The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
Chapter 1:
Essential Question: If you were Charlotte, how would you feel about sailing on the Seahawk?
1. Who is the narrator of the story? What point of view is this being written in?
2. What two ominous events occur as Charlotte and Mr. Grummage make their way down the pier to the Seahawk?
3. What unusual thing does Charlotte think she sees as she waits for Mr. Grummage to return?
Answer the Essential Question.
How would you feel about sailing on the Seahawk? Give a specific example to support your answer.
Chapter 2:
Essential Question: Summarize this chapter in 3 sentences.
1. Describe Charlotte’s cabin. Use exact phrases (3) from the text.
2. What is Barlow’s warning?
3. Describe Zachariah.
4. What does Zachariah tell Charlotte?
5. What is a final friend?
6. Describe the overheard conversation at the end of the chapter.
Answer the Essential Question.
Make a prediction.
Chapter 3:
Essential Question: How does Charlotte feel about the crew and the captain?
1. What is the “shock of my life” that Charlotte receives?
2. Describe the sailors. (3)
3. Describe the Captain. Use exact text.
4. What does “No ship sails the same sea twice” mean?
5. What is Charlotte’s “new hope”?
6. What is wrong with Charlotte, who takes care of her?
Answer the Essential Question. Who is the 1st mate and the 2nd mate?
Chapter 4:
Essential Question: What is the tone of this chapter?
1. What does Zachariah mean, “A ship is a nation of its own.”
2. Describe what happened one year ago on the ship?
3. What does Zachariah mean by, “I was first surgeon, then carpenter to Mr. Crannick.”
4. Why is the crew back on the Seahawk?
Answer the Essential Question. Give a specific example from the text to support your answer.
Chapter 5:
Essential Question: Why is Charlotte on the Captain’s side?
1. Why doesn’t Charlotte believe Zachariah?
2. Describe the captain’s cabin. Use exact words from the text.
3. What does “awash with tea” mean?
4. What do you find out about the captain’s family?
5. How does the captain think Charlotte can help the crew?
6. Draw a round robin. What is it?
Answer the Essential Question.
Why do you think she lies to him about the dirk?
Chapter 6 and 7:
Essential Question: Summarize what happens in the hold.
1. What does Barlow mean, “Just now, miss, the captain put us on display” ?
2. Use Sensory details to describe the hold:Sight (3), Sound, Smell, Touch.
3. What scares Charlotte ?
4. What actually scared Charlotte?
5. What is Charlotte convinced of?
6. What does this line, “Alas, such would not be the case,” foreshadow?
Answer the Essential Question. In 3 sentences, summarize what happened in the hold.
Chapter 8:
Essential Question: What is your opinion of Captain Jaggery?
1. What does Charlotte mean by “unstinting was he in his praise”?
2. What does the Captain mean by “Sweet are the uses of adversity”?
3. Evaluate how the Captain treats the crew. Give 2 examples.
4. What does the line, “But the storm was – at first- man made,” foreshadow?
Answer the Essential Question and give one specific example from the text as support.
Chapter 9:
Essential Question: Summarize this chapter.
1. What two frightening things does Charlotte discover during her visit to the forecastle?
2. How does Mr. Morgan threaten Charlotte?
3. Why does Mr. Morgan threaten her?
4. What does the Captain mean by, “I intend to crush this mutiny before it starts”?
Answer the Essential Question in a five sentence summary.
Chapter 10:
Essential Question: Summarize this chapter.
1. Who is the “tenth” person on board and what does he want?
2. Who says, “As a man he claims our mercy”? And what does this mean?
3. Why does the Captain tell Charlotte to choose who will take the punishment?
Answer the Essential Question in a five sentence summary.
Chapter 11:
Essential Question: How does Charlotte show her bravery?
1. What three points does Zachariah make in his speech at the beginning of the chapter?
2. What is Zachariah sentenced to?
3. What does the Captain mean by, “Proper order will be maintained”?
Answer the Essential Question. Who else is brave?
Chapter 12:
Essential Question: What big decision does Charlotte make at the end of the chapter?
1. What reasons does Charlotte give for the Captain choosing Zachariah to beat?
2. What does a hammock on the deck mean?
3. Charlotte blames herself for two deaths. Whose and why?
Answer the Essential Question.