Zane & the Hurricane Novel Study

Engage Readers with this Zane & the Hurricane Novel Study

A 3-week Zane and the Hurricane Novel Study unit for the book by Rodman Philbrick designed to engage learners in deeper understanding of the text without the long lists of surface-level comprehension questions common in so many other literature units. 

This book study unit for Zane and the Hurricane includes chapter comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, and a unit plan for quick and easy prep. 

This Zane & the Hurricane Novel Study digital download includes: 

• Daily comprehension prompts in 3 formats for differentiation

  • Foldable trifold brochures (3 total - one per week of instruction)
  • Cut & paste journal prompts for interactive notebooks
  • Digital access to Google Slides

• Weekly word of the day flip books for text-based vocabulary

• Easy-to-follow directions for printing & prep

• Instructional planning guide

• Answer keys

Reading Comprehension & Higher Level Thinking Skills Addressed: 

✔Main Idea & Summary
✔Point of View
✔Making Inferences
✔Analyzing Text
✔Problem & Solution
✔Cause & Effect
✔Context Clues
And so much more!

More About the Book & Instructional Connections: 

Zane and the Hurricane Summary: 

Twelve-year-old Zane Dupree, reluctantly visiting his unknown great-grandmother in New Orleans, gets caught in the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Separated from his mom, Zane and his dog Bandy face the fury of the storm and its aftermath. Rescued by an elderly musician and a resourceful young girl, Zane embarks on a harrowing journey by canoe, encountering the best and worst of humanity.

Reading Level:

• Lexile Measure: 680L
• Reading Age: 10-12 years

Note: While the reading level is appropriate for middle grade, the book deals with mature themes like death and violence. Teacher discretion is advised.

Potential Cross-Curricular Connections:

• Science: Weather and natural disasters (hurricanes)
• Social Studies: Hurricane Katrina, race relations, poverty, government response to crisis
• History: African American history in New Orleans
• Art: Creating art inspired by the story or the aftermath of the hurricane
• Music: Exploring the role of music in the story and New Orleans culture

Terms of Use:

© Rebecca Davies. All rights reserved by the author. These materials are intended for personal use by a single classroom only. Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited. For use in multiple classrooms, please purchase additional licenses. This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view. Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Clipart and elements found in this PDF are copyrighted and cannot be extracted and used outside of this file without permission or license. See product file for clip art and font credits.