Seventh-Grade Weirdo Ch. 7-12 Rising action

Answer all questions on complete sentences unless fill-in-

the-blank or multiple choice.

Ch. 7: focus: characterization, foreshadowing

1. The members of the history group are: _________________,

____________________, ___________________, ____________________

2. Who is chosen to be the leader? _______________________________

3. Circle the letter of any statements below that are examples of foreshadowing.

A. “Winnie became the mouse character Mrs. Frisby and tried to organize the other

kindergarteners into a revolutionary group called the Rats of NIMH.” (58)

B. “The Shark was going to get me. I just didn’t know when. Or how…” (59)

C. “Death to the seventh-grade Weirdo” (63)

D. “We still couldn’t believe The Shark was in our group. We turned our desks to face

him. He didn’t look at us." (51)

4. From the conversation about Career Day between Rob and Mr. Wesley on pg. 51,

you can conclude that

A. Rob is very forgetful.

B. Rob does not want his dad to speak at Career Day.

C. Rob’s dad will not want to speak at Career Day.

D. Mr. Wesley is mad at Rob for not asking his dad.

5. When The Shark says: “When I commit to something, I never let it go. He stared

right into my eyes and smiled,” (54) you can infer that…

A. The Shark still plans on getting back at Rob

B. Rob thinks that everything will be ok between them

C. The Shark plans to work harder on the group project so he won’t fail again

D. Rob and The Shark will become friends

SENTENCES

Every sentence must have a subject and a verb.

The SUBJECT is a noun or pronoun that tells who or what the sentence is about.

The VERB tells what the subject of the sentence is doing (action) or is like (linking).

Example: After school, Logan’s mom took us home (37).

Sentence is about? mom = subject of the sentence

What did mom do? took = verb of the sentence

Example: My father is a nerd (40).

Sentence is about? father = subject of the sentence.

What is dad like? nerd

What links father to nerd? is = verb of the sentence

Remember common linking verbs are: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, seem

Underline the subject of each sentence once and the verb twice.

1. At school, things went ok (50).

2. She was like a bruise (50).

3. I knew better (51).

4. Mr. Wesley clapped his hands (51).

5. Gabriela Vasquez dragged her desk over between Logan’s and mine (51).

6. The Shark was in our group (51).

7. Logan obviously wanted to impress her (52).

8. Logan’s shirt had a green slimey Gila monster on the front (52).

9. But it was a good idea (53).

10. The Shark shaded them with heavy, black strokes (53).

Ch. 8

focus: external conflict, internal conflict,

complication

1. Which is NOT an example of internal conflict?

A. “It felt like a gym sock had been stuffed down my throat” (57).

B. ‘My hands were trembling” (57).

C. “My stomach clenched tight as my teeth” (57).

D. “I snapped the ball with ferocious speed” (57).

2. Why does Rob have to run laps?

3. What does Rob discover when he steps out of the shower? (complication)

4. Who helps Rob? _____________________

How?

5. What are pages 60 – 64 mainly about? (main idea)

A. Rob getting help from Jenner to avoid The Shark.

B. Rob running into a gym full of girls wearing only a towel.

C. all the many and embarrassing complications Rob faces after his clothes are stolen.

D. Rob being frightened that The Shark would find him.

7. What is the best summary for Ch. 8?

A. After tackling The Shark, Rob is ordered to run laps as punishment and then finds that his clothes are

missing.

B. Rob’s locker was vandalized leaving him without any clothes, so he runs through the gym looking for

help. He barely avoids The Shark by hiding in an empty room.

C. After being punished for tackling The Shark, Rob discovers that his clothes have been stolen. He looks

for help in the gym and finally finds Jenner who gets him clothes so he can go home.

D. Jenner sends The Shark away from where Rob is hiding. She gets him clothes from the lost and found

so he can go home.

COMPOUND SUBJECTS AND VERBS

Every sentence must have a subject and a verb.

The SUBJECT is a noun or pronoun and tells who or what the sentence is about.

The VERB tells what the subject of the sentence is doing (action) or is like (linking).

Sometimes a sentence can have more than one subject --compound subject-- joined with

a conjunction. (Remember FANBOYS? for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

Example: Logan and I glanced at each other and sighed (51).

Sentence is about? Logan and I = subjects of the sentence

Sometimes a sentence can have more than one verb-- compound verb—joined with a

conjunction.

