skill or strategy information as they read.
B. Interactive Reading
1. Literary Element excerpt
Students interact with an excerpt that relates to the targeted literary element.
2. Reading Skill or Strategy excerpt
Students interact with an excerpt that relates to the targeted reading
skill or strategy.
8
ABOUT THE NOVEL COMPANION
C. Note-Taking Systems
1. Big Question excerpt
Students interact with an excerpt that relates to the targeted Big Question.
D. After You Read
1. Respond and Think Critically
Students answer questions about the chapter set content; at least one
item addresses the Big Question.
2. Literary Element
Students answer questions that review the targeted literary element for
the chapter set.
3. Reading Skill or Strategy
Students answer questions that review the targeted reading skill or strategy for
the chapter set.
4. Vocabulary
Students review the targeted vocabulary for the chapter, using exercises
that test their comprehension of the words.
5. Academic Vocabulary
Students learn a new academic vocabulary word and apply it, using
an activity related to the chapter set content.
6. Writing: Personal Response, Write with Style, Write a …
Students write in a variety of modes and produce a range of writing
products as they address the content of the chapter set. In some exercises,
they try out literary techniques demonstrated by the author in the
chapter set.
7. Connect to Content Areas, Research and Report, Speaking and Listening
Students respond to the chapter set content through speeches, oral
interpretation, research presentations, and other activities that often extend
their knowledge beyond the novel itself.
IV. Work with Related Readings
Students answer questions that connect the novel with the related readings
that appear in Glencoe’s Literature Library edition of the novel.
V. Connect to Other Literature
Students answer questions that connect the novel with an excerpt from
another Glencoe Literature title.
VI. Respond Through Writing
Students write a longer piece—either narrative, persuasive, or expository—in
response to the novel. The assignment guides students through the writing
process, and at least one assignment in the Novel Companion will have students
directly compare and contrast the novel to a selection in Glencoe Literature.
A bout the Novel Compani on
9
A Wrinkle
in Time
Madeleine L’Engle
10
ABOUT THE WORK
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Madeleine L’Engle’s novel opens in a town
on Earth, but much of the action takes
place on other planets. The novel’s title
refers to the theory that distortions in
space and time allow vast distances of
space to be traveled quickly.
Although L’Engle’s novel deals with
abstract and futuristic ideas, many of the
themes of A Wrinkle in Time are down-toearth issues relevant to young people.
Themes of the novel revolve around
familial love, the battle between good and
evil, and moral responsibility. A Wrinkle in
Time won the Newbery Medal in 1963 and
remains popular with readers today.
Synopsis
Teenager Meg Murry is bright but is not
doing well in school. Meg struggles socially
and scholastically. She feels she doesn’t fit
in with her classmates, who ridicule her
and her family. To add to Meg’s troubles,
her father—a scientist like her mother—has
not been heard from in more than a year.
A trio of strangely dressed women—Mrs.
Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which—
move into a nearby vacant house. One
night they whisk Meg; her five-year-old
brother, Charles Wallace; and Calvin
O’Keefe, a boy from Meg’s school, to
another planet by tessering, or crossing
vast distances of space by means of
distortions, or wrinkles, in time and space.
On Uriel, the first planet they visit, the
children discover that Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs.
Who, and Mrs. Which are extraterrestrials.
The three Mrs. Ws show the children a
distant shadow, which seems to have
sentience, or the ability to receive sense
impressions. The shadow, so large and
dark that it blots out the light of the stars,
is the embodiment of evil. The three Mrs.
Ws tell Meg that her father is fighting this
evil darkness, and they also recruit Meg,
Charles Wallace, and Calvin to help fight
the evil.
The children travel to Camazotz, a planet
where the inhabitants are ruled by fear and
conformity. Meg, Calvin, and Charles
Wallace go alone to a place called Central
Intelligence, where they meet a red-eyed
man. The evil, known as IT, seems to be
working through this mysterious character.
In an effort to understand IT, Charles
Wallace looks into the red eyes of the man
but loses his will to the powerful evil force.
The next time Charles Wallace speaks, Meg
knows he is being controlled by IT.
Charles Wallace takes Meg and Calvin to
Meg’s father, who is imprisoned. Meg frees
her father using special eyeglasses that
Mrs. Who has given her. Charles Wallace
then takes Meg, Calvin, and Mr. Murry to
IT’s lair. IT, a large disembodied brain, also
tries to control the others, but Mr. Murry
saves them by tessering them to another
planet.
Meg returns to Camazotz to fight IT and
discovers that her weapon is love. She
focuses all of her love on her brother, and
her love shatters IT’s power over Charles
Wallace. The family is transported home
for a joyful reunion.
A Wr i nkle in Time
11
OP TIONS FOR MOTIVATI N G STU DE NTS
Phone Home or Beam Me Up
Universal Concepts
Compare A Wrinkle in Time to other
science fiction and fantasy novels.
• Most students will be familiar with
science fiction from films, television, and
books, but may have limited knowledge
of science fiction’s characteristics. Work
toward a class definition of science
fiction before students read the novel. To
gather characteristics, ask students to
name science fiction books, movies, or
stories with which they are familiar. List
titles on the board. Next, ask what
common characteristics students see in
the works. Settings in the future,
extraterrestrial beings, and advanced
technology and its impact are examples.
• Encourage the class to look for
characteristics of the science fiction
genre in A Wrinkle in Time. Also look for
exceptions. (A Wrinkle in Time, for
example, is not set in the future.)
Encourage students to think about
which concepts from the novel might
be universal.
• Ask students to assume, for the sake of
discussion, that life does exist in some
form elsewhere in the universe. Are there
concepts that remain valid in any part of
the universe, and if so, what are they?
Ask students to consider the following:
– Mathematics: Is a descriptive number
system—for example, 1, 2, 3—essential
to life?
– Survival instincts: On Earth, life
sometimes involves battles to
overcome obstacles, such as surviving
fierce storms or struggling with lifethreatening illnesses. Would this
necessarily be true everywhere?
– Life span: Would such things as
successive generations, reproductive
biology, and parenting be forces
operating throughout the universe?
– Time: Is our sense of time determined
by our limited lives? Is time a
universal concept?
– Values: Are there such things as
universal values? Ask students to look
for L’Engle’s answer.
• Tell students that these are questions
without definitive answers. However, an
awareness of these questions and the
issues they raise will heighten their
reading experience.
A Long Way from Home
Discuss the possibility of the existence of
extraterrestrials.
• How many in the class believe there
really are such beings? Approach the
question from two perspectives:
– What evidence of visits from
extraterrestrials can students cite?
– What are the probabilities of such
beings existing?
• Have students consider these two
questions as an introduction to the
physics and mathematics upon which
part of L’Engle’s book is based.
12
O P TI O NS FOR US I N G R E L ATE D R E A D I N GS
Related Readings
A Loint of Paw
by Isaac Asimov
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 25)
Jabberwocky
by Lewis Carrolll
The Jumblies
by Edward Lear
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 26)
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO A Wrinkle in Time
In this story, technology for time travel falls into the wrong hands.
• Explain that statutes of limitation exist for most crimes.
• Ask students to discuss whether statutes of limitation are a good idea.
These two imaginative poems are driven by fantasy, adventure, and some
absurdity—elements found in A Wrinkle in Time. “Jabberwocky” is about a young
man who encounters a terrible beast. “The Jumblies” is about a risky journey.
• Before students read, ask them to name words and characters that come to mind
when they think of fantasy and science fiction.
• As students read, have them identify language that is imaginative and fantastic.
from The Lion, the
Witch and the
Wardrobe
by C. S. Lewis
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 27)
Like the children in A Wrinkle in Time, these children discover that there are other
worlds “just around the corner.”
• Before reading, share the background of the story with the class.
• Explain that logic is a system, that uses reason to prove statements true or false.
• One approach to logic is deductive reasoning; specifically, if only one of three
possibilities can be true, and if A and B are false, then C must be true. For example,
if an object must be either a person, a place, or a thing, and if an apple is not a
person or a place, then it must be a thing.
• Have students come up with similar examples of deductive reasoning.
Gettysburg Address
This selection, which Calvin recites in order to resist the influence of the red-eyed
man, reflects ideas that the powers of Camazotz would oppose.
• Have students explain what freedoms and ideals they value most in their society.
• Suggest that as students read, they reflect on the ideals expressed in this speech
and on the problems Meg faces on her journey to Camazotz.
by Abraham Lincoln
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 28)
Einstein Revealed:
Time Traveler
by NOVA Online
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 29)
This pair of linked Web sites provides basic information about Einstein’s theories
of relativity.
• Before students read, ask them to describe ways that scientific principles have
changed people’s perceptions of the world. (Example: People used to think that Earth
was flat and that a person would fall off if he or she sailed beyond known boundaries.
Scientists proved that this view of Earth is erroneous. As a result, people now
perceive Earth as round, even though it appears to be flat when standing on it.)
• After students read, ask them to describe how Einstein’s theories have changed
their views of space and time.
A Wr i nkle in Time
13
ANSWER KEY
All answers are sample answers except those
for Vocabulary Practice.
CHAPTERS 1–4
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
Madeleine L’Engle wrote her novel during a time when
the United States and the Soviet Union competed with
each other in the space program.
ACTIVE READING
Meg: smart, lonely, protective; Charles Wallace:
brilliant, cheerful, curious; Calvin: bright, sympathetic,
helpful; Mrs. Murry: intelligent, beautiful, good parent;
Mrs. Whatsit: comic, gaudy, friendly; Mrs. Who:
bespectacled, speaks in quotations; Mrs. Which: stern,
hard to see, strange voice; The dark Thing: shadowy,
frightening, ominous
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Setting
The wind and darkness, the rattling window frames, the
cold air, and the sense of being alone are details that
reveal Meg’s confusion and frustration.
Literary Element: Setting
The mood in the kitchen is one of warmth, comfort,
familiarity, and peace. The author uses physical details
to express this: the lights are on and Charles Wallace is
there in his pajamas, eating and drinking.
Reading Skill: Compare and Contrast Characters
They are both intelligent, but they are good at different
things. Calvin is older and considers himself wiser, but
Meg is better at math. They also have different ways of
solving problems.
Reading Skill: Compare and Contrast Characters
Calvin feels that the Murry family is as odd and
interesting as he is himself, and this makes him feel less
alone. Meg thinks Calvin already belongs because he is
good at sports and well liked at school.
ON-PAGE NOTE TAKING
BIG Question: What Makes a Hero?
The shadow seems to pierce Meg’s lungs, fills her with
darkness and dread, and nearly causes her to lose
consciousness. Students should mention that the
forces against Meg and the others are very powerful
and dangerous.
14
ANSWER KEY
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Meg feels she doesn’t fit in, and schoolmates are
gossiping about her family and her father’s absence.
2. Calvin also feels alienated because of his
intelligence. He feels comfortable with the “oddball”
Murrys who share his interests.
3. The three children are used to an unusual approach
to life—they are different themselves, and they are
open to abnormal experiences.
4. Meg shares the concerns of many young people
about being different, about her appearance, and
about fitting in with others. Students will probably
identify these as similar to their own concerns.
5. The Mrs. Ws act as heroes by helping showing the
children and showing them the way to Mr. Murry.
The children act as heroes by willingly taking the
journey.
Apply Background
Students may say that the popularity of science fiction
seems to parallel advances in science.
Literary Element: Setting
Examples include
Sights: greenish sky, blank windows, bare trees, rat
scuttling, bubbling pot on the fire, dusty floor,
dilapidated rocker
Sounds: creaking hinges of shutters and door, raucous
cry of a crow, wild ratatatat of a woodpecker
Reading Strategy: Compare and Contrast
Characters
Students should identify the characters’ wants, needs,
and responses by using specific examples from the
story. They should note that all the Murrys are loving,
kind, and intelligent.
Vocabulary Practice
1. e, 2. a, 3. f, 4. b, 5. d
Academic Vocabulary
Students may mention reading between the lines,
understanding someone’s meaning through facial
expressions or silences, etc.
Writing
Write a Character Sketch
Answers will vary, but students should include
examples from the text that indicate Meg’s strengths,
weaknesses, problems she faces in school, and the
way she feels about her family and herself.
Speaking and Listening
Literature Group
Literature groups should
• identify elements they believe are real
• identify elements that seem possible and those that do
not seem possible
• reach a consensus in their groups
• present their ideas clearly to the class
• write an effective evaluative paragraph
Smells: chemical mess
A Wr i nkle in Time
15
ANSWER KEY
CHAPTERS 5–8
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
Albert Einstein advanced the idea that time is a fourth
dimension.
ACTIVE READING
2. meet red-eyed man; 3. encounter IT’s mental powers;
4. discover Charles Wallace hypnotized and taken over;
5. find Meg’s father in transparent tube
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Plot
Mrs. Whatsit has been a powerful force for good; the
fact that she can’t stay in this place makes it seem more
dangerous and threatening.
Literary Element: Plot
They will be magical in some way; they will help Meg
see things differently.
Reading Strategy: Visualize
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. The people of Camazotz lead lives structured in every
possible way, right down to the simultaneous
bouncing of balls by children. Conformity is enforced.
2. He has been imprisoned in a transparent tube.
3. Their society has no freedom, no joy, no discovery,
no choice, no power, and no individuality.
4. Like L’Engle, students may include spiritual leaders,
artists, and scientists.
5. There are no heroes because none of the people can
think for themselves to help others or come up with
clever ways to change their lives.
Apply Background
Students may say that understanding the doubts
surrounding time travel helped them appreciate the
confusion that the characters feel about it.
Literary Element: Plot
Reading Strategy: Visualize
The central forces in the struggle are good and evil.
Meg, Charles Wallace, Calvin, and the Mrs. Ws all
represent good. IT, the dark Thing, and the red-eyed
man all represent evil.
Answers may include loneliness, hopelessness,
despair, confusion, exhaustion.
Reading Strategy: Visualize
Charles Wallace moves like a robot or a wind up toy.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What Makes a Hero?
Both Calvin and Meg try to argue with Charles Wallace.
Arguing doesn’t work, so Meg tries to reason with him.
This doesn’t work either.
Students should use specific examples from the
story—doors of all the houses opening at the same
time, people peering out through cracks, identical rows
of houses and buildings, the man with red eyes—as the
bases for visualization.
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
16
one who doesn’t think ahead
avoid the issue
begins to die out
a wolf in a convenience store
person giving a speech
ANSWER KEY
CHAPTERS 9–12
Academic Vocabulary
Authority can mean “a person or agency in command”
or “a person who is an expert on a particular subject.”
Writing
Personal Response
Students might want to know how L’Engle came up with
the idea for Camazotz, and whether anything about the
place was based on events from her life.
Speaking and Listening
Performance
Students’ performances should
• focus on the characters’ points of view
• be clear
• be well paced
• include an evaluative chart
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and A Wrinkle in Time share
a common theme that the key to a person’s happiness
and success comes from inside.
ACTIVE READING
Powers of Good: intelligence, freedom, inquisitiveness,
loyalty, artistic expression, spiritual awareness,
sympathy, sensitivity, love; Powers of Evil: fear,
intimidation, hatred, sarcasm, conformity, compromise,
material well-being, selfishness
Literary Element: Theme
Mr. Murry admits that he began to give in to the evil
force of IT because it became too hard for him to fight
it. He realizes what has happened to him only after his
children and Calvin arrive to rescue him.
Literary Element: Theme
Even in unknown or unexplored worlds, good must
always fight against evil.
Reading Strategy: Activate Prior Knowledge
Students may say that the coolness, shadows, and
large scale remind them of churches, deep forests,
caves, ancient temples, or specific environments from
graphic novels and other books or films.
