Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide

Chapter 1

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

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

1. Define:
defiant:

skiff:

2. Where is Cole being taken?

3. There were two other people in the boat:

Garvey, who was

Edwin, who was

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

5. Who were the only people Cole could trust?

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

7. Cole hated his parents. His mom acted like a scared Barbie doll. Always

____________________________ but never __________________________________.

And his dad was a bullheaded _____________________________________ with a

temper.

8. Nathaniel Blackwood is the __________________________ hired by Cole’s parents.

9. Why do you think Garvey kept visiting Cole?

10. What is Circle of Justice? See page 12.

11. What is at’oow? See page 19.

 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 2

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

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?

a.

b.

c.

d.

5. Of what did Garvey give to Cole to take care? 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 way 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? What did
you learn?
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 3

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

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 or someone else and were
out of control. What did it feel like? How did you calm down?
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 4

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. As this chapter opens, Cole is swimming away from the island from which he was
banished. What is his greatest danger at his point?

2. Who was involved in the Circle of Justice?

3. Why did this worry Cole?

4. Why did Cole’s father and his lawyer look out of place?

5. What did Cole do to Peter Driscal at this meeting and why did he stop?

6. The Keeper described Circle of Justice. She said that justice often fails because it
punishes rather than what? What is the purpose of Circle of Justice?
7. What was the significance of the feather?

8. Tell how Cole’s mom, his dad, Cole, the lawyer and Peter Driscal all responded when
it was their turn to hold the feather.

a. Cindy Matthews

b. William Matthews

c. Nathaniel Blackwood

d. Cole

e. Peter

9. Write about a time when lots of people were discussing you in front of you. Describe
how you felt when others were making remarks and decisions that could impact
your life.
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 5

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. Where did Cole end up swimming?

2. What happened to him to cause this?

3. What happened to Cole’s legs?

4. When Cole became delirious, what did he try to find?

5. When Cole awakens from his first night on the island, what does he see?

6. Why did the bear make him so angry?

7. When Cole heard what his father said at Circle of Justice, he exploded. Why?

8. Write about a time when you were totally exhausted: physically, emotionally, and/or
spiritually.
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 6

Name: ____________________________________________Per: _____

1. How did Cole and his father act in the beginning of Chapter 6? Why?

2. The Keeper reminded everyone of what the feather meant. What did it
mean?

3. How did Cole’s mother react when Cole asked her to say how Dad beats
him when drunk?

4. When the Keeper asks Peter what needs to be done to make things better,
he responds by saying “I think someone should smash Cole’s head
against a sidewalk so he knows how it feels.” Do you think Cole
already knows how this might feel? Why or why not?

5. How was Peter hurt from Cole’s beating?

6. Garvey discusses some of the reasons that isolation works to help heal a
criminal. What are these reasons?
7. Who did not know Cole’s birthday?

8. When leaving the Circle, in reference to his father Cole asks Garvey “Did
you hear him lie tonight?” Garvey responds “He wasn’t the only one.”
To whom is Garvey referring?

9. What was happening to Cole when his mother actually said something in
his defense? Be specific.

10. Outline what will happen to Cole after the banishment is over.

11. According to Garvey, which is harder, living in banishment all alone or

jail? Do you agree? Explain.
 Touching Spirit Bear Study Guide
Chapter 7
Name: ______________________________________________Per: ______

1. Why does Cole feel the need for a weapon? What does he make?

2. Cole feeds green wood into the fire to create a lot of smoke. Of what
benefit is the smoke to him?

3. What does he do to alleviate his hunger?

4. Cole woke up in the middle of the night because the stillness awakened
him. What was about to happen?

5. What did he do when he saw the Spirit Bear at the mouth of the bay?
6. Why do you think he did this? What was he thinking?

7. Did this frighten the bear? Why or why not?

 Touching Spirit Bear Study Guide
Chapter 8

Name: ______________________________________________Per: ______

1. What does the Spirit Bear do when Cole charges him?

2. Describe the episode Cole has with the white bear.

3. What are the damages Cole endures?

4. When Cole realizes where he is, what are the sea gulls doing?

5. Describe how Edwin (elder of Tlingit) told Cole to live with the other
creatures on the island.
6. Is Cole following Edwin’s advice? Explain.

