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Abel’s Island
by
William Steig
Literature and Grammar Unit
by Middle School Novel Units Inc.
Copyright © 2013
Middle School Novel Units Inc
St. Petersburg, FL
.
Literature and Grammar Unit
by Middle School Novel Units Inc.
Copyright © 2013
Middle School Novel Units Inc
St. Petersburg, FL
The purchaser of this unit has the permission to photocopy these materials for use in a single classroom only.
Use of or reproduction by an entire school or school system or any other type of institution or for any commercial
use is strictly prohibited. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form without
the express written permission of the publisher.
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FREE PRESENTATIONS AND ACTIVITIES!
This unit includes a link to free Powerpoint presentations and grammar activities!!!
________________________________________________________________________
Follow the link below to download free PowerPoint presentations
and activity sheets to be used with this unit. The downloads are
free with the purchase of any of my novel units. The PowerPoints
were designed to introduce the grammar topics used in Abel’s
Island.
If I were to sell these separately, I would probably charge a
minimum of $10 per PowerPoint presentation, making this a $70
value for FREE! All that I ask is that you please do not share the
link with others.
I use the Gradual Release Method of teaching: direct instruction,
modeling, guided practice (in pairs), and individual practice. The
PowerPoints take care of the direct instruction and the modeling.
Then, the PowerPoint Notes and Activity Pages include the guided
practice with partners.
Finally, the individual practice takes place within the novel unit
itself.
Just Follow this link to download the freebies!!!
http://novelunits.coffeecup.com/Page17.html
Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
L ITE R A TUR E CI R CL E R O L E S
Detailer/Summarizer
In your own words, describe what took place in this chapter using specific details
from Abel’s Island. In parenthesis, write the page numbers of the specific details
mentioned in your summary.
Cut Here ↓
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Teacher for a Day
Pretend that you are a teacher and write two discussion questions for the chapter(s). When the
timekeeper tells you it is time, share the questions with your group. Then, as a group, answer the
questions and write the answers on the back of your paper. Make sure your group members know
that the answers must be written in full sentences.
1. Discussion Question:
2. Discussion Question:
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Vocabulary Expander
Choose 2 words from the reading that you are unsure about. Using context clues, what do you think is the
meaning of each word? (Answer this question in your own words) Then use a dictionary to locate and write the
actual definition of each word. When the timekeeper tells you it is time, share the words with your group
members and have them write the words and the definitions (in their own words) on the back of their papers.
1. Word: _______________________________________ Based on context clues, what do you think it means?
Dictionary Definition: _________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Word: ______________________________________ Based on context clues, what do you think it means?
Dictionary Definition: _________________________________________________________________________________________
Cut Here ↓
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Director/Timekeeper
Your role is to keep group members on-task and to keep track of time. You need to encourage group
members to stay on-task by gently reminding them that they have a time limit for each activity.
Names of members in your group:
Detailer/Summarizer: _______________________________________ Teacher for a Day:_____________________________________
Vocabulary Expander:_______________________________________
At your teacher’s direction, fill in the following table. Then, keep track of the time and remind members
when it is their time to share with the group:
Number of minutes
group members will
have to complete their
roles before sharing
with the group:__________
Number of minutes the
Detailer/Summarizer
will have to share with
the group: ______________
Number of minutes the
Teacher for a Day will
have to share with the
group and members will
have to answer the
questions: ______________
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Number of minutes the
Vocabulary Expander
will have to share with
the group and members
will have to write the
words and definitions:
______________
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Reverse Side of the Literature Circle Role Sheets
Attention Teachers: Print this sheet onto the back of the Literature Circle Role Sheets
Answers to the questions from the Teacher for a Day:
1._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary Words and Definitions from the Vocabulary Expander:
1. Word:____________________________
Definition:______________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Word:____________________________
Definition: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Answers to the questions from the Teacher for a Day:
1._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary Words and Definitions from the Vocabulary Expander:
1. Word:____________________________
Definition:______________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Word:____________________________
Definition: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Student Hand-out on Figurative Language
Figurative language refers to “figures of speech” or sayings that
exaggerate, make a comparison, or do not actually mean what they say. They
are used as a way to get particular points across to the reader.
