Stargirl.pdf123

Teacher’s Guide Written by Rosemary Pillsbury Cover illustration copyright © 2000 by Alfred A. Knopf ISBN: 0-7862-7783-1 2 “Porcupine Necktie” Comprehension What life-changing event prompts Uncle Pete to give Leo the necktie and what did it look like? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 1 Comprehension 1. List fi ve attributes associated with Stargirl. _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 2 Vocabulary Pg. 16 scam a scheme to cheat or swindle by gaining the confi dence of the victims Pg. 17 marquee theatre entrance where the show running is advertised Pg. 17 hoax trick; deception; fraud Pg. 19 nonconformity behavior which shows a choice not to share in the common practices and beliefs Pg. 20 fl apper dress of the nonconforming women of the 1920’s Pg. 20 kimono Japanese-style dress consisting of a loose gown with wide sleeves and sash belt Comprehension 1. What rumor about Stargirl does Hillari Kimble start? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 3 2. How does the “moonlit hour” change Leo’s understanding of Stargirl? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 3 Vocabulary Pg. 24 balking hesitating; refusing to act Pg. 26 elusive hard to grasp, baffl ing Pg. 27 aviary cage for keeping birds Pg. 27 Tudorized in an architectural style having rounded arches and moldings and paneling Comprehension 1. How is Stargirl different from a butterfl y? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 4 Comprehension 1. What are Hillari Kimble’s three claims to fame? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 5 Vocabulary Pg. 35 converging coming together; meeting at a point 4 Comprehension 1. By Halloween, how do most Mica students feel about Stargirl? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 6 Vocabulary Pg. 40 blithely cheerfully Comprehension 1. When Stargirl sings “Happy Birthday” to Hillari Kimble but directs it through Kevin and Leo, how does she surprise Leo? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 7 Vocabulary Pg. 43 creodont extinct members of a suborder of fl esh-eating mammals having small brains Pg. 43 paleontologist one who studies prehistoric life through plant and animal fossils Pg. 44 proximity nearness Pg. 45 convened assembled; gathered Pg. 45 baffl ement confusion; frustration Pg. 46 confi rmation reaffi rmation; support of beliefs Pg. 47 Alpha Centauri the star nearest to planet Earth after the sun Pg. 47 Paleocene the epoch (of the Tertiary Period in the Cenozoic Era) which comes before the Eocene Pg. 49 Rara avis a “strange bird”; a unique or exceptional person 5 Comprehension 1. What is Archie’s relationship to Stargirl and why does he whisper “Rara avis”? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 8 Vocabulary Pg. 51 ovation outburst of applause Pg. 54 charade an act; a pretense Pg. 55 acclamation approval Comprehension 1. What does the quote “We honored her by imitation” mean? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 9 Vocabulary Pg. 56 empathies sharing in the feelings and emotions of others, as if having been through the same experiences Pg. 57 unshackled set free Pg. 57 liberation freedom Pg. 58 amorphous lacking form Pg. 58 collective individuals acting together as a whole Pg. 58 alma mater school from which one has graduated or which one attended Pg. 58 golden age period of great achievement or progress 6 Comprehension 1. Spinelli opens Chapter 9 with an extended metaphor to describe the changes Stargirl has initiated. An extended metaphor is a lengthy comparison of seemingly unlike things, without the use of the words like or as. To what are the Mica students compared? To what is Stargirl compared? How are their lives changed? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 2. As Chapter 9 closes, Archie foreshadows a change of events. Foreshadowing is hinting or warning about future events. Quote the statement that foreshadows change. _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 10 Vocabulary Pg. 59 elated joyful Pg. 62 banishing shutting out; excluding Comprehension 1. What three events show that people are beginning to mistrust Stargirl? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 7 Chapter 11 Vocabulary Pg. 66 mortifi ed humiliated; shamed Pg. 66 suppress crush; restrain; hold back Pg. 69 hapless unlucky Pg. 71 ego sense of self Comprehension 1. What dirty trick do her fellow cheerleaders play on Stargirl to punish her for cheering for the opponents as well as the Electrons? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 12 Vocabulary Pg. 74 inquisition tribunal; court of investigation Pg. 78 maestro a conductor of a musical performance Pg. 78 spiel a speech given to make a sale or promote a product Pg. 78 impromptu without rehearsal; spontaneous Comprehension 1. What two things happen in Chapter 12 that reverse the tables, making the jury and crew the victims of the Hot Seat rather than Stargirl? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 8 Chapter 13 Comprehension 1. When the jury turns into a mob and attacks Stargirl in the interview, they hint that she has betrayed three different groups or institutions. Which three and how? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 14 Vocabulary Pg. 91 cascade to fall in a connected series Pg. 91 hostility ill will; unfriendliness Pg. 95 volleys discharges of shots; series of shots Pg. 95 delusion false belief Pg. 96 defi ance challenge; resistance Comprehension 1. How is Stargirl’s cheering different from that of the other cheerleaders? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 15 Vocabulary Pg. 99 subdued controlled; diminished; held back Pg. 100 Eocene the second epoch of the Tertiary Period in the Cenozoic Era and the time when mammals became the dominant animals Pg. 101 annihilated crushed; destroyed 9 Comprehension 1. What is haunting Leo and how does he deal with his confusion? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 16 Vocabulary Pg. 105 adobe sun-dried brick or clay Comprehension 1. Leo thinks about Stargirl, “She was the opposite of cool; she held nothing back.” What does he mean? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 17 Vocabulary Pg. 114 enchanted charmed; under a magic spell; delightful Pg. 115 stalking following in a stealthy or hidden manner Pg. 115 smitten hard hit; strongly infl uenced Pg. 116 tendrils plant shoots, often supporting the spreading plant Pg. 118 promenade the hall of a great building; a parade route Pg. 123 serenity a calm, tranquil, peaceful state Pg. 124 cosmos the harmonious order of the universe 10 Comprehension 1. Using a metaphor (a comparison of seemingly unlike things, without the use of like or as), Leo describes his experience of fi rst love as follows: “In school I was a yellow balloon, smiling and lazy, fl oating above the classrooms.” Leo doesn’t fall out of love, but something defl ates his balloon. What is it? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 2. On page 121, Stargirl uses a simile to describe her experience after she erases her thoughts. A simile, like a metaphor, compares two seemingly unlike things. But a simile uses the words like or as. Quote the sentence with the simile. _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 18 Vocabulary Pg. 127 raucous loud; raucous Pg. 131 paranoid showing feelings of persecution Comprehension 1. Use these words in a short paragraph to describe the new feelings Leo is experiencing: avoided, paranoid, isolation. _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 11 Chapter 19 Vocabulary Pg. 132 shunning total avoidance and exclusion; shutting out; rejecting Pg. 132 excommunicated excluded; cut off; denied participation in the sacraments of the church Pg. 132 repents expresses regret about something done Pg. 136 predator an animal that lives by feeding on other animals Pg. 136 seducer someone who tempts another into evil behavior Pg. 137 derelict abandoned; deserted; homeless Pg. 137 dignitary a person of esteem; a person holding a high offi ce Comprehension 1. When Leo tells Archie how he and Stargirl are being shunned, Archie responds by whispering, “Poor dolphin. Caught in a tuna net.” Explain this metaphor. _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 20 Vocabulary Pg. 139 masochistic taking pleasure in being subjected to pain Pg. 141 revel take delight; celebrate; make merry Comprehension 1. What does Stargirl want to do when she grows up? _________________________________________________________________ 2. When and how did Stargirl fi rst become aware of Leo Borlock? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 12 Chapter 21 Vocabulary Pg. 149 facetiously sarcastically; jokingly Comprehension 1. What are three sources which inspire Stargirl’s seemingly random acts of kindness? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 22 Vocabulary Pg. 161 obsessed troubled; preoccupied Comprehension 1. What is the tally in Stargirl’s happy wagon? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 23 Comprehension 1. Why is Leo beginning to resent Stargirl? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 24 Vocabulary Pg. 172 badgered picked upon; bothered 13 Comprehension 1. In Chapter 24, what is Leo’s response to Stargirl’s banner professing her love? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 25 Vocabulary Pg. 174 palmetto a type of fan-shaped palm tree Comprehension 1. In Chapter 25, whom does Leo blame for Stargirl’s shunning? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 26 Comprehension 1. How does Stargirl demonstrate that she is desperate to have the shunning end? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 27 Comprehension 1. Why is Dori Dilson, who has been Stargirl’s one enduring friend, angry at Stargirl? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 14 Chapter 28 Vocabulary Pg. 202 manikins models of humans, posed and dressed for fashion display Pg. 203 sprightly energetic; lively Pg. 203 pirouette a whirling turn on the point of the toe Pg. 203 titters half-laughs; nervous laughs; embarrassed laughter Pg. 203 subsided waned; leveled off; became less intense; diminished Comprehension 1. What is the source of Stargirl’s speeches in the State oratorical competition? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 29 Comprehension 1. When Susan wins the contest and is featured on the front page, Leo feels “pride welling” in himself. What emotions replace the pride as they drive into the Mica parking lot? