Lessons Omakayas Learns in Summer (Neebin)
How does the bear attack affect Omakayas’s understanding of life?
A. She thinks that her family should leave the island immediately.
B. She decides that dangerous events never have a true reason or purpose and danger is just a thrill.
C. She believes that she no longer needs help from others because she is more independent, mature, responsible and dependable.
D. She realizes that life is precious and that she has survived a serious danger.
D. She realizes that life is precious and that she has survived a serious danger.
During the canoe trip to harvest wild rice, Omakayas is told to watch Pinch. She would rather be responsible for Neewo. What does this suggest about her feelings toward her baby brother?
A. She feels protective of Pinch and enjoys caring for him.
B. She feels protective of Neewo and enjoys caring for him.
C. She feels protective of Dey Dey and enjoys caring for him.
D. She wants to leave both brothers with the adults.
B. She feels protective of Neewo and enjoys caring for him.
As winter brings hardship and limited food, what does Omakayas learn about survival?
As winter brings hardship and limited food, what does Omakayas learn about survival?
A. Difficult seasons can be overcome by ignoring the weather.
B. A family should wait for problems to arise before they take any actions towards solving problems.
C. Survival depends on one person doing every task alone proving that they are dependable, mature, and responsible.
D. People must work together and use their knowledge to meet their needs.
D. People must work together and use their knowledge to meet their needs.
As the family moves toward a new season, what does Omakayas show through her actions?
A. She believes that spring symbolizes renewal and the need for hard work and now she can just Netflix and chill with her family and watch Mr. Beast videos on Youtube.
B. She has decided that the past has no effect on her and no longer has any value in being more responsible, mature, resilient, tenacious, and grateful for life.
C. She wants others to make every choice for her because her hard work did not pay off because Neewo and Ten Snow died despite her hard work.
D. She can continue learning and taking responsibility after painful experiences.
D. She can continue learning and taking responsibility after painful experiences.
Read the sentence and determine the meaning of the unknown word.
Spring brought a sense of renewal to the family. The weather began to change, and new growth appeared around them. Although they remembered past hardships, they could begin the season with hope.
What does renewal most likely mean?
A. A disagreement about family duties
B. A sudden loss of food or supplies for a fresh beginning
C. A period of deep confusion and strength
D. A fresh beginning or return of strength
D. A fresh beginning or return of strength
Before the attack, Omakayas sometimes dislikes her chores. What does her changed attitude suggest?
A. A frightening experience can help someone recognize the value of life.
B. A person should stop doing chores after facing danger.
C. Work matters only when someone is being watched.
D. A person’s responsibilities should always be given to someone else.
A. A frightening experience can help someone recognize the value of life.
Omakayas and Angeline hide to listen while Deydey and his friends discuss the white European settlers moving onto their land. What does this event/action show about the sisters?
A. They want to attend the European Catholic mission school just like Fishtail.
B. They are curious about serious concerns affecting their family and community.
C. They believe the adults are discussing how to prepare for a move to the east.
D. They are planning to attend school without asking their family.
B. They are curious about serious concerns affecting their family and community.
Why is Omakayas’s care for her family during the smallpox disease outbreak especially important during winter?
A. Her care and nurture support allows the family to avoid every future challenge and loss of family members.
B. Winter removes the need for families to share food or responsibilities.
C. Her family has no work to do until spring returns so even though the family gets sick she is responsible and mature to care for them.
D. Her family faces hard conditions, so her help supports everyone’s chances of survival.
D. Her family faces hard conditions, so her help supports everyone’s chances of survival.
What does spring often represent after the difficult events of fall and winter?
A. Renewal and a promise that no new challenges will occur.
B. Proof that the family has forgotten its losses and moving forward after hardship.
C. A season when people no longer need one another and movement forward after hardship.
D. Renewal and the possibility of moving forward after hardship.
D. Renewal and the possibility of moving forward after hardship.
CONTEXT CLUES
The family gathered wild rice, but the harvest was poor. They would have to use their food sparingly because they had not collected as much as they needed.
What does sparingly most likely mean?
A. In a careless or wasteful way
B. Quickly, before the weather changes
C. In small amounts to make supplies last
D. Only after asking permission
C. In small amounts to make supplies last
After the mother bear attacks Omakayas, what important change does she make?
A. She refuses to help Old Tallow or work around the house and stops complaining about chores.
B. She decides to avoid her family and live alone in the forest and stops complaining about chores.
C. She becomes grateful for a second chance at life and stops complaining about chores.
D. She becomes grateful for a second chance at life and believes that chores are the cause of every problem
C. She becomes grateful for a second chance at life and stops complaining about chores.
During the wild rice harvest, Omakayas helps with the work and also enjoys dancing on the rice with her cousin Two Strike Girl. What does her response suggest about her growing maturity?
A. She can be responsible while finding joy in the experience and hard work.
B. She believes work should be avoided unless you are allowed to have fun while working hard.
C. She expects that her hard work will prove she is mature, responsible, dependable, and grateful for life.
D. She thinks the family has already gathered enough food for winter.
A. She can be responsible while finding joy in the experience and hard work.
Which statement best describes a lesson Omakayas learns through winter’s challenges?