Example: Logan and I glanced at each other and sighed (51).

Sentence is about? Logan and I = subjects of the sentence

What did they do? glanced and sighed = verbs of the sentence

Underline the subject(s) of each sentence once and the verb(s) twice.

1. We trotted out onto the field and lined up for the kickoff (56).

2. I finished my shoes and straightened (57).

3. Logan and his dad would be waiting for me in the parking lot (60).

4. Somebody was still around (60).

5. I hobbled down the hall and pushed open the gym doors (61).

6. I smashed it shut behind me, locked it, and turned around (61).

7. She flicked off the switch, put the film in its can, and pushed the projector toward

the door (62).

8. I unlocked the door and opened it a crack (63).

9. Your dad and I went to school together (28).

10. The Shark and his cronies hooted (46).

Ch. 9

focus: characterization, complication, simile

1. What sentence supports the idea that Rob and Logan are good business men?

A. Logan had been cleaning his family’s pool for years.

B. We can brush, vacuum, and check the chemicals of six pools and still have time to go

skateboarding by late afternoon.

C. We both wore sunglasses and our THOSE POOL GUYS T-shirts.

D. Twenty minutes later, we arrived at Mrs. Thomas’s house.

2. Who is the new customer? _________________________

3. What new information do you learn about Jenner? (characterization)

4. What is Rob’s biggest conflict in this chapter?

A. He really likes Jenner and wants her to spend time with her but worries that it will be a

problem since she is an 8th grader

B. He falls in the pool and is wet and cold

C. He argues with Logan about Gabriela

D. Getting enough pools to clean so he and Logan to stay in business.

5. Which is the best summary of this chapter?

A. Rob and Logan discover that their new customer is Jenner’s mom. While cleaning

the pool Rob falls in and as he dries out, he talks to Jenner and likes her even more

than before.

B. Rob and Logan go to clean Jenner’s pool. Logan knocks Rob into the icy, cold water.

C. After falling into the pool, Rob dries out in Jenner’s room and learns that she loves

photography.

D. Jenner offers to get Rob a towel after he falls into the pool. As they are talking, she

offers to help his group with their history project.

VERB PHRASES

The verb of a sentence may consist of the main verb and one or more helping verbs. All

the verbs in the sentence make up the verb phrase.

Helping Verbs

May be Mr. Do Should Have a Will

may

might

must

be

being

been

am

are

is

was

were

do

does

did

should

could

would

have

had

has

will

can

shall

Example: Logan and his dad would be waiting for me in the parking lot.

Would and be are the helping verbs and waiting is the main verb.

Underline the subject once and the verb phrases twice in the following sentences.

1. Logan had been cleaning his family’s pool for years (65).

2. I must have sounded really confused (68).

3. I can go home like this (70).

4. The walls were completely covered with movie posters (71).

5. Your parents must like Winnie-the-Pooh (72).

6. It would look very professional (73).

7. Our knees were touching in one tiny, little spot (74).

8. And, I could smell Jenner’s hair (74).

9. The palm I would never, ever wash again (74).

Chapter 10

Focus: characterization, complication,

external conflict, internal conflict

1. Why does Rob want his mom to move the Heffalump? (internal conflict)

2. When Rob tries to take a shower, what is in it? _____________________

3. Who comes to the group’s meeting besides the four members? ________________

Why?

4. Look at the diagram.

?

What goes in the blank? (main idea)

A. Winnie pretending to be Sarah Sylvia Cynthia Stout

B. Winnie’s day in kindergarten

C. A new game Winnie created

D. Winnie pretending to be King Bidgood

Laughing, singing,

splashing, and fishing

Wearing Dad’s rubber

fishing boots

Had an aluminum crown

on her head

5. How is this chapter a complication for Rob?

SENTENCES AND FRAGMENTS

A sentence has a subject, verb, and expresses a complete thought.

A fragment is missing a subject, verb, or does not express a complete thought.

Sentence: I sprinted to the parking lot (64). Subject, verb, and complete thought.

Fragment: A very tiny washcloth (60). No verb and not a complete thought.

Giggles, snickers, pointing fingers (61). No subject and not a complete thought.

Identify the following groups of words as a sentence or fragment.

Write F on the line if a fragment and S on the line if a sentence.