Idiom
An idiom is a phrase or saying that means something other than what it
actually says.
Those shoes are “a dime a dozen.”
It means that the shoes are very common and easy to get.
Simile
A simile makes a comparison between two things using the words “like” or
“as”.
She is as “pretty as a picture.”
He “eats like a pig.”
Metaphor
A metaphor makes a comparison between two things without using the
words “like” or “as”.
“My new puppy is a pig.”
“You are the light of my life.”
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Student Hand-out on Figurative Language (pg. 2)
Hyperbole
A hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration or overstatement. It is when
something is so exaggerated that anyone would know that it is not really
true.
“I could eat a horse!”
Everyone knows that nobody could actually be hungry enough to eat a
horse.
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is when a word is pronounced like the sound it represents.
“Snap!” “Pop!” “Bang!”
Personification
Personification is when an object or animal is given the characteristics or
features of a human.
The run down old house at the end of the deserted gravel road appeared
depressed.
Depression is a human emotion.
Alliteration
Alliteration is when words and phrases begin with the same letter(s) or
sounds.
“Susie sang softly while sitting on the sand in the sunshine.”
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Figurative Language and Punctuation Practice
While reading the following paragraph, underline any examples of figurative language
and identify each as an idiom, a simile, a metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, or
hyperbole. Also, correct any errors in punctuation or capitalization that you find. (Hint:
There are 7 missing commas, 3 missing periods, and 6 errors in capitalization.
If you love to read good books are a dime a dozen
you can find them in your school library at the Public library
in thrift stores or at garage sales
when I visit a library or Bookstore I am like a kid in a candy store.
Abel’s Island by William Steig is definitely a gem
when I read it it comes alive in my hands. In fact it is so good that
it makes me want to bang on a drum and announce “i love
Abel’s Island” and then go out
and buy a million copies to give to all of my friends!
Abel from Abel’s Island
is as interesting as an ant
trying to carry twice its body weight in food.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Answers to Figurative Language and Punctuation Practice
If you love to read good books are a dime a dozen.
Idiom
You can find them in your school library, at the public library,
in thrift stores, or at garage sales.
When I visit a library or bookstore, I am like a kid in a candy store.
simile
Abel’s Island by William Steig is definitely a gem.
metaphor
When I read it, it comes alive in my hands. In fact, it is so good that
personification
it makes me want to bang on a drum and announce, “i love
onomatopoeia
Abel’s Island” and then go out and
buy a million copies to give to all of my friends!
hyperbole
Abel from Abel’s Island
is as interesting
as an ant trying to carry twice its body weight in food.
simile
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Figurative Language
Use this page to list any figures of speech that you find in each chapter in Abel’s Island.
Be sure to identify them as similes, metaphors, idioms, hyperboles, personification,
alliteration, or onomatopoeia. (Teachers: Make as many copies of this sheet as needed)
Chapter__________
Chapter__________
Chapter__________
Figurative Language
Figurative Language
Figurative Language
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Student Hand-out on Literary Terms and Elements of a Story
(Students: Make sure you understand the following literary terms and
elements of a story. There will be a quiz on the material following the
study of Abel’s Island.)
1. Antagonist and Protagonist – The two main characters of the story.
a. Protagonist - The most important character or the
“good guy” of the story.
b. Antagonist - The one who is in conflict with the main
character or the “bad guy.”
2. Setting - The time and place in which the story is taking place.
3. Point of View: The view, or from who’s perspective, or viewpoint, that the
story is being presented.
a. First Person: The narrator of a story is one of the
characters from the story.
b. Third Person: The narrator of a story is not one of
the characters from the story.
4. Conflict -The struggle that is taking place in a story. This can be either
external or internal.
a. Internal Conflict - An internal (or emotional)
struggle between what the character wants to do and
what he feels he must do.
b. External Conflict The external problem
that is standing in the way of the character
and what he wants to accomplish.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Student Hand-out on Literary Terms and Elements of a Story (pg. 2)
5. Climax - The part when the story reaches its most important point.
6. Rising and Falling Action - Leads up to and follows the climax.
a. Rising Action – The main details in the story that
lead up to the climax.
a. Falling Action – The main details that follow the
climax of the story.
