Name: ______Date: ______
“School Play”- Study Guide
Background Information:
· In this story, 6th grade students perform a play about a group of settlers who try to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They were known as the Donner Party.
Plot Structure:
Exposition-
· Robert, the main character, is in the school play and must remember 2 lines: “Nothing’s wrong. I can see.”
· Belinda, also in the school play, is known as a bully and the toughest girl in school.
Rising Action-
· Robert has difficulty remembering his lines/not speaking loud enough during rehearsal.
· Belinda gets frustrated with Robert and threatens him if he messes up during the play.
Climax-
· Robert says his lines incorrectly during the play.
· Decides saying some of the words in the lines correctly was ok, even if it’s not perfect.
Falling Action-
· Robert continues performing in the play, giving it his all.
Resolution-
· Belinda only pinches Robert once; she felt he could’ve done worse.
· Robert is satisfied overall with his performance.
Vocabulary:
1. Prop- an object an actor uses in the play.
2. Smirk- to smile in an insulting way.
3. Relentless- refusing to stop or give up.
4. Narrative- a story.
Important details to remember:
Robert / Belinda· Experiences stage fright/anxiety preparing for play
· Thinks the day before the play is his lucky day because he found a dollar in the street and hit a home run at recess
· Very nervous on the day of the play
· Dream job is to have a “super great memory,” however, told his friend he would like to guard the president / · Intimidating, bullies people at school
· Belinda shows anger often-balls fists and warns Robert about messing up
· Very tough- “known to slap boys and grind their faces into the grass,” “stares down janitor’s pitbull”