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Copywork
About This Passage
This is the moment Brian sees that the lake has food he did not know about. The bird teaches him without meaning to. Paulsen shows us how carefully Brian watches — he sees the blue of the bird, the crest on its head, the sharp beak, the silver of the fish in the sun. Brian's eyes are learning to do something new.
Sitting on one limb was a blue bird with a crest and sharp beak, a kingfisher—he thought of a picture he had seen once—which left the branch while he watched and dove into the water. It emerged a spli...
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Retell chapter eleven. Begin with Brian hiding the rest of the turtle eggs in the shelter. Tell how Brian says cleaning up his camp is mostly a way to stop feeling sad. Tell how Brian sees that his body has changed — his face 'like leather,' his belly caved in. Tell how he notices his mind has changed too — he sees and hears the world in a new way. Then tell about the kingfisher that dives and catches a fish, and Brian's big idea that he could catch fish too. End with Brian planning to make a fish spear.
Discussion Questions
- What in the story makes Brian say 'I am not the same'? How do you know Brian is different now than when the plane crashed?
- The kingfisher does not mean to teach Brian anything, but Brian learns something important from watching the bird. What do you think Brian learns, and how do you know?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
An animal that lives in water and breathes through gills — the kingfisher catches one in its mouth.
Item 2
An animal with feathers and wings that can usually fly — the blue kingfisher sits on a branch.
Item 3
A tree branch — the kingfisher sits on a limb of the pine.
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Critical Thinking
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