Touching Spirit Bear

Touching Spirit Bear Totem

Directions: Create your own unique totem pole using basic materials. Your totem must have at least 3 different animals. Before carving, explain why each animal is significant for you in the space below: Animal Significance

______

______Touching Spirit Bear Totem

Directions: A little planning can make your totem pole much better. In the boxes below, sketch front, back, and side views of each animal on your totem pole. Remember that you will be carving a 3d totem.

Animal Front View Back View Side View

______

______Touching Spirit Bear Totem Essay Assignment

Assignment Write an essay describing the three animals which you feel represent your personality the best. You may use the totem you have carved as inspiration for your essay. You may also discuss the characters and events from Touching Spirit Bear. Remember to explain what totem poles are and there significance.

Ideas The following material may give you ideas for your writing. You do not have to use it. Consider your own ideas, gained through reading the novel.

“Whatever you do to the animals, you do to yourself. Remember that.” (19)

“The mauling didn’t make sense. In the past, everything had always been afraid of him. Why wasn’t the bear scared?” ( 81)

“A whale migrates but it doesn’t have a home…I feel like the whale.” (182)

Being invisible had nothing to do with being seen. Being invisible meant not being sensed or felt.”(226)

“The dances, carving the totem, carrying the ancestor rock, touching the Spirit Bear, it was all the same thing—it was finding out who I really was.”(283)

“Standing beside the totems, he explained to Peter that being invisible was being a part of life’s circle and accepting it. ‘This morning, when we forgave each other, we also forgave ourselves… We allowed ourselves to become a part of the big circle. That’s why we saw the Spirit Bear.’” ( 286)

