Touching Spirit Bear
Study Guide
Review Correct Answers
Who do the boys see after
they hug and make up?
Spirit Bear
In Chapter 3, Cole
explains to Garvey why
he has so much anger
inside. What was his
primary explanation?
His father beat him
growing up
What does Cole do right
after Edwin and Garvey
leave him on the island
the first time?
Burns down his shelter
What is Cole’s plan to
help Peter?
Bring him to the island
and help him heal
After the storm on the
island what does Cole
decide?
He decides to live
What plant does Cole
grab during the bear
attack that hurts his
hands?
Devil’s Club
What does Edwin want
Cole to do to the stick in
the pond?
Break off the half that
represents his anger
How does Peter know
that Cole robbed the
store?
Cole brags about robbing
the store to people at
school.
What does Cole do every
morning to overcome his
anger on the island?
He soaks in the freezing
cold pond and breaths.
What does Garvey try
to teach Cole with the
hotdog metaphor?
Life is what you make of it.
Who gave Cole the
at.oow blanket?
Garvey
What does Garvey give
Cole before leaving him
on the island the second
time?
A knife in a sheath
What knocked the birds
out of the tree?
A lightning storm
During the bear attack
what does Cole say to
the bear?
“Please, stop!”
Why does Cole attack
the bear?
Because the bear is not
scared of him
Cole asks the birds
“Are you okay?” Why is
this significant?
It’s the first time he shows
sympathy
Why is Cole attacked by
the bear?
Because Cole attacks the
bear first
When Cole is found after
the bear attack where do
Edwin and Garvey take
him?
To Rosey’s clinic
How does Cole describe
his mom at the
beginning of the book?
He calls her a scared
Barbie doll.
Where is Cole from
originally?
Minneapolis, Minesota
What did Cole start to
make out of the large
log?
A Canoe
What happens to Cole’s
father while Cole is
recovering?
He is arrested for child
abuse.
What is the first dance
that Cole does with Edwin
and Garvey?
The whale dance
What does Cole use as
a table cloth for special
meals on the island?
The at.oow
What do the boys carve
in the empty space in
the totem pole?
A perfect circle
What is the main focus
of Circle Justice?
Healing for everyone
In the circle, what does
each person have to hold
in order to speak?
A feather
When Peter hits Cole
how does Cole
respond?
He lets Peter hit him and
does not fight back.
What is the first dance
that Cole dances alone?
The wolf dance
What does the rock
symbolize when Cole is
carrying it up the hill?
His ancestors
What was Cole’s first
meal on the island?
Half eaten fish that he
stole from the seagulls
Who does Cole blame
for his behavior?
Everyone else
What did Garvey bring
Cole at the detention
center?
A cake
What kept Cole from
leaving the island when
he tried to escape?
The tide pushed him back
to shore
Why is Cole upset at
the baby birds when he
first sees them?
They have a family and
someone who cares for
them.
Who does Cole argue with
at the circle justice
meeting?
His father
In the first circle justice
meeting what does Peter
say he thinks should
happen to Cole?
He thinks Cole should
have his face slammed
into concrete.
Cole thinking about the
time when he beat up
Peter is considered a
______________.
Flashback
Learning to face the
consequences of your
actions is a major _____
in the story.
Theme
A cold September
morning off the coast of
Alaska is part of the
story’s ______________.
Setting
What does Cole use to
fight the Spirit Bear?
A piece of knife that he
makes into a spear
What does Cole eat to
survive while lying on the
ground?
A mouse, grass, and
worms
What does Cole throw
away that would prove he
was attacked by the
bear?
White fur
What does Peter
Driscal look like?
Skinny boy with red hair
What is the name of the
nurse who takes care of
Cole after the bear
attack?
Rosey