Ron Leduc
Have you ever boasted you could do something? Billy bragged he could eat 15 worms in fifteen days. Alan supplied the worms: the bigger, the juicier, and the better. The bet is won. Billy, Tom, and Joe have fun with the mini bike while Alan spends time working to pay off the bet.Reproducible chapter questions, plus comprehension questions, a story summary, author biography, creative and cross-curricular activities, complete with answer key.The novel is written by Thomas Rockwell.List of SkillsVocabulary Development1. Identify/create similes2. Locate descriptive words/phrases3. Use suffixes and prefixes4. Use capitals and punctuation5. Identify syllables6. Use adjectives and adverbs7. Use singular/plural nouns8. Use content clues and analogies9. Identify parts of speech10. Determine alphabetical order11. Use a dictionary12. Identify root wordsPlot Activities1. Identify the main ideas2. Determine the role of others in one’s personal growth3. Identify conflict in the story4. Interpret author’s intentions from plot twistsCharacter Activities1. Determine character traits2. Grasp something of the complexity of the human psyche3. Understand concepts such as perseverance, perception, and misbehavior4. Relate personal experiences5. Make inferences about characters outside the novel framework6. Identify characters’ motivationsCreative and Critical Thinking1. Research2. Brainstorm3. Write a letter4. Design technology5. Write a poem6. Identify poetic images7. Write descriptions of personal feelings8. Write a song10. Create a recipe9. Design a menu11. Create dialogue between characters12. Create a calendar Art Activities1. Design a set for a play and costumes2. Draw visual interpretations of textOverall Expectationspractice the major strategies used during the reading processdevelop their skills in reading, writing, and visual interpretationobtain practice and reinforcement in a variety of language skills required by curriculum expectations: reasoning and critical thinking, knowledge of language structure, vocabulary building, and use of conventionsfoster a love for readingimprove and develop their creativityidentify and describe elements of stories (plot, main idea, characters, setting)provide clear answers to questions and well-constructed explanationsorganize and classify information to clarify thinkinglearn about social conventions and taboos, and the importance of developing perseverance in the face of adversityrelate events and feelings found in the novel to their own lives and experiencesappreciate the importance of friendship and loyalty in personal relationshipsstate their own interpretation of a written work, using evidence from the work and from their own knowledge and experience
