Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-2

Reading Check

1. What does Frank do when another pilot lets him fly the plane?

2. Where is Frank originally from?

3. What is Frank’s first scam?

4. Where does Frank run away to when he is 16 years old?

5. How does Frank get a Pan Am uniform?

6. Where does Frank get the Pan Am logo to put on his fake ID?

Short Answer

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Frank mean when he says that “A man’s alter ego is nothing more than his favorite image of himself” (Chapter 1)? How does this statement set up his narrative?

2. How did Frank’s father’s teaching him to deliver speeches and give gifts affect Frank later in life?

3. At first, how does Frank rationalize his decision to scam people using bad checks?

4. How does Frank learn more about Pan Am for his scam?

Paired Resource

A Brief History of Pan Am

• A short history of the now-defunct Pan American Airways
• Based on this history, why might Frank have been moved to choose to pose as a Pan Am copilot?