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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. About what time in the morning does Brennan finally find the report about Coyote Runs?

2. What is Mr. Homesley's first thought when Brennan tells him about the skull?

3. Why does Brennan think he will be able to get across the desert?

4. What does Mr. Homesley tell Brennan about beetles?

5. In what direction does Brennan go when he leaves his home?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where is Brennan by morning and what does he find there?

2. How long does it take for more information to come to Brennan and what does he do when Mr. Homesley calls about it?

3. What does Brennan find out when he comes home in Chapter 21?

4. What incident with Mr. Homesley does Brennan recall when he thinks of talking to him about the skull?

5. What does Mr. Homesley say about the second source of information?

6. What does Brennan find deep in the canyon and what does he do?

7. What was in a letter from a school Brennan finds?

8. Why does Brennan talk to Mr. Homesley about the skull?

9. In Chapter 12, describe what Brennan is thinking when he contemplates the bullet hole in the skull.

10. What happens when Brennan wants to stop for the night and what does he learn about snakes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Brennan is embarrassed when Mr. Homesley singles him out and asks him to search for a beetle in the grass. He always feels awkward and shy at school and feels he does not fit in well with the other students.

1. What do you think a student should do if she/he doesn't fit into the crowd at school? Use examples from Canyons and your life to support your answer.

2. What do you think makes a student stick out from others? Use examples from Canyons and your life to support your answer.

3. Why do you think children tend to pick on another who is different?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following:

1. Compare/contrast Brennan to Coyote Runs. How are they alike? How are they different? Do you think their differences are mainly due to their era differences or culture?

2. Coyote Runs seems to be connected to Brennan. Do you think the connection would have occurred with anyone who happened to have found his skull? Why or why not?

3. Compare Coyote Runs' life with Brennan's life. How are they similar? How are they different? Use examples from Canyons to illustrate your comparison.

Essay Topic 3

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Brennan is no exception. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze situations when Brennan demonstrates his intelligence and good work ethic. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Brennan's character flaws offering specific examples of these flaws in your discussion.

3. Discuss how you think Brennan's admirable traits makes him do what he does with the skull. Have his flaws impacted his life? How do his flaws influence his handling of the skull?

(see the answer keys)

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