Text-Based Questions for The Raft (Pages 16-31)Name: ______

Independent/Partner Reading

  1. Why didn’t the huge buck run away when he saw Nicky on the raft?

______

  1. In the sentence, “She brought out a big sketchpad and a pouch filled with thick pencils and crayons”, what does the word sketchpad mean?

______

  1. In the sentence, “I felt invisible as the bird calmly ate its lunch right in front of me”, what does the word invisible mean? Explain your answer based on the text.

______

  1. List three events that happened while Nicky was on the raft?

a.______

b.______

c.______

5. What did Nicky learn about Grandma when they went swimming?

______

  1. On Nicky’s last day at his grandma’s house, what adventure did he have on the raft?

______

  1. What did Nicky draw on the raft?

______

  1. Why do you think he meant when he said, “I knew it was just right?”

______

  1. How did Grandma help Nicky with the sketch he drew on the raft?

______

  1. How is Nicky like Grandma, according to page 30?

______

  1. What do you think the author wanted us to learn from this story?

______

______

Answer Key The Raft

Pages 16-31

  1. The buck wasn’t afraid of Nicky or the raft. He didn’t feel threatened.
  2. A pad of plain paper that is made for drawing.
  3. It was as if the Nicky wasn’t even there. The blue heron was not afraid of Nicky or the raft. It felt comfortable.
  4. Possible answers might include: He camped on the raft with a tent;he sketched animals on the raft; he played with a family of otters; he and Grandma went to a favorite swimming spot; he saved a baby fawn.
  5. He learned that it was her favorite swimming spot and that she use to come swimming there when she was a young girl. She knew the people that use to live there. Grandma enjoys swimming too.
  6. He saved a fawn that was stuck in the mud and returned it to its mother.
  7. The fawn
  8. Possible answers might include: He felt good about what he had drawn; he wanted to remember the experience of saving the fawn;he felt comfortable and thought he could do a good job drawing the fawn.
  9. She brought him oil paint and two paint brushes to trace over his drawing so that it wouldn’t fade away.
  10. Nicky is like Grandma because he is now a part of the river, “a river rat”.
  11. Possible answers might include: You can change your mind like Nicky. You may think that you are going to have a horrible time, but then you end up having the best time ever. You don’t need much to make you happy. Nicky changed his mind, he loved going to Grandma’s house. You never know how things will turn out, just give it a try. Some of our best memories happen when you least expect it.