It is built along a steep hillside and has a population of 14 500 people. So when he was banished to an island he burns his shelter and trys to kill a spirit bear. At first, peter driscal doesnt appear as a fullyformed character. Cole is abused by his father, and his mother does nothing to help him. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 289 pages and is available in paperback format. The book, touching spirit bear, by ben mikaelsen, is full of conflicts for the protagonist, cole. Being banished on the island is a old native tradition of the tlingit peoples to help turn around. After i read this book i really just wanted to read more. Touching spirit bear by daria cheremushkina who is cole mathews. Kevin and anastassia introduction cole has experienced numerous changes throughout the story. We will begin the year by reading the book touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen. Because cole treated peter with respect towards the. All about the author ben mikaelsen born december 8, 1952. Cole is a baby faced fifteen year old juvenile delinquent.
All in all, this was an amazing read and i recommend it to all. Touching spirit bear is a comingofage novel by bolivianamerican author ben. Oct 15, 20 cole mathews is the main character in the book touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen. Characterization can be defined as the way in which an author presents and defines characters. Touching spirit bear book report by tyler miller on prezi. Hes unrepentant and even though he is facing serious jail time, his kindly parole officer, a man named garvey, gets him into this native american justice program called. Touching spirit bear ben mikaelsen i figured youd be here awhile mr. Who are the characters in this book touching spirit bear. This summer i read touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen, and while the lexile level is only 670, the themes in the book are complex and are ones that many middle school students will be able to relate to in some way, shape, or form. Life is all about making decisions, learning and growing from them, and. Touching spirit bear chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 summary and. Touching spirit bear study guide contains a biography of ben mikaelsen, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. He is a very angry, furious, fierce and violent boy who does not seem to have any control over his anger.
Born in bolivia, he wasnt sent to school until the fourth grade where he was heavily bullied for his. I think middle school students can benefit a lot from learning units in themes. When i received my package in the mail i was exited to start reading. Circle justice healing, health of community, collaboration atoow a small blanket symbolizing. Grade touching spirit bear assessment ii teacher answer key. Oct 02, 2014 i think middle school students can benefit a lot from learning units in themes. Spirit bear is a bear who defends himself when cole trys to kill him. Cole mathews is the main character in the book touching spirit bear. Despite the fact that it resembles a more advanced book, touching spirit bear has low reading level metrics teaching touching spirit bear is ideal with developing or resistant readers. Why i love teaching touching spirit bear easy reading level. Copy of touching spirit bear chapter questions with answers. Edwin, the tlingit elder who oversees coles sentence on the island, isnt exactly someone to. In the novel, touching spirit bear, the main character, cole matthews is sent to live on a remote island off the coast of ketchikan, which is a small town near the southern border of alaska.
In his napra nautilus awardwinning novel touching spirit bear, author ben mikaelson delivers a poignant comingofage story of a boy who must overcome the effects that violence has had on his life. We will stop periodically and discuss how he has changed. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Touching spirit bear essay in the book touching spirit bear there are a many themes one of the most evident ones is what goes around come around. Despite the fact that it resembles a more advanced book, touching spirit bear has low reading level metrics. What are the conflicts the main character of touching. Cole matthews, the main character, goes on a journey of selfdiscovery and ends up creating a totem pole to explain what he has learned about himself. Cole is a juvenile delinquent who has done bad things like breaking into a hardware store and smashing a witnesses head onto a sidewalk. Touching spirit bear website cole matthews main character garvey coles helper edwin garveys assistant coles father coles mother peter driscal the spirit bear touching spirit bear, the story of a child with an angry mind that starts to change after the attack of the spirit bear. Cole mathews is the main character in the book touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen. Each of you will create a totem pole about your life. In characteristics cole is angry young man who wants to get attention from his divorced parents.
What the main symbols of the book touching spirit bear represent. The changes of cole matthews a novel by ben mikaelsen by. Cole matthews is banished to a remote alaskan island as punishment for beating his classmate peter driscal almost bad enough to kill him. What is the hardest situation that you have been in that is as close to surviving alone as in the book. In this lesson, well explore how cole changes throughout the novel, growing from an angry, disaffected youth to a more. The main character, cole is a fifteen year old boy who lived in minneapolis and he got in trouble with the law most of his life. Touching spirit bear book report essays in this chapter, the main character and three other characters were introduced.
