Grades 6–9. Five reading quizzes. Ten multiple-choice questions each. These Touching Spirit Bear chapter questions hold students accountable for every section of Ben Mikaelsen’s novel. Cut and paste questions from the list or print/download the PDF as shown. DOCX format, the chapter-by-chapter question bank, and the answer keys available for purchase.
Touching Spirit Bear Reading Schedule
The five-reading schedule below divides the novel into sections of roughly equal length. Ten comprehension questions accompany each reading. Page numbers reflect ISBN 13: 9780439401845.
- Quiz 1: Chapters 1–5 (pages 3–46)
- Quiz 2: Chapters 6–11 (pages 47–92)
- Quiz 3: Chapters 12–17 (pages 93–146)
- Quiz 4: Chapters 18–23 (pages 147–194)
- Quiz 5: Chapters 24–28 (pages 195–240)
Touching Spirit Bear Quizzes PDF
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PURCHASE: Full DOCX set, Chapter-by-Chapter Question Bank, and answer keys
Touching Spirit Bear Quiz 1: Chapter Questions for 1–5
- Cole assaulted Peter Driscal because… (Ch. 1)
- A. Peter insulted him.
- B. Peter told on him.
- C. Peter beat him in a contest.
- D. Peter was close by when Cole lost his temper.
- Cole hates that Garvey keeps calling him… (Ch. 2)
- A. Inmate.
- B. Champ.
- C. Son.
- D. Mr. Matthews.
- At the end of Chapter 2, Cole flies into a rage and… (Ch. 2)
- A. Attacks one of the guards.
- B. Burns down a building.
- C. Kills a dog.
- D. Crashes a car.
- Which character has a problem with substance abuse (drugs or alcohol)? (Ch. 3)
- A. Cole
- B. Mr. Crittenden
- C. Cole’s Father
- D. Garvey
- Cole’s parole officer tries to teach Cole a lesson using… (Ch. 3)
- A. Bicycle parts.
- B. Musical instruments.
- C. Hats and costumes.
- D. Cake ingredients.
- Who is the only person from Cole’s school to attend Circle Justice? (Ch. 4)
- A. Ms. Avalos (school nurse)
- B. Mr. Parquette (principal)
- C. Peter Driscal (student)
- D. Trick question! No one from the school attends.
- At Circle Justice you are only allowed to speak… (Ch. 4)
- A. When you are holding the feather.
- B. When you are holding the turtle shell.
- C. When your number is called.
- D. Three times (when it is your turn).
- What is an at.óow? (Ch. 2)
- A. A special type of shelter.
- B. A special type of meal.
- C. A special type of blanket.
- D. A special dance.
- What is Cole’s first impulse when he sees the Spirit Bear? (Ch. 5)
- A. He wants to kill it.
- B. He wants to follow it.
- C. He wants to run and hide from it.
- D. Trick question! He has not yet seen Spirit Bear.
- Cole does not speak to his father at Circle Justice because… (Ch. 4)
- A. He is afraid of him.
- B. His father does not show up.
- C. He decides he is not worth the effort.
- D. Trick question! He does speak to his father.
Touching Spirit Bear Quiz 2: Chapter Questions for 6–11
- At Circle Justice, Cole’s mother… (Ch. 6)
- A. Stands up for Cole.
- B. Stands up for Cole’s father.
- C. Argues that Circle Justice is ridiculous.
- D. Says nothing.
- Peter’s suggestion to deal with the situation is to… (Ch. 6)
- A. Forget the whole thing.
- B. Put Cole in real prison.
- C. Smash Cole’s head.
- D. Trick question! He offers no suggestion.
- What is Cole’s first meal on the island? (Ch. 7)
- A. Berries and greens
- B. Some type of bird
- C. A fish
- D. Beans and hotdogs
- Spirit Bear has the distressing habit of… (Ch. 7)
- A. Circling Cole’s shelter at night.
- B. Roaring in the middle of the night.
- C. Appearing and disappearing.
- D. Sharpening his claws on tree trunks.
- Cole decides that the best defense against the bear is… (Ch. 7)
- A. To kill it.
- B. To sleep in a tree.
- C. To build a stone barrier.
- D. Move to the other side of the island.
- Which statement accurately describes Cole’s first fight with the bear? (Ch. 8)
- A. It is only a dream.
- B. Cole is holding his own until he trips and falls.
- C. Cole successfully scares the bear.
- D. Cole is easily defeated.
- While lying helpless, Cole becomes angry watching… (Ch. 9)
- A. Raccoons taking his stuff.
