The Boys in the Boat

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

PROLOGUE-CHAPTER 5

Reading Check

1. What is the name of the racing shell Joe and the boys rowed to victory in 1936?

2. What does the dreary weather match in the opening scene of the narrative?

3. Which sport does rowing rival in popularity?

4. What distinguishes team rowing from solo rowing?

5. From which high school team is Joe recruited by the University of Washington?

Short Answer

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

1. When the author visits him, what is it about “the boat” that brings an aged Joe Rantz to tears?

2. Why does Joe fear he does not belong at tryouts?

3. Why is tending the garden so important to Joe and what does this reveal about his inner character and conflict?

4. What role does class play in Pocock’s upbringing and how is he able to move between layers of the British class system?

5. How does Joe’s upbringing influence his ability to contribute to the team?

Paired Resource

“Pantoum of the Great Depression”

• In this poem by Donald Justice, the speaker dispassionately recalls the interminable stretches of the Great Depression and the quiet resignation of survival.