Unit 3 Story 4: My Great-Grandmother S Gourd

Unit 3 Story 4: My Great-Grandmother’s Gourd

Questions:

1. On page 332 Ibrahim asks the villagers to imagine the changes in their lives with the new pump. How will the new pump change their everyday routine?

2. How was the old baobab tree the grandmother’s best friend? Page 334

3. Why is the grandmother so sad on page 336?

4. Grandmother was concerned that no one in the village worked to prepare the trees. Was she unwilling to change?

5. What does this statement mean to you? “For some people new ideas are like puddles on the clay: they never sink in.” Page 340

6. On page 340 the granddaughter starts to help her grandmother prepare the tree. What caused her to do this?

7. What might have happened to this village if the grandmother had not prepared her baobab tree?

8. Why is the baobab tree considered a gourd?

9. What lesson does the granddaughter learn about the importance of the tree to her family?

10. Are there traditions you do in your family that helps them to be prepared during difficult times?

Unit 3 Story 5: Zathura

Questions:

1. How does the outer space setting help this story?

2. How does the relationship between the two brothers change during the story?

3. Imagine that the scene on page 366 just happened in your house. How might you react?

4. On page 375 Walter tells Danny he is terrific. What caused Danny to think his irritating brother is terrific?

5. Read page 376. What words would you use to describe Danny? 6. This story is science fiction. What elements of the story could actually happen? Which elements are fiction?

7. How does your prior knowledge of “black holes” help you to understand the story better?

8. At the end of the story Walter finds himself back in the park. Why does he tell Danny not to play the game?

9. Which brother grows the most during the story – Walter or Danny?

10. How do the illustrations help you to understand this story?