Reading Strategy: Activate Prior Knowledge
Emotions may include frustration, fear, anger, and envy.
BIG Question: What Makes a Hero?
Students should cite specific examples of people or
characters who have overcome challenges using
strengths or personal traits they didn’t know they
possessed. Examples might include Dorothy in The
Wizard of Oz or Arthur in The Sword in the Stone.
A Wr i nkle in Time
17
ANSWER KEY
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Mr. Murry, despite his courage and mental power in
holding out so long, does not have an answer for how
to defeat IT. Meg, who is accustomed to thinking of
her father as omniscient and omnipotent, is
disappointed in his humanity.
2. Love. L’Engle shows this through the way the Mrs.
Ws, Aunt Beast, and others act selflessly to help the
children, and in the way Meg and Calvin work
together and individually to help free Mr. Murry and
Charles Wallace.
3. If the others went with her, they would only be in
danger and wouldn’t be able to help Meg. Meg is the
only one emotionally close enough to Charles
Wallace to free him.
4. Students may say that the only thing certain is that
Charles Wallace is free and IT’s power over the
Murrys has been defeated, at least temporarily.
5. Meg has the heroic qualities of selflessness, love,
courage, and hope.
Apply Background
Students may say that knowing about the political
atmosphere in the United States when the author wrote
the novel helped them understand what she was trying
to say about life on Camazotz.
Literary Element: Theme
Because of the story’s happy ending, students may
indicate that the theme revolves around optimism about
the human race’s chances of survival. However, some
students may mention that evil will always find a place
to exist.
Reading Strategy: Activate Prior Knowledge
Students should address how they achieved a
meaningful goal or solved an important problem.
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
impenetrable
distraught
none
trepidation
emanate
omnipotent
none
Academic Vocabulary
Definition: to exist in; synonyms: to live in, to be located
in; Mr. Murry had to reside on Camazotz for a long time.
Writing
Personal Response
Students should support their response with information
from the text. Some may say that Meg, Charles Wallace,
and Calvin are likely to remain friends and have more
adventures together.
Connect to Content Areas
Science
Students’ reports should
• focus on a scientific topic
• merge information from reliable sources
• include a reasoned argument about whether the topic
qualifies as science
• be professional looking, edited, and proofread
18
ANSWER KEY
NOVEL AFTER YOU READ
WORK WITH RELATED READINGS
A Loint of Paw
Students may say that the laws would change to keep
people from misusing the “niche in time.” Examples may
include censorship and copyright on the Internet.
Jabberwocky/The Jumblies
Students should understand that the novel is science
fiction as well as fantasy, while the poems are fantasy.
The novel contains several references to scientific
facts, the future, and technology. The poems contain
characters that are magical and mythical with no
reference to science.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Students might say that he reminds them of one of the
three Mrs. Ws because he is a kind, wise, and eccentric
character.
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln speaks of freedom and equality. The main goal in
Camazotz is for one being to control everything and
quash individuality. Meg believes in individuality.
Einstein Revealed: Time Traveler
Some students may argue that the time travel described
in the novel adheres to Einstein’s theories because time
travels more slowly for the time travelers than it does for
the people back on Earth. Others may argue that the
time travel conflicts with Einstein’s theories because the
travelers return to Earth a few minutes before the time
they left, which, according to the laws of physics, is
impossible.
COMPARE & CONTRAST
Plot: In both stories the characters’ worlds are in danger
of being destroyed. In A Wrinkle in Time, the opposing
force is a presence of evil called the Thing. In The Dog
of Pompeii, it is a natural disaster that threatens the
characters’ world.
Setting: Common methods include the authors’ use of
sensory details, the actions of the characters, and major
changes in the landscape or environment.
Character: They both have loyalty, intelligence, staying
power, and love for others—each uses these qualities to
solve problems. Loyalty and love make both Bimbo and
Meg do extraordinary things to help someone else;
neither will give up; and they each find surprising ways
to achieve their goals.
RESPOND THROUGH WRITING
Research Report
Students’ research reports should
• provide theories about time travel
• merge information from a variety of sources
• include a thesis statement
• include supporting graphics
• be effectively organized, edited, and proofread
A Wr i nkle in Time
19
Bearstone
Will Hobbs
20
ABOUT THE WORK
Bearstone by Will Hobbs
Bearstone is the story of Cloyd Atcitty, a
fourteen-year-old orphaned Ute boy who is
sent to live with an elderly rancher in the
mountains of southwest Colorado. During
the course of the story, Cloyd learns about
himself, his cultural heritage, and the
values of friendship and commitment. The
1989 novel has won numerous awards,
including a Best Books For Young Adults
citation from the American Library
Association, a Teachers’ Choice award from
the International Reading Association, and
selection as a Notable Children’s Trade
Book by a joint committee of the National
Council on the Social Studies and the
Children’s Book Council.
Synopsis
The housemother in a Ute group home for
troubled young people arranges for Cloyd
Atcitty to spend the summer on the
Colorado ranch of recently widowed Walter
Landis. Cloyd, however, wants to return to
his grandmother’s home in Utah. When the
housemother takes him to meet Walter,
Cloyd runs away and hides in the cliffs
surrounding the ranch. There, Cloyd
discovers a Native American burial cave
and a small carving of a grizzly bear, an
animal sacred to the Utes who once lived in
the area around the ranch. At nightfall he
decides to return to the ranch and meet
Walter. As they work together on the ranch,
Cloyd, who wishes for a father, and Walter,
who has always wanted children but never
had any, gradually become true friends.
Things go along well until Walter’s friend
Rusty comes to the ranch to hunt bear. The
sight of the slaughtered bear and Walter’s
apparent acceptance of the slaughter
infuriate Cloyd, and he seeks revenge. He
destroys a fence that he and Walter have
worked long and hard to complete and,
most hurtful of all, cuts down Walter’s
prized peach trees.
Angry but still sympathetic toward the
boy, Walter takes Cloyd back to the only
real home that the boy has known, that of
his grandmother in White Mesa, Utah.
Realizing the value of his relationship with
Walter, Cloyd soon hitchhikes back to the
ranch. Together Walter and Cloyd pursue
Walter’s dream of reopening an old gold
mine on the ranch. Cloyd thoughtlessly
tells Rusty about a grizzly he has sighted
on the ranch, then realizes in horror that
Rusty will kill the animal. While Cloyd
tries to save the bear from the hunter’s
approach, Walter is injured in the gold
mine. Cloyd is unable to save the bear, but
his quick thinking saves Walter. Later
Cloyd saves Walter again by deciding to
take care of the convalescing man on his
ranch rather than letting him wither away
in a nursing home.
Bear st one
21
OP TIONS FOR MOTIVATI N G STU DE NTS
Creating a “Documentary”
Have students put together a multimedia
presentation about Native Americans.
• Ask students to use print and electronic
resources to research information about
Native American groups of the Great
Basin, such as the Ute, Paiute, Shoshone,
and Washo. Students might focus on
historical events, religious beliefs, music,
arts and crafts, relations with European
settlers, or languages.
• Encourage students to present their
findings in oral reports and to include
art, photographs, music, dance, artifacts,
or costumes in their presentations.
Making a Scene
Have students write and perform skits
based on conflicts that they will read
about in the novel.
• Divide the class into pairs. Ask each pair
of students to write a short scene about
one of the following situations (all of
which have counterparts in the novel):
– One person has hurt another’s feelings
and has difficulty apologizing to the
person.
– One person has had a great
disappointment; the other tries to
convince him or her that the
disappointment is really a “blessing
in disguise.”
– One person is faced with a difficult
decision and knows what the right choice
is but is having trouble making the
decision; the other person gives advice
on how to make the tough decision.
• Have students write in their journals
about the conflicts that they depicted.
As students read Bearstone, have them
refer to their journals and compare the
22
conflict that they acted out with the
conflicts portrayed in the novel.
Listening to Music
Develop students’ knowledge of the Ute
by playing samples of their music.
(Interdisciplinary: Music)
• The Great Basin area includes Utah,
Nevada, California, and parts of
Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and
Arizona. Native Americans of the Great
Basin—including the Ute, Shoshone, and
other peoples—have a distinct musical
style. The CD Authentic Native American
Music includes Ute songs. Play the
selections for the class. Have students
freewrite for ten minutes about images
or emotions that the music evokes for
them. Ask volunteers to read their
freewrites to the rest of the class.
• Tell students to keep the musical
selections in mind as a kind of
“background music” for the novel. If
possible, make the recordings available
to students so that they can replay the
music after reading sections of the novel.
Museum Pieces
Identify items of importance in the novel
by displaying them.
• Ask students to create a museum of objects
like those that appear in and influence the
plot of Bearstone. Objects students could
collect and display in the museum include
a bouquet of flowers, a peach, a Native
American blanket, a model of a horse,
digging tools, a powdered doughnut, or a
bearstone of their own creation.
• Make a class game of explaining the
circumstances in which the objects appear
and the role they play in the novel.
O P TI O NS FOR US I N G R E L ATE D R E A D I N GS
Related Readings
“I Know Who I Am”
by Brent Ashabranner
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 25)
The Haste-Me-Well
Quilt
by Elizabeth Yates
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 26)
Prayer to a Dead Buck
Navajo prayer
translated by W. W. Hill
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 27)
The Wounded Wolf
by Jean Craighead
George
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 28)
The Black Fox
by Betsy Byars
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 29)
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO Bearstone
Native Americans may find it challenging to reconcile their traditional values with
those of the dominant culture.
• Before students read, ask them to discuss how one’s upbringing and community
influence one’s attitudes later in life.
• After students read, ask them to compare Cloyd’s attitude toward the Ute culture
with René’s attitude toward the Apache culture.
• Ask students to list ways in which persons living far away from their childhood
homes might keep in touch with their traditional beliefs and customs.
A person’s family heritage can be a source of strength and support.
• As students read, ask them to look for similarities in what Simon learns from his
grandmother and what Cloyd learns from Walter.
• Have students summarize the events of the story. Ask them to explain what they
think happened when Simon talked with Lucy.
• After students read, ask them to define the phrase “the magic of everyday life.”
Some attitudes and beliefs about the earth and its inhabitants are reflected in
traditional Native American prayers and customs.
• Before students read, ask them to describe general attitudes in the United States
toward the environment.
• As they read, have students make notes about the speaker’s attitude toward the
earth and the natural processes that occur on it every day. Have students describe
some of the processes that are referred to in the prayer.
• After students read, have them compare and contrast the general attitudes toward the
environment in the United States with the attitude of the speaker in the hunting prayer.
The survival struggle of Roko, the wounded wolf, can be seen as a metaphor for
Cloyd’s experiences in Bearstone.
• Before students read, define metaphor as a figure of speech in which a word or
phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to
suggest a likeness between them. Ask students to give examples of metaphors.
• After students read, ask them to describe the steps Roko takes to regain his
strength. Have them identify what Roko does for himself and what help he gets from
others. Ask whether it is easy to heal oneself and regain strength when hurt
emotionally or physically. How can other people facilitate the healing process?
• After students read Bearstone and “The Wounded Wolf,” ask them to compare the
loneliness of Cloyd with the aloneness of Roko. Help them understand that at the
beginning of Bearstone, Cloyd feels alone. He is without parents, has been banished
from his tribe, and has left the comparative security of the group home. Ask what
emotions a teenager might experience in such a situation and how he or she might
show these emotions. What could a teenager do to feel less alone?
The chance sighting of a black fox profoundly affects a young boy.
• Have students identify and discuss items or situations they used to dislike but now
enjoy. (Examples might include public speaking, sports, or certain places.)
• Have students write about an experience that impressed them the way
seeing the fox impressed Tom.
Bear st one
23
ANSWER KEY
All answers are sample answers except those
for Vocabulary Practice.
CHAPTERS 1–8
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
The Utes were once powerful people in parts of Colorado
and Utah, but they came into conflict with settlers and
miners and were forced to live on reservations.
ACTIVE READING
Possible answers include: lonely, shy about meeting
strangers, defensive about being thought stupid,
physically strong, curious, respectful of tribal traditions,
suspicious, enthusiastic about some things (like horse
riding), willing to work hard, stubborn, loves nature,
moody, not good at handling setbacks, has a temper,
sometimes uses bad judgment. Students’ comments
will vary.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Character
The red-haired man is a minor character. He plays
a small role. He has not been in the story since the
beginning. He does not have more than one trait
or change.
Literary Element: Character
Cloyd has more than one trait. For example, he has
been hardworking and helpful. Now he is inconsiderate
and unhelpful.
Reading Strategy: Connect to Today
Cloyd can’t go home. Cloyd has to live in a group home or
with an old man he doesn’t know. Some students do not
have a home and must live with relatives or strangers.
24
Reading Strategy: Connect to Today
Cloyd takes off as soon as he sees the old man appear.
Children like Cloyd may be scared or feel rebellious.
They do not want to be trapped into something they did
not choose.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: Why Read?
Answers will vary. Responses should center on the
burial by the Ancient Ones, bears, the bearstone, or
objects with power.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Cloyd finds the bearstone in an ancient burial cave.
He feels a kinship with the bear and also sees
himself as a loner. He gains confidence to face his
new life at Walter’s ranch.
2. The red-haired man is a hunter friend of Walter’s. He
is aggressive and self-confident. He mocks Cloyd’s
feelings about the roan and is a bear hunter.
3. Cloyd wants to prove to himself and to Walter that
he is a capable, hardworking person. Students’
answers will vary.
4. We would know only Walter’s thoughts and would
see Cloyd through his eyes. We would not know
Cloyd’s thoughts or those of any other character.
Students may say that rather than weaker or
stronger, the novel would just be different.
5. The novel describes respect for the dead; the
special relationship with animals, especially the
bear; a secret name; and belief in the bearstone.
ANSWER KEY
Apply Background
Vocabulary Practice
Students may say that knowing about Ute heritage
helped them understand why heritage might be
important to a boy who has lost most of his relatives.
1. d, 2. c, 3. a, 4. g, 5. b
Academic Vocabulary
Answers will vary for potential.
Literary Element: Character
Walter’s main traits include patience, quiet acceptance,
thoughtfulness, and a sense of humor. He is a round
character because he has more than one main trait.
Literary Element: Character
Cloyd’s housemother Susan is a static character
because she does not change.
Reading Strategy: Connect to Today
Main issues include Cloyd’s ability and inability to
adjust to living with Walter. In today’s world, strangers
have to find common ground to deal with each other.
They also have to get know each other and learn to
respect or accept each other’s ways. Another issue is
Cloyd finding somewhere or some way to be in his life,
which is an issue for all people, but especially for those
without parents.
Writing
Write a Letter
Students’ letters should
• describe the change in Cloyd’s reactions to Walter
and his home
• use Cloyd’s words and actions to support ideas
• end with a prediction about Cloyd and Walter’s
relationship
Connect to Content Areas
Social Studies
Students’ maps should
• show the San Juan mountain region
• include major cities, rivers, lakes, mountains ranges,
and other outstanding features
• merge information from three or more sources
• be large, clear, and legible
• be accompanied by a thoughtful listing of the
challenges of the geography
Bear st one
25
ANSWER KEY
CHAPTERS 9–15
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
Both black bears and grizzly bears live in
North America.
ACTIVE READING
Possible answers include: Sight: watching the wall of
hail; lightning ripped; hail-flattened grass. Sound:
deafening thunder. Other Senses: Touch: stinging him;
drenched and starting to shake with cold; T-shirt and
jeans clung to him; feeling went out of his fingers;
turned freezing cold
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Imagery
Cloyd feels the soil. He sees the trees, the meadow, and
his bait drifting in the pool. He feels the tension on his
rod. He sees the red-orange trout lying on the grass,
gasping. He sees other trout, thick spruce forest, and
more meadow. Soon he shakes with cold.