7. Narrative and Dialogue
a. Narrative - Text that explains a series of events.
b. Dialogue - A shared conversation between two or more
people.
8. Foreshadowing: When an author gives subtle hints to things that may
happen later in the story.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Active Reading Chapter Notes
Sometimes it is helpful to take brief notes while reading a novel in order to keep track of
characters and plot details. This is especially helpful if you will be reading a novel over a
period of time in a classroom setting. In the boxes below, jot down important events as
they take place in each chapter of Abel’s Island.
Chapter ____
Important details:
Chapter ____
Important details:
Chapter ____
Important details:
Chapter ____
Important details:
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter Notes
(Teachers: Make as many copies of this sheet as you need)
Chapter ____
Important details:
Chapter ____
Important details:
Chapter ____
Important details:
Chapter ____
Important details:
Chapter ____
Important details:
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Pre-reading Activity
Briefly describe the cover of Abel’s Island:
Prediction: Based on what you see on the cover, what do you
think the book will be about?
Now, read the description on the back (or inside flap) of the
book. Has your prediction of the book changed any? Explain.
Finally, flip through the pages of the book stopping now and
then to read brief passages. Does this look like a book that
you will enjoy reading? Why or why not?
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 2
Setting & Point of View
Setting
The setting of a book is the time and place in which the story is taking
place.
Describe the setting of Abel’s Island:
Point of View
If the narrator of a story is one of the characters from the story then
the story is written in the first person point of view.
If the narrator of a story is not one of the characters from the story
then the story is written in the third person point of view.
What is the point of view of Abel’s Island?
________________________
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 3
Nouns
A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. If you can touch it, see it, or
taste it then it is a noun. If it is a specific noun that begins with a capital letter
then it is known as a proper noun.
Examples: WILLIAM STEIG, Atlanta, Abel’s Island
Person: teacher, Abel, man, doctor
Place: classroom, café, Tampa
Thing: book, table, sun
Idea: time, imagination, thought
In the space below, list the nouns from the first paragraph of this chapter of
Abel’s Island. Next, underline the proper nouns.
Summary
In your own words, describe what took place in this chapter of Abel’s
Island using specific details from the book. In parenthesis, write the
page numbers of the specific details mentioned in your summary.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 4
Thought Question and Character Illustration
Thought Question
All of his ideas failed Abel. Using your imagination can you think of ways Abel can get
across the river?
Illustration of Abel
Imagine that you are standing with Abel from Abel’s Island. In the space
below, draw a picture to illustrate how you think this character looks.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 5
Nouns: Singular and Plural and Important Details
Nouns: Singular and Plural
The word, single, means “one.” Therefore, a singular noun is a noun
that names only one person, one place, one thing, or one idea.
The word, plural, means “more than one.” Therefore, a plural
noun, is a noun that names 2 or more people, 2 or more
places, 2 or more things, or 2 or more ideas. Plural nouns
often, but do not always, end in‘s’ or ‘es’.
List the singular and plural nouns from the first paragraph of this chapter of
Abel’s Island.
Singular Nouns:
Plural Nouns:
Important Details:
Identify and explain
what you feel are 2
of the most
important details
from this chapter
Abel’s Island.
Detail 1_____________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Detail 2____________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
of ___________________________________
___________________________________
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Plagiarism & Foreshadowing and Prediction
Plagiarism is the act of stealing another author’s words and using
them as your own. Plagiarism is wrong and usually comes with serious
consequences for the person caught in this shameful act.
Learning to Paraphrase
To paraphrase means to read a phrase or phrases and then rewrite the
phrase(s) using your own words instead of copying the phrase(s) wordfor-word from the book. This is a vital skill to know for writing in order
to avoid plagiarism.
Read the first full page of this chapter of Abel’s Island. Then, write a
few lines paraphrasing what was said on that page. Remember to
write in your own words!
