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Elmer and the Dragon · Garden Heights Academy
Part 6
for Elmer and the Dragon · Part 6 · Chapters 7
a novel by Ruth Stiles Gannett
30 min5 Parts
This workbook is built on a solid pedagogical foundation, effectively integrating content and language learning based on the CLIL framework (Content and Language Integrated Learning), elevated by our unique 5th C — Connection — and an integrated Standardized Test section that weaves every SAT & TOEFL question type right into the novel, so learners build real test skills easily, naturally, and with fun.
What Happens in Part 6
At sunset, with all the canaries gathered, King Can XI finally shares his great secret: long ago, something was buried beneath his royal tree, and he has spent his whole life wondering what it is. That not-knowing is what fills every canary with their deadly curiosity. Then clever Elmer offers a wonderfully simple idea — why not just dig it up and find out? With the dragon’s strength to help, the great mystery may finally be solved.
What We Will Learn
Focus
What It Means
Plot
The secret revealed: something buried long ago
Problem & Solution
Elmer’s simple idea to solve the mystery
Theme
Curiosity and the wish to know
Chapter Summary
Chapter
Key Events
Ch.7
At sunset King Can reveals that something is buried beneath his tree; Elmer offers the simple idea of digging it up to solve the mystery
💭 Before You Read · Warm-Up (not scored)
There are no wrong answers here — just think, guess, and talk:
A whole island of birds has been stuck on a mystery for years — and a visiting boy solves it in one sentence: ‘why not just dig it up?’ Why can an outsider sometimes see a simple answer that everyone close to the problem misses?
The canaries were too busy worrying to think of the obvious plan. Has worrying ever stopped YOU from seeing an easy solution?
Predict: something has lain buried under the tree for ages. How do you think it ended up under the ground in the first place?
Copyright Notice
This is an independent study guide created by Garden Heights Academy to support reading comprehension and literary analysis. It contains original analysis questions and does not reproduce any text from the novel. Elmer and the Dragon is a work by Ruth Stiles Gannett. This guide is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by the author or any associated rights holders. Students should read the original book, available from libraries and booksellers.
Part 1
Vocabulary
Study 10 key words from Chapters 7, then answer each question.
🧠Knowledge Bank · Riddles and Clever Puzzles
Folklore · RiddlesThe canaries’ mystery is a kind of riddle — a puzzle hidden inside clever words. Riddles are very old. Long before books, people shared them in stories around the fire, and folktales are full of heroes who must solve one to win a prize. Many riddles are really counting puzzles, asking how many in a tricky way. To crack a riddle, you slow down, look for the real question behind the fancy words, and think step by step. The answer is often simpler than it first seems, and finding it can make you feel wonderfully clever.
secretn.Ch.7
Something kept hidden from others
“The king had guarded the secret for years.”
buriedadj.Ch.7
Hidden under the ground
“Something lay buried beneath the tree.”
beneathprep.Ch.7
Under or below
“The chest was beneath the royal tree.”
mysteryn.Ch.7
Something strange that is hard to explain
“The buried chest was a great mystery.”
solutionn.Ch.7
An answer that solves a problem
“Elmer thought of a simple solution.”
ancientadj.Ch.7
Very old; from long ago
“The secret was ancient, kept for years.”
eageradj.Ch.7
Very keen and excited to do something
“The birds were eager to know the truth.”
digv.Ch.7
To make a hole in the ground
“They could simply dig it up.”
suggestv.Ch.7
To offer an idea
“Elmer suggested they uncover the chest.”
patientadj.Ch.7
Able to wait calmly
“The canaries were no longer patient.”
ⓘ The vocabulary words in this list are selected to help you understand and complete this workbook. Some may not appear verbatim in the original novel.
1Something kept hidden from others is a ___.Ch.7
2True or False: Something “buried” is hidden under the ground.Ch.7
3The word “beneath” means ___.Ch.7
4True or False: Something “ancient” is brand new.Ch.7
5Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.7
Word choices:mysterysolutionpatientdig- some words will not be used
The buried chest was a great , but Elmer thought of a simple .
