Red Kayak

Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

ACTIVITY 1: “Going Crabbing”

A major subplot in Red Kayak involves the conflict between crabbers who make their living fishing the Chesapeake Bay and the delicacy of the region’s ecosystem. The bay is particularly known for its blue crabs, which you’ll learn more about in this activity.

Part A: Research the blue crab’s appearance, habitat, behavior, and significance to humans. Jot down notes as you go along, making sure the sources you’re using are reliable (schools or universities, libraries, museums, and government resources are all good places to start).

Part B: Using what you learned in Part A, create a short PowerPoint presentation about the blue crab and its relationship to humans.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity provides context for the novel and builds connections to other subjects (particularly science). Students who can’t or don’t want to use PowerPoint can instead present what they’ve learned using a poster.

ACTIVITY 2: “Q&A”

Just after Brady rescues Ben, a reporter interviews him for an article in the local newspaper. Brady later declines an interview discussing his friends’ involvement in Ben’s death, but imagine that you did, in fact, have the chance to talk to him about the novel’s events.

Part A: Come up with a list of 7-10 questions that you would like to ask Brady. These can range from questions about how he’s feeling to factual questions about how long he’s known Digger and J.T., how he learned about their involvement in Ben’s death, etc.—just make sure you include a variety of questions requiring more than a simple yes or no in response.

Part B: With a classmate, take turns “being” Brady and the person interviewing him. When it’s your turn as Brady, try to get inside the character’s head and answer as you think he would—not necessarily as you would.

Teaching Suggestion: Depending on the questions students come up with, this activity can serve as a refresher on key plot points or as an opportunity to think more deeply about Brady as a character (or, ideally, both). For example, a question about Brady’s feelings towards J.T. and Digger should elicit a complex response; his shock and anger exist alongside a sense of loyalty and shared experience. You may also choose to extend this activity by asking students to write up their classmates’ responses as a newspaper article.