Foreshadowing and Prediction
Sometimes an author will give subtle hints to things that may happen later
in the story. This literary technique is known as foreshadowing.
What do you predict might happen next in the story?
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 6 Adjectives & Character Thoughts
An adjective is a word that describes a noun.
Examples: wet, small, wrinkled, spotted, smelly, cold
List the adjectives from the first paragraph of this chapter of
Abel’s Island.
Adjectives:
____________________________________
___________________
___________________
Now, think of and write 10 more adjectives:
1. _____________________ 2. _____________________
3. _____________________ 4. _____________________
5. _____________________ 6. _____________________
7. _____________________ 8. _____________________
9. _____________________ 10. ____________________
Character Thoughts
Pretend that you are Abel from Abel’s Island. Choose an event that has already taken
place in the book and describe your thoughts and feelings during that event.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 6
Thought Question and Mood
Thought Question
Because he has no one else Abel is slowly learning to provide for himself. He is finding
food and shelter while still working on a way to leave the island. Do you believe people
do things they never thought they could do when there is no one to help them?
Explain.
Mood
The mood is the feeling of the story. An author creates a mood through elements such
as the setting, the character descriptions, and the details of the story. For example,
sometimes the mood is tense and sometimes it is relaxed. Some stories make the reader
feel happy or inspired and some stories make the reader feel sad or scared. Describe the
mood of Abel’s Island. How does it make you feel?
Provide details from the story that helped you to determine the mood.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Friend or Foe?
Write a proper paragraph giving 3 or more reasons you would
like to spend the day with or would not like to spend the day
with Abel from Abel’s Island.
Your paragraph needs: (A) a topic sentence, (B) 3 or more
supporting sentences, and (C) a concluding sentence.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Narrative and Dialogue
A dialogue is a shared conversation between two or more people. In other
words, when one person says something to someone and that person then
responds to what was said, the two people are engaging in a dialogue. In a
book, the actual words being said are usually enclosed in quotation marks.
Example of a dialogue:
“Katie, have you ever read any books by WILLIAM STEIG?” asked
Sandy.
“No,” replied Katie.
“Well, you must read Abel’s Island over summer break! I have read
nearly all of them and Abel’s Island is totally awesome!” said Sandy.
A narrative is text that explains a series of events.
For example, the following paragraph is a narrative:
Katie sat silently in her room reading Abel’s Island by WILLIAM STEIG.
She had heard about it from her best friend, Sandy. Sandy has read
nearly every book by WILLIAM STEIG, including Abel’s Island and told
Katie that she simply must read it during summer break!
From this chapter, locate and copy an example of a narrative and an example
of a dialogue.
Narrative:
Dialogue:
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 7
Verbs & Main Idea
Verbs
A verb is an action word. If it is something that you “do,” it is a verb. Verbs often end in
“ing” or “ed.”
Examples: ran, walking, smiling, poked, saw, opened, whispered, took, etc.
Verbs also include words such as: is, was, were, has, have, said, etc.
List the verbs or verb phrases from the first paragraph of this chapter of Abel’s Island.
Remember, each sentence should have, at least, one verb.
Verbs:
Main Idea
The main idea refers to the “topic” of what is written.
What is the main idea of this chapter of Abel’s Island?
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Comparing/Contrasting Character Traits
Directions: Compare and contrast the personality traits of 2
characters from Abel’s Island by listing the unique traits of each of
the characters inside the heads of the picture below. List only the
traits that they share in the space where the two heads overlap.
Character:
Character:
If you would like, you may add physical features to the pictures such as eyebrows,
smiles, and hair.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 8
Thought Question & Antagonist and Protagonist
Thought Question
Abel was sure Amanda was dreaming the same dream he was dreaming. In your opinion, is it possible to
communicate with someone in a dream? Explain.
Antagonist and Protagonist
The protagonist is the most important character or the “good
guy” of a story and the antagonist is the one who is in conflict
with the main character or the “bad guy.”