6True or False: Someone who is “eager” is keen and excited to do something.Ch.7
7To “suggest” means to ___.Ch.7
8True or False: To “dig” means to make a hole in the ground.Ch.7
9Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.7
Word choices:beneatheagerpatientsecret- some words will not be used
The treasure lay the tree, and the birds were to find out what it was.
10An answer that solves a problem is a ___.Ch.7
Part 2
Comprehension
How well do you understand Chapters 7?
🧠Knowledge Bank · Tracing the Reasons
Narrative Logic · Tracing the ReasonsThis part rewards readers who follow cause and effect. The canaries are unwell, and the reason is their endless worry over the secret — that worry is the cause, and their sadness is the effect. When the mystery is solved, that cause disappears, so the effect changes too, and joy returns. Keep tracing these links: because this happened, that followed. Words like because, so, and that is why help you spot them. Understanding what causes each feeling and event lets you truly follow the story, instead of just watching things happen for no clear reason.
1What is the king’s great secret?Ch.7
2How long has the king wondered about the secret?Ch.7
3What is Elmer’s simple idea?Ch.7
4True or False: The canaries’ deadly curiosity comes from not knowing what is buried.Ch.7
5Write the numbers 1–5 in the boxes to show the correct order of events in Part 6.Ch.7
King Can XI reveals that something is buried beneath his tree.
They prepare to solve the mystery at last.
Elmer suggests they simply dig it up.
The king admits he has wondered about it his whole life.
At sunset, all the canaries gather to hear the secret.
6True or False: Elmer’s idea is complicated and hard to do.Ch.7
7Where is the secret thing buried?Ch.7
8Why has no one solved the mystery before?Ch.7
9True or False: When do the canaries gather to hear the secret? At sunrise.Ch.7
10Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.Ch.7
Word choices:burieddigsingsail- some words will not be used
Something lay beneath the tree, so Elmer said they should simply it up.
Part 3
Literary Elements
Understanding HOW and WHY Ruth Stiles Gannett creates certain feelings across Chapters 7.
🧠Knowledge Bank · Setting a Knot and Untying It
Literary Craft · Problem & SolutionRuth Stiles Gannett builds her whole book from problems and solutions. Again and again a difficulty blocks the way, and a clever idea clears it. In this part, the canaries’ great problem finally meets its answer, and notice how neat and satisfying that fix feels. Writers plan this shape on purpose: a problem creates a question in your mind, and the solution rewards you when it arrives. The best solutions are surprising yet make perfect sense once you see them. As you read, enjoy how a story sets a knot and then unties it. This tidy pattern is the heartbeat of good storytelling.
📚 Literary Devices in This Part · definitions & examples
The problem is the buried secret that has troubled the canaries for years.The solution is Elmer’s simple idea: dig the chest up and look.A theme here is that cleverness and action can solve worries that seem impossible.
The questions below are mixed — not grouped by device. Decide which device each one is about.
1The buried mystery the canaries cannot solve is their —Ch.7
2A problem is a difficulty the characters must solve.Ch.7
3Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.7
Word choices:problemsolutioncontrastsetting- some words will not be used
The buried mystery troubling the canaries is their
Elmer’s simple idea to dig it up is the .
4Elmer’s plan to simply dig up the buried thing is the —Ch.7
5The solution is how a problem gets solved.Ch.7
6Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.7
Word choices:solutionproblemcontrastmood- some words will not be used
How the buried mystery gets fixed is the
The difficulty the canaries face is their .
7The gap between the canaries’ long puzzling and Elmer’s quick idea is a —Ch.7
8The buried mystery is the canaries’ main —Ch.7
9Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.7
Word choices:solutionproblemcontrastplot- some words will not be used
The difficulty the canaries face is their
Elmer’s clever fix is the .
10The contrast between the long mystery and Elmer’s easy fix mainly makes Elmer seem —Ch.7
Part 4
Think Deeper
Four deeper challenges — no single-word recall. Read, weigh the evidence, and reason it through.
🧠Knowledge Bank · The Itch to Know
Social-Emotional · CuriosityThe canaries are ruled by curiosity — a burning wish to know. Curiosity is a wonderful thing: it makes us ask questions, explore, and learn. But this story gently shows its other side, too. When you cannot stop worrying over one unanswered question, curiosity can steal your peace. The happy balance is to keep wondering while staying calm enough to think clearly. Elmer is curious, yet he uses his wondering to search and solve, not to fret. Ask questions, chase answers, enjoy the hunt — that is curiosity at its best. A lively, questioning mind is one of your finest tools, so guard your healthy curiosity.