Beaver Dance Whale Dance Cole sees a beaver in the freezing pond, and he In this dance, Cole breaches like a whale, and does a beaver dance. From it, he learns how the he learns that he is like the whales because he beaver has "persistence, patience, and too does not have a fixed home and is ingenuity" in order to build a dam all on its searching for truth. own. from the Eagle Dance. Eagle Dance Wolf Dance Since eagles soar high above in the sky, Cole Cole learns from this dance that he must learn learns to stay strong and proud, while keeping a from others and seek their help like a wolf in broad perspective his own pack. Anger Dance Edwin tells Cole that he must dance the anger dance in order to fully heal his anger, but he must be ready for it. When Cole does dance it, he reenacts the attack of the Spirit Bear. He dances for longer than he ever had before and feels an immense sense of relief afterwards. CONTENT ORGANIZATION SENTENCE STRUCTURE VOCABULARY CONVENTIONS REPRESENTATION FOCUS • explores the topic • focused introduction • sentence structure is controlled • accuracy of the words and • mechanics (spelling, • planning Cross-Reference to • establishes a purpose • coherent order • sentence type and sentence expressions punctuation, capitalization, • design Outcomes in the • presents ideas • connections between events length are effective and varied • effectiveness of the words and indentation for new speakers, 4.3 • supports the response and/or details • sentence beginnings are varied expressions etc.) and usage (subject-verb Program • considers the reader • closure 4.1 4.2 • appropriateness and agreement, pronoun-antecedent of Studies for Grade 9 2.1 2.2 2.4 3.1 3.3 4.1 4.3 3.1 3.3 4.1 4.3 effectiveness of the voice/tone agreement, etc.) English Language Arts created by the student • clarity and flow of the response 4.1 4.2 4.2 • The student’s exploration of the • The introduction is engaging • Sentence structure is effectively • Words and expressions are • The quality of the writing is • The carving shows evidence of topic is insightful and/or and skillfully establishes a focus and consistently controlled. used accurately and deliberately. enhanced because it is careful planning imaginative. that is consistently sustained. • Sentence type and sentence • Precise words and expressions essentially error-free. • The carving has an original and Excellent • The student’s purpose, whether • Events and/or details are length are consistently effective are used to create vivid images • Any errors that are present do sophisticated design stated or implied, is deliberate. developed in a judicious order, and varied. and/or to enrich details. not reduce clarity and/or do not • The ideas presented by the and coherence is maintained. • Sentence beginnings are • The voice/tone created by the interrupt the flow of the response. student are perceptive and/or • Transitions, either explicit or consistently varied. student is convincing. carefully chosen. implicit, fluently connect events • Supporting details are precise and/or details within sentences E and/or original. and/or between paragraphs. • The writing is confident and/or • Closure is effective and related creative and holds the reader’s to the focus. interest. • The student’s exploration of the • The introduction is purposeful • Sentence structure is • Words and expressions are • The quality of the writing is • The carving shows evidence of topic is adept and/or plausible. and clearly establishes a focus consistently controlled. often used accurately. sustained because it contains generalized but effective planning • The student’s purpose, whether that is capably sustained. • Sentence type and sentence • Specific words and expressions only minor convention errors. • The carving has a thoughtful and Proficient stated or implied, is intentional. • Events and/or details are length are usually effective and show some evidence of careful • Any errors that are present interesting design • The ideas presented by the developed in a sensible order, varied. selection and/or some awareness rarely reduce clarity and/or student are thoughtful and/or and coherence is generally • Sentence beginnings are often of connotative effect. seldom interrupt the flow of the sound. maintained. varied. • The voice/tone created by the response. • Supporting details are specific • Transitions, either explicit or student is distinct. and/or apt. implicit, clearly connect events Pf • The writing is considered and/or and/or details within sentences elaborated and draws the and/or between paragraphs. reader’s interest. • Closure is appropriate and related to the focus. • The student’s exploration of the • The introduction is functional • Sentence structure is generally • Words and expressions are • The quality of the writing is • The carving shows some topic is clear and/or logical. and establishes a focus that is controlled, but lapses may generally used appropriately. sustained through generally evidence of planning • The student’s purpose, whether generally sustained. occasionally impede meaning. • General words and expressions correct use of conventions. • The carving has a conventional stated or implied, is evident. • Events and/or details are • Sentence type and sentence are used adequately to clarify • Errors occasionally reduce design Satisfactory • The ideas presented by the developed in a discernible order, length are sometimes effective meaning. clarity and/or sometimes interrupt student are appropriate and/or although coherence may falter and/or varied. • The voice/tone created by the the flow of the response. predictable. occasionally. • Some variety of sentence student is discernible but may be • Supporting details are relevant • Transitions, either explicit or beginnings is evident. inconsistent or uneven. and/or generic. implicit, tend to be mechanical • The writing is straightforward and are generally used to connect S and/or generalized and events and/or details within occasionally appeals to the sentences and/or between reader’s interest. paragraphs. • Closure is related to the focus and is mechanical and/or artificial. • The student’s exploration of the • The introduction lacks purpose • Sentence structure often lacks • Words and expressions are • The quality of the writing is • The carving shows little topic is tenuous and/or simplistic. and/or is not functional; any focus control, and this may impede often used inexactly. weakened by the frequently evidence of planning • The student’s purpose, whether established provides little meaning. • Imprecise words and incorrect use of conventions. • The carving has a vague or stated or implied, is vague. direction and/or is not sustained. • Sentence type and sentence expressions predominate; specific • Errors blur clarity and/or simplistic design • The ideas presented by the • The development of events length are seldom effective and/or words, if present, may be interrupt the flow of the Limited student are superficial and/or and/or details is not clearly varied; syntactic structures are improperly used. ambiguous. discernible, and coherence falters frequently awkward. • The voice/tone created by the • Supporting details are imprecise frequently. • There is little variety of sentence student is not clearly established and/or abbreviated. • Transitions, either explicit or beginnings. or is indistinct. • The writing is uncertain and/or implicit, are lacking and/or L incomplete and does not appeal indiscriminately used to connect to the reader’s interest. events and/or details within sentences and/or between paragraphs. • Closure is abrupt, contrived, and/or unrelated to the focus. • The student’s exploration of the • The introduction, if present, is • Sentence structure generally • Words and expressions are • The quality of the writing is • The carving shows no evidence topic is minimal and/or tangential. obscure and/or ineffective; any lacks control, and this often generally used inaccurately. impaired by the consistently of planning • The student’s purpose, whether focus established provides no impedes meaning. • Ineffective words and incorrect use of conventions. • The carving has an ineffective or stated or implied, is insubstantial. direction and/or is undeveloped. • There is essentially no variation expressions predominate; specific • Errors severely reduce clarity confusing design Poor • The ideas presented by the • The development of events in sentence type or sentence words, if present, are frequently and/or impede the flow of the student are overgeneralized and/or details is haphazard length; syntactic structures are misused. response. and/or underdeveloped. and/or incoherent. unintelligible. • The voice/tone created by the • Supporting details are irrelevant • Transitions, either explicit or • There is essentially no variety of student is not evident or is and/or scant. implicit, are absent and/or sentence beginnings. indiscreet. P • The writing is confusing and/or inappropriately used to connect lacks validity and does not events and/or details within interest the reader. sentences and/or between paragraphs. • Closure is ineffectual or missing.