Akiak: A Tale From the Iditarodby Robert J. Blake

Reading Comprehension Skills: * Story Structure

* Words in Context/Vocabulary

Turning Point by Teresa Parrott, North Salisbury Elementary School, 2006

The ________ are the people or animals in the story.

1. Setting

2. Plot

3. Characters

4. Problem

5. Solution

The ________ is the time and place in which the story occurs.

1. Setting

2. Plot

3. Characters

4. Problem

5. Solution

The ________ is the series of story events.

Settin

gPlo

t

Chara

cter

s

Probl

em

Solutio

n

0% 0% 0%0%0%

1. Setting

2. Plot

3. Characters

4. Problem

5. Solution

10

Who are the main characters in the story Akiak?

Buddy

and M

akita

Akiak

and

Max

Sandy

and M

itch

Akiak

and

Mic

k

Cliffo

rd a

nd Mik

e

0% 0% 0%0%0%

1. Buddy and Mick

2. Akiak and Max

3. Sandy and Mitch

4. Akiak and Mick

5. Clifford and Makita

10

What is the setting of Akiak?10

Alask

a

Britis

h Col

umbia

Califo

rnia

Mic

higan

North

Dak

ota

0% 0% 0%0%0%

1. Alaska

2. British Columbia

3. California

4. Michigan

5. North Dakota

1,151 miles of wind, snow, and rugged trail lay ahead, from Anchorage to Nome.

In the sentence above, rugged means:

1 2 3

0% 0%0%

1. Piece of thick cloth that covers a floor

2. Attractive, strong features

3. Having a rough, uneven surface

10

Mick was the musher, but the team followed the lead dog.

In the sentence above, musher means:

The driv

er o

f a d

ogsle.

..

Soft f

ood th

at is

par

t s...

The dog

s th

at fo

llow t.

.

0% 0%0%

1. The driver of a dogsled team

2. Soft food that is part solid and part liquid

3. The dogs that follow the lead dog

10

“She’ll be waiting for you at Nome!” Mick vowed.

In the sentence above, vowed means:

Englis

h lette

rs

a,e

,i,...

Prom

ised

Yelle

d

0% 0%0%

1. English letters a,e,i, o, and u.

2. Promised

3. Yelled

10

By the Ophir checkpoint, Akiak was limping.

In the sentence above, checkpoint means:

Snow-c

apped

moun

ta..

Place

alo

ng a ro

ute

w...

An occ

asio

n when

a ..

.

0% 0%0%

1. Snow-capped mountain ridge

2. Place along a route where a check or count is made

3. An occasion when a doctor examines you to see if you are healthy

10

While Mick and the team took refuge in Galena, seven hours ahead, Akiak burrowed into a snowdrift to wait out the storm.

In the sentence above, refuge means:

A saf

e or c

over

ed p

lace

Someo

ne w

ho has

be.

.

A bre

ak o

r tim

e of r

est

0% 0%0%

1. A safe or covered place

2. Someone who has been forced to leave their country

3. A break or time of rest

10

While Mick and the team took refuge in Galena, seven hours ahead, Akiak burrowed into a snowdrift to wait out the storm.

In the sentence above, burrowed means:

A sm

all d

onkey

Stood

on to

p of

Dug a

hol

e as

a s

mal

l ...

0% 0%0%

1. A small donkey

2. Stood on top of

3. Dug a hole as a small animal would

10

Mick squinted through the snow, looking for a sign.

In the sentence above, squinted means:

Wal

ked q

uickl

y an

d br..

.

Searc

hed s

eeki

ng to ..

.

Looked

with

eye

s pa

rt..

0% 0%0%

1. Walked quickly and briskly

2. Searched seeking to locate something

3. Looked with eyes partly closed in order to see better

10

Some friendly reminders when you come to a word you don’t know:

• Look carefully at the word.• Look for word parts you know and think about the

sounds for the letters.• Blend the sounds to read the word.• Ask yourself, “Is it a word I know? Does it make

sense in what I am reading?”• If not, ask yourself, “What else can I try?”