- B. A mother bird feeding her young.
- C. The ocean ruining his plans.
- D. Fishing boats passing by.
- In Chapter 10, Cole decides that he… (Ch. 10)
- A. Must live to get revenge.
- B. Must live to make things right.
- C. Must live to prove everyone wrong.
- D. Simply wants to live.
- Following the attack, Cole stays alive by… (Ch. 10)
- A. Eating worms and bugs.
- B. Crawling into a rotten log.
- C. Drinking his own urine.
- D. Burning his journals.
- Cole decides that his final act of defiance will be… (Ch. 11)
- A. To spit on Spirit Bear.
- B. Carve a message on a chunk of wood.
- C. Kill himself before something else does.
- D. Destroy the at.óow.
Touching Spirit Bear Quiz 3: Chapter Questions for 12–17
- Cole feels insulted when Spirit Bear… (Ch. 12)
- A. Urinates on him.
- B. Destroys Cole’s shelter.
- C. Doesn’t bother to kill him.
- D. Stops visiting him.
- The at.óow gets destroyed by… (Ch. 13)
- A. Cole (cutting it up).
- B. Fire.
- C. The ocean.
- D. Trick question! They still have it.
- What does Cole decide to do with the clump of fur from Spirit Bear? (Ch. 13)
- A. He uses it as evidence.
- B. He hides it in a book.
- C. He throws it away.
- D. Trick question! He lost it.
- Since Cole’s return from the hospital, his mother is… (Ch. 14)
- A. Struggling with alcoholism.
- B. Ignoring him.
- C. More confident and involved.
- D. Nowhere to be found.
- It surprises the Circle when _________________ shows up. (Ch. 14)
- A. Cole
- B. Edwin, the Tlingit elder
- C. Cole’s father
- D. Peter Driscal
- The authorities decide that after everything that has happened… (Ch. 15)
- A. Cole will still have to face justice.
- B. Cole has been through enough and will get released.
- C. Circle Justice will not work for Cole.
- D. Circle Justice will end permanently.
- Edwin makes his case to Circle Justice by… (Ch. 15)
- A. Performing a traditional dance.
- B. Showing photos of Spirit Bears.
- C. Pushing Cole to the ground.
- D. Asking everyone to lift and carry Cole.
- Cole recovers well except for his… (Ch. 15)
- A. Eyesight.
- B. Speech.
- C. Balance.
- D. Arm.
- In Chapter 16, Edwin uses another demonstration to show that all of life is… (Ch. 16)
- A. A chain.
- B. A Spirit Bear.
- C. A storm.
- D. A hotdog.
- When Edwin was younger, his Circle Justice required him to… (Ch. 17)
- A. Stay on the same island.
- B. Shave his head and get tattooed.
- C. Donate everything he owned.
- D. Serve the elders of the nation.
Touching Spirit Bear Quiz 4: Chapter Questions for 18–23
- After dancing around the fire, they are supposed to… (Ch. 18)
- A. Explain what they learned.
- B. Give suggestions to improve the dance.
- C. Stand in the smoke with their eyes closed.
- D. Stay silent until morning.
- What does Edwin make Cole do each morning on the island? (Ch. 18)
- A. Sit in frigid (very cold) water.
- B. Walk over smoldering coals.
- C. Carry him on his back.
- D. Climb a tree barefoot.
- Which activity symbolizes Cole’s anger? (Ch. 18)
- A. Chopping down the tree.
- B. Hunting the Spirit Bear.
- C. Rolling a rock down a hill.
- D. Cutting up the at.óow.
- The wolf dance differs from the previous dance because… (Ch. 19)
- A. Only Edwin dances.
- B. Only Garvey dances.
- C. Only Cole dances.
- D. They all dance at the same time.
- The tone of Garvey’s bear dance is best described as… (Ch. 20)
- A. Sad / lonesome.
- B. Joyful / thankful.
- C. Silly / comical.
- D. Cruel / heartless.
- When Edwin brings Cole his mail, it consists mostly of… (Ch. 21)
- A. Letters from his parents.
- B. Legal stuff from lawyers.
- C. Letters from reporters asking questions.
- D. Trick question! He does not receive his mail.
- Which choice accurately reflects Cole’s attitude toward Spirit Bear? (Ch. 22)
- A. Fascinated (interested and curious)
- B. Terrified (He never wants to see it again.)
- C. Angry (He wants revenge on it.)
- D. Impassive (no strong feelings)
- Cole spends most of his free time on the island… (Ch. 22)
- A. Making his tattoo.