Who is the protagonist of Abel’s Island? _______________
Who would you say is the antagonist? _______________
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 9 Personal Pronouns & A Day with Abel
Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns are words that replace nouns. They usually refer to
people. However, the pronoun “it” refers to a thing.
Examples: he, she, they, us, we, me, you, them, it, etc.
List the personal pronouns from the first paragraph of this chapter of Abel’s Island. You
do not need to write the same pronoun more than once.
Pronouns:
____________
____________
____________
____________
A Day with Abel
If you could spend the day with Abel from Abel’s Island, where would you go
and what would you do? Explain in detail.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 10
Thought Question & Vocabulary
Thought Question:
Abel has gradually turned the island into a pleasant place to live. Do you think he will
miss the island if he is rescued? Explain.
Create Your Own Vocabulary List
Create a vocabulary word list from words chosen from this chapter of Abel’s Island.
Pretend that you are a teacher and choose words that you feel other students in your
class may not already know.
1. Vocabulary Word:
Dictionary Definition:
Part of Speech:
2. Vocabulary Word:
Dictionary Definition:
Part of Speech:
3. Vocabulary Word:
Dictionary Definition:
Part of Speech:
4. Vocabulary Word:
Dictionary Definition
Part of Speech:
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Name_________________________ Date
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/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 11 Synopsis or Summary?
Synopsis or Summary?
Synopsis means summary. Therefore, if you are asked to
write a synopsis of something you have read, than you are
being asked to summarize, or tell what happened during
the reading in your own words.
Write a brief synopsis of this chapter of Abel’s Island. Be
sure to write in complete sentences with proper grammar
and punctuation.
Remember: Do not copy sentences from the book!
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/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Letter to Abel
Write a letter to Abel from Abel’s Island. The letter can be
about anything you want it to be about as long as it is relevant
to the story. Then, based on what you know from the book,
write a letter from Abel back to you.
Your letter to Abel:
Dear
Sincerely,
Abel's letter back to you:
Dear
Sincerely,
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 12 Dictionary or Thesaurus Activity
Grammar Activity: Using a Dictionary or Thesaurus to Find Antonyms
Antonyms are words that have opposite meaning.
For example: An antonym for the word, happy, is “sad”
It is an antonym because it means the opposite of “happy”
Using a dictionary or thesaurus, choose 5 adjectives (descriptive words) from this chapter of Abel’s
Island and write one antonym for each word. Next, on the line, write a sentence using the original word,
and then a sentence using the new “opposite” word.
1. Adjective: _________________ Antonym: _________________
A. _______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
B. ___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. Adjective: _________________ Antonym: _________________
A. _______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
B. ___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
3. Adjective: _________________ Antonym: _________________
A. _______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
B. ___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
4. Adjective: _________________ Antonym: _________________
A. _______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
B. ___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 13 Simple and Compound Sentences
Simple and Compound Sentences
A simple sentence is a single sentence with a subject (what the sentence is
about) and a predicate (what the subject is doing). A compound sentence is
two or more sentences combined into one sentence using a comma followed
by a conjunction (but, for, and, yet, or, nor, or so) or by using a semicolon (;)
between them.
Examples:
A. Simple sentence:
Abel’s Island is one of my favorite books.
Subj.
Pred.
B. Compound Sentence:
(combined using a comma followed by a conjunction): Abel’s Island is one of
my favorite books and William Steig is one of my favorite authors.
(combined using a semicolon): Abel’s Island is one of my favorite books;
William Steig is one of my favorite authors.
Locate and write an example of a simple sentence and an example of a
compound sentence from this chapter of Abel’s Island:
Simple:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Compound:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 13 A New Cover for Abel’s Island
Redesign the front and back cover of Abel’s Island. Include a short
summary of the book on the back.
Back Cover
Front Cover
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 14
Prepositional Phrases
Grammar Activity: Prepositional Phrases
A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a
noun. It is not the subject, and it is not the action of the sentence. It
is extra information added to the sentence to show a relationship of a
noun or a pronoun to another word in the sentence.
Example:
William Steig of Abel’s Island is
one of my favorite authors of children’s literature.
