The Selfish Giant - CountDown to STAAR Self Check

1. 1. Part A

2. How does the giant’s behavior change through the story?

• The giant becomes grumpier and more selfish as his garden loses its beauty.

• He spends more time in the village with the children.

• The giant welcomes the children when he realizes that their presence makes his garden warm, green, and lovely.

• The giant realizes that his ogre friend frightens the children of the village.

1 Part B

Which sentence from the story best supports your answer in Part A?

• He wondered if Spring would ever again visit his garden.

• The giant sits on his bench, satisfied to hear the laughter and songs of his many friends.

• He hasn’t been to visit the Cornish ogre in a great many years.

• And perhaps he will live happily ever after.

2. 2. What effect does the giant’s angry behavior in paragraph 2 have on the story’s plot?

• It causes the seasons to punish the giant by making the garden gray and cold.

• It amuses the children to see a giant act rude and selfish.

• It proves to the seasons that the giant is ready to grow a garden.

• It leads the giant to feel sorry for his bad temper and ask the children to return to his garden.

3. 3. Paragraph 8 is important because it shows –

• the giant’s main conflict in the story’s plot

• how the giant began to resolve his main conflict

• that the plot conflict cannot be resolved

• the story’s conflict has been resolved

4. 4. The giant’s actions in paragraph 6 show that he –

• is surprised to see a child in his garden

• is happy that spring has finally returned to his garden

• regrets having howled and brayed at the children of the village

• misses his old friend, the Cornish ogre

5. 5. Which story elements help the reader understand that the selection is a fairy tale? (Select two)

• Themes of changing seasons

• A setting in a rural village

• Fantastic characters like ogres and giants

• A happy story resolution

• Personification of the seasons as story characters

6. 6. The details in paragraph 7 show the reader that the giant wants –

• the children to return to his garden

• to build new garden walls

• to feel the warm sun

• to frighten children

7. 7. Details throughout the story show that the giant –

• loves to hear the birds sing

• regrets visiting the ogre

• is a good gardener

• loves little children