1a. Who doesn't touch the money for the passes in public?
2a. In what emotional state of being does the narrator say "only the very big" can be?
3a. How does the narrator describe Priscilla's move to get Monk in a hammerlock?
1b. What might be some reasons for this?
2b. What does the narrator mean by this?
3b. What does this description mean?
4a. Reread the story and make a list of the actions of Monk and his Kobras.
4b. Based on your listing, summarize the main characteristics of how Monk and his Kobras behave. How do you think most of the other students in the school would feel about this? How would you feel about it?
5a. How well does the author weave humor into this story? Support your answer with examples from the text.
5b. In your opinion, how would the story and its tone change if the humor were eliminated? Other than being entertaining, what might be the purpose of the humor in this story? How have you experienced humor being used in this way?
Character. Look back at the character chart you made as you read "Priscilla and the Wimps" and focus on the third section—that is, whether each character is one-dimensional or three-dimensional. Record those choices again in the space below and give your reasons for each choice, using evidence from the story.
Hyperbole. Identify the hyperboles in "Priscilla and the Wimps" that add humor.
1. For a newspaper advice column, write a response to a reader who is asking what to do when hassled by a gang at school.
2. As an extension to the story, write a telephone dialogue that Priscilla and Melvin might have had on the second day of the school's closing because of the icy blizzard.
Group Research: Individually, select one of the following four topics: 1) intimidation tactics, 2) gender bias, 3) school gangs, 4) weapons at school. Form groups of those who selected the same topic. Each group will research and compile factual data on its topic. Use fairly current resources from the library, the Internet, or both. Select a representative from each group to orally present their group's data to the class. As a class, expand on the data for each topic by raising questions and bringing up any additional data known about the topic. Research Log. Use this log to keep track of the sources you use, the information you find, and your reactions to what you learn.
Internet sources:
Books and print sources:
Notes:
Logging Information: Log. Imagine you are a middle school social studies teacher who is also serving as monitor in the school cafeteria. After about six weeks as monitor, you begin to notice glimpses of various studentsŐ facial expressions and behavior and to overhear snatches of conversations that cause you to worry that something might be wrong. As you begin to see a pattern, you suspect a certain small group of students could be intimidating other students. Then you notice similarly troublesome student interactions in your classroom, in the hallways, and on the school grounds, and you decide to inform the vice-principal. She requests that you prepare a log of what you've seen and heard that makes you suspicious. Write up such a log, listing what you've observed, who the students were, and the approximate date of each happening. Use this log to keep track of what you've observed, who the students were, and the approximate date of each happening.
Combining and Expanding Sentences. Read the Language Arts Survey 3.34, "Combining and Expanding Sentences." Then combine the following sentences in the space provided.
1. I held the cat. The cat purred.
2. Lisa wore a dress. The dress was black and white.
3. I mixed the batter. My sister poured it into the pan.
4. I read Macbeth. I read it slowly.
5. I saw a horror movie. The movie was gruesome.
6. Charmelle chose a skateboard that she liked. Her dad bought it.
7. Kay and Nate went to the deli. The deli is around the corner.
8. The teacher gave a lecture. The lecture was inspiring.
9. Sue went to the library. She walked to the library.
10. Do you prefer pizza? Do you prefer ice cream?
Verbs. Bar and slither are both verbs, or action words, from "Priscilla and the Wimps." Write sentences using the following verbs.
1. bar
2. slither
3. gallop
4. compose
5. mend
6. clang
7. create
8. race
9. laugh
10. dance
