Page 89 - SpringBoard_Writing_Workshop_Grade7_Flipbook

Writing Workshop 7 (continued)
My Notes
Well, forget it. I’m still a skinny little geek who can’t play sports.
But sometimes, when I’m lying in bed at night before I fall asleep, I roll this mental videotape I have of the time I kicked a basket in gym class. In my mind, I watch myself kick that basket over and over again.
I’ll bet every kid has at least one of those moments in his life when he did something really, really great, something really unexpected.
Close your eyes and think of that moment from time to time. Remember it just the way it happened. Never let that video fade away. Someday, forty years from now, when you’re lying in bed at night, you might want to replay it.
After Reading
When you have finished reading, respond to the questions below in the space provided. Be prepared to discuss your answers with your classmates.
4. What is the main focus of this narrative? How does Gutman’s conclusion help convey this to readers?
“I’ll bet every kid has at least one of those moments in his life when he did something really, really great, something really unexpected.” This line implies that the kick Gutman made into the basket allowed him to feel good about himself at a time when he often was subject to teasing. He now plays a “mental videotape” of the incident to remind himself of that moment.
5. Reread the title of the narrative. What is the significance of the title? What does this reveal about the significance of the event to Gutman?
Be sure students understand that the “videotape” is the mental memory of a crowning moment in Gutman’s childhood. It also dates the narrative.
6. What are some ways in which Gutman’s use of dialogue adds to the telling of his experience?
It shows how he is mocked by other students for being skinny; It captures the attitude of the characters in the scene; It shows his sense of triumph and confidence after his big kick.
7. What are two or three things the narrator does that engaged you as a reader?
He uses humor to downplay the pain of being awkwardly skinny; he includes specific details; he uses dialogue to capture the scenes; he focuses on a key incident that he describes vividly; he uses second-person to talk directly to the reader in the final paragraph.
Check Your Understanding
Explain one technique Gutman uses to engage his readers. Include several examples or quotes that show how he does this.
Sample response:
Gutman uses dialogue to help show why the event meant so much to him. He uses quotes to show how kids mocked his skinniness: “Did you hear
that Gutman disappeared? Yeah, he turned sideways.” When Gutman says to Edmund Fortuna, “Let’s see you and your Cons do that,” it reveals how proud he was of his unexpected accomplishment. He now replays his mental videotape because it was the day when he no longer had to be embarrassed.
4 SpringBoard® Writing Workshop with Grammar Activities Grade 7
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