ABOUT THIS BOOK
War-torn Afghanistan could not seem farther from Newfoundland, but that troubled country is about to change twelve-year-old tomboy Jack Cooper (or Jacqueline, as her mother insists on calling her) forever. When
her father is killed in the war, she watches helplessly as her mother crumbles and loses her grip under sorrow and depression. Jack and her younger sister and brother, Tessa and Simon, end up across the country, living
on a run-down farm in a small town on the Prairies with a great-grandmother they didn’t know existed. Worried that they will be abandoned again if Gran moves into a retirement home, Jack puts on a brave face
and encourages Tessa and Simon to take on the challenges of their new life in the rural West. In the process, she learns that families come in many different forms and that love, trust, and faith can build a home anywhere.
ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
Meg Tilly, formerly a film actor, is best known for her roles in The Big Chill and Agnes of God, for which she won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in 1986, as well as an Oscar nomination. She is the author of two adult novels, Singing Songs and Gemma, and is currently at work on her second Young Adult novel, Lucky. She lives in Vancouver, B.C., with her family.
TEACHING IDEAS
LANGUAGE ARTS
Have students keep a daily/weekly journal while reading Porcupine. Suggest they think and write about the following: Jack loses her father in the peacekeeping efforts in Afghanistan. How do you feel about loss? Have you ever lost someone you loved? Or a pet you loved? If not, try to imagine what it might feel like.
Jack goes to nature to find comfort. Where do you go when you are sad or anxious? What about it gives you comfort? Jack’s mother forgets her birthday. Describe a time when you were sad or disappointed. If you could pet any wild animal which animal would it be? Why would you choose it? Describe your imaginary experience. Include location, sights, sounds, smells, touch, and taste if appropriate.
SOCIAL STUDIE S
Ask students to research Afghanistan. Where is it located? What is the culture like? Find out about foods, religion, clothing, and family life. Jack, Tessa, and Simon go to live on a farm with their greatgrandmother.
Research the different types of farms across Canada. Where are they located? What is life on a farm like?
HEALTH/PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Dyslexia/Dysgraphia
Simon’s teacher feels that he has dyslexia and dysgraphia. Have students research what these types of learning challenges are. How can students with these challenges be helped? How do they learn differently than students without these challenges? Have students write with non-dominant hand to get a feel for what it’s like to have difficulty writing.
Rattlesnake Tag
Start out with three to four students in a group. Try to get as many groups as possible and leave one person out to be the Snake Wrangler. Have the members of each group attach themselves together by holding onto the waist of the person in front of them, forming a rattlesnake. The person in front is the head and the person in back is the rattle. The person who is the Snake Wrangler must catch the rattle of one of the snakes and attach to it. If he is successful, the head of that snake must come off and he/she is then the new Snake Wrangler. Snakes should twist and turn to keep from loosing their heads.
SCIENCE
Jack has to kill a rattlesnake when it threatens the family dog. Have students research more about rattlesnakes. What are their habitats? What do they eat? How do they reproduce? What are the different varieties of rattlesnakes?
MATHEMATICS
Jack is doing word problems in her math class. Have students pair up. Each student will invent ten word problems using situations from the book. (For example: Jack collected 23 eggs on Tuesday, 15 eggs on Wednesday and 16 eggs on Thursday. Over those three days the family ate 8 of the eggs. How many eggs does she have left?) Students swap papers to solve each other’s word problems.
VISUAL ARTS
Have students break up into groups of four to work collaboratively on creating a board game based on the book. Ask them to come up with a name for the game and include a box cover design. Students will teach others in the class how to play their particular board game. Provide students with examples of games such as LIFE, TRIVIAL PURSUIT, SNAKES AND LADDERS, etc.
GE OGRAPHY
In the book Jack’s father goes to Afghanistan on a “peacekeeping” mission. Have students find Afghanistan on a map. Students can draw a map of the Middle East including Afghanistan. What are the country’s physical characteristics? In the novel Jack and her family must drive from Newfoundland to Alberta. Using a road map, have students plot out a road trip. How long is the journey in kilometers? How long would it take
to drive? What sights could you see along the way?
