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Bridge to Terabithia · Garden Heights Academy
Part 5
for Bridge to Terabithia · Part 5 · Chapters 9–10
a novel by Katherine Paterson
35 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 5
Spring brings heavy rains, and the creek below Terabithia swells into a frightening, rushing torrent. Jess is secretly afraid to swing across on the rope, but he is too proud to admit his fear to fearless Leslie, so they keep crossing. Then comes a perfect day: the music teacher Jess secretly adores, Miss Edmunds, invites him on a trip to the art galleries in Washington. Surrounded by real paintings, Jess is happier than he has ever been — but in his excitement he never thinks to invite Leslie to come along.
What We Will Learn
Focus
What It Means
Plot
The rising creek and Jess’s hidden fear; the museum trip
Character
Jess’s secret fear and his love of art
Foreshadowing
The dangerous, swollen creek
Chapter Summary
Chapter
Key Events
Ch.9
Spring rains swell the creek; Jess hides his growing fear of crossing to Terabithia
Ch.10
Miss Edmunds takes Jess to the art galleries in Washington for a perfect day
💭 Before You Read · Warm-Up (not scored)
There are no wrong answers here — just think, guess, and talk:
Have you ever hidden a fear so you would not look scared? What happened?
Describe the first time you saw something REAL that you had only seen in pictures. Was it different?
Jess goes on a wonderful trip — and does not think to invite Leslie. Predict: will this matter?
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. Bridge to Terabithia is a work by Katherine Paterson. 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 9–10, then answer each question.
🧠Knowledge Bank · When Creeks Flood
Lexicology · When Creeks Flood
Heavy spring rain can make a small creek swell into a fast, deadly torrent in just hours — this is called flooding. Floodwater is far stronger than it looks and can sweep a person off their feet. The story keeps reminding us that the creek is rising and dangerous, so readers sense that crossing it has become a real risk. Jess dreads the rising creek, and his body is doing something real: fear trips the brain’s alarm, flooding the body to freeze or flee. The story is honest that courage is not the absence of this fear but acting in spite of it — a battle Jess is still learning to fight. The plot centers on the rising creek and Jess’s hidden fear; the museum trip.
The terms carry feeling as well as literal connotation.
torrentn.Ch.9
A violent, fast-rushing stream
“The creek became a roaring torrent.”
dreadn.Ch.9
Fear of something to come
“Jess felt dread at the rope.”
concealv.Ch.9
To hide something
“He tried to conceal his fear.”
currentn.Ch.9
The flow of moving water
“The current grew strong and fast.”
masterpiecen.Ch.10
A great work of art
“Jess gazed at every masterpiece.”
inspirev.Ch.10
To fill with the urge to create
“The paintings inspired him.”
galleryn.Ch.10
A place where art is displayed
“They wandered the art gallery.”
reluctantadj.Ch.9
Unwilling to do something
“He was reluctant to cross.”
swellv.Ch.9
To grow larger
“The rains made the creek swell.”
ashamedadj.Ch.9
Embarrassed by a fault
“Jess was ashamed of his fear.”
ⓘ 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.
1A violent, fast-rushing stream of water is a ___.Ch.9
2True or False: To “conceal” something is to show it openly.Ch.9
3A great work of art is a ___.Ch.10
4True or False: To “inspire” someone is to fill them with the urge to create.Ch.10
5Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.9
Word choices:torrentdreadconcealswell- some words will not be used
Heavy rain made the creek into a , and Jess tried to his fear.
6True or False: A “gallery” is a place where art is displayed.Ch.10
7Unwilling to do something means ___.Ch.9
8True or False: To feel “ashamed” is to feel proud and pleased.Ch.9
9Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.9–10
Word choices:dreadcurrentmasterpieceinspire- some words will not be used
The strong filled Jess with whenever he crossed.
10To fill someone with the wish to create is to ___.Ch.10
Part 2
Comprehension
How well do you understand Chapters 9–10?
🧠Knowledge Bank · A Hidden Fear and a Bright Day
Narrative Logic · A Hidden Fear and a Bright Day
Watch two things grow side by side: the danger of the swelling creek and Jess’s secret fear of it, set against the joy of his perfect day in Washington. The narrative reveals how the author keeps the creek ‘rising’ in the background even while Jess is happy — a quiet warning the reader should not miss. Chapter 9 covers Spring rains swell the creek; Jess hides his growing fear of crossing to Terabithia. Chapter 10 covers Miss Edmunds takes Jess to the art galleries in Washington for a perfect day. Spring brings heavy rains, and the creek below Terabithia swells into a frightening, rushing torrent. Jess is secretly afraid to swing across on the rope, but he is too proud to admit his fear to fearless Leslie, so they keep crossing.
Across the episode, details preserve narrative continuity.
1What happens to the creek in spring?Ch.9
2What does Jess secretly feel about crossing the creek?Ch.9
3Why does Jess not admit his fear to Leslie?Ch.9
4True or False: Miss Edmunds invites Jess to the art galleries in Washington.Ch.10
5Write the numbers 1–5 in the boxes to show the correct order of events in Part 5.Ch.9–10
Miss Edmunds invites Jess to Washington.
Jess hides his fear of crossing to Terabithia.
In his excitement, he never thinks to invite Leslie.
Spring rains make the creek swell and rush.
Jess spends a perfect day among real paintings.
6True or False: Jess has a wonderful, ‘perfect’ day at the galleries.Ch.10
7Who is Miss Edmunds?Ch.10
8What does Jess forget to do before his trip?Ch.10
9True or False: The swollen creek is shown to be genuinely dangerous.Ch.9
10Fill in the blanks.Ch.9–10
Word choices:raincreekgallerysnow- some words will not be used
Heavy swelled the until it was dangerous to cross.