The spirit bear a mystic bear living on the alaskan island. Cole matthews definitely the biggest of the main characters in this book. Cole matthews is a teenage delinquent whos in big trouble for beating up a kid named peter driscal. Cole matthews main character cole matthews, a 15 yearold boy, beats up peter driscal after peter informs police that cole had robbed a hardware store and then trashed it. When we first meet cole matthews, its clear that hes dealing with a ton of anger issues.
He is a 15 year old boy who at first got into a lot of trouble and was sent to the circle justice to avoid jail. After severely injuring peter driscal in an empty parking lot, mischiefmaker cole matthews is in major trouble. Edwin, the tlingit elder who oversees coles sentence on. The plot was amazing and the events were very interesting. The first edition of the novel was published in june 25th 1997, and was written by ben mikaelsen. Touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen 25,100 ratings, 3. Rigor is great, but we also need to set students up for success. Character analysis touching spirit bear free essays. Free download or read online touching spirit bear pdf epub book.
What would you have chosen prison or wilderness for a year, and why. Ketchikan is wellknown for its salmon and was originally a fishing village. As you read through the story use the following graphic to help keep track of those changes. Grizzlies have occasionally killed black bears, but the main danger any. His incident regarding the spirit bear has provoked a sudden development in his propriety. Touching spirit bear quotes and analysis gradesaver. It is believed that it is a ghost bear or a god like bear, hence the name, because this bear is spiritual. Spirit bears are legendary bears who are going extinct. Thats what happens to the main character in ben mikaelsens touching spirit bear, and now he has to deal with the consequences. I dont believe that an editors note is needed anymore because ive written quite a lot of blog posts about the story aspects of touching spirit bear. Jan 11, 2019 why i love teaching touching spirit bear easy reading level. Dedication thisbookisdedicatedtobuffy, asevenhundredpoundblackbearwho hasbecomemyownspiritbear.
It will also give a glimpse of how well the students internalized and applied the spectrum of instructional strategies used while reading the novel. The kermode, or spirit bear, is a genetic subset of the american black bear. Teaching touching spirit bear is ideal with developing or resistant readers. Touching spirit bear by daria cheremushkina who is cole mathews cole mathews is the main character in the book touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen. Theme touching spirit bear book report there are many themes to this book. Copy of the watsons go to birmingham1963 character chart.
Cole has a warm heart inside but because of his parents and some problems such as not having friends and not having the place where you feel comfortable. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen. The main characters of this young adult, realistic fiction story are edwin, cole matthews. Character sketch cole mathews is the main character in the book touching spirit bear. Shmoop guide to touching spirit bear protagonist, antagonist, foil, guide, mentor, and character roles. Hes unrepentant and even though he is facing serious jail time, his kindly parole officer, a man named garvey, gets him into this native american justice program called circle justice. Pdf touching spirit bear book by ben mikaelsen free. The assessment should be taken as an openbook test. The question and answer section for touching spirit bear is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. Circle justice healing, health of community, collaboration atoow a small blanket symbolizing trust and forgiveness. Ben mikaelsen born december 8, 1952 is a bolivian american writer of childrens literature. Cole matthews character goes through a transformation in the story touching spirit bear.
I have read the book, and the spirit bear appears in all different parts of the story, which adding them all up, the spirit bear appears in the book about 47 times total asked in touching spirit bear. Touching spirit bear website cole matthews main character garvey coles helper edwin garveys assistant coles father coles mother peter driscal the spirit bear motifs what the main symbols of the book touching spirit bear represent. As coles parole officer, garvey seems to be the only person in his life who continues to believe. Ben mikaelsons book touching spirit bear was truly magnificent. Hetaughtmetobegentleand thati,too,ampartof thecircle. The assessment should be taken as an open book test. Character sketch i would like to introduce cole mathews. The bear mauled cole and taught him the beauty of all life. The three other characters were garvey, edwin and p. Cole matthews is the main character of the novel touching spirit bear.
Pg5 cole was born and raised in minneapolis minnesota. Before diving into a summary of the story, lets meet some of the. Some of the main themes are to treat others with respect, you always have redemption for your mistakes, and that you cant change the circle of life. Cole is an innocent looking babyfaced fifteen year old from minneapolis who has been in trouble with the law half of his life. It is hard to meet and it doesnt try to hurt human unless human attack first. Touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen is a story that deals with a teenage main character in isolation, and also presents issues with which he is dealing in his regular life.