Storyworks

“How to Achieve Your Dreams”

“Hunting a Killer”

  1. Why has the number of grizzly bears in the U.S. decreased over the past century? How does this affect the way we treat them today? (text evidence)
  2. Why is there a bear justice system in the U.S.? (main idea)
  3. What clues led investigators to conclude that the Wapiti sow committed the August 26, 2011, “crime”? (text evidence)
  4. Do you agree with Gunther’s decision to put down the Wapiti sow? Why or why not? (evaluating solutions)
  5. What problems are monkeys causing in Delhi? Why are these problems difficult to solve? (problem and solution)

“Good Enough”

  1. At the beginning of the story, what is Dori trying to hide? Why? What does this tell you about the conflict she feels within herself? (character)
  2. Dori immediately regrets telling her mom that she wants an Orion shirt. Why? (inference)
  3. Why is an Orion shirt important to Dori? Find a line in the story that shows this. (text evidence)
  4. What is the climax, or turning point, of the story – the point where Dori makes a big change? (plot)
  5. What causes Dori to change? (character)

“The Hunt for Medusa’s Head”

  1. What does the King want from Danae in Scene 1? How does Perseus respond? What does this tell you about the King? About Perseus? (character)
  2. Why does the King send Perseus to cut off Medusa’s head? (plot)\
  3. How do Athena and Hermes help Perseus? How do the nymphs help him? Why do you think the y do this? (theme)
  4. How does Perseus get the Gray Sisters to tell him how to find Medusa? What does this reveal about him? (inference)
  5. Which characters have died by the end of the play? What did they have in common? (theme)

“Frankenstein”

  1. What do you think is the author’s purpose in each piece? (author’s purpose)\
  2. What caused the creature to become a “true monster”? (main idea)
  3. Why does the article say the monster would be happy to see people flocking to his movies? (inference)
  4. What details in the poem show that the character is like Frankenstein? (text evidence)

“Fossils”

  1. What examples does the poem provide of things that have become fossils? (details)
  2. What happened to the forests and the mammoth? (details)
  3. The poet compares fossils to stories. Which words in the poem evoke stories? (word choice)
  4. In what way is a fossil like a story? (main idea)

Storyworks

“Books, Books, Books, Books”

“The Race Against Death”

  1. Why was Dr. Curtis concerned with he did not receive his supply of diphtheria medicine? Do you think he would be as concerned today? Why or why not? (inference)
  2. Why was transportation to Nome during the winter in 1925 nearly impossible? (text evidence)
  3. Summarize in one or two sentences how the diphtheria medicine got from Nenana to Nome. (summarizing)
  4. The mushers and sled dogs transported the medicine in even less time that officials had hoped. What does this tell you about the mushers and dogs? (inference)
  5. What problem did Gunnar Kaasen encounter? How did he overcome it? (problem and solution)

“Parker the Pitcher”

  1. What details tell you how Leo feels at the beginning of the story? How does this affect how you feel about him? (character/perspective)
  2. What makes Leo worry about facing Parker? Do you think his fear is justified? (expressing opinion)
  3. Why does Parker frown and shake her head? What does this tell you about her perspective, or way of seeing the events? (perspective)
  4. Leo feels great when he gets hit and everyone cheers for him. Does knowing his feeling make you feel happy for him? Explain. (perspective)
  5. Why does Leo think Parker hit him on purpose? What does he realize in the end? If he faced Parker again in a future game, do you think he would have the same concerns as in this game? (drawing conclusions)

“The Secret Soldier”

  1. The town crier reads the Declaration of Independence. In your own words, what does the excerpt in the play mean? (interpreting text)
  2. What is Deborah’s life like when she hears the Declaration of Independence? How do the words affect her? (character)
  3. Why does Deborah enlist in the army? What traits does she show in Scene 3? (character’s motivation)
  4. Why doesn’t Deborah tell the French surgeon about her leg wound? (character’s motivation)
  5. How does General Patterson react to the news that Deborah is a girl? Why does he react this way? (inference)

“Goat Cheese and Big Macs”

  1. Why has McDonald’s altered its menu in France and other countries? (main idea)
  2. Aside from the food, how are meals in France different from those in the U.S.? (compare and contrast)
  3. Why are some people opposed to having McDonald’s in France? (text evidence)
  4. If you went to France, would you rather try the French food descried in the article or eat at McDonald’s? Explain. (critical thinking)

“Election Day”

  1. What does this poem mainly describe? (main idea)
  2. How can you tell that the narrator considers voting important? (inference)
  3. What does “your voice is heard without a word” mean? (interpreting words and phrases)