The Spider, The Cave, and the Pottery Bowl
Part 1 - Vocabulary
Part 1 Reading Questions
What does the author mean when she says her name is "One Who Dips Water"? How does this name connect to her culture?
Describe the village where Kate's grandmother lives. What are some features of the village that make it special?
How does the absence of Kate's mother during this summer affect her feelings and responsibilities?
What challenges do the people living on the mesa face, according to the text? Why do some families choose to move away?
What changes does Kate notice in her grandmother when she arrives at the mesa? How do these changes impact Kate?
Her name means "One who dips water" but at school she goes by Kate
Kate, her brother, and her father have just arrived at her Grandmothers house.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Kate's brother
- She lives in the mesa
- She likes to make bowls and jars out of pottery
- She is getting old
Johnny
Setting
Title
Grandma
Main Character
What do we know about Kate's Grandma?
Who is Johnny?
Write a brief description here
What is the setting of Part 1?
What is the name of the main character?
Part 2 - Vocabulary
What were Grandmother's reasons for not making pottery? How did the narrator react to this information?
How did the narrator feel about the tourists visiting their home compared to previous years?
How does Louisa's comment about Grandmother's fall contribute to the narrator's feelings of fear and responsibility?
What does the narrator mean when she says, "I did not want to understand, but I did anyway"?
Part 2 Reading Questions
Part 3 - Vocabulary
Part 4 Reading Questions
What details from Grandmother’s stories make the Spider Woman seem important to the people?
After the bowl was broken, how did Grandmother react and what did she ask the children to do? Explain how this reaction reveals something about Grandmother’s character.
According to the texts, why did the narrator think Johnny might have run away after the burro got out?
The narrator has a dream about a spider and then checks the shelf for the bowl. What do these events show about the narrator’s feelings or concerns?
Part 5 Reading Questions
What evidence from the text shows that Grandmother is not angry about the broken bowl?
How does the narrator prepare before going to look for Johnny and the burro? List the steps the narrator takes.
Explain why Johnny might want to find the Spider Woman’s house. What does this explain about Johnny’s thinking? How is this connected to Grandmother’s stories?
Compare the two places described in the story: the village and the mesa. Give two details from the text that show how these places are different. Explain how those details help you understand why Johnny might head toward the mesa.
How did the narrator react when Johnny crawled into the hole, and what specific actions did the narrator take afterward? Give two examples from the text.
Describe how the narrator recognized the clay and explain why they thought it would be useful. Which lines from the passage support this idea?
What story does Grandmother tell about the woman who had been digging by the spring? How does Grandmother’s explanation change the narrator’s or Johnny’s understanding of the place?
How does the author show the difference between fear and courage in this passage? Use at least two examples from the text (one that shows fear and one that shows courage).
Part 6 Reading Questions
Why did Grandmother paint a line all around the top of the bowl with one gap in it? Explain what the text says about the purpose of that gap.
Describe how the bowl was fired (baked). What materials and precautions does the text say they used to make sure the pots would not crack or be smudged?
Toward the end of the passage, the narrator reflects on the girl who visited and on the bowl they keep. What feelings or ideas about home and belonging does the narrator express?
Part 7 Reading Questions
The Spider, The Cave, and the Pottery Bowl
Megan Cortese
Created on October 29, 2025
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Transcript
The Spider, The Cave, and the Pottery Bowl
Part 1 - Vocabulary
Part 1 Reading Questions
What does the author mean when she says her name is "One Who Dips Water"? How does this name connect to her culture?
Describe the village where Kate's grandmother lives. What are some features of the village that make it special?
How does the absence of Kate's mother during this summer affect her feelings and responsibilities?
What challenges do the people living on the mesa face, according to the text? Why do some families choose to move away?
What changes does Kate notice in her grandmother when she arrives at the mesa? How do these changes impact Kate?
Her name means "One who dips water" but at school she goes by Kate
Kate, her brother, and her father have just arrived at her Grandmothers house.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Kate's brother
Johnny
Setting
Title
Grandma
Main Character
What do we know about Kate's Grandma?
Who is Johnny?
Write a brief description here
What is the setting of Part 1?
What is the name of the main character?
Part 2 - Vocabulary
What were Grandmother's reasons for not making pottery? How did the narrator react to this information?
How did the narrator feel about the tourists visiting their home compared to previous years?
How does Louisa's comment about Grandmother's fall contribute to the narrator's feelings of fear and responsibility?
What does the narrator mean when she says, "I did not want to understand, but I did anyway"?
Part 2 Reading Questions
Part 3 - Vocabulary
Part 4 Reading Questions
What details from Grandmother’s stories make the Spider Woman seem important to the people?
After the bowl was broken, how did Grandmother react and what did she ask the children to do? Explain how this reaction reveals something about Grandmother’s character.
According to the texts, why did the narrator think Johnny might have run away after the burro got out?
The narrator has a dream about a spider and then checks the shelf for the bowl. What do these events show about the narrator’s feelings or concerns?
Part 5 Reading Questions
What evidence from the text shows that Grandmother is not angry about the broken bowl?
How does the narrator prepare before going to look for Johnny and the burro? List the steps the narrator takes.
Explain why Johnny might want to find the Spider Woman’s house. What does this explain about Johnny’s thinking? How is this connected to Grandmother’s stories?
Compare the two places described in the story: the village and the mesa. Give two details from the text that show how these places are different. Explain how those details help you understand why Johnny might head toward the mesa.
How did the narrator react when Johnny crawled into the hole, and what specific actions did the narrator take afterward? Give two examples from the text.
Describe how the narrator recognized the clay and explain why they thought it would be useful. Which lines from the passage support this idea?
What story does Grandmother tell about the woman who had been digging by the spring? How does Grandmother’s explanation change the narrator’s or Johnny’s understanding of the place?
How does the author show the difference between fear and courage in this passage? Use at least two examples from the text (one that shows fear and one that shows courage).
Part 6 Reading Questions
Why did Grandmother paint a line all around the top of the bowl with one gap in it? Explain what the text says about the purpose of that gap.
Describe how the bowl was fired (baked). What materials and precautions does the text say they used to make sure the pots would not crack or be smudged?
Toward the end of the passage, the narrator reflects on the girl who visited and on the bowl they keep. What feelings or ideas about home and belonging does the narrator express?
Part 7 Reading Questions