Who is Frances Rain?

 

 

It's going to be a long, hot summer for 15-year-old Lizzie. Normally a vacation at her 
grandmother's northern Manitoba cottage is the highlight of the year, but this summer the whole 
family is going along, including her new stepfather whom she detests. To escape the family's 
bickering, Lizzie explores a nearby island, where she finds the remains of an old cabin and 
uncovers a pair of spectacles. When she tries on the old glasses she is surprised to find herself 
watching a woman and girl from the past. Lizzie is determined to find out who these ghosts are, 
and why they are appearing to her. Enlisting the help of her grandmother's teenage neighbour, 
Alex, she puts together clues about the ghosts' identities and in doing so, finds a way to help her 
estranged family reunite. It's a compelling story, carrying young readers from the present to the 
past and back again.

Students are riveted to the pages of this spellbinding book. There is a new twist to the plot in 
every page. 

Check out some of the pages of the novel study guide from F & D Teaching Aids:

Table of Contents

Learning Outcomes                                                 
Author Biography                                                     
Suggestions for Teaching And Learning 
Portfolio Cover 
Response Journal 
Vocabulary 
Comprehension Questions 
Creative Writing 
Word Study 
Integrated Studies 
Grammar 
Research 
Teacher Record Keeping Sheets 
Student Tracking Sheet 
Student Evaluation 
Answers 

Suggestions for Teaching and Learning


- Teachers should read the novel and this study guide before beginning any work on the 
novel in class.
- Do not expect the students to complete all the activities. Assign a minimum number in 
each category that must be completed, thus allowing the students a choice.
- Collect other novels by Margaret Buffie to display in the classroom. Some students may 
be interested in reading other works by this author.
- Work with the teacher-librarian to collect books and materials related to ghosts and 
prospecting for gold to display in the classroom.
- Comprehension questions can be assigned as written exercises or used as conferencing 
questions.
- Multiple copies of the novel should be available.
- Use the teacher record keeping sheets to record the exercises the students complete and 
how well they performed. 
- The student tracking sheet should be duplicated for each student so they can keep their 
own record.
- Duplicate the portfolio cover and the response journal page for each student.
- All work related to this novel could be kept in a folder. Students can decide at the end of 
the study which writings they want to put in their portfolios.
- The vocabulary lists can be used as spelling or for individual dictionary practice.
- Allow time in class for presentations.
- If students are not familiar with Readers' Theatre, devote a class or two to instruct them 
in how to perform a Readers' Theatre selection.
- Use the Response Log Ideas for students who are not sure how to respond in the 
Response Journal.
- Display all writings and artwork on a bulletin board either in the classroom or the 
hallway.


Comprehension Questions 

Chapter 30:

1. What was Gran's dream?

2. What did Alex and Lizzie decide to do about it?

3. What did they find?

4. Who was Frances Rain?


Creative Writing
Activity 3


We do not know what Gran is thinking throughout the course of the novel. Write three journal 
entries that she may have written at the beginning, in the middles and at the end of the novel.

Tell her thoughts about what was happening and what she planned to do about it.



Buy Now From CCNow as an ebook and have it emailed to you

Back to Grade 7 to 9