Literary Element: Imagery
The images help the reader see the clouds and the
darkening sky, hear the wind, see the lightning, and
hear the thunder. The reader can also see Cloyd thrown
to the ground, the large spruces bending, and the fastpouring hail, which Cloyd tries to stay one step ahead
of. The images also help the reader see Cloyd fall, his
movements after he falls, and the hail striking and
drenching him so that his clothes cling to him and the
meadow becomes a carpet of hail.
Reading Skill: Analyze Text Structure
Clues to time order include “It was late at night,” “the
sun was rising,” “after the smoke started to come from
the chimney pipe.”Perhaps eight hours pass: the
passage begins late at night and ends after sunrise
when someone has risen and started a fire.
Reading Skill: Analyze Text Structure
The signal phrases are “to the north,” “to the east,” “to
the south,” and “to the west.”
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: Why Read?
Answers will vary. Students may mention aspects of the
geography, as well as grizzly bears.
26
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. The bear hunters return with the dead bear and talk
about sausage. Cloyd focuses a lifetime of anger and
hurt on Walter, the only person on whom he is able
to inflict revenge.
2. The “Pride of the West” is Walter’s gold mine. It may
represent his unfulfilled youth and early dreams
of success.
3. Cloyd is probably so angry at Walter and other
aspects of his life that he gives way to prejudice.
Students will probably agree that the reaction is true
to life. Conflict, anger, and tension can bring out the
worst in people, especially if they feel they can
blame another person or group for their misfortune.
4. This chapter could be considered a turning point
because Cloyd’s attitude toward many things
changes. Walter discloses his feelings about his wife
and about life and death, and Cloyd shares his secret
name. From this point, the two of them are able to put
their differences aside and trust each other.
5. Walter has the goal of mining the land. The hunters
want to capture and kill wildlife. Cloyd wants to
explore the land and feel its power.
Apply Background
Students may express surprise that Cloyd wasn’t afraid
of the bear, since bears are so powerful.
Literary Element: Imagery
Hobbs helps the reader see the streams, the meadows,
and the forest. He gives a sense of the steep grades
and climbing. The reader can feel the sudden cold, hear
the lightning, and feel the wind during the storm.
ANSWER KEY
Literary Element: Imagery
The reader can see the opening, with the cool air
escaping it, the low ceiling and narrow railway inside,
the ore car, the vein of silver, hear the “bone-rattling
drilling,” the roar of the dynamite, the dark clouds of
smoke and dust, and the rock freed by the explosion.
Reading Skill: Analyze Text Structure
Cloyd and Walter moved from outside the mine to its
portal or opening, to deeper and deeper into the mine.
Reading Skill: Analyze Text Structure
Cloyd is developing and changing. His experience with
Walter is helping him to work out his problems over time.
Vocabulary Practice
1. B, 2. B, 3. B, 4. A, 5. A
Academic Vocabulary
definition: to make or form
synonyms: build, create, make
antonyms: destroy, tear down, destruct
sentence: Did the pig construct the house using straw?
Writing
Write with Style
Students’ descriptions should
• focus on a single place or thing in Chapter 10
• be organized in a logical spatial pattern
• use imagery to help readers experience the place
or thing
CHAPTERS 16–22
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
Many species are endangered for reasons that include
farming, grazing, and building.
ACTIVE READING
Graphic Organizer
Internal conflicts include the desire to accept Walter
and also to push him away, a conflict that Cloyd has
overcome by this point in the story; desire to go home
and desire to range freely in the wilderness; desire to
be alone and desire to connect with others; desire to
have a father figure or parents and desire to be free.
External conflicts include the conflict with Walter,
which Cloyd has overcome; the conflict of values with
the hunters; the conflict with nature in the storm; and,
later, the moral, emotional, and cultural conflict over the
grizzly bear’s death.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Conflict
Cloyd is not certain that he is taking the action that is
most likely to save Walter.
Literary Element: Conflict
Cloyd’s conflict is internal. The men question him but
they do not work against him. Students would be
correct to note that Cloyd may be wondering, at least
for a moment, about what he should say or do.
Speaking and Listening
Reading Strategy: Connect to Personal Experience
Interview:
Students’ interviews should
• focus on heritage
• be clear
• use a respectful tone
• answer questions fully
• include a written summary
Students may say they would not have been quite so
disappointed to see him as Cloyd was and that they
would have realized that they could tell Walter
everything later.
Reading Strategy: Connect to Personal Experience
Students might have said they would have felt anger at
being spoken to as if they didn’t know what they were
talking about.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: Why Read?
Answers will vary. Students may mention awareness
that the bears are protected, surprise that hikers would
report a dead grizzly, and relief that the Department of
Wildlife would take an interest in the killing.
Bear st one
27
ANSWER KEY
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Cloyd asks for the bear’s forgiveness. He feels he
contributed to its death.
2. Cloyd decides not to reveal the truth about how
Rusty killed the bear. He wants to end the cycle of
revenge, to reject its “poisonous” effects.
3. Most students will probably feel the scene is
effectively rendered because of the wealth of
natural detail, such as the detailed descriptions of
mountain climbing and the Ute ritual.
4. Examples will vary; results should reflect the fact
that revenge leads to more violence or other acts of
recrimination; possible alternatives may include
talking about the problem, seeking help and
mediation, and “turning the other cheek.”
5. Early miners had a dangerous job, and they could
work very, very hard and never find anything for all
their trouble. If they did get hurt while working alone,
there was no one to help.
Apply Background
Students may say that the author’s childhood
experiences in the wild are apparent and help them
visualize the kinds of details that bring the story to life.
Literary Element: Conflict
All conflicts over Walter and going to live with Walter
are resolved. Cloyd also feels less conflict about
school: he is starting to do better there. He can now go
home. He now has a kind of father, even though it is not
his real father, so Cloyd no longer feels the urge to run
off or roam freely in the wilderness. He feels better
about himself because he is living in a good way.
Literary Element: Conflict
Students may note that while Cloyd has found a home,
he has not found it within his own culture and traditions,
and this could be a source of conflict for him. They may
say his Ute identity and identification with the bear
have been cast aside for now but may return as issues
for him later.
Reading Strategy: Connect to Personal Experience
Students may say that they would have figured that the
bear was already dead and nothing could be saved or
changed by letting people know that Rusty killed it.
Others may feel responsibility had to be taken for the
death of a protected animal.
28
Reading Strategy: Connect to Personal Experience
Students may say that people’s problems are never
completely over, that people always have things they
have to deal with.
Vocabulary Practice
abruptly—from Latin ab- meaning from or away and
rumpere meaning to break
condescendingly— from con- meaning with or
together and Latin descendere meaning to descend
confluence—from con- meaning with or together and
Latin fluere meaning to flow
skeptically—from Greek skeptikos meaning thoughtful
warden—from Anglo French warder meaning to guard
Academic Vocabulary
Impact means effect or significance. The first meaning
relates to an actual, physical explosion or collision. The
second meaning relates to a mental or emotional or
other effect.
Writing
Personal Response
Students may say that the growing relationship
between Cloyd and Walter has been the true subject
of the entire novel and that their closeness makes a
fitting ending; they may say that Cloyd should have
helped Walter and then returned to his home on
the reservation.
Speaking and Listening
Literature Groups
Literature groups should
• identify reasons why Cloyd is upset
• make five suggestions for Cloyd
• merge information from three or more sources
• present their ideas clearly to the class
• write an effective evaluative paragraph
ANSWER KEY
NOVEL AFTER YOU READ
WORK WITH RELATED READINGS
“I Know Who I Am”
Cloyd would probably agree, based on his growing
friendship and commitment to Walter, his strengthened
self-discipline, his willingness to work, and his
awakened interest in horses, school, and meeting
new people.
The Haste-Me-Well Quilt
The bearstone is the important object to Cloyd. Both
the turquoise stone and the quilt connect the main
characters to their pasts and their traditions, from which
they gain strength and understanding of their heritages.
Prayer to a Dead Buck
The speaker in the prayer seems to believe that life and
death are closely linked and that there is continuity
between the two states; he also seems to believe in the
immortality of the deer’s soul. Cloyd’s attitude is less
clear; he seems to think that the grizzly is dead forever,
and he does not believe in any kind of immortality. He
does, however, respect the dead child he finds in the
cave and also feels respect for what his grandmother
described as traditional burial customs.
The Wounded Wolf
Roko has been injured and faces death. He uses his
own resources to seek protection and is helped by
Kiglo, who brings him food. As time progresses, Roko
regains his strength and is ready to rejoin the pack.
Cloyd is a troubled youth who faces an uncertain future.
Cloyd relies on his Ute heritage to gain inner strength
and is helped by Walter who offers patience and love.
As time passes, Cloyd gains self-confidence and a
sense of purpose and decides to help Walter for a year
before he returns home to White Mesa.
AFTER YOU READ
Connect to Other Literature
Character: Both are dynamic. Cloyd becomes more
mature and comfortable and secure about himself. He
begins to do better at school. Mary maintains her
rebellious spirit but she also comes to see the value of
the Kaw ways and traditions.
Imagery: Students may say that Cloyd’s wilderness
world is more clearly described than Mary’s world, or
they may note the power of certain images in either
work, such as eating grasshoppers in “Ta-Na-E-Ka.”
Conflict: At first, both are in some degree of conflict
with people who know what is best for them and care
for them very much. Both have to face nature in some
ways, though Mary figures out how to hide from it while
Cloyd desires experiences in nature.
TALK ABOUT IT
Mary refuses to go through Ta-Na-E-Ka in the
traditional way; Cloyd does not go back home to the
reservation but instead chooses life with Walter.
RESPOND THROUGH WRITING
Expository Essay
Students’ expository essays should
• provide examples of imagery
• explain how some examples support the setting
of Bearstone
• explain how some examples support the theme
of Bearstone
• include an introduction and conclusion
• devote at least one body paragraph to setting and
one to theme
The Black Fox
Students may list the following similarities: both boys
are spending time in a place they dislike; both see an
amazing animal; both are moved by the experience.
Students may also list the following differences: Cloyd
attempts to save the animal he meets from harm, and
he tells others about it, while Tom does neither.
Bear st one
29
Bridge
to Terabithia
Katherine Paterson
30
ABOUT THE WORK
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
This 1978 Newbery Medal book is the
story of Jess and Leslie, two lonely,
talented young people who find sympathy
and support in each other. Together, they
create an imaginary kingdom—a secret
place where they can dream their dreams
and escape from their enemies. After Leslie
dies in an accident, Jess overcomes his
guilt and grief and incorporates into his
own life the values of compassion,
kindness, courage, and love embodied by
his friend.
SYNOPSIS
Jess Aarons, who lives with his parents and
four sisters in rural Virginia, dreams of
being the fastest runner in his fifth-grade
class. After a summer of training in his
family’s cow pasture, Jess is sure that he
will win the races. His plan is thwarted,
however, by the arrival of Leslie Burke, an
athletic, self-assured girl from a suburb of
Washington, D.C. Her parents, both
successful writers, have moved to the
country to “reassess . . . their value
structure.” With Jess’s reluctant support,
Leslie joins the boys’ races and wins all of
them. Her challenge to gender stereotypes,
along with her achievements in school,
makes her unpopular with her classmates.
But Jess, a dreamy, artistic boy, soon warms
to Leslie, and they become best friends.
Together, Jess and Leslie create an
imaginary kingdom, Terabithia, in the
woods across a creek near their homes.
Patterned after C. S. Lewis’s Narnia,
Terabithia gives scope to the children’s
imagination. The shelter, or “castle,” that
Jess and Leslie build becomes a refuge for
them, where Leslie tells stories and Jess
draws.
The children reach Terabithia, which they
have kept secret from their families, by
swinging over a dry creek bed on an old
rope that hangs from a tree. During spring
vacation, the rains flood the creek, and Jess
is afraid to swing over water. He is
relieved when Miss Edmunds, the
children’s music teacher, invites him to go
to Washington for a day to visit the
museums. His “perfect day” of being with
Miss Edmunds and seeing the wonders of
the museums is marred only by a pang of
guilt for not asking whether Leslie could
join them. Returning home, Jess learns
from his family that Leslie drowned in the
raging creek when the rope broke as she
attempted to swing over to Terabithia.
The rest of the story is about Jess’s grief.
Jess feels that Leslie betrayed him by
showing him a wider, richer world and
then leaving him alone to find his own
way to it. Gradually, Jess accepts Leslie’s
tragic death and takes from it the lesson
that he must “pay back to the world in
beauty and caring what Leslie had loaned
him in vision and strength.”
At the end of the novel, Jess builds a
bridge across the fatal creek to Terabithia
and introduces May Belle to the magical
kingdom. As a first step toward sharing
Leslie’s message of love, compassion, and
imagination, Jess tells May Belle that the
Terabithians are welcoming her as their
new queen.
B r idge t o Terabi t hi a
31
OP TIONS FOR MOTIVATI N G STU DE NTS
Acting It Out
Dramatize situations that are similar to
ones described in the novel.
• Divide the class into pairs. Ask each
pair of students to create a short scene
dramatizing one of the following
situations:
– Someone who has been mistreated by
a class bully asks another person for
advice on how to respond to the bully.
– One person has a special talent that is
unappreciated by his or her family
members. The other person should
give advice on how to make family
members aware of his or her talent.
– Two persons are best friends. One has
just learned that he or she will be
moving to another state. The two friends
discuss their feelings about the move.
• To help students get started, have them
brainstorm ideas for possible scenarios.
• When students have finished preparing
their scenes, ask volunteers to act them
out.
Fantastic Worlds
Help students recall prior knowledge
about fantasy worlds in other books they
have read.
• Ask students to name several works that
include fantasy worlds. Suggestions
might include the Narnia books by C. S.
Lewis, The Hobbit and the Lord of the
Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien, A
Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle,
the North Wind books by George
MacDonald, Peter Pan by James Barrie,
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll,
and works by such authors as Lloyd
Alexander and Mary Norton.
32
• Have students briefly describe the
settings, characters, plots, and themes of
several of these works. Make notes
about the books on the board.
• Ask students to point out common
themes, treatments, plot events,
characterizations, and other elements in
the works they have discussed. Have
them consider why each author chose to
create a fantasy world as the setting for
all or part of the work.
Is the Grass Always Greener?
Help students recognize that cultures and
lifestyles can vary widely, even in
neighboring communities.
• Discuss with students their preferences
with regard to living in a large city or in
a rural area. Ask them to look ahead and
try to decide what advantages and
disadvantages their choices may have
for them as adults. List their conclusions
on the board.
• Imagine with students what it would be
like to move to a community that is far
different from their own in terms of
natural setting, type of industry, school
resources, or lifestyles. Develop a profile
of a community and school different from
your own, and ask students to freewrite
for ten minutes on how they might feel
about the first day of school there.
• Tell students that the two main
characters in this novel become best
friends despite having come from
different types of communities and from
different economic backgrounds.
O P TI O NS FOR US I N G R E L ATE D R E A D I N GS
RELATED READINGS
The Dream Keeper
Dream Dust
by Langston Hughes
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 25)
Aladdin and the
Wonderful Lamp
from Arabian Nights
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 26)
Playing God
by Ouida Sebestyen
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 27)
The Bridge Builder
by Will Allen
Dromgoole
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 28)
The Death of Friends
by Virginia Lynn Fry
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 29)
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
In these poems, Langston Hughes focuses on the magical qualities of dreams.
• Encourage students to describe the dreams they hold for their futures. Do they think
they will hold on to these dreams throughout their lives? How?
• As they read these poems, students should think about the imaginary world Jess and
Leslie create for themselves. How does Terabithia help them keep their dreams away
from “the too-rough fingers / Of the world”?