Prep. Phrase 1
Prep. Phrase 2
Some common prepositions: at, of, to, in, into, with, through,
above
Examples of prepositional phrases:
at the store
beside the table
to my school
of the chapter
in the backyard,
under the stairs
above the sink
List the prepositional phrases from the first paragraph of this chapter of Abel’s Island.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 15
Thought Question and Chapter Summary
Gower is very forgetful. What do you think Abel will do if he forgets to find Amanda and
tell her where Abel is? What would you do?
Chapter Summary
Write a summary of what took place in this chapter of Abel’s Island.
Remember to include key details.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 16
Main Idea
Main Idea
A main idea refers to what a story is about. List 3 important details from
Abel’s Island so far. Then briefly explain what you feel is the main idea of
the book.
Important detail:
Important detail:
Important detail:
Main idea:
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter 17
Subjects and Predicates
Grammar Activity: Subjects and Predicates
All sentences consist of a subject and a predicate. The
complete subject consists of the words that tell what the
sentence is about and the complete predicate includes
the verb and the rest of the sentence.
Example: Abel’s Island is one of my favorite books.
S
P
S = subject P = predicate
Write the subject and predicate of the first 2 sentences
of this chapter of Abel’s Island.
1) Subject__________________________________________
Predicate __________________________________________
2) Subject__________________________________________
Predicate ________________________________________
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Post Reading Activities Recommendations
Recommendations
Your friend, who rarely reads any books, has just been asked
to do a book report for his English class. He asks for your
opinion on a book to read. Would you recommend Abel’s
Island to him? If your answer is yes, write a short
recommendation, detailing reasons why you feel this would be
a good book for him to read for his assignment. If your answer
is no, write a brief book review, detailing why you would not
recommend Abel’s Island to him.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chronological Order
Chronological order refers to how details are listed in relation
to the time in which they took place in the story. The detail
that took place at the earliest time would be listed first and the
detail that happened at the latest point in the story would be
listed last. List 4 main details from Abel’s Island in
chronological order from first to last.
Detail 1:
Detail 2:
Detail 3:
Detail 4:
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Climax and Rising and Falling Action
The action of a story will generally build up or rise until it reaches a peak, known as the
climax, of the story. The climax is the most important point of the story. Also, this is
generally a turning point in the story where the action then falls until the story reaches a
conclusion or a resolution to a problem.
What do you believe is the climax in Abel’s Island? In your own words, describe it.
Now, list some important details that lead up to the climax.
Now, list some important details that take place after the climax.
How does the story end? What is the resolution?
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Author Study
Using a computer, look up this author and answer the following questions:
Background information about the life of WILLIAM STEIG (born where/when, first
book, family details, education, or any other interesting bits of information you come
across):
Other books:
Memorable characters:
Genres (mystery, romance, science fiction, drama, etc.):
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Matching Quiz on Literary Terms and Elements of a Story
Directions: Place the letter of the correct match from the right into the blank before the word on
the left.
1. _______ Protagonist
2. _______ Antagonist
3. _______ Setting
4. _______ Point of View
5. _______ First Person
6. _______ Third Person
A. A shared conversation between two or more people.
B. The struggle that is taking place in a story.
This can be either external or internal.
C. An emotional, struggle between what the character wants to do
and what he feels he must do.
D. When an author gives subtle hints to things that may happen
later in the story.
7. _______ Conflict
E. The main details in the story that lead up to the climax.
8. _______ Internal Conflict
F. The most important character or the “good guy” of the story.
9. _______ External Conflict
G. The view, or from who’s perspective, or viewpoint, that the story
10. _______ Climax
11. _______ Rising and
Falling Action
12. _______ Rising Action
13. _______ Falling Action
14. _______ Narrative
15. _______ Dialogue
16. _______ Foreshadowing
is being presented.
H. The one who is in conflict with the main character or the “bad
guy.”
I. Text that explains a series of events.
J. The main details that follow the climax of the story.
K. The narrator of a story is one of the characters from the story.
L. The narrator of a story is not one of the characters from the
story.