_____1. And not one mention of you (3).

_____2. Cookbooks, travel books, cereal boxes, encyclopedias (10).

_____ 3. On with my first day of junior high (11).

_____ 4. The phone rang (12).

_____ 5. Then my luck ran out (25).

_____ 6. Then past me (26).

_____ 7. Weirder than anything else that happened that day (33).

_____ 8. The Shark. And two of his cronies (44).

_____ 9. That evil smile (54).

_____ 10. We call ourselves Those Pool Guys (66).

Ch. 11

Focus: characterization, internal conflict

1. What happens the day after the meeting?

2. What does Logan deliver to Rob?

3. Read the following dictionary definitions for the word ploy.

1. a maneuver or stratagy, as in conversation, to

gain the advantage.

2. to move (troops) from a line into a column.

3. to move from a line into a column

Which definition represents the meaning of ploy as used on pg. 86?

A. Definition 1

B. Definition 2

C. Definition 3

4. What happens during the meeting between Jenner and Rob?

5. The mood (feeling) of the chapter changes from –

A. hopeful to hopeless

B. happy to upset

C. angry to happy

D. relieved to worried

6. From Logan’s conversation with Rob you can conclude that

A. Logan agrees with Rob that he should give up and stay home

B. Rob wants to go to school and confront The Shark

C. Logan doesn’t approve of the friendship between Rob and Jenner

D. Logan wants Rob to quit being a wimp and stand up for himself against The Shark

1. Find and copy a sentence from Ch. 11 that has a compound subject.

_____________________________________________________________

2. Find and copy a sentence from Ch. 11 that has a compound verb.

________________________________________________________________

3. Find and copy a sentence from Ch. 11 that has a verb phrase.

_____________________________________________________________________________

4. Find and copy a fragment from Ch. 11.

______________________________________________________________

Ch. 12

Focus: characterization, internal conflict

1. Cause and Effect: there were many effects. List three.

Cause Effect:

The Shark told everyone at

school about Winnie in the

bathtub.

2. What is the “deal” The Shark offers Rob?

3. What does Rob think about this “deal”?

This is an example of _______________ _________________ (literary term)

4. What has Rob’s parents so concerned?

5. What has Winnie been doing in her room after school?

6. Read the section below from pg. 98

This shows Rob’s

A. love of his sister

B. dislike of his sister

C. conflict

D. all of the above

7. What was unusual about Winnie’s conversation in this chapter?

8. What is the best summary for this chapter?

A. Rob returns to school and is teased by the other students who heard the story of Winnie

in the bathtub. They sing songs, put soap on his desk, and even bubble bath in the

swimming pool!

B. Rob returns to school and is teased by the students and he blames Winnie for all his

troubles. The Shark offers Rob a deal to stop the harassment, and Rob is very tempted

by the offer.

C. The Shark offers Rob a deal that if he will do all The Shark’s work on the history project,

the harassment will stop. Rob is tempted to take the deal. Meanwhile, Rob and Winnie

pretend everything is fine between them.

D. Rob is angry about being teased by the kids at school and blames Winnie for all his

troubles. He seriously considers the deal offered by The Shark, and when questioned by

Mom and Dad about why he and Winnie aren’t talking, he pretends that everything is

fine between them.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES

Prepositional phrases add description, detail, and clarity to writing.

Which is clearer?

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with

a noun or pronoun.

Example: I jammed my hands into my pockets and stared at the floor (91).

preposition noun preposition noun

Underline the prepositional phrases in the following sentences.

1. On Thursday, when I went into Wesley’s class, a giant box waited for me on my desk

(93).

2. The box was filled with bars of deodorant soap (94).

3. We sat on the parking lot curb, waiting for his dad (94).

4. The Shark was cruising his bike directly toward us (95).

5. The Shark picked an imaginary piece of lint off his shirt (95).

6. I thought about The Shark’s offer (96).

7. She and I stared at each other for a second, but didn’t say anything (97).

8. All you’ve done is sit in your room after school, cutting little pieces of paper, and gluing

them onto that perfectly good Monopoly game (98).

9. Everything’s fine with Rob and me (99).

10. Winnie had spoken in her own voice (100).

I tore, threw, grabbed my skateboard,

and sneaked out. Logan stood,

grinning (90).

I tore off my pajamas, threw on some

clothes, grabbed my skateboard, and

sneaked out of the house. Logan stood

in the driveway, grinning at me.