- B. Writing in his journal.
- C. Sketching and painting.
- D. Carving wood.
- Cole discovers that the best way to become invisible to animals requires… (Ch. 23)
- A. Covering his scent.
- B. Watching them from a tree.
- C. Having a clear mind.
- D. Wearing dark clothing.
- Cole must gather coals (chunks of burnt wood)… (Ch. 23)
- A. When he runs out of drawing pencils.
- B. When his fire goes out and he is freezing.
- C. As part of his anger dance.
- D. When Edwin scolds him for ruining the island.
Touching Spirit Bear Quiz 5: Chapter Questions for 24–28
- Edwin reveals that he helps Cole… (Ch. 24)
- A. Because they are related.
- B. To make up for harm he has done.
- C. Because Circle Justice forces him.
- D. Because Cole’s father pays him.
- For Cole, the hardest part of life on the island is… (Ch. 24)
- A. Finding enough to eat.
- B. Cutting enough wood to burn.
- C. Loneliness.
- D. His fear of snakes.
- What upsetting news does Edwin deliver to Cole on the island? (Ch. 24)
- A. Cole’s father died.
- B. Garvey is in the hospital.
- C. Cole’s mother is sick.
- D. Peter has tried to kill himself.
- Who has the idea of bringing Peter Driscal to the island? (Ch. 25)
- A. Cole
- B. Peter himself
- C. Edwin
- D. Peter’s mother
- The first time Peter actually participates on the island, he… (Ch. 26)
- A. Pushes the rock down the hill.
- B. Goes fishing.
- C. Sits in the frigid water.
- D. Dances the anger dance.
- Peter’s presence on the island inconveniences Cole because… (Ch. 26)
- A. He has to help Peter walk everywhere.
- B. He has to carry everything for Peter.
- C. He has to sleep in a cold, wet tent.
- D. He has to answer Peter’s endless questions.
- What does Peter learn from the mouse dance? (Ch. 27)
- A. That the mouse is smart and patient.
- B. That the mouse is part of the circle.
- C. That mice want to live their lives.
- D. That he “looks like a stupid dork.”
- What does Peter carve on Cole’s totem? (Ch. 27)
- A. Jail bars
- B. A rope
- C. A bear
- D. A star
- What happens when the two boys are finally alone? (Ch. 28)
- A. They start acting kind to one another.
- B. Cole attacks Peter.
- C. Peter attacks Cole.
- D. Spirit Bear attacks them both.
- The final carving on Cole’s totem is… (Ch. 28)
- A. Spirit Bear.
- B. Flames.
- C. A circle.
- D. Trick question! The final space stays blank.
Why Touching Spirit Bear Reading Quizzes Work
Ben Mikaelsen’s 2001 novel follows Cole Matthews, a troubled Minneapolis teenager who assaults a classmate and faces Circle Justice instead of prison. His banishment to a remote Alaskan island forces him to survive on his own terms, and the Spirit Bear he encounters there becomes the catalyst for his transformation. Cole’s anger, his trauma, and his slow reckoning with responsibility hold adolescent readers from the first chapter. The novel works equally well in whole-class instruction, literature circles, and independent reading.
Touching Spirit Bear holds adolescent readers — Cole’s anger, his trauma, and his slow transformation give students something to track from chapter to chapter. Reading quizzes protect that engagement. A ten-question multiple-choice check at the start of class takes five minutes, produces a clean grade, and tells you immediately who read. Class time goes toward discussion and analysis instead of plot summary.
Predictable, low-stakes quizzes also give students with different learning styles a fair target. Quiz scores give you something concrete to share with students and families before the bigger assessments arrive. Students who fall behind on Quiz 1 tell you something actionable early enough to act on it.
The purchased set adds DOCX files for easy editing, a complete answer key, and a chapter-by-chapter question bank with 4–5 questions per chapter which is useful for teachers who want to pull individual questions for warm-ups, exit tickets, or differentiated assessment.
Get the Full Touching Spirit Bear Quiz Set
The free PDF and cut-and-paste questions above cover all five readings and all 50 questions. The full purchased set adds DOCX format, a complete answer key, and the chapter-by-chapter question bank.
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PURCHASE: Full DOCX set, Chapter-by-Chapter Question Bank, and answer keys
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M. Towle is a veteran Language Arts and Social Studies teacher with fourteen years of classroom experience in urban schools in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. M. Towle holds an M.A. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies and is the founder of TeachNovels.com.