7. How are Edwin's words proving to be true?

8. Cole experiences intense pain and swallows a lot of his blood. These
two issues cause him more distress - what happens?

9. This entire chapter takes place with Cole in only one position. What is
that position and what do you think he is learning?

10.What emotion did he find even more unbearable than the pain?
 Touching Spirit Bear Study Guide
Chapter 9
Name: _____________________________________________Per: ______

1. Cole is lying at the mouth of the bay as the chapter opens. What is the
one end he believes he will come to?

2. Cole is obviously injured badly as he lies there on the edge of the bay.
What other conditions make this even worse for him?

3. Cole's bitterness and anger actually helped him keep from losing
consciousness during this time. He was watching baby birds. What did
he think he would do if he were the mother bird? Why did he feel that
way?

4. Cole loses consciousness again and wakes up after dark. What does he
see in the darkness of the storm?
5. What were the prickling sensations he felt through his body?

6. The storm rages on and on until finally lightning strikes right beside
him. What does it hit and what happens?

7. What do you think Cole is learning from the attack and the storm?

8. The author says that Cole had to focus on the moon to help him
"remain on this side" What does he mean by that?

9. Cole tried to remember what Garvey and Edwin had said about circles
as he watched the moon. What had they told him?

10.What does Cole do at the end of the chapter that tells the reader he is
beginning to learn and grow?
 Touching Spirit Bear Study Guide
Chapter 10

Name: _____________________________________________Per: ______

1. Cole is slipping in and out of consciousness as a new pain was

building in his body. What happened to Cole that caused him "painful
shame?"

2. Why could Cole no longer be angry?

3. When Cole finally found the baby birds, what had happened to them?

4. Why was he envious of them?

5. Describe the cycle that Cole finally understands - the circle Edwin had
tried to explain to him.
6. Cole comes to the conclusion that he wants to live - why do you think
he chooses life over death?

7. How was Cole like the baby birds?

8. What does Cole eat and then choked on? What other delicacies did he
find to eat? Food is energy and energy is life and Cole wanted to live.

9. Why couldn't he feel his right arm?

10.When have you felt as hopeless as Cole did? Did you have to do
anything that was completely alien to you to overcome this?
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 11

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

Define:

diminish –

sarcastic –

1. Before Cole at the mouse to give himself energy, he said he “pitied the little mouse.”
How is this different from his attitude earlier in the story in dealing with animals?

2. Cole felt satisfaction after he ate, explain why.

3. How did Cole get water?

4. Describe Cole’s emotions when the Spirit Bear returned.

5. Why did Cole spit at the bear?

 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 12

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

Define:

savor –

ancestry –

1. Why did Cole cry when the Spirit Bear left him alone?

2. The Spirit Bear returns and this time Cole’s response is different. How?

3. Why did Cole reach out and touch the bear?

4. What does the bear do that Cole did not expect?

5. What does Cole discover about the world just as he was growing delirious?
6. Pretend you are Garvey, the probation officer. How would you feel finding Cole in the
condition he is in?

7. Describe how you think Edwin responded when he first saw Cole.

8. What does Garvey believe happened to Cole?

9. How does Garvey react when he realizes that a bear has attacked Cole?

10. What does Cole mean when he tells Garvey he is okay?

 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 13

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

Define:

totem -

indifferent –

1. Who is Rosey?

2. Describe the difference in the way Cole treats Garvey and Edwin now and how he
treated them in the first chapters.

3. Cole tells Garvey that the bear attack was his fault. What does he mean?

4. Edwin, Garvey, and the nurse discuss Cole’s condition, and Edwin says that he will be
all right if he ever finds a reason to live. What did he mean by that?
5. Describe Cole’s dream (nightmare).

6. For whom does Cole call out?

7. Garvey admits that he is helping Cole for himself. Explain.

8. Rosey gives Cole good advice. What is it?

9. Cole tells Edwin that he is done being angry. What does Edwin tell him anger is?

10. Why doe Cole throw away his only proof that the Spirit Bear was real?

11. Write about a time that you were strongly impacted by an outside force. What
happened? Why do you remember it? How did it change you?
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 14

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

Define:

massive –

isolate –

1. Describe Cole’s physical condition at the beginning of this chapter.

2. What did Garvey persuade the guard to do as they were transporting Cole from the
hospital to the detention center?

3. What did Cole’s dad do for him during his hospitalization? His mom?

4. Why did Garvey warn Cole that the healing of his physical wounds was the easy part?

5. What has happened to the at’oow at this point?

6. What has happened to Cole’s mom? Why is she doing so much better?

7. What information does his mom reveal to him about his dad?

8. What was Garvey’s surprise for Cole at the Circle Justice meeting?

9. List the members of the circle who were missing this time.

10. If you were part of the circle at this time, what would you have recommended be
done with Cole?
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 15

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. What did most members of the Circle believe should happen to Cole?

