The Girl Who Drank the Moon

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Symbols of Hope”

In this activity, students will demonstrate their understanding of the bird symbolism used in the novel by creating their own paper bird containing a message of hope.

In The Girl Who Drank the Moon, paper birds can turn into real birds and fly into the sky. Under what circumstances are these birds created? What do they accomplish? In this activity, you will explore the meaning of these birds and demonstrate your understanding by creating your own paper bird containing a message of hope for the citizens of the Protectorate.

Choose a Message of Hope

• Imagine that it is still the time when Sister Ignatia is in power and the citizens live under a fog of sorrow.
• Think about all of the causes of sadness in the Protectorate. Choose one of these sources of sadness to focus on.
• On a square sheet of paper, write a message to the people living in the Protectorate that will inspire them to have some hope regarding this specific source of sadness.

Create Your Bird

• Fold your paper into an origami bird—you can choose what kind of bird shape to create.
• Step-by-step instructions on how to fold several kinds of origami birds can be found here.

Write an Analysis and Reflection

• Write a paragraph explaining what birds represent in the novel. Use specific details from the story to support your analysis of what the birds symbolize.
• Write another paragraph explaining what is inspirational to you about the message you chose. Offer some specific details from the story that show why this message would help the citizens of the Protectorate feel some hope despite their sad circumstances.

Teaching Suggestion: If you suspect that students are not yet able to analyze a symbol independently, you might lead a whole-class discussion about the bird symbolism before students begin working on this activity. Students will need square pieces of paper in order to create their birds. If you wish to allow students to hang their birds somewhere in your classroom, they will also need thread or string of some kind and a means of attaching the birds.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with visual or motor coordination disabilities may not be able to complete this assignment as written. You might ask these students to coordinate with a partner who can construct a paper bird for them and write their message on the bird. Conversely, students who struggle with written expression might be allowed to work with a partner who could transcribe their ideas about what the bird represents and why their message is appropriate.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. In this novel, paper is featured in many key scenes.

• What is the symbolic meaning of paper in this story? (topic sentence)
• Give examples from at least three different places in the novel that support your interpretation. Explain what is going on in the story at each moment as you present your evidence.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the symbolic use of paper supports the novel’s theme of Knowledge and the Repression of Ideas: The Power of Stories.

2. The bond between Luna and Adara is severely tested, but it never breaks.

• How does the relationship between Luna and Adara help develop the author’s characterization of both mother and daughter? (topic sentence)
• Give examples from at least three different places in the novel that support your interpretation. Explain what is going on in the story at each moment as you present your evidence.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the relationship between Luna and Adara supports the novel’s themes of The Relationship Between Sorrow and Hope and The Strength of Hope and Family Bonds.

3. Throughout the novel, many characters say that “sorrow is dangerous” (Chapter 7).

• What do these characters mean when they say this, and—in the world of the novel—are they correct? (topic sentence)
• Give at least two examples from the story that demonstrate that your interpretation of what they mean is correct.
• Give at least two examples from the story that demonstrate that your analysis of whether they are right or wrong is correct.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the idea that “sorrow is dangerous” is related to one or more of the novel’s themes: The Relationship Between Sorrow and Hope, Knowledge and the Repression of Ideas: The Power of Stories, and Transformation: Growing Up and Changing.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. What does the bog represent? What are its characteristics, and what kind of language, imagery, and descriptive detail are used to convey them? How do various characters think about and interact with the bog? How does the bog figure into the plot of the novel? Write an essay in which you analyze the symbolic meaning of the bog. Show how the bog is related to the novel’s thematic interest in The Relationship Between Sorrow and Hope and The Cycle of Creation and Death. Be sure to support your ideas with both quoted and paraphrased evidence drawn from the story. Cite your evidence with page numbers.

2. The story contains several of Glerk’s poems. What do his poems about birth, spring, patience, and the final poem he leaves for Luna mean? How do they characterize Glerk? How do they help the reader understand one or more of the novel’s messages about The Relationship Between Sorrow and Hope, Knowledge and the Repression of Ideas: The Power of Stories, Transformation: Growing Up and Changing, The Strength of Hope and Family Bonds, and The Cycle of Creation and Death? Write an essay analyzing how Glerk’s poems contribute to the reader’s understanding of his character and the novel’s themes. Be sure to support your ideas with both quoted and paraphrased evidence drawn from the story. Cite your evidence with page numbers.

3. What prevents Luna and Fyrian from growing up, and what story details demonstrate their immaturity? What events help them finally grow up, and what story details demonstrate that they have matured? How does the story suggest whether delaying the process of growing up is a good thing or a bad thing? Write an essay that analyzes Luna’s and Fyrian’s process of maturing. Explain what obstacles stand in their way and how these obstacles are overcome. In your response, discuss how their growth relates to the novel’s thematic interest in Transformation: Growing Up and Changing. Be sure to support your ideas with evidence drawn from the story. Cite your evidence with page numbers.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. What is an important difference between the first-person and third-person narrators in this story?

A) The third-person narrator is more biased against witches and magic.

B) The first-person narrators are more able to understand people’s feelings.

C) The third-person narrator is more reliable and accurate.

D) The first-person narrators are more aware of the power of stories.

2. What personal attributes do the leaders of the Protectorate feel most threatened by?

A) Humility and responsibility

B) Curiosity and independent thinking

C) Generosity and kindness

D) Creativity and artistic expression

3. What do the fog and clouds in the Protectorate symbolize?

A) Sorrow

B) Misunderstanding

C) Boredom

D) Anger

4. What do Xan’s attitudes toward Luna’s magic, Fyrian’s size, and her own childhood memories reveal about Xan?

A) She is sometimes afraid to face the truth.

B) She is not a very smart person.

C) She is sometimes sneaky and dishonest.

D) She is an innocent and naive person.

5. Which of the following is used to represent the idea that things that are repressed can eventually reemerge and cause problems?

A) The sky

B) The bog

C) The heart

D) The volcano

6. Which character turns out to be the “Beast” mentioned in the creation story?

A) Zosimos

B) Fyrian

C) Glerk

D) Xan

7. What kind of animal is Sister Ignatia often compared to?

A) Wolf

B) Rabbit

C) Bird

D) Cat

8. Which most clearly develops the novel’s theme of The Cycle of Creation and Death?

A) The long delay in Fyrian’s transition from a Perfectly Tiny Dragon to a Simply Enormous Dragon

B) The consequences of the emergence of Luna’s magic and her taking a role as the Protectorate’s good Witch

C) The strengthening of Adara’s magic and her escape from the tower after she transitions from sorrow to hope

D) The reemergence of Xan’s childhood memories despite her belief that “sorrow is dangerous”

9. Which of these characters does not have any magical abilities?

A) Antain

B) Adara

C) Xan

D) Zosimos

10. What revelation is foreshadowed by Sister Ignatia’s reaction to Ethyne’s cheerful attitude about leaving?

A) Sister Ignatia intends to kill Antain.

B) Ethyne has been investigating the stories about the Witch.

C) Antain and Ethyne’s baby will be the next sacrifice.

D) Sister Ignatia “feeds” off of sorrow.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What does the crescent moon on Luna’s head symbolize?

2. Between the beginning of the novel and the end, how are Luna’s and Adara’s roles in their relationship reversed?