DISCUSSION AND WRITING
1. Why do Jack and Tessa have challenges getting along sometimes? Have you ever had difficulties/arguments with a sibling or friend? What are some ways you resolved the problems?
2. Jack and her brother and sister have many chores on the farm. What chores do you have at home? Do you think it’s fair to have to do chores when you already have homework to do? What are some good things about doing chores? What are some things that aren’t so good?
3. Jack’s father is sent to Afghanistan on a peacekeeping mission. Do you think it’s a good idea for one country to be involved in another country’s problems? When would it be a good idea? When is it bad idea?
4. Jack tries to save and protect her family by taking on adult responsibilities, like going to a parent-teacher conference. Is this something you could see doing yourself? Was there ever a time in your life where you had to take on a big responsibility? How did it feel? What was the outcome?
5. The title of the book refers to an encounter with a porcupine toward the end of the novel but it could also refer to other things such as characters or situations. Which characters seem most like porcupines in the book? How are they like porcupines? If you had to choose an animal to represent the various characters in the novel what animal would you choose for each character? Why?
6. The weather and geography of Newfoundland are much different than they are in Alberta. Discuss some of the differences. Where would you rather live? Why?
7. How is Afghan culture different than Canadian culture? What are some things you like or find interesting about Afghan culture? What things would you find challenging?
8. Living on a farm is hard work. How does it compare with life in your home? How is your life similar? How is it different? What things would you find most difficult?
9. Simon has learning challenges called dyslexia and dysgraphia. How does this make his school life more difficult? How do you think this will affect his life as he grows up? Simon has to make a difficult choice about going into a special needs class where he may be teased. What would you do in his place? Why would you choose that? Do you think Simon made a wise choice? Why or why not?
10. Gran is presented with the opportunity to go into an assisted living home. How would this make her life easier? What are some positive things about nursing homes where elderly people sometimes live? What do you think some negative things are? Do you feel that Gran makes a good decision not to go to the home? Discuss your position.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. FAVORITE FOODS
Jack’s great-grandmother makes buttermilk biscuits for the children. They are Jack’s favorite. Have students make a batch of buttermilk biscuits that everyone can share.
Buttermilk Biscuits
1/4 cup butter 2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
Heat oven to 425˚F. Mix dry ingredients. Cut butter into mixture. Add buttermilk. Stir lightly until thick and mixed. Drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Cook ten to twelve minutes. Serve with butter and jelly. Makes approximately ten biscuits.
2. CREATE A THRIFT SHOP
Using either real clothes and items that students bring in or pictures they cut from a magazine, the class can set up a pretend thrift store where they price items and pretend to either be the customer or the cashier. Give each student a small amount of change (from the donation tray) and have them try to purchase clothes and school supplies for the year with the small amount of money. Students should make sure that proper change is given and they can use a calculator to determine the correct sales tax. Discuss the difficulties of living on a slim budget.
3. HAVE A CLOTHING DRIVE
Students organize and run a clothing drive to donate to a local charity. Students can make posters to put up around the school. They will be responsible for collecting and folding clothes as well as counting up the items.
4. ANIMAL REPORTS
Throughout the book Jack and her siblings come across a wide variety of animals–chickens, cows, rattlesnakes, owls, trout, dogs, porcupines. Have students choose an animal from the book and create a standing visual display research report, including pictures, habitat, diet, reproduction, and anatomy.
OTHER TITLES OF INTEREST
A Handful of Time by Kit Pearson
ISBN 0-14-032268-X
The Middle Moffet by Eleanor Estes
ISBN 0-15-2025294
Half Magic by Edward Eager
ISBN 978-0152053024
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
ISBN 978-0064401845
All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
ISBN 978-0440400592
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dyslexia/dyslexia.
http://www.allkindsofminds.org/
http://www.depression.com/
http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_
http://www.canadian-health-network.ca
http://www.cmha.ca
http://www.afghan-web.com/
http://www.nhptv.org/NatureWorks/porcupine.htm
http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/a_closer_look_at_
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