Researcher- Jordyn

What is the Spirit Bear?

The Kermode Bear (named after Francis Kermodei, who is a former director of the royal B.C Museum) goes by many names. But the most popular name, is the Spirit Bear. 

Many people come to believe that the rare cream colored bear is an albino, but instead, it is a subspecies of the North American Black Bear. The color is believed to be the cause of a recessive gene trait. Scientists are actively studying this.
On Gribbell Island, up to 30 percent of the bears are white, while on a much larger Island known as the Royal Prince Island, around 10 percent of bears are white instead of black.
The Kermode Bear rests in the Central and North Coast regions of British Columbia, Canada.

The Spirit Bear is quite important to Native Culture, as they are a reminder of past times, along with peace and harmony. According to a Native American Legend, the master of the universe created one white bear for every ten black bears as a reminder of hardship during the ice age.

The Spirit Bears mate in the summer, and mothers den in the early fall. The mother bears line their dens with with things such as dried grass, leaves and twigs. This, is for comfort.
During hibernation, the Kermode Bears functions of the body slows down. Pregnant Spirit Bears give birth in their den while in hibernation, Hibernation can last until Spring, or summer. The average litter size is about 2. Though, it is possible for a litter of 3 cubs to be born.

In the wild, Kermode Bears have a lifespan of around 20-25.  A male bear is said to weigh about 250 to 300 pounds, while a female is 125 to 175 pounds. A newborn cub weighs about one pound. The length for an adult Spirit bear, is approximately 5 to 6 feet.

Melissa - Literary Luminary

"Actions speak louder then words." I think this quote relates to Mathew because he always says that he won't act the way he acts but then his actions prove him wrong because he doesn't take what he says and follows by it.



"Animals can teach us more then any teacher" They could show us how to be sensitive to others. Animals can also tell if something is wrong with you.









"Whatever you do to the animals you do to yourself" If your hurting another living thing you will eventually regret it because they have emotions and feelings to. If you hurt an animal there trust for you can be lost because they would be to frightened.

vocabulary(word wizard)-Huntyr

vocabulary(word wizard)-Huntyr

o'ow-A bright colorful towel used and made by the tinglit tribe





Feigned- to simulate or pretend fake actions or morals
omen- a made or predicted event that will overcome in the future
tinglit- a governmental tribe in Alaska made to represent tinglit Indians and leaders


sullenly-showing ill humor or irritation in actions









smoldering-burn slowly with smoke.
waded-walk through water or another liquid substance
arraignment- A formal reading of criminal charges
fleeting-lasting for a short time.








mangy-  scruffy animal (mange)

Mathew`s Touching Spirit Bear Questions

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Questions
1. What is a Spirit Bear?

2. In the book Touching Spirit Bear who helped Cole Matthews get into Circle Justice?

3. Who was the grade 9 boy that was beat up by Cole?

4. What island can most of the Spirit Bears be found in real life?
5. Who started the youth movement to save the Spirit Bear when he or she was 13?

Answers
1. A Spirit bear is a special Black Bear that also symbolizes peace, pride, dignity, and honor to the Tlingit First Nations the bear is also white with a special gen that only 1/10 black bears have.

2. The one who helped him was a man named Garvey because he thinks Cole has a chance to do better than what he is now.

3. The kid was Peter Driscal he was beat up because he told the cops that Cole was the one who stole from the hardware store.

4. The island is called princess royal off the coast of Vancouver .
5. The man is Simon Jackson and now has the biggest youth movement in the world with over 6 million people helping protect special animals.

Go to www.spiritbearyouth.org to find more info on the spirit bear and more.

Questions, Kadesia

     

Is the spirit bear a real bear?

Yes it is a bear discovered by Frank Kermode. It is a black bear with white fur doe to rare genetic traits. It my also be referred to as First Nations myth about "a black bear called the spirit bear. its pure white and has more pride, dignity and honor then most people."

How would Cole leave the island without someone picking him up?

Cole was a very good swimmer but,only is father knew so it would be unexpected for the other characters in the book.

Why is Cole so angry?

The obvious  answer is because his parents aren't together anymore and he thinks they don't care about him but, the deeper answer is because he is just so sick of trying to impress people he acts out to get back at every one who thinks he should be a better person.

Who ends up sponsoring Cole and why?

