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. Cole is a baby faced fifteen year old juvenile delinquent. 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. 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. Free download or read online touching spirit bear pdf epub book. In this lesson, well explore how cole changes throughout the novel, growing from an angry, disaffected youth to a more. It is believed that it is a ghost bear or a god like bear, hence the name, because this bear is spiritual. In characteristics cole is angry young man who wants to get attention from his divorced parents. 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. Life is all about making decisions, learning and growing from them, and. Why i love teaching touching spirit bear easy reading level.
Circle justice healing, health of community, collaboration atoow a small blanket symbolizing trust and forgiveness. It is built along a steep hillside and has a population of 14 500 people. The plot was amazing and the events were very interesting. It will also give a glimpse of how well the students internalized and applied the spectrum of instructional strategies used while reading the novel. Spirit bears are legendary bears who are going extinct. When we first meet cole matthews, its clear that hes dealing with a ton of anger issues. Rigor is great, but we also need to set students up for success. Because cole treated peter with respect towards the. Character sketch i would like to introduce cole mathews. Cole mathews is the main character in the book touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen. Cole matthews is a teenage delinquent whos in big trouble for beating up a kid named peter driscal.
Teaching touching spirit bear is ideal with developing or resistant readers. 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. Grizzlies have occasionally killed black bears, but the main danger any. The spirit bear a mystic bear living on the alaskan island. The assessment should be taken as an openbook test. Grade touching spirit bear assessment ii teacher answer key. The assessment should be taken as an open book test. Touching spirit bear by daria cheremushkina who is cole mathews. Pdf touching spirit bear book by ben mikaelsen free. Edwin, the tlingit elder who oversees coles sentence on. After severely injuring peter driscal in an empty parking lot, mischiefmaker cole matthews is in major trouble. 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. As coles parole officer, garvey seems to be the only person in his life who continues to believe. The book, touching spirit bear, by ben mikaelsen, is full of conflicts for the protagonist, cole.
As you read through the story use the following graphic to help keep track of those changes. Cole is abused by his father, and his mother does nothing to help him. 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. All about the author ben mikaelsen born december 8, 1952. The bear mauled cole and taught him the beauty of all life. Touching spirit bear book report by tyler miller on prezi. The three other characters were garvey, edwin and p.
The changes of cole matthews a novel by ben mikaelsen by. Born in bolivia, he wasnt sent to school until the fourth grade where he was heavily bullied for his. Pg5 cole was born and raised in minneapolis minnesota. All in all, this was an amazing read and i recommend it to all. The question and answer section for touching spirit bear is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. The first edition of the novel was published in june 25th 1997, and was written by ben mikaelsen. 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. Touching spirit bear study guide contains a biography of ben mikaelsen, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Cole matthews character goes through a transformation in the story touching spirit bear.
Cole matthews definitely the biggest of the main characters in this book. Characterization can be defined as the way in which an author presents and defines characters. Cole is an innocent looking babyfaced fifteen year old from minneapolis who has been in trouble with the law half of his life. He is a very angry, furious, fierce and violent boy who does not seem to have any control over his anger. Touching spirit bear character analysis cole in ben mikealsens novel touching spirit bear, cole is a 14 year old juvenile delinquent from minneapolis. His incident regarding the spirit bear has provoked a sudden development in his propriety. Whatever you do to the animals, you do to yourself. 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. Touching spirit bear book report essays in this chapter, the main character and three other characters were introduced. 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.
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. Circle justice healing, health of community, collaboration atoow a small blanket symbolizing. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. 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. Ben mikaelsen born december 8, 1952 is a bolivian american writer of childrens literature.
I think middle school students can benefit a lot from learning units in themes. 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. Cole matthews is the main character of the novel touching spirit bear. What the main symbols of the book touching spirit bear represent. Touching spirit bear chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 summary and. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 289 pages and is available in paperback format. Cole is a juvenile delinquent who has done bad things like breaking into a hardware store and smashing a witnesses head onto a sidewalk. Edwin, the tlingit elder who oversees coles sentence on the island, isnt exactly someone to.
At first, peter driscal doesnt appear as a fullyformed character. What is the hardest situation that you have been in that is as close to surviving alone as in the book. Ketchikan is wellknown for its salmon and was originally a fishing village. 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. We will begin the year by reading the book touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen. Shmoop guide to touching spirit bear protagonist, antagonist, foil, guide, mentor, and character roles. Dedication thisbookisdedicatedtobuffy, asevenhundredpoundblackbearwho hasbecomemyownspiritbear. 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. Spirit bear is a bear who defends himself when cole trys to kill him. 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. Oct 02, 2014 i think middle school students can benefit a lot from learning units in themes. Cole matthews is banished to a remote alaskan island as punishment for beating his classmate peter driscal almost bad enough to kill him. So when he was banished to an island he burns his shelter and trys to kill a spirit bear. Touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen 25,100 ratings, 3.
Touching spirit bear is a comingofage novel by bolivianamerican author ben. What would you have chosen prison or wilderness for a year, and why. We will stop periodically and discuss how he has changed. Character sketch cole mathews is the main character in the book touching spirit bear. Each of you will create a totem pole about your life. Despite the fact that it resembles a more advanced book, touching spirit bear has low reading level metrics. Who are the characters in this book touching spirit bear. Character analysis touching spirit bear free essays. Cole mathews is the main character in the book touching spirit bear. Before diving into a summary of the story, lets meet some of the. Copy of the watsons go to birmingham1963 character chart. When i received my package in the mail i was exited to start reading.
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. Copy of touching spirit bear chapter questions with answers. 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 quotes and analysis gradesaver. Ben mikaelsons book touching spirit bear was truly magnificent. Hetaughtmetobegentleand thati,too,ampartof thecircle.
After i read this book i really just wanted to read more. Jan 11, 2019 why i love teaching touching spirit bear easy reading level. 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. Being banished on the island is a old native tradition of the tlingit peoples to help turn around. 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. Theme touching spirit bear book report there are many themes to this book. What are the ten main events in touching spirit bear answers. Touching spirit bear ben mikaelsen i figured youd be here awhile mr. 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. Oct 15, 20 cole mathews is the main character in the book touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen. Kevin and anastassia introduction cole has experienced numerous changes throughout the story. Thats what happens to the main character in ben mikaelsens touching spirit bear, and now he has to deal with the consequences. The kermode, or spirit bear, is a genetic subset of the american black bear.