Song for a Whale

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

Chapters 1-16

Reading Check

1. Who or what is Iris named after?

2. What does Iris like to read in her free time at school?

3. What is the name of the hybrid whale that swims by himself because of the high frequency of his call?

4. What punishment does Iris receive for pushing Nina?

5. What does Tristan help Iris collect from the junkyard?

6. Which of Iris’s friends is gone the weekend Iris is grounded?

7. Where does Iris’s Grandmother want her to transfer to?

8. Whom does Iris ask at school to help her write a song for Blue 55?

9. Who helps Iris make a recording to play for the whale?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What misunderstandings and misconceptions occur between Iris and her classmates?

2. What connection does Iris make with Blue 55?

3. According to the whale, what difficulties does he face communicating with others, and how has it affected his life?

4. What does Andi describe as the greatest mystery about Blue 55?

Paired Resource

Sound Waves

• This 10-minute video describes sound, how it is created, and how it translates to sound in your ear.