M. The part when the story reaches its most important point.
N. Leads up to and follows the climax.
O. The time and place in which the story is taking place.
P. The external problem that is standing in the way of the character
and what he wants to accomplish
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Answers to Matching Quiz on Literary Terms and Elements of a Story
Directions: Place the letter of the correct match from the right into the blank before the word on the left.
1. _____F_____ Protagonist
2. _____H _____ Antagonist
3. _____ O_____ Setting
4. _____ G_____ Point of View
5. _____ K_____ First Person
6._____ L_____ Third Person
7._____ B _____ Conflict
8. _____ C _____ Internal Conflict
9._____ P_____ External Conflict
10._____ M_____ Climax
11._____ N _____ Rising and
Falling Action
A. A shared conversation between two or more people.
B. The struggle that is taking place in a story.
This can be either external or internal.
C. An emotional, struggle between what the character wants to do
and what he feels he must do.
D. When an author gives subtle hints to things that may happen
later in the story.
E. The main details in the story that lead up to the climax.
F. The most important character or the “good guy” of the story.
G. The view, or from who’s perspective, or viewpoint, that the story
is being presented.
H. The one who is in conflict with the main character or the “bad
guy.”
I. Text that explains a series of events.
12. _____ E_____ Rising Action
J. The main details that follow the climax of the story.
13._____ J_____ Falling Action
K. The narrator of a story is one of the characters from the story.
14._____ I _____ Narrative
15._____ A_____ Dialogue
16._____ D_____ Foreshadowing
L. The narrator of a story is not one of the characters from the
story.
M. The part when the story reaches its most important point.
N. Leads up to and follows the climax.
O. The time and place in which the story is taking place.
P. The external problem that is standing in the way of the character
and what he wants to accomplish
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/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Final Essay Test
All of the following essay questions need to be written in paragraph form,
using proper grammar, punctuation and spelling.
1. Fully describe the setting of Abel’s Island.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Fully describe Abel, including a physical description and main
personality traits.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Fully describe the mood of Abel’s Island.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Final Essay Test (pg. 2)
4. In your own words, write a detailed description of the plot of the
story. Be sure to include the conflict, or struggle, either physically
or within a main character, the climax, or the part when the story
reaches its most important point, and rising and falling action, or
what leads up to and follows that point.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
5. Fully describe the ending of Abel’s Island. Did it surprise you?
Then, describe another way that WILLIAM STEIG could have ended it.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Rubric for Final Essay Test
Perfect Excellent
Good
Okay
Poor
Detailed, full
sentences,
with no errors
in grammar,
punctuation,
or spelling
Full sentences
with very few
errors in
grammar,
punctuation, or
spelling
Full sentences
with some
errors in
grammar,
punctuation,
or spelling
Incomplete
sentences
Incomplete
sentences with
errors in grammar,
punctuation, or
spelling
Setting
10 points
8 points
7 points
6 points
5 points
Character
Description
10 points
8 points
7 points
6 points
5 points
Mood
10 points
8 points
7 points
6 points
5 points
Plot
Description
10 points
8 points
7 points
6 points
5 points
Description of
the Ending
10 points
8 points
7 points
6 points
5 points
45-50 points = A
B
35-39 points = C
30-34 points = D
25-29 points = F
40-44 points =
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Attention Teachers!
You have probably noticed that I have not included any
multiple choice chapter quizzes or chapter tests for this
novel. I prefer to have students complete activities to
prove their engagement with the text rather than answer
multiple choice questions. However, on occasion, when I
do use multiple choice assessments, I like to include the
students in the creation of them. This not only saves me
time, but also empowers the students, somewhat, in the
learning process. The following pages include activities
for doing just that. There is an activity for creating
chapter quizzes and an activity for creating a unit test.
All you have to do is choose the student-created
questions and answers that you like the best and
combine them, along with some of your own, into a welldesigned chapter quiz or test for Abel’s Island. (You may
be surprised at how good some of your students are at
this!) You may even decide to keep some of the
questions for use with future classes.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Quiz Creating Activity
Pretend that you are the teacher, teaching Abel’s Island. Write 2 multiple choice
questions for this chapter. (Your teacher may choose to use your question(s)
along with others for a real quiz so make them good!)