This selection from Arabian Nights is part of a rich tradition of fantasy and
adventure tales.
• Ask students what character types, settings, and situations often appear in
fantasy stories.
• As students read this selection, they should think about what it has in common with
Bridge to Terabithia and other fantasy and adventure stories. Ask students why this
type of story might appeal to readers.
In this story, a boy named Josh struggles with his family and with the difficulties of
growing up and finding identity and security.
• Ask students to think about some of the challenges they face in their lives.
• Encourage students to consider what activities and relationships give their
lives meaning.
• Ask them to think about what is challenging and what is rewarding about their
relationships with friends and family.
• As students read this story, encourage them to try to understand the feelings and
actions of the main character. Suggest that they keep in mind the character of Jess
from the novel as they read.
This poem illustrates the symbolic meaning of a bridge.
• Remind students that a symbol is something that has a meaning beyond itself.
• Encourage students to name things that have symbolic meanings, such as a dove, a
white flag, or a red cross. Remind them that the bridge in the novel is also a symbol.
• Ask students to think about how the bridge in this poem is like the bridge in the
novel and how the old man in the poem is like Jess.
In this selection, the author explores the complex emotions that people experience
after a person’s unexpected death and offers constructive ways of dealing with
them.
• Students who feel comfortable doing so might discuss their thoughts about death
and the complex emotions that are associated with death.
• Tell students that this selection may help them to understand the emotions of
characters in the novel as well as their own feelings about death. Invite students to
discuss questions that arise as they read.
B r idge t o Terabi t hi a
33
ANSWER KEY
All answers are sample answers except those
for Vocabulary Practice.
CHAPTERS 1–4
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
Contrasts in this novel include city and country ways of
life and differences in how people speak.
ACTIVE READING
Jess has a talent for drawing, is kind, helps out around
the house and with his younger sisters, is willing to look
beyond stereotypes, daydreams often, has a strong
sense of fairness, is brave enough to stand up to
bullies, is good at building things, longs for a different
kind of life.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Characterization
Jesse is kind and can put himself in other’s places and feel
what they feel. He does what the teacher says. He feels
confident but doesn’t brag. This is indirect characterization
by means of Jesse’s actions and thoughts.
Literary Element: Characterization
Jess does not talk back, but he shows how he is feeling.
This is indirect characterization by means of Jesse’s
thoughts.
Reading Skill: Analyze Cultural Context
The boys think they have to be tough and prove who’s
best. They also have to show they aren’t scared of each
other or anyone else.
Reading Skill: Analyze Cultural Context
The boys do not even consider the possibility that girls
could be equals. Usually, they don’t give girls a chance
to join in or think that girls can play only girls’ games.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What Makes You Who You Are?
Answers will vary. Perhaps Jess has had to learn to be
kind as the only boy and the middle child of four sisters.
Yet, Jess continues to draw even though his father
doesn’t like it.
34
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Leslie comes from an affluent suburb, dresses
casually, races the boys and wins; her family has no
TV. The other students think she is odd; some make
fun of her.
2. The children choose a spot in the woods separated
from the fields by a creek bed. They keep the
location secret and build a shelter where they can
read, draw, and imagine adventures. They feel safe
from the school bullies and can be themselves.
3. Miss Edmunds encourages Jess to reveal a part of
himself that he feels he must hide during everyday
life. Some students may agree that a special teacher
can have this kind of positive influence.
4. Advantages of a rural lifestyle might include a
healthier environment, closer family ties, lower
costs, a slower pace of life; disadvantages might
include fewer school resources, lack of diversity,
feelings of isolation. Advantages of an urban lifestyle
might include greater educational and other
resources, greater diversity of people, varied
hobbies and interests; disadvantages might include
higher costs, less family time, a hectic pace of life.
5. Jess seems kinder than some of the other students,
such as Gary Fulcher, and more likely to keep his
thoughts to himself.
ANSWER KEY
Apply Background
Students may say that the author’s experiences as a
new student seem to have given her a special
understanding of bullying and self-reliance.
Literary Element: Characterization
Students may suggest any of Jess’s words, thoughts, or
actions that set him apart from others or show his
kindness or artistic sense.
Literary Element: Characterization
Mainly, the reader learns about Jess through indirect
characterization, especially through his thoughts and
actions.
Reading Skill: Analyze Cultural Context
Some clashes include the differences between rural
and urban ways of thinking and doing things; differences
in the way characters speak; differences between
how most of the boys and most of the girls act; and
differences between Jess’s parents and Leslie’s parents.
Academic Vocabulary
Conduct means “lead.” In the second sentence, the
meaning is specific to electricity.
Writing
Personal Response
Students may say that being friends with Leslie might
be fun or inspiring. They might also say she would be
too different for them, and they would feel as if they
were in her shadow.
Research and Report
Visual/Media Presentation
Students’ slide presentations should
• show both regular and occasional chores
• correctly place a dollar value on each based on a
standard factor/wage and number of hours performed
• present clear, easy-to read, well-designed slides
• be accompanied by a clear explanatory narrative
Vocabulary Practice
1. misstep, fall [restatement]
2. he pulled the fierce and snarling dog off the girl
[explanation]
3. the directions were wrong, the time was wrong, and
the guest list had changed [examples]
4. broke loose in the stadium after the home team won
the series [general context/inference]
5. before it’s time to [inference]
B r idge t o Terabi t hi a
35
ANSWER KEY
CHAPTERS 5-9
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
The Newbery Medal has been awarded to outstanding
children’s books since 1922, including to two books by
Katherine Paterson.
ACTIVE READING
Lark Creek: little place for the imagination, many
problems with family and at school, Jess’s family
doesn’t understand him, language is not poetic.
Terabithia: Leslie tells wonderful stories, no one intrudes
on their own private world, Jess thinks of Leslie as his
real sister, language is poetic and imaginative.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Description
It is possible to feel the cold and mud, as well as the pain
in the legs; to hear the splashing and sloshing; and to see
P.T. leaping fishlike from puddle to puddle, running back
and forth, nipping at Jess’s and Leslie’s heels, and
splashing more water on them. It is also possible to see
the eight-food wide creek, in which branches and logs
are whirling, and whose waters are licking and leaping
onto the banks; and to hear the roar of the water.
Literary Element: Description
The continuing rain and the rising water swelling the
creek and covering the land around it explain his fear.
Reading Strategy: Make Inferences About
Characters
Jess’s question shows he is concerned that someone is
crying. He feels responsible to help someone who is
hurt. He is compassionate and caring.
36
Reading Strategy: Make Inferences About
Characters
Leslie is not afraid. She cares enough about Jess’s
opinion of her to do what he thinks ought to be done.
She puts aside her negative feelings about Janice
Avery to do the right thing.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What Makes You Who You Are?
Answers will vary. Students may note how considerate
and caring Jess is of his family.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Jess’s gift to Leslie is a puppy, which is appropriate
because she has few friends; the puppy also comes
with them to Terabithia. Leslie’s gift to Jess is a set of
paints, which encourages him to develop his artistic
talents.
2. Jess is uncritical and lukewarm about the service
and appears not to have thought deeply about the
ideas presented, while Leslie is probing and curious;
her nonconformity is in keeping with her personality,
while Jess shows he is more willing to accept
conventional ideas.
3. The comparison highlights Jess’s feeling of
insecurity about the present and the future.
4. Many students will say they began to feel sorry for
Janice. Knowing that another person’s unpleasant
personality has been formed by suffering makes us
slower to judge and condemn.
5. She shows courage, caring, and the ability to identify
with pain.
ANSWER KEY
Apply Background
Students may say that they understand Leslie’s
parents’ desire to move to a quiet, rural area.
Literary Element: Description
Students may mention the battle, the branches used as
swords, P.T. rushing around barking, and the visit to the
pine grove to give thanks for victory.
Literary Element: Description
Descriptive details help show how wide the creek is,
how fast it is running, and what Leslie and Jess now
have to do to cross it, as well as how Jess falls when he
crosses—suggesting that he just barely landed safely.
Reading Strategy: Make Inferences About
Characters
Leslie seems ready to take big risks. She seems
fearless because she crosses the dangerous creek
without hesitation.
Reading Strategy: Make Inferences About
Characters
Jess will take some risks, but he is afraid to take big
risks, such as crossing the dangerous creek.
Vocabulary Practice
1. dregs, 2. dumbfounded, 3. vile, 4. complacent,
5. guessing
Academic Vocabulary
Here, occurred means came to mind.
Writing
Write with Style
Students’ descriptions should
• use sensory details and precise language
• use spatial order or order or importance
• create a single main idea or main impression.
CHAPTERS 10-13
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
Bridge to Terabithia is an example of a coming-of-age
novel, or a novel about growing up.
ACTIVE READING
Rising action: Leslie wins the races. She and Jess
become friends, create kingdom of Terabithia, have
run-ins with Janice Avery. Spring rains flood creek,
Jess fears crossing it to get to Terabithia. Jess visits
Washington with Miss Edmunds. Climax: Leslie drowns
in flooded creek. Falling action: Jess and others grieve
for Leslie. Jess returns to Terabithia, makes funeral
wreath for Leslie, rescues May Belle. Resolution: Jess
builds bridge to Terabithia after deciding to “pay back”
the world for Leslie’s gifts to him, calls May Belle new
queen of Terabithia.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Figurative Language
“Terabithia was like a castle where you came to be
knighted.” Now that Jess is a knight, he can do battle
for others, or think about the lives and safety of others.
Literary Element: Figurative Language
The terms compare Jess and Leslie (and later May Belle)
to a king and queen. In Terabithia, Jess and Leslie were
king and queen, or in control of, their own world.
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizations
About the Plot
This is the climax, or moment of greatest tension or
excitement. Students may make any reasonable
comparison.
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizations
About the Plot
Students may make any reasonable comparison.
Connect to the Content Areas
Social Studies
Students’ interviews should
• reflect careful research
• answer the question of where non-classroom funding
comes from
• be presented clearly in an oral report
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What Makes You Who You Are?
Answers will vary. Students may say Jesse acts as he
does because he is a good person and a great brother.
He is also grown-up: even though he is scared, he does
not show it, and he helps his little sister. He also acts
out of love for May Belle.
B r idge t o Terabi t hi a
37
ANSWER KEY
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Miss Edmunds takes Jess to the National Gallery
and to the Smithsonian. The day is “perfect”
because Jess gets to spend it with Miss Edmunds
while looking at beautiful works of art and
fascinating exhibits. When Jess gets home, he
learns that Leslie has drowned.
2. At first, Jess refuses to believe that Leslie is dead.
Then he is angry at Leslie’s parents for bringing her
to “this rotten place” and at Leslie for dying and
leaving him alone. Next, he is overcome with grief.
Finally, he accepts Leslie’s death and vows “to pay
back to the world in beauty and caring what Leslie
had loaned him in vision and strength.”
3. It symbolizes the journey from childhood to maturity;
it might also symbolize the bridge that exists between
the real world and the world of the imagination.
4. Jess’s reactions are understandable, given the loss
he has suffered. Students should describe how they
might react to such a tragedy.
5. Leslie and the new world have helped Jess see more
and different ways of life. They have exposed him to
different parents, different ideas about religion, and
a whole new way of coping with the stresses of
school and mean students.
Apply Background
Students may say that being forced to deal with
frightening, challenging, and disagreeable experiences
hepls children to move closer to adulthood.
Literary Element: Figurative Language
It seems holy or sacred. It is something completely set
apart from everything else.
Literary Element: Figurative Language
Students may say that no one could be more alone
than a single human being on the moon, so this is an
effective simile for telling Jess’s feelings now that he
has lost his best and only friend.
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizations
About the Plot
Students may make any logical comparisons.
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizations
About the Plot
Students may make any logical comparisons.
38
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
synonyms
antonyms
synonyms
antonyms
antonyms
Academic Vocabulary
Shift means the hours worked at a job. The first
meaning is an action word for change. The second
meaning is a naming word related to something that
changes throughout the day.
Writing
Write With Style
Students’ similes and metaphors should
• compare two unlike things
• be based on something that the two unlike things
have in common
• take the form of a complete sentence
• use or leave out is or was, as appropriate
Speaking and Listening
Oral Interpretation
Students’ interpretations should
• vary pace according to the events
• convey meaning through tone
• use body language appropriately
• use gestures to show meaning
• be accompanied by an effective evaluative paragraph
ANSWER KEY
NOVEL AFTER YOU READ
WORK WITH RELATED READING
The Dream Keeper/Dream Dust
In Terabithia, the children’s dreams are safe “from the
too-rough fingers / Of the world.” Jess feels secure,
artistic, and appreciated. Leslie is one of the leaders of a
kingdom and not just a girl who dresses in an unusual
way. In this kingdom, the children can live out their
fantasies and feel happy.
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
In both worlds, a kingdom is ruled by royalty. Characters
struggle to meet challenges and to defeat enemies. Evil
forces threaten but eventually are overcome by good.
Playing God
Josh, like Jess, feels misunderstood at home. He wants
to find a purpose and feel happy with himself. Like Jess,
Josh experiences loss and struggles to deal with
complicated feelings. Both of them rely heavily on a
close female friend.
The Bridge Builder
Jess builds the bridge to Terabithia so that his little
sister can safely cross into the wonderful world he
shared with Leslie. His bridge symbolizes acceptance, a
path to happiness and imagination, and the ability to
survive and have courage. The old man’s bridge
symbolizes the obligation people have to help the next
generation. Like Jess, the old man building the bridge
thinks not of himself but of the comfort and safety of
others who might take the same path in the future.
CONNECT TO OTHER LITERATURE
Characterization: The poet uses the thoughts of the
speaker. Leslie is revealed more through her words and
actions, such as her words that create Terabithia and
her fearlessness in crossing the creek.
Description: Students may say they do, noting they can
see the children in their torn clothes climbing cliffs;
stripping next to country streams; and bullying, pointing at,
mocking, jumping out at, and throwing mud at the speaker,
just as they could picture and hear Janice Avery.
Figurative Language: Students may say that Janice
Avery threw words like stones or that she and her
friends were like dogs springing on children such as
May Belle on the school bus.
TALK ABOUT IT
Students may say that Leslie’s parents both hurt and
helped her by making her different. They made it harder
for her at school, but they may have helped her develop
a rich imagination, and they made her feel confident
about herself.
RESPOND THROUGH WRITING
Expository Essay
Students’ expository essays should
• name the title and authors of the two works
• present a clear comparison or contrast thesis
• provide support and explanation of the thesis in the
body paragraphs
• conclude appropriately
from Part of Me Died, Too
People feel shock, horror, terror, sadness, anger, and
emptiness. They want to know what really happened
and why it happened. Some assign blame, others are
gripped by grief, and still others do not want to talk
about it.
Reactions are the same in that, at first, people do not
seem to know how to react. For the most part, they keep
quiet about the death. Another similarity in reactions is
that, like Jesse, who eventually builds his bridge, the
children construct things, some of which help them show
their feelings and show their grief. Reactions are different
in “Part of Me Died, Too” in that the dead child’s desk is
not moved, there are many activities for children to show
and share their grief, and the whole community is invited
to share openly in the grieving process.
B r idge t o Terabi t hi a
39
The True Confessions
of Charlotte Doyle
Avi
40
ABOUT THE WORK
The True Confessions
of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
Set in 1832, The True Confessions of Charlotte
Doyle is presented as the narrator’s
recollection of an extraordinary girlhood
journey across the Atlantic Ocean. When
traveling alone from England to the United
States, thirteen-year-old Charlotte finds
herself caught between a cruel and
tyrannical sea captain and a rebellious
crew. Charlotte’s views about herself and
the class-conscious society in which she
lives change as she becomes close to the
crew and learns about courage, loyalty,
and friendship.
