"Spirit Walking in the Tundra" by Joy Harjo
Authored by Stephanie Hammond
English
8th Grade
CCSS covered
Used 888+ times
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About
This quiz focuses on literary analysis of Joy Harjo's poem "Spirit Walking in the Tundra," examining themes of Native American identity, connection to place, and cultural traditions. The questions are designed for 8th grade students and assess advanced reading comprehension skills including identifying themes, analyzing literary devices like personification and imagery, understanding irony, and interpreting the significance of poetic structure. Students must demonstrate deep textual analysis by examining how specific lines reinforce themes, how line length affects meaning, and how repetition creates emphasis. The core concepts required include understanding symbolism in Native American spiritual traditions, recognizing the relationship between literary form and meaning, and analyzing how poets use figurative language to convey complex ideas about identity and belonging. Students need strong inference skills to connect textual evidence to broader thematic meanings and must be able to distinguish between literal and metaphorical language. Created by Stephanie Hammond, an English teacher in the US who teaches grade 8. This quiz serves as an excellent tool for formative assessment following a poetry unit focused on contemporary Native American literature, allowing teachers to evaluate students' ability to analyze complex themes and literary techniques. The assessment works well as a summative evaluation after close reading instruction or as homework to reinforce classroom discussions about cultural identity in literature. Teachers can use individual questions for warm-up activities or combine multiple questions for comprehensive review sessions before state testing. The quiz effectively prepares students for standardized assessments while deepening their appreciation for diverse voices in American poetry. This assessment aligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1 for citing textual evidence, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2 for analyzing themes, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.4 for determining meaning of figurative language, and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.5 for analyzing how structure contributes to meaning.
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10 questions
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1.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
A key idea explored in the poem is the impact of —.
technology on nature
distance on one’s friendships
place on one’s identity
parents on their children
Tags
CCSS.RI. 9-10.9
CCSS.RL.6.2
CCSS.RL.7.2
CCSS.RL.8.2
CCSS.RL.9-10.2
2.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
This poem alludes to the Native American tradition of spirit walking. For the speaker, the spirit walk most likely represents —.
a blind leap of faith
an escape from reality
a path to self-knowledge
a road map for the future
Tags
CCSS.RL.8.10
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.8.5
CCSS.RL.7.10
CCSS.RL.7.4
3.
MULTIPLE SELECT QUESTION
45 sec • 1 pt
For which two reasons does the poet most likely use personification in line 1?
to indicate how quickly the plane is moving
to describe the movement of the plane’s shadow
to imply that the speaker is reluctant to arrive at her destination
to suggest that the flight is related to the speaker’s spirit walk
to foreshadow the darkness that awaits
Tags
CCSS.RL.8.10
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.8.5
CCSS.RL.7.5
CCSS.RL.7.10
4.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
How do lines 9–11 reinforce a theme of the poem?
They show a relationship between native people and nature.
They remind the speaker that she is far from home.
They introduce tension between the speaker and her friend.
They demonstrate how hard life is for native people.
Tags
CCSS.RI. 9-10.9
CCSS.RL.6.2
CCSS.RL.7.2
CCSS.RL.8.2
CCSS.RL.9-10.2
5.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
Line 12 is much shorter than the lines before it. How does this impact its meaning?
It reveals how out of place the home looks.
It shows the difference between the home and the outdoors.
It indicates how uncomfortable the speaker feels in the home.
It reinforces the idea that home is more than a physical place.
Tags
CCSS.RL.8.10
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.8.5
CCSS.RL.7.5
CCSS.RL.9-10.9
6.
MULTIPLE SELECT QUESTION
45 sec • 1 pt
Which two responses best describe the irony in lines 13–16?
The son says one thing but does another.
The son says one thing but believes another.
The son’s words contrast with the thoughts of the speaker.
The son’s actions contrast modern technology and traditional culture.
The son’s actions contrast a casual pastime and a serious endeavor.
Tags
CCSS.RL.8.10
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.8.5
CCSS.RL.7.4
CCSS.RL.9-10.10
7.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
Read line 20 of the poem.
She is wearing designs like flowers, and a fur of ice.
The imagery in this line emphasizes —.
the contrast between the beauty of spring and the dreariness of winter
the connection between the woman and nature
the contrast between the violence of nature and the innocence of the woman
the similarity between natural and human-made materials
Tags
CCSS.RL.8.10
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.8.5
CCSS.RL.7.5
CCSS.RL.7.4
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