Touching Spirit Bear - Chapter 1

Cole Matthews knelt defiantly in the bow of the aluminum skiff as he faced forward into a cold September wind.

• Define the term defiant:

• What is an aluminum skiff?

1. Where is Cole being taken?

2. There were two other people in the boat:

• Garvey, who was _______

• Edwin who is ______

3. What did Cole do to Edwin to try to make him angry?

4. Who were the only people Cole could trust?

5. Who was Peter Driscal? What happened to him?

6. Cole hated his parents. His mom acted like a scared Barbie doll. Always__________________________ but never __________________. And his dad was a bullheaded ________________with a temper.

7. Nathaniel Blackwood is the _______________hired by Cole’s parents.

8. Why do you think Garvey kept visiting Cole?

9. What is Circle Justice?

Answer each of the following questions with complete sentences.

1. What provisions did Edwin and Garvey make for Cole?

2. Cole pretended to go along with all of the requirements of the circle Justice. What were his real intentions?

3. What is Devil's Club?

4. What four things did Edwin tell Cole to learn?

5. What did Garvey give to Cole to take care of? What do the Tlingits call this?

6. How did Cole receive instructions from Edwin? Why?

7. What happened to Cole's knuckles in his jail cell? What did he say happened?

8. What did Cole do when Garvey and Edwin drove away in their boat?

9. Why do you think Cole is so rebellious and defiant?

10. What did Edwin tell Cole about his treatment of the animals?

11. Write about a time when you felt defiant or rebellious. What did you do? (journal)

Touching Spirit Bear - Chapter 3

Answer each of the following questions with complete sentences.

1. Why does Cole feel like nobody cares for him?

2. What does he tell Garvey that he hates about his life?

3. Why did Garvey keep pressing Cole to be more specific?

4. What secret about his dad did Cole reveal to Garvey?

5. When Cole's mother knew what his dad was doing, what did she do?

6. Explain what Garvey did with the contents of the brown paper bag.

7. Why do you think he did this? What was the purpose?

8. Describe the emotions Cole experiences in this chapter.

9. What does he do to escape the island?

10. Write about a time when rage completely overcame you and you were out of control. (At least one paragraph - intro, supporting sentences, final statement)