As they read, students will encounter some
descriptions of brutality and racial
prejudice in this realistic novel of life
aboard a nineteenth-century sailing ship.
Synopsis In the first half of the novel,
Charlotte Doyle is a prim and proper
schoolgirl traveling on a ship from
England to her family’s home in Rhode
Island. She finds the ship small and filthy
and feels out of place among the
“common” male crew members. Her only
comfort comes from having tea with
Captain Jaggery, whom she sees as a
member of her class—a gentleman. The
captain encourages Charlotte to spy on the
crew and report to him any complaints or
signs of mutiny. Charlotte does not believe
the ship’s friendly cook, Zachariah, when
he tells her that the captain is a tyrant
known for his cruelty. One day Charlotte
does witness the crew plotting a rebellion
and informs the captain. Charlotte watches
him brutally kill one crew member and
order his first mate to needlessly beat
Zachariah, apparently to death. She finally
sees the captain as the cruel man that he is.
In the second half of the novel, Charlotte
bravely joins the ship’s crew. She wants to
prove to the men that she regrets betraying
them. Though doubtful at first, the men
begin to appreciate her determination.
Captain Jaggery, believing Charlotte is
making a fool of him, seeks to punish her.
During the chaos of a hurricane, the
captain stabs one of his mates with
Charlotte’s knife and frames her for the
crime. He orders her to the ship’s prison,
gives her a hasty and unfair trial, and
sentences her to be hanged. With the help
of Zachariah, who turns out not to be dead
but rather in hiding, Charlotte escapes her
prison cell. The two of them plan a mutiny,
but they are betrayed by a crew member.
The captain nearly succeeds in recapturing
Charlotte before he falls overboard to his
death. Appreciative crew members make
Charlotte their new captain.
Once back home in Rhode Island,
Charlotte feels stifled by her family’s rigid
aristocratic world. Her tyrannical father
scolds her and banishes her to her room
for making up “outlandish” tales about the
voyage. Charlotte then sneaks away—back
to the freedom of life on a ship.
The True Conf e s s ions of C h a r lo tte D o y le
41
OP TIONS FOR MOTIVATI N G STU DE NTS
42
Recipe for Adventure
The Power of Words
Introduce students to the adventure
genre.
• Ask students to name and describe
adventure stories that they have read,
seen in movies, or watched on television.
You can start the list by naming a
popular recent adventure movie. For
those who want to read more books like
Charlotte Doyle, ask a volunteer to jot
down the titles of the adventure books
named. Post the list in the classroom.
• In a class discussion, identify the
characteristics and themes that
adventure stories share, such as
struggles between forces of good and
evil, tests of strength or courage, fast
action, danger, suspense, and secrecy.
Suggest characteristics that students do
not mention on their own. Tell students
that The True Confessions of Charlotte
Doyle is an adventure story and has
many of the characteristics they named.
• Point out that adventure stories have
heroes, heroines, and villains. With
students, list on the board the
characteristics they expect to see in real
and fictional heroes, heroines, and
villains. Ask whether there is a gender
difference in their expectations
concerning bravery and courage. Do
they expect a heroine to be less willing
to take risks than a hero? Point out that
authors sometimes create unexpected
heroes. For example, a person who
seems to be a minor character in the
opening chapters of a novel may be a
hero by the end. Ask students to copy
and keep the list of characteristics of
heroes, heroines, and villains so that
they can see how well Avi’s characters
meet their expectations.
Prepare students to identify and
understand techniques used by writers.
• Explain that descriptive details help the
reader imagine the sensations of a scene,
such as its sounds, sights, and smells.
Ask students to list words and phrases
they might use as descriptive details to
help readers imagine these scenes: a
violent storm at sea, a prison cell, a
crowd of people, a sailing ship.
Come Sail Away
Engage students in mentally re-creating
the setting and the time of the novel.
• Describe briefly for students the
constricted setting for most of the
novel’s action—a sailing ship some 107
feet long and 26–30 feet wide. Have
students use a tape measure to measure
your classroom. Then ask them to
compare the size of the room with the
size of the ship.
• Bring in a picture of a sailing vessel.
Note that fourteen people will spend
two months on the ship without any
modern conveniences.
• With students, speculate on how people
might cope with the primitive living
conditions on board a ship. What would
they use for lighting? Where would they
get drinking water? Also talk about the
sailors’ work and about how sailors
might spend any leisure time. Remind
students that the ship’s power source is
the wind, so the sails require constant
attention. Ask students to share any
knowledge they have about life aboard a
modern-day ship.
O P TI O NS FOR US I N G R E L ATE D R E A D I N GS
Related Readings
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
from Catherine, Called
Birdy
by Karen Cushman
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 25)
In this portion of a fictional diary, a thirteen-year-old girl living in the Middle Ages
resists the fate prescribed for females of her class.
• Before students read, ask them to discuss what they think life would have been like
in the 1200s for the daughter of an English knight.
• Encourage students to note as they read the ways in which Catherine’s life
corresponds to or differs from their expectations.
• After students read, ask them what they would have done if they had been in
Catherine’s position.
The Little Girl Who
Dared
In this story, a young pioneer girl’s bravery helps save her father from death.
• Ask students to share any instances in which they have had to show courage. Ask
what motivated their bravery.
by Henry W. Lanier
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 26)
Whaling Wives
by Peg Connolly
Schwabel
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 27)
A Cornered Ship, 31
Men and a Date with
Doom
by Cynthia Corzo,
Curtis Morgan, and
John Barry
This magazine article describes the lives of nineteenth-century women who
accompanied their husbands on whaling ships.
• Have students brainstorm a list of the differences between traditional “women’s
jobs” and the employment opportunities that exist for women today.
• Discuss with students the changes in society since women have moved into
nontraditional roles.
This newspaper article describes the disappearance of the Fantome, a ship lost at
sea during Hurricane Mitch in 1998.
• Before students read, ask them to list some of the hurricanes that have caused
damage in the United States.
• Lead a discussion on the kinds of precautions people on land can take to protect
themselves from hurricanes.
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 28)
The Gallant Ship
by Sir Walter Scott
Sea-Fever
by John Masefield
The Sea Gypsy
by Richard Hovey
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 29)
In these three poems, the poets talk about the sea that Charlotte Doyle comes
to love.
• Before students read, ask student volunteers who have been to the ocean to share
some of their experiences.
• Ask students to identify the rhyming words in these poems and discuss whether
rhyming contributes to their enjoyment of the poetry.
• After they read, ask students to discuss their general impressions of the poems.
Then, as a class, develop an interpretation of each poet’s message.
The True Conf e s s ions of C h a r lo tte D o y le
43
ANSWER KEY
All answers are sample answers except those
for Vocabulary Practice.
CHAPTERS 1–8
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
Sailing a tall ship is difficult and often dangerous work.
ACTIVE READING
Possible answers: People tell her not to board the ship;
she wants to leave but cannot disobey her father. She
is given a knife; she does not want to keep the knife.
She sees the scary face; she questions who it could be.
The captain warns her about the round robin; she does
not understand.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Foreshadowing
The reactions show he is scared of Jaggery. They make
Jaggery sound evil.
Literary Element: Foreshadowing
The second porter runs away. The figurehead is a bird
that looks angry and seems to want revenge. Both
details create a sense of dread about what is to come.
Reading Strategy: Make Predictions About Plot
Charlotte may need a friend when she is in trouble
because she is all alone on the ship, with no one else
her age or gender.
Reading Strategy: Make Predictions About Plot
They, or the crew, might be planning to move against
the captain or take over the ship. The crew does not like
Jaggery. Someone has snuck on board. Secret things
are going on.
44
ON PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What’s Fair and What’s Not?
Answers will vary. Students’ ideas might include
thoughts about whether Cranick’s punishment was fair
or deserved, whether Charlotte’s siding with Jaggery
against Zachariah is fair, whether the courts on land
were fair, and whether what might be about to happen
in terms of the crew and Jaggery will be fair or just.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Charlotte believes it is wrong for a young lady to travel
alone with common sailors. She believes her social
position makes her superior to working-class people.
2. Zachariah tells her that the captain is cruel.
Charlotte does not believe him because she looks
up to the captain as a father figure.
3. It adds suspense and indicates that something
strange might soon happen. Readers might feel
uneasy, tense, or excited.
4. Students might say that the captain seems
demanding and that Charlotte does not see him
objectively. Zachariah has known the captain longer
than Charlotte has, so he is more likely to know the
captain’s true nature.
5. No, she responds to him according to his class as
a cook. She calls Jaggery his “better.”
ANSWER KEY
Apply Author Information
Avi likes to use adventure and mystery, which he is
using in this book, to interest his readers.
Literary Element: Foreshadowing
1. Students may say it probably is: it may foreshadow
punishment or someone being thrown in the brig.
2. Students may say they are reading to find out who the
mysterious man was who climbed aboard the ship or
what happens with the dirk or knife.
Reading Strategy: Make Predictions About Plot
1. Catherine will find out that Jaggery is not a good or
kind man. Too many people, from the porters to the
crew, fear, dislike, or distrust him.
2. Charlotte will use the knife, and it will get her in
trouble. The novel makes a point of showing how
Charlotte is seen with the knife.
Vocabulary Practice
1. d, 2. f, 3. e, 4. b, 5. c
Academic Vocabulary
Here, achieve means to do or complete.
Writing
Write a Review
Students’ reviews should name ways in which Avi
foreshadows and builds suspense. They should also
mention at least one specific cliffhanger chapter ending.
Speaking and Listening
Literature Groups
Students’ reports should
• present a consensus opinion about how likeable
Charlotte is
• explain the opinion with evidence from the novel
• be presented with effective verbal and nonverbal
techniques
• be accompanied by a chart or rating scale that
provides a detailed assessment
CHAPTERS 9–15
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
Throughout history, sailors aboard ship have taken
the law into their own hands through piracy, or
stealing from other ships, and mutiny, or revolt,
against the captain.
ACTIVE READING
Charlotte Knows: that Captain Jaggery is of a certain
class and in charge of the ship; that Jaggery speaks
and acts like an educated man or gentleman; that
having a knife is a problem for her; that being on ship
without other girls or people her age is a problem for
her; that there is someone in the hold. Others Know:
that captain Jaggery has treated Cranick harshly; that
the crew plans an action against Jaggery; who is in the
hold and why; that Charlotte may need the knife; that
Charlotte should not be on board the ship; that Jaggery
might turn against Charlotte.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Narrator and Point of View
Clues include the pronouns we, I, and me, and other
clues in the dialogue, such as the reference by another
character to “Miss Doyle” that show that Charlotte is
speaking and telling her own story.
Literary Element: Narrator and Point of View
Charlotte is an outsider; she does not know what the
men are up to or what they are saying. She does not
grasp what they mean when they speak. Others are
upset at her presence in the forecastle, the crew’s
private space.
Reading Strategy: Monitor Comprehension
Students may say five bells, which they can identify
by means of the appendix, or for which they can use
context cues to figure out a time of day. They might
also identify audacity, which they can figure out
from context clues about climbing to the top of the
royal yard.
Reading Strategy: Monitor Comprehension
Students may use context clues to figure out that the
royal yard is the highest sail; that the mainmast is
probably the tallest or highest mast; that the main yard,
topsail, topgallant, and royal yard are all levels of sails;
that the ratlines are ropes that may be like a ladder; and
that shrouds is another word for sails.
The True Conf e s s ions of C h a r lo tte D o y le
45
ANSWER KEY
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What’s Fair and What’s Not?
Answers will vary. Students’ thoughts may include
outrage at the whipping of Zachariah. Some may
believe that the captain must keep order.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Charlotte feels it is her duty to tell the captain. She
expects him to be fair and wise.
2. The crew resents Charlotte. She regrets her actions.
3. Charlotte believes she owes Captain Jaggery an
apology, and she still wants his approval.
4. Students should base their opinions on what they
know of the crew and the captain.
5. Students may select a variety of events, including
the death of Cranick and the whipping of Zachariah.
Support must accurately reflect story events.
Apply Background
Build Background explains the terms piracy and mutiny
and how the crew joined together to use them.
Academic Vocabulary
definition: physical or mental effort
synonyms: work, effort, toil
antonyms: leisure, rest, ease, relaxation
image: any picture of work
Literary Element: Narrator and Point of View
Writing
1. It limits information because Charlotte is young and
from a different world, so she does not pick up on
clues that others might get.
2. Accept any reasonable answer, such as possibly
knowing the identity of the man in the hold.
Write a Letter
Students’ letters should be addressed to the crew and
accurately reflect Charlotte’s feelings and most recent
actions.
Reading Strategy: Monitor Comprehension
Debate
Students’ debates should
• present clear, well-supported arguments
• anticipate, meet, and weaken counterarguments
• be accompanied by an evaluative paragraph rating
arguments, counterarguments, evidence, and delivery
1. Answers will vary. Students may cite passages that
are dense with technical terms about sailing and
ships.
2. Strategies include using the appendix, using context
clues, using a dictionary or glossary, reading on,
slowing down, rereading, and asking questions.
Vocabulary Practice
1. gesticulate, gesture
Gesticulate means to wave or motion. A gesture is a
use of the hands to signal meaning.
2. impertinence, pertaining
46
Impertinence means rudeness, or a kind of behavior
that is out of place or doesn’t belong. Pertaining
means belonging or relating to.
3. implacable, complacent
Implacable means unable to be changed.
Complacent means accepting, or not trying to make
change.
4. maneuver, manuscript
Maneuver means to move into position, often by
using one’s hands. A manuscript is a piece of writing,
sometimes done by hand.
5. Scrutiny, inscrutable
Scrutiny means close inspection. Inscrutable means
not easy to understand or interpret—even upon
close inspection.
Speaking and Listening
ANSWER KEY
CHAPTERS 16–22
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
Although African Americans were free in some states
in 1832, slavery still existed in the South, and African
Americans faced discrimination and segregation in
the North.
ACTIVE READING
Both men: controlling; obsessed with order; concerned
about proper behavior. Father: stays home with family;
no physical violence. Captain: sea life and crew; people
dislike him; uses physical violence.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Mood
The mood is one of darkness, fear, and disgust. Details
that help create it include prisoner, brig, murder, hatch,
groped, bottom, false head, slime, narrow passageway,
blackened bilge, stench, loathsome, slops, and
completely dark.
Literary Element: Mood
Details that support the idea that the mood is one of
fear or horror include dark, hollow groans, creaking,
dripping, sloshing, rustling, rats, sick with fright,
hangman, shivering, as well as the sounds of someone
approaching in the dark.
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizations
About Character
Zachariah is trusting and kind; Zachariah is a good
friend to Charlotte. Here as elsewhere, Zachariah helps
Charlotte and believes that she is a good person.
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizations
About Character
Charlotte is a bad judge of character. Here as
elsewhere, she trusts and distrusts the wrong people.
For example, she distrusted Zachariah in the past and
she distrusts him now, but he cares about her. She
trusted Jaggery, but he is an evil man.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What’s Fair and What’s Not?
Answers will vary. Students’ notes may reflect the
prejudice against blacks and women at the time.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. The captain finds Charlotte guilty of murder because
the murder weapon is her knife and he believes she
has acted unnaturally in other ways.
2. Charlotte’s family questions her tattered dress and
suntanned face. Charlotte notices their prim
appearance and their cold and empty gestures, but
she is glad to see them.
3. Charlotte and Zachariah were both outsiders, and
both were kind and thoughtful. Zachariah noticed
these similarities right away.
4. Students might say they would have preferred the
comforts of Charlotte’s home or that they would have
left for the excitement of the ship. They should
explain their answers.