Part 3
Literary Elements
Understanding HOW and WHY Katherine Paterson creates certain feelings across Chapters 9–10.
🧠Knowledge Bank · Foreshadowing Literary Technique
Paterson keeps mentioning the rising, dangerous creek and Jess’s dread — this is foreshadowing, planting hints of trouble to come. She also places a joyful ‘perfect day’ right before that trouble, so the contrast will make what follows hit even harder. Skilled writers prepare us without giving the surprise away. Landmark — the National Gallery: Jess’s day in Washington, D.C. among real masterpieces cracks his small world wide open. Science — flash floods: after heavy rain a calm creek can swell into a deadly torrent within hours — a real hill-country danger. Then comes a perfect day: the music teacher Jess secretly adores, Miss Edmunds, invites him on a trip to the art galleries in Washington. Surrounded by real paintings, Jess is happier than he has ever been — but in his excitement he never thinks to invite Leslie to come along.
Repeated details gather meaning as symbolism.
📚 Literary Devices in This Part · definitions & examples
The swelling creek and Jess’s dread are foreshadowing.Calling it a ‘perfect day’ may turn out to be ironic.The rising creek creates a tense, uneasy mood.
The questions below are mixed — not grouped by device. Decide which device each one is about.
1The swelling creek and Jess’s dread hint at trouble ahead — this is —Ch.9–10
2Foreshadowing gives hints about what will happen later.Ch.9–10
3Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.9–10
Word choices:foreshadowingironymoodsetting- some words will not be used
The rising creek and Jess’s dread hint at trouble — that is
The tense, uneasy feeling of these chapters is the .
4Calling this a ‘perfect day’ when trouble looms may be —Ch.9–10
5Mood is the feeling a scene gives the reader.Ch.9–10
6Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.9–10
Word choices:moodforeshadowingironyplot- some words will not be used
The tense, uneasy feeling of the rising creek is the
The swelling creek hinting at danger is .
7The tense, uneasy feeling of the swollen creek is the —Ch.9–10
8When words say the opposite of what turns out true, that is —Ch.9–10
9Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.9–10
Word choices:foreshadowingmoodironyplot- some words will not be used
Hints of coming danger are
The uneasy feeling of the scene is the .
10The uneasy mood and dark hints mainly make readers feel —Ch.9–10
Part 4
Think Deeper
Four deeper challenges — no single-word recall. Read, weigh the evidence, and reason it through.
🧠Knowledge Bank · Is It Brave to Admit Fear
Ethical Reasoning · Is It Brave to Admit Fear
Jess hides his fear of the creek so Leslie will not think him a coward. Ask yourself whether admitting fear is weak or actually wise and brave. Sometimes speaking up about danger — rather than hiding it — is the most courageous and sensible choice of all. Miss Edmunds takes Jess to the great art museums in Washington, D.C., where the national galleries are free to all. For the first time Jess stands before real masterpieces — huge, glowing paintings — and feels his own love of art come fully alive. The trip shows how powerfully art can move and inspire a person who has only ever drawn in secret. Art — originals vs reproductions: a painting seen in a book is postcard-sized; the real one can fill a wall and show every brushstroke.
Another person’s position broadens moral perspective.
1Claim: “Jess hides his fear of the rising creek out of pride.” — choose the two details that best prove it.Claim & Evidence
2Jess’s hidden fear, or the growing danger of the creek? Tap each item to send it left or right.Sort into two
◄ Jess’s hidden fearThe growing danger ►
3Match each cause to its result. For each cause, pick its result.Cause & Effect
Heavy spring rains fall→
Jess fears the dangerous crossing→
Jess is too proud to speak up→
The old rope stretches over rushing water→
4Fill both blanks to complete the reasoning.Build the Argument
Jess keeps his fear a secret because , which shows that .
Part 5
Standardized Test
Author’s Purpose & Text Structure — 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, then answer the questions below. Highlighted words are vocabulary to watch.
The first time visitors stand before a real painting, they often lower their voices. A famous work seen in a schoolbook is the size of a postcard; the original can fill a wall, close enough to show every ridge the artist’s brush left behind. That difference is why cities build art museums: places where a collection of true, physical works can meet the public face to face. A museum’s curator — the keeper of the collection — decides which works to display and how: what hangs beside what, how the light falls, and what story a room tells as you walk through it.
Many great museums charge no admission at all. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. has been free to every visitor since it opened in 1941, built on a simple idea: art belongs to everyone, not only to those who can pay. And for a child who has only ever seen pictures printed small and flat, a first museum day can quietly rearrange the world. Room after room proves that somewhere, people spend their whole lives making beautiful things — and that a person who loves to draw might one day belong among them.
Original passage written for Garden Heights — not a quotation from the novel.
1According to the passage, how does an original painting differ from one in a schoolbook?TOEFL · Factual Information
2The “original” of a painting is —SAT · Words in Context
3According to the passage, a museum mainly exists to —TOEFL · Factual Information
4A “curator” is —SAT · Words in Context
5To “display” a work is to —SAT · Words in Context
6What does the passage say about the National Gallery of Art?TOEFL · Factual Information
7The passage suggests that free museums mainly help make art —SAT · Inference
8The idea “art belongs to everyone” mainly explains why —SAT · Inference
9The passage is organized mainly as —SAT · Text Structure
10The final sentence suggests that a first museum day can —SAT · Inference
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 5 “A Day to Remember”
Jess has a ‘perfect day’ doing something he loves. Write about a perfect day of your own, real or imagined — where you would go, who you would be with, and why it would be special. Write at least 40 words.
You can start with: “My idea of a perfect day would be…”
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 5 Complete!
You finished Chapters 9–10 of Bridge to Terabithia.
Here are your auto-graded results:
-
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.
