93 pages 3 hours read

Lois Lowry

Gathering Blue

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2000

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Reading Questions & Paired Texts

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

Chapters 1-5

Reading Check

1. Who tells Kira about the women’s plan to force her out of the community?

2. What song is everyone in the community required to gather and listen to once a year?

3. What skill does Jamison suggest Annabella can teach Kira?

Short Answer

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

1. Why is Kira in “the Field” in the beginning of the story?

2. What plan does Kira have for earning her living if she is allowed to stay in the community?

3. At lunch during the Council hearing, why does Kira leave so much of her food uneaten?

Paired Resource

5 Facts About Living With a Disability in the Developing World

  • This article from Global Citizen, written by Jackie Marchildon, discusses five illuminating facts about the circumstances of persons with disabilities in the developing world.
  • This resource relates to the theme of Difference and Diversity.
  • Do you think that the treatment of those with disabilities in many developing nations has more to do with culture or with education and economics? What evidence supports your beliefs? In what ways is Kira’s society similar to today’s developing world? How do you think most people in her society might defend their treatment of people with disabilities? What arguments can be made for more humane and equitable treatment, even in a society with very little surplus food and wealth?