5. Accept any reasonable answer that reflects an
accurate reading of The True Confessions of
Charlotte Doyle.
The True Conf e s s ions of C h a r lo tte D o y le
47
ANSWER KEY
Apply Background
Vocabulary Practice
Students may say that Avi does a good job of showing
the discrimination that Zachariah faced.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Literary Element: Mood
1. Students may say the mood is stern, serious, and
tense. The room is too warm. The fire is blazing.
Charlotte’s father is giving orders and roaring.
Charlotte is not allowed to say anything.
2. Students may say the mood is positive and upbeat. It
is morning, the sails are filled with air and billowing.
There is an emphasis on the wind blowing in a way
that excites Charlotte.
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizatons
About Character
1. She is brave. She becomes a sailor and climbs the
rigging. She climbs the mast and cuts the foreyard
during the storm. At the end of the novel, she is
brave enough to return to sailing. Another major trait
is that she is true to herself. She says what’s on her
mind when she reports the round robin. She says
what’s on her mind when she sticks up for
Zachariah. She does what she truly wants to do at
the end of the novel.
2. Zachariah is kind and generous. He truly cares about
others, as he shows from the beginning when he
gives Charlotte the dirk and tries to watch out for her.
He shows kindness and generosity throughout the
story as he visits Charlotte in the brig, excuses her
from blame when Captain Jaggery wants to whip
him, and defends her to the crew.
48
copiously
none
apparition
mutely
none
perplexity
conspiracy
Academic Vocabulary
Answers will vary, but should include the purpose of
the particular chore.
Writing
Personal Response
Answers will vary but should be based on actual
novel events.
Research and Report
Literary Criticism
Students’ reports should
• clearly agree or disagree with the criticisms
• present and support a clear thesis
• contain a clear introduction, body, and conclusion
• be accompanied by an evaluative paragraph
ANSWER KEY
NOVEL AFTER YOU READ
WORK WITH RELATED READINGS
Catherine, Called Birdy
Both fathers think they know what is best for their
daughters and believe they have the right to control
their daughters’ behavior. Catherine’s father wants to
exchange his daughter’s hand in marriage for financial
gain. Charlotte’s father doesn’t try to achieve financial
gain through her. Instead, he wants to mold her into a
well-educated and well-behaved young woman.
The Little Girl Who Dared
Both Charlotte Doyle and Virginia Reed are young girls
traveling. Both are called upon to show courage in an
unfair situation.
Whaling Wives
Both the women in this reading and Charlotte enjoy
working together with a crew.
A Cornered Ship
Both ships were apparently tossed by a hurricane. The
crew of each ship fought desperately to navigate
during the high wind and waves. The Fantome, which
was made of steel, was lost; the Seahawk, which was
made of wood, suffered damage but stayed afloat.
The Gallant Ship/Sea-Fever/The Sea Gypsy
Students may choose any of the three poems, but their
answers should include references to specific lines in
the poem.
CONNECT TO OTHER LITERATURE
Foreshadowing: This passage foreshadows more
moves ahead for the narrator’s family at “that time of
year.” It is different from the foreshadowing in The True
Confessions of Charlotte Doyle because most of the
foreshadowing in the novel is used to build suspense or
heighten the feeling of mystery instead of just pointing
ahead to future events.
Narrator and Point of View: The narrator in The True
Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is a girl who is on her
own; the narrator of this story is a boy of close to the
same age who is with his family. Both narrators use
first-person point of view.
Mood: There is a mood of sadness and heaviness here
but no fear or mystery.
TALK ABOUT IT
Like Charlotte, the narrator of the “The Circuit” is
packing up and making a change. Unlike Charlotte, the
narrator is with his family. He is not traveling across the
ocean and going home; instead, he is going to Fresno
for new work.
RESPOND THROUGH WRITING
Short Story
Students’ short stories should
• contain mystery, suspense, or adventure
• use foreshadowing near the beginning
• begin with exposition: setting, characters, and
situation
• relate a series of events that rise to a climax
• end by solving the problem or conflict
The True Conf e s s ions of C h a r lo tte D o y le
49
Number
the Stars
Lois Lowry
50
ABOUT THE WORK
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Lois Lowry’s novel Number the Stars won
the 1990 Newbery Medal for its sensitive
portrayal of the Danes’ protection of
Danish Jews during the Nazi occupation of
Denmark. Told from the perspective of a
child, Number the Stars makes the terrible
cruelty and great nobility evoked in its
pages tangible to the student reader. In
addition to the Newbery Medal, Lowry
received the National Jewish Libraries
Award and the National Jewish Book
Award for this novel.
These study guide materials contain
information about the Holocaust and antiSemitism to provide students with
background for understanding Number the
Stars. Depending on the makeup of your
class, you may want to delve further into
the complex issues of what constitutes
Jewish identity, into current racial and hate
crimes in the United States, and into the
similarities and the differences between
Judaism and Christianity.
Synopsis
The novel opens in 1943 in Copenhagen,
Denmark. Annemarie Johansen, a ten-yearold girl; her best friend Ellen Rosen; and
Annemarie’s little sister, Kirsti, are walking
home from school. An unpleasant
encounter with German soldiers
foreshadows the events to come. That
night Annemarie reflects on events that
occurred in her life three years earlier, at
the beginning of the German occupation.
She thinks about the tragic death of her
older sister Lise, just weeks before Lise’s
wedding to a young man named Peter.
Annemarie hides her fear as she calms her
little sister with fairy tales.
Several weeks later, Ellen’s mother knocks
on the Johansens’ door. After learning that
the Nazis are on the verge of arresting all
Danish Jews, she and her husband are
fleeing. She asks the Johansens to hide
Ellen for a few days, and they agree. That
night, German soldiers awaken the
Johansens. The Johansens introduce Ellen
as their daughter, Lise, but the soldiers are
suspicious of her dark hair. Mr. Johansen
goes to the family photograph album and
rips out a baby picture of each of his three
daughters. Lise’s photograph shows an
infant with dark curls. The soldiers believe
that Ellen is Lise, and they leave.
The following day, Mrs. Johansen takes the
three girls to her brother Henrik’s farm on
the Danish coast. The next day, Henrik
announces that Annemarie’s Great-aunt
Birte has died and that members of the
family will be gathering at the house to pay
their last respects. But as Annemarie knows,
she has no Great-aunt Birte. The wake is an
excuse for a number of Jewish refugees—
including Ellen’s parents—to gather in
Henrik’s house so that Henrik can secretly
transport them to Sweden the next
morning.
The refugees make it safely to the boat, but
on the way, Ellen’s father drops a
handkerchief treated with a special
substance. If German soldiers bring police
dogs on board to sniff out hidden
passengers, the handkerchief will
temporarily destroy the dogs’ ability to
smell. After fooling the German soldiers,
Annemarie successfully delivers the
handkerchief to her uncle.
Numb e r th e Sta r s
51
OP TIONS FOR MOTIVATI N G STU DE NTS
Child’s-Eye View
Lead a general discussion comparing the
ways a child sees the world to the ways
an adolescent or adult sees it.
• If you have access to a video camera,
inconspicuously tape a variety of scenes
within the school. You might film your
classroom, the hallway, several teachers,
and the secretary behind the counter in
the office. As you are recording, adjust
the camera to be about four feet above
the floor (roughly eye level for a sevenyear-old).
• Show the video to your class. Ask
students to analyze what is unusual
about the video. Discuss the fact that it
shows the world from what is literally a
child’s perspective.
• Use this idea to extend your discussion
on the differing perspectives of children
and adults.
Common Ground
Help students create a web of connections.
• On the chalkboard or a large sheet of
paper, have each student write his or her
name. Ask students to think about
common traits, interests, or experiences
that connect them with others in the
class. Then have students take turns
drawing lines connecting their names to
the names of people with whom they are
somehow connected.
• Ask students to explain these
connections. The connections might be
personal (best friends, cousins),
humorous or trivial (a tendency to talk
52
too much or preference for the same
type of music), or abstract and complex
(ethnic or religious backgrounds,
ambitions, or experiences).
• Continue until your students have
created a dense web. Challenge even the
least likely pairs to find some common
ground. Use this opportunity to
demonstrate that even new students are
probably connected to their classmates
somehow, even if the connections are
not yet apparent.
Significant Symbols
Help students recognize the significance
of symbols.
• Show your class a picture of a Star of
David.
• Ask students if they can identify the
name and significance of the star. Point
out that this symbol is called the Star of
David, or Magen David, and is
associated with the Jewish religion. It
appears on many synagogues and also
on the flag of Israel. Some Jewish people
wear a Star of David to proclaim their
Jewish faith.
• Discuss and identify other symbols of
faith or allegiance, such as the Christian
cross and national flags. Ask: Why do
people wear and display such symbols?
How might symbols ever lead to conflict?
• Ask students to consider some aspect of
their identity or some cherished personal
belief. Have each student devise a visual
icon to symbolize his or her chosen
belief.
O P TI O NS FOR US I N G R E L ATE D R E A D I N GS
RELATED READINGS
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO Number the Stars
from October 45:
Childhood Memories of
the War
by Jean-Louis Besson
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 25)
Dealing with the deprivations of daily life in an occupied country is a major theme
in this reading, just as it is in Number the Stars.
• Before students read, explain to them that in wartime many of a country’s resources
are directed to the armed forces instead of to civilians. This is especially true in an
occupied country, where the occupying forces seize food and other resources.
• As students read, encourage them to compare conditions in wartime France with
those described in Number the Stars.
Night of Fire at Berlin
Railroad Station
This is the true story of a child who did not escape the Nazis and was sent to the
work camps.
• Ask students what role hope might play in a difficult situation. For example, how
might hope affect someone with a terminal illness?
• Ask students to list some people who have turned tragedy in their lives into triumph.
by Harold Gordon
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 26)
Civilized Denmark
by Garrison Keillor
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 27)
We Will Be the World
by Sasha Whyte
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 28)
Petey and Yotsee and
Mario, July 14, 1956
by Henry Roth
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 29)
This magazine article explores modern Denmark, with a focus on Copenhagen and
a mention of Gilleleje, the settings of Number the Stars.
• Before students read, remind them that, although Number the Stars is a work of
fiction and “Civilized Denmark” is a nonfiction magazine article, both Lois Lowry
and Garrison Keillor visited Denmark and made firsthand observations before
writing.
• Compare and contrast the goals of a fiction writer using a real place as the setting
for a novel and a travel writer describing the same place.
Many people have hoped that by teaching about the Holocaust, they will prevent
similar events from recurring. Unfortunately as this selection shows, ethnic and
religious violence are still present in today’s world.
• Ask students to discuss any experiences they have had that significantly changed
their thinking on a particular issue.
• Ask your students if they find a message of hope in the essay, despite its sadness.
In Roth’s short story, a boy comes to terms with his Jewish heritage.
• Discuss with students the things that make up someone’s “cultural heritage.”
• Before students read, ask them for their suggestions on how to best break down
cultural barriers in a community.
Numb e r Th e Sta r s
53
ANSWER KEY
All answers are sample answers except those
for Vocabulary Practice.
CHAPTERS 1–5
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
Jews have suffered prejudice and persecution
throughout history.
ACTIVE READING
Many answers are possible. “Is it true, Papa?”; short
sentence, child talking; innocent personality; “Once
upon a time . . .”; fairy tale; childlike, innocent, makebelieve; “Mama, it had a swastika on it”; short simple
sentence, child’s understanding; voice that senses fear
without full understanding
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Voice
The children, especially Kirsti, love fairy tales as “all
Danish children” do. The author thinks fairy tales are a
positive part of the innocent world of children.
Literary Element: Voice
People care deeply about or love their king. They are
willing to act on their sense of pride, respect, and deep
loyalty. The author admires these feelings.
Reading Strategy: Question
Why is Peter visiting at night? What is his reason
for visiting? How does he get the things he brings to
the family?
Reading Strategy: Question
Does rounding up the Jews begin everywhere with
closing their places of business? What will the Nazis do
next? What happened in other places in Europe when
the Nazis took away the Jews?
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What Brings Out the Best in You?
Key ideas that show how the Johansens are putting
others first include “We must help,” “Peter has helped
Ellen’s parents,” and taking Ellen into their home.
54
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Annemarie is subdued and polite, while Kirsti is
grumpy and defiant. Annemarie is older than Kirsti
and better understands that the soldiers are
dangerous. The soldiers have been around for most of
Kirsti’s life—they are just part of the landscape to her.
2. The fairy tale king and queen have balls, sugary
treats, and live happily ever after. In the real world,
there is no cause for celebration, no sugar, and no
guarantee of a happy ending to the war. Fairy tales
are an escape for Kirsti. For Annemarie they
represent a happier time in her life.
3. Ellen pretends to be Lise in order to hide from
the Nazis.
4. Annemarie is very puzzled when Ellen comes to her
house on the Jewish New Year because she knows
the Rosens planned to spend this special day
together. She suspects that something is wrong, and
so does the reader. Not until Mr. and Mrs. Johansen
explain what has happened does the reader know
what is going on.
5. Love of the king and national pride are two things
that bring out the best in the Danish people. Love of
their neighbors, the Rosens, brings out the best in
the Johansens.
Apply Background
Students may say that knowing how the story grew out
of a friendship with someone who lived in Denmark
during World War II and had lived through what had
happened makes the story seem more real or true or
firsthand.
Literary Element: Voice
1. The author respects the way they resisted the Nazis
and did what they could to help their friends and
neighbors.
2. Annemarie is a child. She doesn’t know all that is
going on or understand why. She is better at fairy
tales than she is at the hard facts of life around her.
Her childlike ways are the opposite of the Nazis’
ways.
The contrast helps show good and evil, right and
wrong, peace and war.
ANSWER KEY
Reading Strategy: Question
1. Accept any reasonable question, such as “How will
the people in the Resistance keep the Rosens away
from the Nazis?”
2. Accept any reasonable question, such as “Why do
the Nazis close businesses?” or “Why don’t they just
round up the people they want to take away?”
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
contempt
exasperated
imperious
tricky
terrorism
Academic Vocabulary
Answers will vary.
Writing
Personal Response
Students should not be surprised. They should quote or
refer to evidence in the story that shows how close the
Johansens are to the Rosens, as well as hints about
their national pride and/or courage.
Speaking and Listening
Literature Groups
Students’ discussions should
• include supporting evidence
• demonstrate effective listening strategies
• be accompanied by a summary
• be accompanied by a self-assessment by each
member
CHAPTERS 6–11
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
Ordinary Danish citizens such as Jorgen Knudsen, an
ambulance driver, helped Jews to escape the Germans.
ACTIVE READING
People made elaborate plans to fool the Germans; for
example, they held a funeral when no one had died.
People traveled by night; they tried to keep from being
seen by the Germans. People closed curtains at night;
they did not want the Germans to be aware of their
activities. People lied to the German soldiers; they tried
to keep them from knowing illegal plans or actions and
from harming Jewish people.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Narrator and Point of View
The conversation is puzzling. Annemarie know that
cigarettes are not available. She pieces ideas together
to draw a conclusion about things the adults won’t
tell her.
Literary Element: Narrator and Point of View
She knows the talk about fishing has a hidden meaning,
but she doesn’t know what it is. She also knows that
she’s been told someone has died, but she doesn’t
know who or why people are not sad. She knows she
has no Great-aunt Birte.
Reading Skill: Analyze Historical Context
They interrupt because they suspect Jews are hidden
at Uncle Henrik’s home or other behavior is going on
that they want to stop. The Germans are in complete
control; they have taken over all of Denmark.
Numb e r Th e Sta r s
55
ANSWER KEY
Reading Skill: Analyze Historical Context
Literary Element: Narrator and Point of View
They have complete power, except for the power of the
Resistance. The Germans can harm or kill whom they
want. They are the occupying force. There are soldiers
everywhere with guns.
