by Rodman Philbrick. NOTE:
Keep reading fun! It may be appropriate to simply have a student
complete the "learning log" for each chapter.
Chapter Two: Up from the Down Under
1. Learning Log
A. Give this chapter a new title. Consider what happened
and the feelings of the chapter.
B. Setting: Identify the setting of the chapter.
time ________________________________________
place (where important things happened, or the two locations
for this chapter) ______________________________________
C. In one or two sentences, summarize what happens in this
chapter, or draw an important scene from it. D. Questions:
Max meets several people in this chapter. Ask two questions
about these characters or what they will have to do with Max.
2. Picture it!
Draw the room where Max Lives.
Do this especially if you don't think you are good
at drawing. Use the words from the story to make a picture
in your mind of Max's bedroom. Pretend you are Max, "down
under." Look around "your" (Max's) room. What would you see?
Draw it, even if you have to write "this is a bed" next to
the bed. See how many details you can include and make up
at least one that would make sense based on what you already
know about Max.
What are two things Max likes about his room in the basement?
What is one thing he might want to change or add if he could?
3. Vocabulary
Complete the second set of exercises from the
Word Parts
exercises, or complete all the exercises for four other
words.
4. Signal words: Because/But
When you read "because," you are about to read the reason
for something. For example, "I got wet because it rained on
me."
Remember, "but" means you're about to read something that
contradicts or goes against what you just read, such as "It
is raining, but I did not get wet."
Complete these sentences so that they make sense.
Max's room in the basement was not fancy, but ___________________________________.
Max figured out that Gwen looked familiar because ________________________________________________
Freak's head was normal size, but _______________________________________
Max thought that Freak hated him, because Freak _________________________________
Gwen sent Kevin (Freak) to the back yard because ______________________________________
CONFLICT
Conflict is a struggle, a fight for or against something.
It's the part of the story that makes you want to know what's
going to happen -- how is that struggle going to end up? Four
common kinds of conflict are:
- conflict with another character
example: being in a swimming race with someone
- Conflict with nature or natural disasters
example: trying to climb mount Everest or survive a tornado
or a disease
- Conflict with self - feelings of fear, anger, self-doubt
example: having to speak in public but having stage fright
- Conflict with society or a social group - struggling with
written or unwritten rules, laws, customs.
example: not being a failure even when it is expected of
you, sticking up for someone unpopular
Make up your own examples for each kind of conflict; draw
or describe it:
Chapter Two Conflicts:
Max and Freak have a conflict at the end of this chapter.
Draw it or describe it.
For discussion: Why do you think Freak says "Then die, earthling,
die!"?