2. What information did Peter Driscal’s lawyer reveal about his recovery?

3. Describe Edwin’s demonstration for the Circle?

4. What lesson did Edwin want the Circle members to gain from his demonstration?

5. Tell about Peter Driscal’s lawyer’s reaction when Cole insisted he had seen the Spirit
Bear?

6. What new information regarding the white bears did Edwin reveal?
7. What conditions fro returning to the island did Edwin suggest to the members of
Circle Justice?

8. Why did Cole say that on the island he “‘realized he was dying and I had never really
even lived yet’” (p. 132)?

9. Why was Cole’s father so angry and abusive?

10. What did Circle Justice decide to do with Cole?

 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 16

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. Cole struggles physically with tasks that should be simple, why?

2. What news does Garvey break to Cole once they are back on the island?

3. What does Edwin do to the skiff that demonstrates a lack of trust for Cole?

4. What does Cole learn about trust?

5. Why is “the whole world a hotdog?

6. What are the words to the friendship song Garvey and Edwin were humming?

7. Describe how Garvey’s meal was different from Cole’s.

8. What did Edwin tell Cole to celebrate when Cole complained about nothing to
celebrate about?
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 17

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. What kept Cole awake all night his first night back on the island?

2. What new experience did Edwin introduce Cole to at dawn? Why?

3. Describe Edwin’s demonstration for Cole with the stick. What lesson did he want
Cole to learn?

4. What do happiness and anger have in common? They are both a …

5. Cole told Edwin that his demonstration with the stick made more sense than all the
weird things the counselors and psychologists told him. Why did Edwin say that
this was true?
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 18

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. When Garvey, Edwin, and Cole were watching the whales, what did Edwin
decide to do that evening?

2. Why wouldn’t Garvey or Edwin help Cole build his new cabin?

3. What were some of Cole’s responsibilities on the island to prepare for his banishment?

4. Who paid for all of the new supplies and cabin materials? How?

5. Why did Edwin insist that Cole do the whale dance?

6. What does each person do after his dance?

7. Why didn’t Edwin have Cole dance an anger dance to release his anger, yet?

8. Cole wanted to skip a day of going to the water. When did Edwin say Cole could do
that?

9. Describe what Edwin and Cole do to meet his ancestors and why he did it.

10. Once the rock is set down, it becomes your ______________________. Rolling it
down the hill, what was Cole to imagine?
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 19

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. Cole sighted an animal along the shoreline after he returned to camp. What was
it?

2. To honor the anima and learn from it, Garvey announced that they would do what
that evening?

3. What will be Cole’s last chore before leaving the island?

4. What happens when Cole announces that he is hitting the sack for night?

5. Garvey announced that he was finished on the island because there was not

enough room for him and his __________________________________.

6. When Cole apologized to Garvey and Edwin, what did they tell him?
7. Garvey and Edwin left Cole early and went to their tent. What did Cole do after
they left?

8. What did Cole learn?

9. What did Cole do the next morning?

10. What did he see at the end of the chapter as he was preparing to go back to camp?

11. What do you think Cole learned in this chapter?

 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 20

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. What does Cole tell Edwin and Garvey he has learned when he returns to camp
following his morning soak?

2. On page 169, Cole was glowing with satisfaction. Why do you think he was so
satisfied?

3. Describe the evening meal Cole prepared for Edwin and Garvey. Why did he do
this?

4. What dance does Cole choose to do?

5. Why do you think he chose to do this particular dance?

6. Describe what Cole learned in this chapter.

 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 21

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. Describe a day in Cole’s life on the island.