Question 1:
Possible answers:
(Be sure to put a check mark on the line next to the correct answer) _____ A.
________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
_____ B. ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
_____ C. ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
_____ D. ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Question 2
Possible answers:
(Be sure to put a check mark on the line next to the correct answer) _____ A.
________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
_____ B. ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
_____ C. ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
_____ D. ________________________________________________
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Test Creating Activity
Pretend that you are the teacher, teaching the book. Write a multiple choice question for each chapter of Abel’s
Island. (Your teacher may choose to use your question(s) along with others for a real test so make them good!)
Ch. _____Question:
Possible answers: (Be sure to put a check mark on the line next to the correct answer)
_____ A
_____ B.
_____ C.
_____ D.
Ch. _____Question:
Possible answers: (Be sure to put a check mark on the line next to the correct answer)
_____ A
_____ B.
_____ C.
_____ D.
Ch. _____Question:
Possible answers: (Be sure to put a check mark on the line next to the correct answer)
_____ A
_____ B.
_____ C.
_____ D.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Test Creating Activity (pg. 2)
Ch. _____Question:
Possible answers: (Be sure to put a check mark on the line next to the correct answer)
_____ A
_____ B.
_____ C.
_____ D.
Ch. _____Question:
Possible answers: (Be sure to put a check mark on the line next to the correct answer)
_____ A
_____ B.
_____ C.
_____ D.
Ch. _____Question:
Possible answers: (Be sure to put a check mark on the line next to the correct answer)
_____ A
_____ B.
_____ C.
_____ D.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Reader Response to Abel’s Island
1) Choose one of the openings below to complete in a short,
informal paragraph:
(Check one)
______One thing that surprised me about Abel’s Island is…
______One thing that irritated me about Abel’s Island is…
______One thing that impressed me about Abel’s Island is…
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Advertisement
In the space below, write an advertisement for Abel’s Island and
include an illustration:
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Advice for William Steig
If you had written Abel’s Island, what would you have
changed? Write a letter to William Steig explaining
why you would recommend this change.
Dear
Sincerely,
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Book Review for Abel’s Island
A book critic is someone who is paid to read and analyze
books. Pretend that you are a book critic for a major
newspaper or magazine and write a detailed review of Abel’s
Island.
Be sure to include: a detailed description of the main
characters; a brief summary of the plot; and whether or not
you would recommend the book for others to read.
Author:
Publisher and Copyright Date:
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Your Chance: Opinions and Feelings
How do you feel about Abel’s Island? Did it grab your
attention and make you want to keep reading? Following the
guidelines below, write a paragraph giving 3 reasons you liked
or did not like reading Abel’s Island.
Remember: A proper paragraph should include:
(1) a topic sentence; (2) three or more supporting
sentences; and (3) a conclusion.
Also, be careful to use proper grammar and spelling.
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Answers to Grammar Activities for Abel’s Island
Chapter
Nouns (all)
3
midafternoon.
walls.
bed
Abel
Chapter
landscape
Amanda
eyes
brightness
wife,
hours.
5
Nouns
Singular:
civilization,
awkwardness
midafternoon.
island,
snout
stone
position.
wetness.
Plural:
materials.
devices.
lips.
Chapter
Adjectives (all)
6
such
uninhabited
Chapter
Verbs (all)
some
7
hold
arched
fastening
had
made
straighten
set
washed,
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arranged
got
was
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Name_________________________ Date
/
/____ Class/Period: __________________
Abel’s Island by William Steig
Chapter
Personal pronouns (all)
Chapter
Prepositional Phrases (all)
9
him.
he
his
her
14
under the wide, blue sky, that winter
Chapter
in March,
17
Subjects and Predicates
1. Subject:
Summer
Predicate:
progressed.
2. Subject:
Abel
Predicate:
While waiting for Gower
Glacken's rescue crew…………
kept busy, providing
for himself, working at
his art, doing whatever
he could to be steadily
occupied.
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