The Trumpet of the Swan

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What are some of the different ways animals communicate with one another? In what ways might communication be important to animal survival?

Teaching Suggestion: Louis, the novel’s protagonist, is a trumpeter swan born with a disability that prevents him from making sounds. This disability isolates Louis from his peers and prompts him to embark on a journey in search of ways to communicate. After responding independently to the question, students might discuss in small groups the various ways animals interact, then categorize their examples in an anchor chart according to four common ways that animals communicate (visual, auditory, tactile, chemical). Students also can add specific examples of each type of communication through brief investigation of these or similar resources.

• This article describes the ways in which animals communicate with one another.
• This 5-minute video explains how animals communicate.

Short Activity

Using these guiding questions, conduct research to discover information about the life cycle of trumpeter swans. Create an infographic using the facts you learn to teach others about swans.