"Spirit Walking in the Tundra"
Authored by Emily Crider
English
8th Grade
CCSS covered
Used 1K+ times
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About
This quiz centers on poetry analysis, specifically focusing on a poem titled "Spirit Walking in the Tundra" that explores Native American cultural themes and connections to place. The questions assess eighth-grade level literary analysis skills, requiring students to interpret literary devices, analyze the effects of poetic structure, identify imagery and its sensory appeals, and determine themes and mood. Students need a solid foundation in understanding how poets use line breaks for effect, how imagery creates meaning beyond literal description, and how cultural context influences interpretation. The core concepts involve recognizing allusion, analyzing the relationship between form and meaning, identifying sensory details in imagery, and connecting specific textual evidence to broader themes about identity, place, and cultural heritage. Students must demonstrate higher-order thinking skills by explaining not just what literary devices are present, but how and why they contribute to the poem's overall meaning and emotional impact. Created by Emily Crider, an English teacher in the US who teaches grade 8. This quiz serves as an excellent tool for formative assessment during a poetry unit, allowing teachers to gauge student comprehension of complex literary analysis concepts before moving to more challenging material. The quiz works particularly well as a follow-up activity after close reading instruction, where students can apply newly learned skills in identifying and interpreting literary devices within culturally significant texts. Teachers can use this for homework assignments to reinforce classroom discussions about Native American literature, or as a review activity before summative assessments on poetry analysis. The questions align with Common Core standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1 for citing textual evidence to support analysis, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2 for determining themes, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.4 for analyzing the impact of word choices on meaning and tone, and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.5 for comparing and contrasting the structure of texts and analyzing how different structures contribute to meaning and style.
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7 questions
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1.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
15 mins • 1 pt
The title of the poem makes an allusion to the Native American tradition of the spirit walk. Which of the following quotes from the poem tells you how the speaker would define the phrase "spirit walk?"
"We do not need history in books to tell us who we are / Or where we come from"
“The spirit of the tundra stands with us, and we collect sunlight together”
“Up here, we are near the opening in the Earth’s head, the place where the spirit leaves and returns”
“There is a shaking, and then you are in mystery.”
Tags
CCSS.RL.8.10
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.8.5
CCSS.RL.7.10
CCSS.RL.7.4
2.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
15 mins • 1 pt
What effect do the line breaks have on the poem’s rhythm, mood, or tone? Why do you think the poet chose to break the lines where she did?
The line breaks create a cheerful tone through the imagery of nature. The poet did this to emphasize how beautiful Alaska is.
The line breaks create a steady rhythm. The poet did this so the reader would be able to read the poem easier.
The line breaks create a thoughtful mood through unnatural pauses mid-sentence. The poet did this to make the reader think about the deeper meaning of each line.
The line breaks create a dramatic tone through splitting sentences. The poet did this to add a sense of mystery to a poem about nature.
Tags
CCSS.RL.8.10
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.8.5
CCSS.RL.7.10
CCSS.RL.7.4
3.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
15 mins • 1 pt
Identify the imagery in lines 4 and 5. To what senses does it appeal? Explain what this imagery suggests about the speaker’s feelings during her flight to Alaska.
Touch, sight, smell; the speaker is excited to go home.
Hearing, sight; the speaker doesn’t want to go home.
Touch, hearing; the speaker is unsure about going home.
Touch, sight, hearing; the speaker is anxious to get home.
Tags
CCSS.RL.8.10
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.8.5
CCSS.RL.7.10
CCSS.RL.7.5
4.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
15 mins • 1 pt
A key idea explored in the poem is the impact of-
Technology on nature
Distance on one’s friendship
Place on one’s identity
Parents on their children
Tags
CCSS.RI. 9-10.9
CCSS.RL.6.2
CCSS.RL.7.2
CCSS.RL.8.2
CCSS.RL.9-10.2
5.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
15 mins • 1 pt
How do lines 9-11 reinforce a theme of the poem?
They show a relationship between native people and nature
They remind the speaker that she is far from home
They introduce tension between the speaker and her friend
They demonstrate how hard life is for native people
Tags
CCSS.RI. 9-10.9
CCSS.RL.6.2
CCSS.RL.7.2
CCSS.RL.8.2
CCSS.RL.9-10.2
6.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
15 mins • 1 pt
The mood created by the last line of the poem is-
Peaceful
Fearful
Joyful
Solemn
Tags
CCSS.RL.8.10
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.8.5
CCSS.RL.7.4
CCSS.RL.7.5
7.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
15 mins • 1 pt
The imagery in line 24 is used to suggest -
The stillness of the tundra
The energizing effects of the walk
The speaker’s distaste for the landscape
The speaker’s preference for being outdoors
Tags
CCSS.RL.8.10
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.8.5
CCSS.RL.7.10
CCSS.RL.7.5
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