1Claim: “The canaries’ trouble comes from a question they cannot answer.” — choose the two details that best prove it.Claim & Evidence
2Explains the canaries’ deadly curiosity, or just a detail of the scene? Tap each item to send it left or right.Sort into two
◄ Explains their curiosityJust a detail ►
3Match each cause to its result. For each cause, pick its result.Cause & Effect
Something was buried long ago→
The question has no answer→
The king has wondered all his life→
At sunset he shares the secret→
4Fill both blanks to complete the reasoning.Build the Argument
The canaries’ curiosity is ‘deadly’ because , which shows that .
Part 5
Standardized Test
Reference & Sentence Simplification — SAT & TOEFL-style practice
🎯 You already have the skills from the sections above — this is just a fun way to meet real SAT & TOEFL-style questions. Read the passage (the highlighted words are tested below), then answer the questions below. Tap an answer to select it, then tap it again to confirm — you can change your choice until you confirm.
When people find an ancient city hidden under the ground, a natural question follows: how did a whole town end up below the surface? The answer is slow and steady. Every year, wind carries in dust, rivers leave behind mud, and dead plants rot into a thin layer of dark soil. Each layer is tiny — often less than the thickness of a coin — but the layers never stop coming. Over hundreds of years, they accumulate until they cover old walls, roads, and forgotten treasures completely. Because the newest soil sits on top and the oldest lies deepest, the ground becomes a kind of calendar: dig down, and you travel back in time. This is why archaeologists work so slowly, brushing away one thin layer at a time so that nothing is disturbed out of order. A buried chest, then, is not really hiding — the patient earth simply tucked it in, one quiet year at a time, until someone thought to uncover it again.
Original passage written for Garden Heights — not a quotation from the novel.
1How does a whole town end up below the surface?TOEFL · Factual Information
2“Dust” in the passage is carried in by —SAT · Words in Context
3To “accumulate” is to —SAT · Words in Context
4In “they cover old walls,” the word “they” refers to —TOEFL · Reference
5Why is the ground called “a kind of calendar”?SAT · Inference
6Which sentence best keeps the essential meaning of: “Because the newest soil sits on top and the oldest lies deepest, the ground becomes a kind of calendar: dig down, and you travel back in time”?TOEFL · Sentence Simplification
7The passage suggests that if soil layers are — the buried record is muddled.SAT · Inference
8To “uncover” the chest is to —SAT · Words in Context
9This TOEFL task lists six sentences; choose the THREE that best capture the passage’s main ideas. The other three do not belong — they state minor details or ideas the passage does not present.TOEFL · Prose Summary
10The author ends “the patient earth simply tucked it in” mainly to —TOEFL · Rhetorical Purpose
Part 6 · Optional
Creative Writing
A bonus challenge to practice your English. Take your time and have fun with it.
About This Section
This writing task is optional and is not part of your auto-graded score. The feedback below checks only the basics — length, spelling, and grammar — not whether your ideas are right or wrong. It is meant for classroom discussion and creative practice, so feel free to use your imagination!
Writing Task — Part 6 “Buried Beneath the Tree”
Elmer learns that a mysterious something is buried under the king’s tree. Imagine you find a buried box or chest in your own yard. What do you think is inside, and how would you decide whether to open it? Write at least 40 words.
You can start with: “When my shovel hit something hard under the ground, my heart began to…”
0 / 40 words minimum
🗣 Teach It · Just for Fun (optional)
No right or wrong — close the screen and tell someone nearby what happened in this part. Can’t find anyone? Tell yourself out loud. The moment you teach it, you truly understand it.
Part 6 Complete!
You finished Chapters 7 of Elmer and the Dragon.
Here are your auto-graded results:
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points out of 100
Your Writing
Your writing was checked automatically for length, spelling, grammar, and whether you included the key parts of the scene. Scroll back to Part 5 anytime to read your feedback and improve your work.
Independent study guide by Garden Heights Academy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the author or any rights holders. Contains original analysis only; no text from the novel is reproduced.
