Touching Spirit Bear Group Project
English 9 CP1
Mrs. Oelerich
Name:_________________________________________
Block:_________________________________________
Due Date(s):____________________________________
The first project of the year should be considered an introduction to not only important English
concepts and the expectations of my class, but also to your skills, capability, and creativity. In other
words, be prepared to impress me! (I assure you, I am fully prepared to be impressed!)
For this project, each group will be responsible for analyzing a conflict from Touching Spirit Bear.
Analysis is reporting and then interpreting facts from the story (i.e. what happened and what it
means/shows the reader). Groups will present their findings to the class which will also serve as our
only review for the upcoming exam. Once your group has been assigned, your group will be expected
to be experts on your conflict and present it to the class in a visual as well as auditory way. Your
options for the visual include but are not limited to: a handout for the class (with master copy), a
PowerPoint or Prezi presentation (with a hardcopy for me), a full, visually stimulating poster, etc.
Because, as the scientists say, we learn 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we
see, 70% of what we say, and 90% of what we teach to others. In short, simply reading your summer
reading will not necessarily be enough. Let’s fill in those gaps, shall we?
NOTE: Students are also expected to take notes on all presentations!
For each section, groups should address the following questions:

How would you characterize Cole and the character or force with whom or what he is
experiencing conflict? (Use adjectives/adjectival phrases.) Think of this as a summary of the
relationship/interaction. Cite evidence (page numbers! specific details!) to support your
assessment: what the characters say (words), what the characters/force does (actions), what
others say about the characters/force, and what Cole thinks/feels (the narration). HINT: Pages
where information can be found are marked by **. Begin by rereading these pages!

What type of conflict (internal or external) does Cole encounter? Internal conflicts are when the
character struggles with anger, guilt, and indecision. External conflicts person vs. person,
person vs. nature, and person vs. society.

How does Cole learn from these conflicts? These are the themes of the novel!
Mrs. Oelerich: Cole vs. the Spirit Bear (Mrs. Oelerich)
Group 1: Cole vs. himself (his anger, loneliness, reluctance to change, self-image) ** 22, 45, 52, 73,
78, 83, 106, 112, 178, 183, 186-188, 193-194
Group 2: Cole vs. Peter ** 7, 37, 50, 72, 141, 182, 193, 195-205, 207-208, 216-217, 234-240
Group 3: Cole vs. his parents ** 11, 22, 27-28, 52, 54, 116-118, 120
Group 4: Cole vs. Garvey and Edwin ** 11, 28-30, 127-128, 134-139, 142-143, 154-157, 173
Group 5: Cole vs. nature (look at what he must do to survive on the island and the various forces of
nature he encounters) ** 58-59, 65-67, 74-90, 96-97, 150
Group 6: Cole vs. the justice system (this may include Circle Justice and the conventional justice
system) ** 7-8, 11-12, 34-40, 122-133
Names of ALL group Members: ________________________________________________________
Rubric: Please turn in one copy of this rubric with your project.
_____/5_ Responsibility Chart: Group has included a chart on which each group member’s
tasks/responsibilities are documented and signed. No free rides!
_____/55_ Content: Meets all criteria, questions are sufficiently answered and the nature of the
conflict is well explained. Knowledge of character and conflict is clearly displayed and
presentation provides adequate review of the concept.
_____/30_ Presentation: Information is clearly communicated to the class, all group members have
participated in some way, and efforts at proper public speaking technique are apparent.
_____/10_ Creativity/Effort: Project is aesthetically pleasing, clearly rehearsed, and/or properly
provisioned and I feel basically satisfied and impressed with your work.
______/100