A. Perseverance means continuing to respond to difficulties.
B. Strength means never feeling sadness or fear.
C. A person should wait for hardship to disappear before taking action.
D. Families become stronger when each person handles problems alone.
A. Perseverance means continuing to respond to difficulties.
How does the arrival of spring connect to Omakayas’s personal growth?
A. It reflects the possibility of healing while she carries what she has learned.
B. It shows that the family’s earlier hardships were unimportant.
C. It proves that Omakayas no longer has responsibilities.
D. It means that every problem in the family has been solved.
A. It reflects the possibility of healing while she carries what she has learned.
How does the novel develop the central idea that people depend on one another?
A. Omakayas’s family uses shared care, knowledge, and effort to face difficult seasons.
B. Omakayas succeeds because she refuses all help from her family.
C. The family avoids hardship by letting one person make every choice.
D. The changing seasons remove the need for cooperation.
A. Omakayas’s family uses shared care, knowledge, and effort to face difficult seasons.
How does Omakayas’s response to the attack show her growing maturity?
A. She blames her family for allowing her to be near the bear and approaches daily responsibilities with more gratitude.
B. She hides what happened so her family will not ask questions and approaches daily responsibilities with more gratitude.
C. She reflects on surviving and approaches daily responsibilities with more gratitude.
D. She expects others to complete all of her work and approaches daily responsibilities with more gratitude.
C. She reflects on surviving and approaches daily responsibilities with more gratitude.
CONTEXT CLUES
Read the sentence and determine the meaning of the unknown word.
Even after a difficult season, Omakayas remained resilient. She continued helping her family and learned from what she had experienced. Her challenges did not prevent her from moving forward.
What does resilient most likely mean?
A. Unable to remember an important event
B. Unwilling to listen to another person’s advice
C. Able to recover and keep going after difficulty
D. Likely to give up when a task becomes tiring
C. Able to recover and keep going after difficulty
After experiencing illness and loss after the death of Neewo and Ten Snow, Omakayas continues to help her family. What does this show about her characterization?
A. She believes that grief makes a person unable to help anyone while still feeling the effects of grief and depression.
B. She has forgotten the people who became sick and becomes even more depressed and lazy.
C. She is developing strength and resilience while still feeling the effects of grief and depression.
D. She expects her family to stop working during winter.
C. She is developing strength and resilience while still feeling the effects of grief and depression.
Which idea best describes how Omakayas moves forward in spring?
A. A new season guarantees a life without conflict only when a person truly overcomes depression and grief.
B. People can move forward only after forgetting the past to truly overcome grief and depression.
C. Hope can return even when a person tries to overcome grief and depression.
D. Healing requires a person to avoid family and community thus ensuring they will never face depression and grief.
C. Hope can return even when a person tries to overcome grief and depression.
CONTEXT CLUES
Angeline wanted to attend the mission school, while Fishtail wanted to learn to read so settlers could not cheat the Anishinabe in treaties. Their reasons for learning were distinct, even though both were interested in reading.
What does distinct most likely mean?
A. Similar in every important way
B. Hidden from other people
C. Different and easy to tell apart
D. Confusing and difficult to explain
C. Different and easy to tell apart
Which statement best explains the lesson Omakayas learns from the bear attack?
A. Surviving hardship can help a person value life and accept responsibilities.
B. A person can avoid every future danger by refusing to leave home.
C. Chores become easy whenever a person receives praise.
D. People should face serious danger without asking anyone for help.
A. Surviving hardship can help a person value life and accept responsibilities.
The family stores food, moves into its winter cabin, and prepares for the cold months. The rice harvest has been poor, and Nokomis prays for protection from hunger and disease. What does Omakayas learn from these preparations?
A. Winter preparations are necessary when family members are tested by hunger only when they share a cabin.
B. Preparation for the family allows them to avoid hardship by gathering food only after the snow arrives.
C. Preparation and hard work are necessary to be ready for future challenges.
D. A prayer guarantees that the family will have plenty of food all season.
C. Preparation and hard work are necessary to be ready for future challenges.
How does Omakayas’s winter experience build on what she learned in fall?
A. She avoids her family so she will not face another loss.
B. She continues caring for others while learning to overcome grief and depression.
C. She decides that helping others is less important than avoiding work.
D. She believes that all hardship ends as soon as the season changes.
B. She continues caring for others while learning to overcome grief and depression.
Which statement best connects Omakayas’s lessons across all four seasons?
A. The seasons show that challenges disappear when a person learns to work hard and become dependable, mature, responsible, and grateful for life.
B. Omakayas learns the same lesson each season and never changes her behavior.
C. Omakayas becomes mature only when her family stops needing her help.
D. Each season brings new challenges that help her grow more grateful, responsible, and resilient.
D. Each season brings new challenges that help her grow more grateful, responsible, and resilient.
Which central idea best summarizes Omakayas’s development throughout the novel?
A. As Omakayas faces danger and loss, she grows more responsible and Omakayas discovers that people can control every challenge they face.
B. Omakayas learns that avoiding responsibility is the safest response to hardship.
C. Omakayas’s life improves because the family never experiences another conflict.
D. As Omakayas faces danger and loss, she grows more responsible and learns to value life, family, and community.
D. As Omakayas faces danger and loss, she grows more responsible and learns to value life, family, and community.