Life As We Knew It

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-5

Reading Check

1. What does Miranda get into an argument about with her mother?

2. What was the mood in Miranda’s neighborhood before the meteor hit the moon?

3. What is Miranda’s mother more concerned about as summer starts?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How are Miranda’s two best friends growing apart?

2. Explain what happened to the moon after the meteor hit it.

3. Why was Miranda happy that school was not closed?

4. What rumors did Miranda and Jonny hear while waiting in line for pizza?

Paired Resource

“How Does the Moon Affect the Earth?”

• This nonfiction article from the Institute of Physics discusses what would happen if the moon disappeared.
• This topic connects to the theme of Survival.
• Now that we have discussed a real-life version of the moon’s effects on the Earth, do you think Pfeffer has done a realistic job of describing what is happening to the Earth and its inhabitants in the book? Cite text evidence to support your answer.

“What the Moon Would Look Like Closer to Earth”

• This is a short video from the Weather Channel illustrating what the moon would be like if it were the same distance as the International Space Station.
• This topic connects to the theme of Survival.
• Miranda discusses how terrifying the moon looks when it’s so close to Earth. Do you agree with her assessment? Why or why not?

Chapters 6-10

Reading Check

1. What does Peter suggest Miranda’s family should start using, if possible?

2. What caused Miranda’s family’s sleeping pattern to change?

3. How many schools has the city of Howell decided to open for the upcoming school year?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why was Miranda’s mother mad at her when she returned from swimming at Miller’s Pond?

2. List two things that Miranda hopes her dad will have available in Springfield.

3. Describe all the changes in the weather since the moon moved closer.

4. Why does Megan ask Miranda not to visit anymore?

Paired Resource

“What Is Climate Change? A Really Simple Guide”

• This is a BBC article that can be used to draw comparisons between the real world and the book.
• The characters in the book are forced to make sacrifices for Survival. The article ends with a list of things individuals can do to limit the impact of climate change today. What, if any, sacrifices are you willing to make in order to decrease the negative effects of climate change?

Chapters 11-15

Reading Check

1. Where did the kids at school say the president and US government moved to?

2. What does Miranda find (and devour) in the pantry?

3. How long does Miranda wait outside of the hospital?

4. Where do they plan to get water from when their well runs dry?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Mrs. Nesbitt insist on staying in her own house?

2. Why does Miranda’s family have a better chance of survival if they stay home?

3. How does Miranda’s world keep getting smaller and smaller?

Paired Resource

“Perhaps the World Ends Here”

• In her poem, Joy Harjo utilizes a kitchen table as a symbol for where life’s most notable events take place.
• The themes in the poem connect to the novel’s themes of Faith, Love, Survival, and Maturity.
• Compare and contrast the table in the poem with the table Miranda’s family eats on. What do the tables in each piece symbolize as metaphors? How do they each contribute to themes of Faith, Love, Survival, and Maturity similarly and or differently?

Chapters 16-17

Reading Check

1. How did Mrs. Nesbitt die?

2. What did Miranda do when she realized there was running water?

3. How much does Amanda weigh?

4. What causes Matt to return home from the post office late?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How did Miranda know she was not ready to die?

2. Why was Matt so happy to receive the letter from his dad even if it did not have any updated news?

3. What kind of new problems has the blizzard caused Miranda’s family?

Chapters 18-21

Reading Check

1. How does Mom describe the noise they made while caroling the previous night?

2. When Miranda arrives at the hospital, what does she discover about Peter?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What kinds of things does Miranda say she never knew?

2. How does Miranda’s reasoning for learning to ski differ from Matt’s?

3. What was the best news about the radio working?

Recommended Next Reads 

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

• This is a compelling story of survival based on a German boy who meets a blind girl in occupied France as they both are trying to endure the devastation of World War II.
• All the Light We Cannot See on SuperSummary

The Dead and Gone by Susan Pfeffer

• The sequel to Life As We Knew It follows the journey of Alex Morales and his sisters as they try to navigate life after the moon disaster without their parents.
• The Dead and Gone at SuperSummary