If you’re looking for The Cay teaching ideas, Theodore Taylor’s classic World War II survival novel is a powerful choice for exploring friendship, prejudice, courage, and personal growth. Students are drawn into Phillip’s emotional journey as he learns to rely on Timothy, a man he initially mistrusts, and discovers strength he never knew he had. This post includes novel study samples and activities to support your unit.
⭐ About the Book
The Cay opens in February 1942 on the island of Curaçao, where Phillip Enright lives with his parents. German submarines threaten the Caribbean, and Phillip’s mother insists they return to Virginia. While traveling home, their ship is torpedoed. Phillip wakes up on a raft with Timothy, an older West Indian sailor, and Stew Cat. After drifting for days, they reach a small island surrounded by coral reefs, a place Timothy calls “the Devil’s Mouth.”
Shortly after arriving, Phillip loses his sight due to a head injury from the attack. Now completely dependent on Timothy, Phillip must confront his own prejudice and fear. Timothy teaches him how to navigate the island, find food, build shelter, and survive. As the two grow closer, Phillip learns that courage, kindness, and wisdom come in many forms.
Their relationship becomes the heart of the novel. Phillip’s blindness forces him to see Timothy — and himself — more clearly. The story explores themes of race, survival, trust, and the transformative power of friendship. Students are captivated by the suspense, the emotional depth, and the powerful lessons Phillip learns as he fights to survive and grow.
⭐ Book Details
| Publication Date | 1969 |
| Reading Level | Lexile 860L • Scholastic Guided Reading Level V |
| Interest Level | Grades 6–8 |
| Major Awards | 1970 Jane Addams Children's Book Award |
| Length | 105 pages (approx. 25,810 words) |
| Estimated Reading Time | About 1 hour and 43 minutes (at 250 words per minute) |
| Audiobook Length | 2 hours, 58 minutes |
| Genre | Historical fiction (young adult) |
| Setting | February 1942 • Island of Curaçao and a small cay in the Devil’s Mouth, Dutch West Indies |
| Point of View | First person, narrated by Phillip |
| Themes | Friendship • Overcoming Obstacles • Personal Growth • Race • Blindness |
| Memorable Quote | “I true tink beneath d'skin is all d'same.” |
| First Line | “Like silent, hungry sharks that swim in the darkness of the sea, the German submarines arrived in the middle of the night.” |
Activities for Your The Cay Novel Study
The Cay Novel Study Samples
This novel unit sample includes:
- Vocabulary Practice for Chapter 1
- Comprehension Questions for Chapter 1
- Constructed Response Question – Figurative Language
Make your unit memorial with these activities. They are both fun and a great learning experience.
Activity #1 ~ Story Elements PowerPoint
This 97-slide PowerPoint goes over definitions and examples students need to understand to complete the story map. Some topics include:
- character traits
- setting
- point of view
- types of conflict
- plot
The PowerPoint uses examples from books students in our school have read. The PowerPoint also has familiar characters such as Batman and Ebeneezer Scrooge.
You can adapt the PowerPoint to fit any novel.
Activity #2 ~ Prepositions PowerPoint
I like to begin my grammar unit with students identifying prepositional phrases. When students can isolate prepositional phrases, it is easier to break down the rest of the sentence.
This 23-slide PowerPoint includes six sentences related to The Cay. Students created the artwork. This makes a quick fun activity for students.
Activity #3 ~ Edible Octopus
When you tie food activities in with a novel study, students get excited.
This edible octopus is made from a hot dog with mustard eyes. It sits on a bed of shell pasta. The ‘shells’ are decorated with goldfish crackers.
Turn this activity into a writing lesson.
#1 – Have students write out the instructions for creating the dish.
#2 – Have students write descriptive paragraphs. These paragraphs include many adjectives including vivid imagery.
Activity #4 ~ Weaving
Students enjoyed this tie-in activity.
Timothy showed Phillip how to weave mats. We tried our hand at weaving. A simple loom was created from a disposable plastic plate. Students used yarn to create potholders. This simple project showed students what Phillip must be experiencing.
Activity #5 ~ Audiobook
Do you love to “hear” your books? YouTube offers a number of audiobooks.
Activity #6 ~ Movie
Have students watch the made-for-tv movie. This film starring James Earl Jones was created in 1974. It was filmed in the Cayman Islands. The film aired on NBC. It is approximately one hour in length. The film is a great adaptation of Taylor’s novel.
Watching movies based on books is a great way to encourage students to write compare and contrast essays. This handout contains charts and guiding questions to help students evaluate similarities and differences.
Activity #7 ~ On the Web
The Cay Teacher’s Guide from Penguin Random House — This guide includes several cross-curricular activities.
Storyboard That contains great map activities.
This packet from Story Telling World is fantastic! It contains 33 pages of activities and ideas.
CCP Interactive – This handout includes 6 activities.
Theodore Taylor Talks about his life. In this video. Taylor explains how he got the idea for writing The Cay. This 9-minute film makes a great hook activity for a novel study.
Are you looking for a word list? This page provides a long list of vocabulary words.
See the product that inspired this post.
The Cay Book Unit covers vocabulary, comprehension questions, constructed response writing, and skill practice.
