Did They Really Read? printable reading check-ins
Cover of I survived the attack of the grizzlies, 1967

I survived the attack of the grizzlies, 1967 Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal

By Lauren Tarshis

51 readers

I survived the attack of the grizzlies, 1967 has 20 chapters · Grades 3–5 · 152 pages

Book 17 of the I Survived series

Get the printable PDF Customise this journal

Free, no sign-up. Customise to reword questions or add your reader’s name.

Inside the journal: 20 chapter pages, one question each · 3 example answers · a cover for your reader’s name

Written for this book Questions about this story, good after any chapter.

Chapter 1 question
What is happening to Melody Vega, called Mel, at this point in the story? Explain which detail seems most important and why.
See all 20 questions ↓

About the book

Eleven-year-old Melody Vega and her family visit Glacier National Park every summer, but this year Mel comes face-to-face with a terrifying grizzly bear.

Buy the book on Amazon ↗ (affiliate link)

I survived the attack of the grizzlies, 1967 questions by chapter

We know the book, its characters, setting and story, but not what happens in each chapter. So every question is written for this book, and any of them works wherever your reader has just stopped. One question per chapter, across all 20 chapters, and every one is editable before you print. The example answers under 3 of the chapters are the ones printed at the front of the booklet.

  1. Chapter 1

    What is happening to Melody Vega, called Mel, at this point in the story? Explain which detail seems most important and why.

  2. Chapter 2

    How would you describe Mel based on what you have read so far? Use one detail to support your description.

  3. Chapter 3

    What have you learned about Glacier National Park so far, and how does the setting affect the story?

  4. Chapter 4

    Based on what you know so far about Mel's visit to Glacier National Park, what challenge do you predict she might face? Explain your clues.

    Example answer: I predict that Mel will have to handle a dangerous situation involving a grizzly bear. The title is a clue because it mentions an attack. Her family visits Glacier National Park every summer, so the place may feel familiar to her. I think a danger in a familiar place could surprise her.

  5. Chapter 5

    Which word in your latest chapter helped you picture the park, a bear, or a character's feelings? Explain what you think it means and how you figured that out.

  6. Chapter 6

    How do Mel's feelings about her summer visit seem to be developing? Use a detail from your reading, even if her feelings have stayed the same.

  7. Chapter 7

    Which detail from your latest chapter would you include in a short summary of Mel's story? Explain why that detail matters.

  8. Chapter 8

    What question would you ask Mel about her experiences so far? Explain what made you curious about it.

  9. Chapter 9

    How has the author made Glacier National Park seem beautiful, dangerous, or both in your reading so far?

  10. Chapter 10

    What do you think Mel might do next, based on her thoughts or actions so far? Explain why your prediction fits her.

  11. Chapter 11

    Choose a word or phrase from your latest chapter that creates a strong feeling. What feeling does it create, and how would a different word change that feeling?

  12. Chapter 12

    What does the story suggest so far about people sharing wild places with bears? Support your idea with something you have read.

  13. Chapter 13

    Whose point of view would you like to hear besides Mel's at this point? Explain how that person might understand the same situation differently.

  14. Chapter 14

    How does Mel's age—eleven—shape the way you understand her experiences so far? Explain what might feel familiar or unfamiliar to someone your age.

    Example answer: I can imagine being excited about a summer trip with my family, so that part of Mel's experience feels familiar. Mel is eleven, which makes it easier for me to picture how she might feel. I have never faced a grizzly bear, so that part feels unfamiliar and scary. Her age helps me remember that she is a kid dealing with a very serious danger.

  15. Chapter 15

    What has your reading so far made you wonder about grizzly bears? Explain which story detail led to your question.

  16. Chapter 16

    Which choice, action, or thought from your latest chapter do you agree or disagree with? Explain your opinion using a detail from the chapter.

  17. Chapter 17

    How does the title, I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967, affect your expectations as you read? Connect your answer to what you know so far.

    Example answer: The title makes me expect danger and a story about survival. Since Mel is visiting Glacier National Park, I pay close attention to details about bears and the outdoors. The year 1967 reminds me that the story takes place in the past. I wonder how visiting the park then might be different from visiting it today.

  18. Chapter 18

    What does courage mean in Mel's story so far? Explain whether courage always means feeling unafraid.

  19. Chapter 19

    What advice would you give Mel at this point in the story? Explain how something you have read supports your advice.

  20. Chapter 20

    Looking only at what you have read so far, what seems to be the biggest problem in Mel's story? Explain what makes that problem difficult.

Would you use a digital version of this journal? Would you like AI to review the answers?

Discussion questions for after I survived the attack of the grizzlies, 1967

Bigger questions for when the book is finished, each printed on its own ruled page at the end of the booklet.

  1. How does Mel change from the beginning of the book to the end? Describe what she is like at both points, and explain how her experiences in Glacier National Park help cause those changes. Use several details from the story.
  2. What do you think this book is really teaching readers about people, fear, and wild animals? Explain your main idea using important moments from Mel's story, then describe how that lesson might affect the way you think about visiting a national park.

Next in I Survived

All 5 →

More by Lauren Tarshis

All 9 →

Similar books for grades 3–5

How to use this I survived the attack of the grizzlies, 1967 reading journal

At home, as a discussion guide

After each chapter your reader writes a few lines on that chapter’s question. Read the answer together at bedtime: it shows what they understood and gives you something real to talk about, without a quiz.

In class, as a novel study

Print a class set (booklets fold from plain letter paper) and use one question per chapter as the reading-response or literature-circle prompt. The example answers at the front show what a full answer looks like.

Homeschool

One booklet covers the whole book, 20 chapters, so it doubles as the reading log for I survived the attack of the grizzlies, 1967. Reword any question before printing to match your reader.

Printing

The booklet PDF prints on ordinary 8.5 × 11 paper: print double-sided (flip on the short edge) at 100%, fold the stack in half and staple on the fold. There is also a one-page-per-sheet PDF and A5 binder pages.

Where the questions come from

Questions about this story, good after any chapter. We know the book, its characters, setting and story, but not what happens in each chapter. So every question is written for this book, and any of them works wherever your reader has just stopped. The questions were drafted with AI from what is known about the book and checked before publishing; every one is editable before you print.

Browse: 3rd grade books · 4th grade books · 5th grade books · All books by Lauren Tarshis