1. Annemarie realizes that Kirsti might just blurt out
that Ellen celebrates the New Year in the fall.
Annemarie does not realize what is going to happen
once they reach Uncle Henrik’s or how dangerous it
is going to be.
2. Annemarie is coming to understand more and more
about the dangers and about the secret operations.
Annemarie is growing up or becoming more like an
adult.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What Brings Out the Best in You?
Students might comment on how the Rosens leave
everything behind to choose life in a new country.
They are determined. They do not give in to fear. They
are proud.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Annemarie must lie to Ellen to protect her. Also,
Annemarie knows that her mother is lying when she
introduces the pretend friends of Great-aunt Birte.
Annemarie realizes that at that moment she
becomes her mother’s equal, instead of a little child
who needs to be protected.
2. She doesn’t reveal her fear about opening the
casket, and she makes the soldiers afraid to open it
by mentioning a highly contagious disease.
3. Lowry wants to draw the reader’s attention to people’s
inner strength in the face of humiliation and terror.
4. Peter is an official member of the Resistance. Henrik
is probably also an official member, as he operates a
boat that takes people to Sweden. Mama and Papa
may also be members or just helping out by taking
responsibility for their neighbors.
5. Students may say that love and compassion for her
neighbors motivate Mama, or they may speak more
generally about a strong sense of right and wrong
or justice.
Apply Background
Students may say that the Introduction to the Novel
helped them to better understand the Danish people’s
tolerant attitude toward the Jews and the Danish
Resistance.
56
Reading Skill: Analyze Historical Context
1. Sweden is a neutral country. The Jews can go there
and be safe. Denmark is a short distance across the
water from Sweden.
2. They suspect that something secret and hidden is
going on. They suspect Uncle Henrik is hiding Jews.
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
an experienced roofer
a toy that has been stepped on
a person leaning out of a window
“If only I had gone!”
asking a stranger for help
Academic Vocabulary
Answers will vary.
Writing
Personal Response
Students’ opinion pieces should argue for or against
changing standards of right and wrong in war time.
Connect to Content Areas:
Art
Students’ covers should
• blend images that reflect the content, symbols, or
themes of the novel
• include the title and author
• credit the sources of visuals
• include a clear explanation of process
ANSWER KEY
CHAPTERS 12–17
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
Because Sweden was neutral and separated from
Denmark by only a narrow strait, Resistance leaders
moved Jews from Denmark to Sweden by boat.
ACTIVE READING
Rising Action: Annemarie finds the packet; Mrs.
Johansen tells Annemarie she must run with the packet
to Henrik’s boat; Annemarie encounters German
soldiers; Climax: the soldiers interrogate Annemarie
and find the special handkerchief, but Annemarie
convinces them that her errand is an innocent one;
Falling Action: Annemarie reaches Henrik’s boat and
successfully delivers the package; Denouement: Henrik
tells how he got the Rosens and the other passengers
safely to Sweden; the war ends; the Johansens prepare
for the return of the Rosens; Flashbacks (part of
denouement): Peter’s death two years earlier; Lise’s
death before the action of this novel begins
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Flashback
The chapter begins after the war has ended. The events
with Peter occurred before the war ended.
Literary Element: Flashback
There is a flashback to the events surrounding
Lise’s death.
Reading Skill: Analyze Tone
Uncle Henrik’s tone is serious in almost all places
where he mentions the Germans and the possible
dangers, such as when he refers to the trained dogs
and begins to refer to what might have happened
without the handkerchief.
Reading Skill: Analyze Tone
Uncle Henrik is more soothing when he mentions that
the Rosens are safe, when he says that Sweden will
remain free, and when he assures Annemarie that she
will see Ellen again and that the war will end someday.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What Brings Out the Best in You?
Students might question whether Annemarie fully
understood the risks or knew what could happen to her.
They might question whether children in Denmark at the
time ever had to call upon inner strength in that way.
They might question whether a ten-year-old has such
inner strength, or they might ask whether they could
have found the inner strength to do the same thing.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Annemarie remembers that Kirsti was not at all
afraid of the soldiers back in Copenhagen, that Kirsti
acted irritable and confident, and that the soldiers
therefore were amused by her rather than
suspicious. Annemarie also knows that her uncle
has protected her by concealing information from
her. Therefore, she acts like an ignorant child.
2. Like Little Red Riding Hood, Annemarie must go into
the woods where there is evil lurking. She must
carry a basket. She must survive a terrifying
experience with the “wolf,” or German soldiers. He
tells her secrets, such as the one about the special
drug used to treat the handkerchiefs.
3. He tells her secrets, such as the one about the
special drug used to treat the handkerchiefs.
4. They are important because they show how Mr.
Rosen dropped the important packet. They show
how people stumble and make mistakes when they
are afraid. They build tension. They make the story
more believable.
5. Ordinary people had to recognize that what was
happening was wrong and then be brave enough to
try to do something about it. Those who did risked
their lives. The stories of Peter and Lise show that
some people who had great inner strength died
while doing the right thing.
Apply Background
Students may say that the information helped explain
how the Rosens and even a little baby could stay alive
while packed into the bottom of a small boat because
they had to go only a very short distance.
Numb e r Th e Sta r s
57
ANSWER KEY
Literary Element: Flashback
1. It may help to explain Mama and Papa’s continued
relationship with Peter, the Resistance, and working
against the Nazis.
2. The flashbacks explain the things that weren’t
explained earlier. By leaving some things
unexplained, author Lois Lowry creates suspense
Reading Strategy: Analyze Tone
1. Many answers are possible. Sometimes, the tone
shows a child’s point of view when it reflects wonder
or puzzlement. Sometimes, it shows a child’s point of
view when Annemarie asks simple, direct questions,
such as “But what if the Nazis invade Sweden?”
Sometimes it shows a child’s view when
Annemarie’s eyes widen or when she recalls details,
in a simple, clear way, about what happened earlier
and what it meant.
2. Many answers are possible. Annemarie’s tone of
certainty is new. For example, at the end of the novel
she says, “I will wear it myself.”
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
brusque
none
none
devastating
taut
warily
quaver
Academic Vocabulary
Role means “a part in a play.” Both meanings suggest
taking part or playing a part in something, but one
meaning is strictly related to acting.
Write With Style
Apply Tone
Students’ character sketches should
• focus on a single character
• employ a tone of admiration
58
• include an introduction with a brief summary of the
character’s role in the novel
• vary word choices for expressing admiration
Research and Report
Literary Criticism
Students’ oral reports should
• clearly agree or disagree with Ward’s criticism
• use logical arguments to persuade
• use appropriate verbal and nonverbal techniques
• be accompanied by an evaluative paragraph
NOVEL AFTER YOU READ
WORK WITH RELATED READINGS
October ‘45
Like Jean-Louis’s family, Annemarie’s family has to deal
with rationed food, blackouts, low-quality goods, and
the difficulty of getting accurate news reports.
Night of Fire at Berlin Railroad Station
While Ellen escaped “relocation” by the Nazis, Harold
and his family did not. This reading shows the fate that
awaited Ellen if she had not found refuge with
Annemarie’s family.
Civilized Denmark
Keillor describes certain places and landmarks that
Lowry mentions: the village of Gilleleje, the palace
named Amalienborg. Keillor mentions the Little
Mermaid statue; Annemarie thinks about Hans
Christian Andersen’s story about the Little Mermaid.
Keillor describes Denmark as the “World’s Most Nearly
Perfect Nation”; Lowry describes the one nation which,
when occupied by the Nazis, saved almost all of its
Jewish inhabitants.
We Will Be the World
The children in Bosnia are bitter, tense, and bored.
Annemarie is sad but peaceful, and she looks forward
to the future. One possible explanation is that, although
ANSWER KEY
Annemarie observed suffering during the war, the
suffering was caused by an outside enemy who left
when the war ended. Also, she and others reacted
courageously to that enemy. The children of Bosnia
suffered through a civil war where the lines of right and
wrong were not clearly drawn. Therefore, they were
much more cynical afterward.
Petey and Yotsee and Mario
Fat’s friends rescue him just as Annemarie helps to
rescue Ellen. According to Fat, Fat’s friends see more
differences between themselves and him than
Annemarie and Ellen seem to see between themselves.
CONNECT TO OTHER LITERATURE
Voice: The tone is less serious in this passage, where
the topics are baseball cards, “spirits,” and money,
than it is in Number the Stars, where the topics are,
mainly, the Nazis and the Jews. The tone and the use of
humor about spirits and baseball cards create a
different voice.
Talk About It
Students might find points of comparison in that both
have loving fathers and both have a sense of family
loyalty. Both are influenced—at least indirectly—by
their older siblings. Both are just children who like
children’s things, such as races, fairy tales, and
baseball cards. Both do not completely understand how
older people around them act.
RESPOND THROUGH WRITING
Biographical Narrative
Students’ biographical narratives should
• focus on the efforts of an individual in the historical
context of the Holocaust
• use and correctly credit at least three sources
• present ideas in chronological order
• use transitions effectively to link ideas
Narrator and Point of View: The passage uses firstperson point of view but is told from the viewpoint of a
young boy who loves baseball cards. Number the Stars
uses third-person point of view and is told from the
viewpoint of a ten-year-old girl. In the passage, the
narrator’s personality is not affected by war.
Flashback: In the passage, the reference to the
Depression helps show the narrator’s father and
explain the kind of good person he is. In Number the
Stars, flashbacks help show Lise and Peter and the
good people they were.
Numb e r Th e Sta r s
59
Tuck
Everlasting
Natalie Babbitt
60
ABOUT THE WORK
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Tuck Everlasting, first published in 1975, is
considered to be a children’s classic and
Natalie Babbitt’s masterpiece. Weaving
together fantasy and reality, Babbitt creates
a believable tale about a girl who
inadvertently finds a fountain of youth
deep in the forest near her home. After
becoming friends with the Tucks, who
have secretly achieved immortality by
drinking the magical springwater, the girl
comes to understand the role of change
and death in the universe of living things.
The novel is acclaimed for its gentle
handling of a profound theme as well as
its exciting plot and elegant prose.
Synopsis
The novel is set in the summer of 1881. As
the story opens, 10-year-old Winnie Foster
is playing in her fenced front yard. Bored,
restless, and lonely, she confides to a toad
that she wants to do something interesting
and important in her life. She talks of
running away but is not sure she has the
courage to be on her own.
immortality as a curse. Angus Tuck, the
father, takes Winnie rowing and explains
that a life without growth, change, and
death is meaningless. The Tucks, he says,
have fallen off the wheel of life.
The Tucks’ secret is overheard by a
mysterious stranger, the man in the yellow
suit, who plans to market the springwater
and make a fortune. At the Tucks’ cottage,
he announces his plan, which includes
forcing Winnie to drink the water. Fearful
of the consequences of his plan, Mae strikes
the stranger, who dies as a result. She is
arrested. The event is a turning point for
Winnie. She decides to protect the secret of
the spring and help the gentle Tucks, who
are now her dear friends. Winnie takes a
bold part in a plan to free Mae from jail.
She also makes a decision about her own
future. Though tempted by Jesse’s
invitation to drink the springwater when
she is older and live with him forever,
Winnie chooses the wheel of life.
The next day she runs away into the
nearby woods her family owns. There, she
discovers a handsome, young man, Jesse
Tuck, drinking from a spring. She asks his
age. At first he says 104; then he says 17.
When Winnie wants to drink from the
spring, Jesse stops her. His mother, Mae
Tuck, and brother, Miles, arrive. Alarmed,
they take Winnie back to their home.
On the way, Mae tells Winnie that drinking
the springwater has given their family
everlasting life. At their cottage, the Tucks
try to persuade Winnie to keep their secret.
Except for Jesse, the family views
Tuck Everl ast i ng
61
OP TIONS FOR MOTIVATI N G STU DE NTS
The Wheel of Life
Help students to understand the human
life cycle.
• Ask students to name the four basic
stages of the human life cycle (childhood,
adolescence, adulthood, old age).
• Record students’ responses on the
chalkboard in the form of a time line
with four equal sections. Then have
students suggest age spans to go with
each of the four stages.
• Ask students if they have ever heard the
phrase “the seasons of life.” Review the
names of the four seasons and record
them on the chalkboard in the form of a
circle. Ask them why it is appropriate to
diagram the seasons as a circle. (The
cycle repeats each year.) Then have
students make connections between the
season diagram and the time line.
• Ask students in what ways human life
could be seen as a cycle. (The cycle of
life repeats with the birth of the next
generation and the dying of the older
generation.)
• Add the labels from the time line to the
seasons circle. Ask students how they
would describe the season of their life
right now.
The Fountain of Youth
Explain that advances in sanitation,
disease control, and medical technology
have steadily lengthened the human life
span over the last 100 years. The
generation that follows today’s students
will be able to expect an even longer life.
• Ask students to make guesses about the
average life expectancy for someone
their age. For males born in 1990 in the
62
United States, the expectancy is 67 to 73
years; for females it is 75 to 79 years.
• Point out to students that the human life
span has steadily increased over time.
You may wish to note that these
averages are in part attributable to a
decline in infant mortality.
• After a brief discussion, have students
do a quickwrite in which they reflect on
the pros and cons of living longer.
Making Decisions
Explore the skill of decision making with
students.
• Review the steps involved in the
decision-making process:
– define the problem
– determine the importance of the
decision
– identify options
– choose an option
– act on your decision
– evaluate your decision
• Divide the class into pairs. Ask each pair
to act out a brief scene in which a person
must make a decision.
• First, have students brainstorm ideas for
situations that involve decision making.
Tell them the situation could be one that
might happen in their everyday lives, or
it could be less common.
• After they select a situation, have them
discuss the scenario or write brief notes
detailing what each person will say.
• Ask students to rehearse the scene once
and then present it to the class or a
small group.
O P TI O NS FOR US I N G R E L ATE D R E A D I N GS
Related Readings
Ecclesiastes 3:1–8
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 25)
Fable
by Merrill Moore
The Weaver of
Tomorrow
by Jane Yolen
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 26)
The Water of Life in
The Complete Grimm’s
Fairy Tales
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 27)
The Circle Game
by Joni Mitchell
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 28)
from Voyages and
Discoveries of the
Companions of
Columbus
by Washington Irving
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 29)
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO Tuck Everlasting
This scripture from the Bible shares an important lesson about the role of balance
in our lives. It closely resembles the lesson taught to Winnie by Tuck in Tuck
Everlasting.
Lead a discussion about the different stages of life. Ask students to explain
•
whether they think one stage is more important than others.
• Ask students to give examples of things that seem to happen at wrong times or of
people upsetting the cycle of life.
• As students read, have them think about whether or not they agree with the Tucks’
attitude toward everlasting life on earth. Have students support their responses
with solid reasons and examples.
The poem “Fable” and the folktale “The Weaver of Tomorrow” deal with the theme
of death and the difficulty people have in dealing with knowledge of their own
deaths. The characters in both these readings and in the Babbitt story find death
challenging to understand and accept.
• Before students read, ask them what images come to mind when they think of death.
• Ask students to explain why death can be scary to people and to state the ways in
which people try to avoid or put off death.
• Have students think about whether they are glad they know of their own mortality
or if they would rather not know.
• After reading, students should be able to discuss the feelings of the characters in
both the poem and the story.
This fairy tale, like Tuck Everlasting, portrays people whose lives are changed by
something magical. As in the Babbitt story, the fairy tale shows the results of greed,
dishonesty, selflessness, and loyalty.
• Before students read, ask them to describe behaviors they think of as admirable
and behaviors they think of as less than admirable. Have students explain why
people choose to act in certain ways.