2. How did Cole get a log large enough for a totem?

3. What were his first thoughts about the log?

4. How did it make him feel when he was thinking about escape?

5. What did he do about it?

6. What reason does Edwin give Cole that he is not seeing the Spirit Bear?
7. What are totems?

8. Why can’t Cole dance the dance of anger yet?

9. In this chapter, Cole learns not to lie to himself. Write about a time when you lied
to yourself and you knew it. Cole chopped his potential canoe up to keep from
acting on his lie. What did you do to protect yourself from your lie?
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 22

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. Cole works hard on his totem in this chapter. What does he carve first and why
does he choose that particular animal?

2. Why does he carve the wolf next?

3. What does he learn from the beaver?

4. What is it about Edwin’s behavior that troubles Cole when Edwin drops off
supplies?

5. Why do you think Cole’s rage keeps reappearing? What unwelcome emotions do
you have that are difficult to overcome? Why?
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 23

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. Cole finally discovers the secret to becoming invisible, what is it?

2. Describe Cole’s experience of becoming invisible. Did he get what he wanted

from this experience?

3. How did he celebrate his ability to become invisible?

4. Which dance was Cole finally able to perform? Describe what happened during
his dance?

5. When Cole cried out “‘I’m sorry,’” which people do you believe he was
apologizing?
6. He also came to a final point where he began to cry and cried loudly, “‘I forgive
you!’” Who did he forgive? Why?

7. What did Cole learn in this chapter?

 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 24

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. Cole learned something very critical about anger. What is it?

2. What do you think he should carve to show that he learned to forgive?

3. What is it that Cole had to discover before he could heal his wounded heart and
broken spirit?

4. What does Edwin reveal to Cole as the reason for Garvey and him to be helping
Cole as much as they are?

5. Describe how Cole celebrated Christmas.

6. What word does Edwin bring Cole about Peter in February?

7. Why does Edwin believe Peter tried to take his own life?

8. Why is saying he was sorry not enough to help Peter?

9. What solution does Cole come up with to help Peter?

10. What would you chose to do to help him if you were in Cole’s position?
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 25

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. How does Edwin respond to Cole’s idea to bring Peter to the island?

2. Why does Edwin tell Cole that he and Garvey are proud of him?

3. How long is Cole willing to stay on the island in order to help Peter?

4. What surprise does Edwin and Garvey bring Cole?

5. Describe how Edwin holds Cole accountable for everything.

6. What does Cole tell everyone about the island?

7. When does he tell them was the turning point of when he began to think about
something besides himself?

8. Edwin forces Cole to tell the group why he has not carved the bottom of the totem
yet. What does he tell them?

9. How does Peter respond?

10. How would you feel at this point if you were Cole? What would you do?
 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 26

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. Describe how Cole treated his guests the first night they were on the island.

2. Where does Edwin have Cole sleep? Why?

3. What are Cole’s thoughts as he soaks in the pond the next day?

4. What is Peter’s attitude about staying on the island with Cole?

5. Describe the incident between Mr. Driscal and Cole.

6. What information does Garvey bring Cole about his father? How does Cole
react?

7. How does Garvey want him to pay him back for his kindness?

8. When Cole is frustrated that Peter does not seem to appreciate that he is going to
this extra fro him, of what does Garvey remind him?

9. Peter is confused about how to respond to Cole. He does some strange things.
What threatening things does he do?

10. What kindness does he extend to Cole?

 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 27

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. Describe Peter’s behavior toward Cole.

2. What was the last straw for Cole?

3. How does Cole respond? What kindness does he show Peter?

4. Why did they dance the mouse dance? What did they learn?

5. What did Garvey tell Cole when Cole said that Peter would never forgive him?
6. How does Cole explain to Peter why he threw away proof that he had been
mauled by a white bear?

7. What does Peter do to Cole’s totem while he and Garvey are out looking for
whales?

8. How does Cole respond?

 Touching Spirit Bear – Study Guide
Chapter 28

Name: _________________________________________________________Per:_____

1. What does Peter propose for their morning soak?

2. Describe his treatment of Cole.

3. Why do you think he did this?

4. How did Cole respond?

5. Describe what happens.

6. What did the boys carve together at the bottom of Cole’s totem? Why?
In a SADS paragraph, explain what is the most important lesson to be learned
(theme) from Touching Spirit Bear?

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Extra Credit Project:

Design your own totem. For each section of the totem, explain why you have that
symbol. Why is it meaningful to you?