Garvey does because he sees the better in people. It is clear Garvey also sees the bad side of Cole but he chooses to see Cole as someone who wants help and forgiveness.

                     

How does wearing your cloths inside out show shame?

Because it shows you exposed its a representation of your skin it is showing someone that you are vulnerable and week it is made to show gilt. it is manly used in First Nations cultures.      

Quotes~Jordan Russell

Pg 5.

"The elder acted fearless, but he had to be afraid of something. Everyone in the world was afraid of something"

I like this quote because it shows that Cole admits he has a weakness, in that he has fears. and its true that everyone in the world has their own fears. I have a fear of being alone with dolls or mannequins.






                                                                                  Pg 37.

"His hands were clammy, and he found himself comparing his mother's frightened, weak squeeze to his father's iron-hard grip"

This quote shows the relationship between the three family members. Cole being nervous and cautious with his parents, his mother being scared and reluctant, while his father wanted to be in control.





                                                                                     Pg 35.


"They'll hang me," Cole said. "I'm dead."
"I think you've already hung yourself," Garvey answered.

This quote shows how Garvey feels about how Cole has acted,
I think Garvey has realized that Cole has been faking that he wants
to change. Cole's actions that led to him being sent to the island have probably ruined everything for him but he hasn't realized it yet.

BLOG roles

Touching Spirit Bear Literature Circle BLOG

Each week, you will take on one of the following roles:

    - Summarizer

    -  Connector

     - Illustrator

    -  Questioner/Discussion Director

    -  Word Wizard/Vocabulary Builder

    -  Literary Luminary (Quotes)

    -  Researcher (Connect to the Culture)

You may add video, pictures, and text of your group, the book, or outside material that will show me your understanding.

Connector: Your job is to find connections between the book and you, and between the book and the wider world. Consider the list below when you make your connections.

Your own past experiences

Happenings at school or in the community

Stories in the news

Similar events at other times and places

Other people or problems that you are reminded of

Between this book and other writings or movies on the same topic or by the same author

Some connections I made between this reading and my own experiences, the wider world, and other texts or authors.

Illustrator: Good readers make pictures in their minds as they read. This is a chance to share some of your own images and visions. Draw some kind of picture related to the reading you have just done. It can be a sketch, cartoon, diagram, flowchart, or stick- figure scene. You can draw a picture of something that happened in your book, or something that the reading reminded you of, or a picture that conveys any idea or feeling you got from the reading. Any kind of drawing or graphic is okay – you can even label things with words if that helps. Make your drawing(s) on any remaining space on this side and on the other side of this sheet. If you use a separate sheet of paper, be sure to staple it to this role sheet.

Literary Luminary: Your job is to locate a few special sections or quotations in the text for your group to talk over. The idea is to help people go back to some especially interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling, or important sections of the reading and think about them more carefully. Also look for literary devices and make connections to the six elements of fiction. As you decide which passages or paragraphs are worth going back to, make a note why you picked each one and consider some plans for how they should be shared.

Questioner/Discussion Director: Your job is to develop a list of questions that your group might want to discuss about this part of the book. Don’t worry about the small details; your task is to help people talk over the big ideas in the reading and share their reactions. Usually the best discussion questions come from your own thoughts, feelings, and concerns as you read. You can list them below during or after your reading.

Researcher: Your job is to dig up some background information on any relevant topic related to your book. This might include

The geography, weather, culture, or history of the book’s setting

Pertinent information about the author and other related works

Information about the time period portrayed in the book

Information on any topics or events represented in the book

Pictures, objects, or materials that illustrate elements of the book

Information about any character that is based on a historical person

This is not a formal research report. The idea is to find some information or material that helps your group understand the book better. Investigate something that really interests you – something that struck you as puzzling or curious while you were reading.

Summarizer: Your job is to prepare a brief summary of this sections’ reading. You can summarize in a list of key events or with a well written paragraph.

Vocabulary Enricher/Word Wizard: The words a writer chooses are an important ingredient of the author’s craft. Your job is to be on the lookout for a few words that have special meaning in the reading selection.

Jot down puzzling or unfamiliar words while you are reading. Later, look up the definitions in either a dictionary or some other source.

Note: When discussing vocabulary, you should always refer back to the text in order to examine the word in context.

9-7 Novel Study

Touching Spirit Bear

Ben Mikaelsen