• As students read, have them identify characters who are admirable and
characters who are not and the lessons expressed by the tale.
This song by Joni Mitchell uses the metaphor of a carousel to describe the stages
of life.
• Review with students the definition of metaphor, and provide examples of
metaphors in songs and poetry.
• Ask students to think of other metaphors for the life cycle.
• After students read, you may choose to play a recording of “The Circle Game.”
This selection gives an account of the legendary search for a fountain of youth. It
shows that people throughout history have been concerned with their own
mortality. It also shows how a real person might have viewed such a magical
possibility as eternal youth.
• Have students name explorers in fiction and in history. What motivates such people?
• What do students believe might have motivated Ponce de León?
• As students read, have them think about how the world might be different if Ponce
de León had found a fountain of youth. They can use events in Tuck Everlasting or in
any of the other selections to support their opinions.
Tuck Everl ast i ng
63
ANSWER KEY
All answers are sample answers except those
for Vocabulary Practice.
CHAPTERS 1–8
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
Time is a major factor in Tuck Everlasting, whether it is the
season of the year or the symbol of the long-lived toad.
ACTIVE READING
Mae: People say they are witches; they have had to
wander from place to place: accepting but a little sad.
Miles: His wife thought he had sold his soul to the Devil;
she left him and took the children: unhappy
Jesse: He feels excited about all the things they have
seen and will see: happy
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Dialogue
He asks a lot of questions and seems a bit odd or
suspicious in that he’d rather talk to a child than an adult.
Literary Element: Dialogue
She is suspicious of strangers, doesn’t like the look of this
particular stranger, and is easily offended or annoyed.
Reading Skill: Analyze Diction
Informal diction; examples: just think, besides us, kind
of wonderful, a whole lot more to it, stuff, I expect
you’re full of questions, can’t stay here no longer, pains
me to think, ma and pa, we got to, talk it out.
Reading Skill: Analyze Diction
The informal diction of the Tuck’s dialogue, the middle
to formal diction of Winnie’s thoughts, and the formal
diction of the narrator highlights the contrast among
the characters’ personalities. It also serves to heighten
the contrast between the tone of Winnie’s thoughts
about the Tucks and the narrator’s tone in the
description of the yellow man following them.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What Are Worthwhile Goals?
Winnie, like many people, has an idea of herself as a
more courageous and interesting person than her
circumstances suggest. She wants her life to be large
and adventurous like those of characters in books. But
she has never really gone anywhere alone and she both
longs and fears to do so. She feels stuck in her life, but
she also feels safe there.
64
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Mr. Tuck dreams that he and his family have died and
gone to heaven. The recurring dream suggests that
he is unhappy with his life and wishes that he (and his
family) were mortal.
2. Winnie is drawn into the woods when she hears
music. Jesse is drinking from a spring. She thinks he
is beautiful and “loses her heart.”
3. The man in the yellow suit hears the secret. He
stopped at the Fosters’ house, searching for a family,
and seemed to know the music box tune coming
from woods. His odd appearance, quiet inquiries,
and smile when he hears the Tucks’ secret make the
reader feel uneasy.
4. Students’ answers will vary. The Tucks would
undoubtedly say that they would prefer to grow older
and die instead of live forever.
5. Answers will vary but students may say that Winnie
suddenly sees as a goal the possibility of living
forever. The man in the yellow suit may have the same
goal, but the text suggests a slightly darker motivation.
Apply Background
Students may say that the story made more sense because
they knew it took place in the late 1800s. They may also
mention the information they read about the place, which is
based on a real town in the mountains, gave them a reallife foundation for the story’s fantasy elements.
Literary Element: Dialogue
1. The author uses ellipses (…) to show the broken
rhythm of heavy breathing and interrupted sound.
This is a very effective way to get readers to “hear”
the sound of the dialogue in their minds.
2. They all know the story—and each other—so well
that they can finish each other’s sentences.
Reading Skill: Analyze Diction
1. Babbitt chooses her words very carefully and
provides plenty of clues but not enough solid
information for readers to be able to predict what
might happen. The author uses the prologue to make
readers ask questions about what will happen. By
the end of Chapter 8, readers know that the Tucks
cannot die and that the stranger in the yellow suit
presents a major danger to them.
2. The author describes him as jerking and twitching
like a marionette. Even though he charms Winnie,
she is reminded of death. His suit is yellow and
seems to glow. All of these details seem to point to
the idea that this character is not quite trustworthy.
ANSWER KEY
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
recede
contemplation
rueful
implore
disheartened
Academic Vocabulary
definition: analysis of a set of facts in their relation to
each other
synonyms: hypothesis, guess, conjecture
antonyms: fact, absolute truth
sentence: The famous theory of relativity was
developed by Albert Einstein.
Write with Style
Apply Diction
Students’ descriptive paragraphs should
• reveal a specific setting.
• employ a conversational style.
• use varying sentence structures.
• use imagery.
Speaking and Listening
Literature Group
Students’ discussions should:
• reflect key ideas from the novel.
• use information from their charts.
• allow for differences of opinion.
• culminate in a vote as to whether or not the spring
should be shut down.
CHAPTERS 9–20
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
For thousands of years, philosophers have explored
questions of what it means to be human.
ACTIVE READING
2. thinks the Tucks are criminals and crazy; wants to go
home
3. feels anxious, insulted
4. feels cared for, confused, not sure what to believe
5. excited, confused
6. feels peaceful, loves the odd Tucks; decides to keep
their secret
7. feels more mature; determined to help the Tucks
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Theme
Tuck is talking about change, growth, and the ability to
move on, which are all things he feels he and his family
can no longer achieve.
Literary Element: Theme
There is a natural course of nature and part of that is
the ability to die.
Reading Skill: Identify Cause-and-Effect
Relationships
The man in the yellow suit offered to get Winnie back
from the Tucks if the Fosters in turn sold him the wood.
Reading Skill: Identify Cause-and-Effect
Relationships
The man in the yellow suit tells the Tucks that he is
going to take over the spring to make money and that
he will use Winnie as a way to demonstrate the spring’s
effects. Mae feels he must stop the man from taking
away Winnie’s chances of living a normal life.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What Are Worthwhile Goals?
He reveals that he has spent much of his life fascinated
by the idea of the family who never grew old. He has
searched for the Tucks and caught up with them at last.
Students may say the search for never-ending life is a
worthwhile goal, or they may feel, as the Tucks do, that
life without the possibility of death is something to be
avoided.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. The man in the yellow suit goes to the Fosters’ house
to tell them he knows where Winnie is. He wants the
woods in exchange for telling the Fosters where
Winnie is. The gallows suggests a dark fate for the
Tucks if they are found guilty of kidnapping.
2. He plans to bottle the water and make a lot of money
selling it; he will also make Winnie drink the water to
help sell it. Mae reacts to save Winnie and others
from the Tucks’ unhappy fate. Winnie acts more
maturely; she comforts Mr. Tuck and unselfishly
thinks only of helping Mae.
3. Angus’s talk focuses on people’s lives; Miles’s
focuses on animals. Also, Miles’s comments address
more practical matters (such as overpopulation),
while Angus speaks more philosophically.
4.
Jesse suggests that Winnie could drink some
of the springwater when she turns seventeen (his
Tuck Everl ast i ng
65
ANSWER KEY
age) and then marry him and go around the world.
Winnie, nearly eleven, is at an age when many girls
become romantically interested in boys.
5. Some students may feel that the Tucks’ goal
regarding Winnie is worthwhile because they want
to spare her the sadness they have experienced. The
goal to live forever might or might not be considered
worthwhile, but the man in the yellow suit is only
interested in making money from the spring, so most
students will say that simple greed is not the source
of a worthwhile goal.
Apply Background
Students may note that Meet the Author mentioned
Natalie Babbitt’s fascination with thought-provoking
themes and questions about life and human nature.
These elements are very much on display throughout
Tuck Everlasting.
Literary Element: Theme
1. Miles and Jesse’s growth and development was
stopped when they were still teenagers. They are
still young and strong, and they want things. For
example, Jesse wants to be with Winnie forever
once she gets old enough. The elder Tucks would
rather simply be done with this life.
2. The man in yellow must remain alive or Mae Tuck
will have to go to the gallows.
Reading Skill: Identify Cause-and-Effect
Relationships
The combination of “constable,” a man of the law, and
the words “Mae’s violent action” work together to
create the context for the word justify, which means
“to prove or show to be just.”
Writing
Personal Response
In their paragraphs students may explore the idea that
watching another creature die is painful to Winnie and
that creatures should be allowed to die in their own
time, which reflects a larger theme of the novel.
Research and Report
Internet Connection
Students’ reports should reveal their ideas about the
future possibility of eternal or extended life through
medical and other means. All information should be
verified by at least one other source. In addition,
students should include a list of Internet citations.
CHAPTERS 21–26 AND THE EPILOGUE
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
In 1503 the explorer Ponce de León while searching for
the legendary fountain of youth came instead upon
what is now Florida and claimed it for Spain.
Vocabulary Practice
ACTIVE READING
Ch. 23: unspeakably hot, sky turning brownish yellow
as night falls, air heavy, wind gusting, smell of rain:
Winnie waits impatiently for midnight to come
Ch. 24: lightning flashing: Winnie leaves house to go
to jail; thunder rumbling: Miles breaks into jail, Mae
climbs out; raindrops start: Winnie climbs into Mae’s
cell; rain pours down hard, lightning and thunder, high
winds: Winnie waits in jail, exhausted, gallows are
blown over
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Style
The author leaves a lot unsaid here. She uses coded
dialogue, counting on readers to understand the
reasons behind the Tucks’ questions as well as why
they don’t ask questions more directly.
1. Students may say that Mae’s surviving the hanging
would lead more and more people to ask questions
about why she didn’t die, which would eventually
lead them to the magical spring.
2. If mosquitoes never died, there would be nothing to
prevent constant swarms of mosquitoes.
66
Academic Vocabulary
torture
aromatic
packed
jam
colossal
ANSWER KEY
Literary Element: Style
Apply Background
The author’s word choices combined with the event of
Winnie’s death were intended to create sorrow and a
sense of loss in the reader. Although Tuck is sad that
Winnie is no longer in the world, he is happy that she
chose to live out her days as part of the natural wheel
of life.
Students may mention that Ponce de León’s misguided
search for a fountain of youth helped them to
understand the fascination people have always had for
the idea of eternal life.
Literary Element: Style
The wood and its special tree might be symbols for life.
By having Winnie’s parents trade the wood for her life
the author strengthens the idea of the wood/tree being
“equal to” life. By having the return of the wood/tree if
the man in the yellow suit dies, the author equates the
opposite, or return, of death as being life.
1. Each chapter finishes with a short, declarative
statement that simultaneously ends the chapter and
builds suspense as to what will happen next.
2. Examples will vary. Examples should show the
author’s use of varied sentence structure and length,
description, and use of dialogue, often alternating
with the description.
Reading Strategy: Evaluate Symbols
Reading Skill: Evaluate Symbols
Reading Skill: Evaluate Symbols
The man in the yellow suit and the wasp both symbolize
the potential for harm. The symbols are effective
because readers associate wasps with pain and injury,
so the comparison reinforces the symbols.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What Are Worthwhile Goals?
Love, loyalty, and friendship are important goals in
Winnie’s life.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. She is violating her family’s trust in her and breaking
the law. She feels responsible for Mae’s troubles,
and the Tucks are her friends. She is obeying her
own sense of right and wrong.
2. She pours it on her toad to keep it safe from harm
forever. She believes in the Tucks’ story and the
power of the water but will not drink it herself. Her
future is not with Jesse and the Tucks.
3. The town is much larger; there are now gas stations,
cars, new shops, and a larger jailhouse. The woods
were bulldozed. No one has heard of the spring.
Winnie’s marker shows that she lived a long life and
was a wife and mother. Though sad, Tuck admires
her for choosing all of life, including death.
4. The incident makes readers wonder if the toad is
Winnie’s toad, now immortal. It is a reminder that
everyday life and the life of the imagination are
closely linked.
5. Answers may vary, but many students will feel that
the author’s point is that living life to the fullest, being
loyal to friends and family, and gaining and sharing
wisdom are all worthwhile goals the author
promotes.
1. The toad is a symbol of long life, but this particular
toad has absorbed the magic spring water and will
never die. The frog doesn’t fear the oncoming wagon
because it knows it can’t die. The author may be
implying that the toad, like Tuck, would welcome
death.
2. The wheel is an effective symbol of the cycle of life,
which includes growing and changing. It also
includes death, as the other generation passes on
and new lives begin. Part of its effectiveness is how
the author relays the idea through Tuck. Tuck wants
Winnie to understand that life is meaningless
without growth and change, and that dying is part of
living. Earlier in the novel, Winnie can’t accept the
idea of death, but in the epilogue we find out that she
did not choose to drink the spring water but instead
lived out her life within the loving family she helped
to create.
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
same
opposite
opposite
same
same
Academic Vocabulary
Students may mention issues such as animal rights, the
importance of volunteer work, or any issue that has
significance for them.
Tuck Everl ast i ng
67
ANSWER KEY
Write with Style
Apply Symbol
Students’ paragraph should
• be based on an aspect of their own lives.
• employ a symbol based on a place in nature or a
natural phenomenon.
• be cohesive and well thought out.
• use proper spelling and punctuation.
Speaking and Listening
Performance
Students’ group presentations
• involve every member of the group.
• utilize details and ideas from the script.
• attempt to simulate the voice and diction of Winnie
Foster.
NOVEL AFTER YOU READ
WORK WITH RELATED READINGS
Ecclesiastes 3:1–8
This Bible verse directly supports the Tucks’ views on
the cycle of life—there is a time to live and a time to die.
Fable / The Weaver of Tomorrow
Winnie has a normal reaction to death in that she
knows it is inevitable, but she still finds it frightening.
Tuck, like the people in the readings, understands the
fear but knows that death is natural.
The Water of Life
The man in the yellow suit wants the spring all to
himself so that he can make money by selling the
magical water. The two older princes want to rule the
kingdom and marry the princess.
The Circle Game
Winnie could best relate to this song because she is the
one who will go through the natural progression of life
and death. The other characters will never grow any
older than the age they were when they drank from the
spring. Students’ opinions should be based on the facts
in the novel.
68
Voyages and Discoveries of the Companions
of Columbus
Students might say the men are similar in that they
were not thinking of the consequences of their actions.
Students might say that Ponce de León was more
sincere because he was not thinking only of money
or fame.
CONNECT TO OTHER LITERATURE
Dialogue: Both Milo and Winnie are lonely children
who don’t seem to have a lot of friends. They are bored
and they both want to be somewhere other than where
they are.
Theme: Students may say that both works are at some
level about the passage of time and about appreciating
the good things we have in our everyday lives.
Style: Both works contain positive statements about
meeting different kinds of people and exploring new
ideas and new worlds. So both authors promote the
idea of curiosity and new experiences. Yet both Milo
and Winnie also learn valuable lessons about the gifts
they already have within their own ordinary worlds.
Write About It
Milo literally has no goals, so just about any goal is a
worthwhile one for him. Winnie has a goal to escape
the restrictions of her family. Her journey introduces
her to the Tucks and she comes to love them. However,
in the end she returns to her family and chooses a quiet
life in Treegap over eternal life with Jesse Tuck.
Although we do not see her grow up and become an
adult and a mother, we definitely get the idea that she
made a choice rather than simply ending up in a certain
kind of life.
RESPOND THROUGH WRITING
Persuasive Essay
Students’ persuasive essays should
• use strong, well-supported arguments.
• use a direct and straightforward writing style.
• use a logical progression of three or more
paragraphs to support their thesis.
• be grammatical and free from spelling and
punctuation errors.