I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake 1964 Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal
I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake 1964 has 17 chapters · Grades 3–5
Book 23 of the I Survived series
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Inside the journal: 17 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.
What is the most important thing you learned about Jack in the chapter you just read? Explain why it helps you understand him.See all 17 questions ↓
A printable reading journal for I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake 1964: one question per chapter, with example answers.
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I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake 1964 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 17 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.
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Chapter 1
What is the most important thing you learned about Jack in the chapter you just read? Explain why it helps you understand him.
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Chapter 2
How does the Alaska setting shape the story so far? Describe a detail that helps you picture where Jack is.
Example answer: I think the Alaska setting makes the story feel connected to a real place, not just an imaginary adventure. Knowing that the story is about Alaska in 1964 helps me picture a time before people had smartphones to call or message for help. I wonder how that could affect Jack if he needs information quickly. The place and time make me pay attention to how people communicate.
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Chapter 3
Which feeling best describes Jack in this chapter? What does he say, think, or do that supports your answer?
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Chapter 4
Based on what you have read so far, what challenge might Jack face next? Explain the clues behind your prediction.
Example answer: I predict that Jack might have to make a difficult choice when something unexpected happens. The title tells me that a major earthquake will be important to his story. An earthquake can quickly change what people thought was safe. That makes me think Jack may need to decide what to do without having much time.
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Chapter 5
Choose an unfamiliar or interesting word from this chapter. What do you think it means, and how do the nearby sentences help you?
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Chapter 6
How does another person affect Jack in the chapter you just read? Explain how that person influences his feelings, thoughts, or actions.
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Chapter 7
Which detail in this chapter seems especially important to remember? Explain how it might connect to the story about the 1964 Alaska earthquake.
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Chapter 8
If you could give Jack one piece of advice at this point in the story, what would it be? Explain why that advice could help him.
Example answer: I would tell Jack that asking for help does not mean he is weak. A disaster can create problems that are too big for one person to handle alone. I think listening to others and sharing what he knows could help him make safer choices. To me, being brave includes knowing when you need help.
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Chapter 9
What does this chapter suggest about courage? Use something Jack thinks, says, or does to explain your idea.
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Chapter 10
How does Lauren Tarshis make this chapter feel calm, exciting, or tense? Describe a detail or writing choice that creates that feeling.
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Chapter 11
What question would you ask Jack about something in this chapter? Explain what you hope his answer would help you understand.
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Chapter 12
Describe a problem or uncertainty in the chapter you just read. How does Jack respond, or what might he do if it affects him?
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Chapter 13
What have you learned so far about why people might need one another during a disaster? Connect your idea to something in Jack's story.
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Chapter 14
Which moment in this chapter would you most want to discuss with a classmate? Explain what makes it interesting or important.
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Chapter 15
Compare Jack in this chapter with Jack when you first met him. What seems different or stays the same? Support your answer with details.
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Chapter 16
What do you predict will matter most to Jack as the story continues? Use a clue from this chapter to explain your thinking.
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Chapter 17
Which lesson about facing uncertainty fits your reading of Jack's story so far? Explain how a detail from this chapter supports that lesson.
Discussion questions for after I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake 1964
Bigger questions for when the book is finished, each printed on its own ruled page at the end of the booklet.
- How does Jack change from the beginning of I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964 to the end? Describe what he is like at both points, and explain which experiences or relationships help shape him. Use several details from the story to support your ideas.
- What do you think Lauren Tarshis wants readers to understand about surviving a disaster? Explain how Jack's story and the 1964 Alaska setting help develop that message. Then describe how the message could matter to someone reading the book today.
More in I Survived
All 5 →-
Book 1
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
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Book 17
I survived the attack of the grizzlies, 1967
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I Survived
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I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980
More by Lauren Tarshis
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I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (Graphic Novel)
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I Survived The Attacks of September 11, 2001
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I Survived The Bombing Of Pearl Harbor, 1941
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I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871
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How to use this I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake 1964 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, 17 chapters, so it doubles as the reading log for I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake 1964. 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.
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