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 30 Vocabulary Pg. 210 vacantly in a manner showing emptiness of mind or no thought Pg. 212 infi nite unending; beyond understanding; limitless Pg. 215 disparaged belittled; disrespected; looked down upon Pg. 215 fl amenco a Spanish-style dance, with foot-stamping and hand- clapping Pg. 215 castanets hand and fi nger instruments used to mark the beat of 15 Spanish songs by clicks Comprehension 1. How does Leo show his cowardice as Chapter 30 concludes? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 31 Vocabulary Pg. 217 festooned hung with garlands of decorations Pg. 217 Cantonese from the area of Canton, China Comprehension 1. Re-read page 221.What new sensation emerges among the students attending the Ocotillo Ball as they watch Stargirl in her yellow gown? _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 32 Comprehension 1. Before leaving for college, what does Leo discover about Archie’s toolshed? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chapter 33 Comprehension 1. What is Leo’s profession? _________________________________________________________________ 16 “More than Stars” Comprehension 1. What legacy has Stargirl left on Mica? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ HIDDEN MESSAGE Archie might have asked Leo this question: Contest Stargirl won ___ ___ ___ 48 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 40 ___ Stargirl sings “Happy Birthday” to this Alan ___ 2 ___ ___ ___ ___ 28 Leo produced this show ___ 47 ___ ___ 41 ___ ___ ___ ___ 54 Señor Saguaro was one ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 10 School messages were posted on this ___ ___ 43 ___ ___ 42 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 52 ___ Stargirl led this dance ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 44 ___ 31 ___ ___ 11 Stargirl’s transportation to the Ocotillo Ball ___ 22 ___ ___ ___ 3 ___ ___ 18 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 50 ___ ___ ___ Name of musical duet, including Stargirl and Dori Dilson ___ 5 ___ ___ 23 ___ ___ ___ 4 ___ 45 ___ ___ 17 Stargirl’s pet rat ___ 33 ___ 1 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 35 ___ Archie Brubaker’s profession ___ ___ 25 ___ ___ 17 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 51 ___ ___ 6 ___ ___ ___ When the novel ends, Leo has collected three of these ___ ___ 21 ___ 34 ___ ___ 46 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 30 ___ ___ 32 ___ This bird may sing the songs of extinct as well as living species ___ ___ 13 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 15 ___ 37 Stargirl was making one for Peter Sinkowitz ___ 16 ___ ___ 26 ___ ___ 24 ___ ___ ___ ___ Stargirl’s favorite part of the newspaper ___ 19 ___ 7 ___ ___ ___ 9 ___ ___ Time limit of Stargirl’s “what kind of card” game ___ ___ ___ 53 ___ 20 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 14 ___ 27 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ v ___ ___ ___ y ___ ___ ___ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 13 14 15 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ f 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ w ___ w h ___ ___ ___ ___ 30 31 32 33 34 35 37 40 41 42 43 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ v ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ? 44 45 46 47 48 50 51 52 53 54 18 “Porcupine Necktie” Comprehension What life-changing event prompts Uncle Pete to give Leo the necktie and what did it look like? Uncle Pete gives Leo the necktie when, at age twelve, Leo moves with his family from Pennsylvania to Arizona. The tie depicts three porcupines, two tossing quill darts and one picking its teeth. Chapter 1 1. List fi ve attributes associated with Stargirl. Answers will vary but may include: freckles over her nose, sandy hair, huge eyes, tenth-grader, home-schooled, ukulele player, singer. Chapter 2 1. What rumor about Stargirl does Hillari Kimble start? Hillari starts a rumor that Stargirl is part of a scam to increase school spirit at Mica. 2. How does the “moonlit hour” change Leo’s understanding of Stargirl? In the “moonlit hour” Leo considers the “otherness of things” and concludes that Stargirl is real. Chapter 3 1. How is Stargirl different from a butterfl y? Unlike a butterfl y, Stargirl can’t be pinned down or identifi ed. Chapter 4 1. What are Hillari Kimble’s three claims to fame? Hillari is known for her mouth, The Hoax, and Wayne Parr. Chapter 5 1. By Halloween, how do most Mica students feel about Stargirl? By Halloween, most Mica students enjoy the novelty Stargirl provides, but they still keep her at arm’s length because she’s different. Teacher’s Page 19 Chapter 6 1. When Stargirl sings “Happy Birthday” to Hillari Kimble but directs it through Kevin and Leo, how does she surprise Leo? After singing, she admits that she thinks Leo is cute. Chapter 7 1. What is Archie’s relationship to Stargirl and why does he whisper “Rara avis”? Archie has been Stargirl’s teacher for one day a week. He whispers “Rara avis” because he thinks Stargirl is unique and fascinating. Chapter 8 1. What does the quote “We honored her by imitation” mean? Mica students show their newfound affection by imitating the things that Stargirl does, like dancing in the rain, keeping a pet rat, and playing the ukulele. Chapter 9 1. Spinelli opens Chapter 9 with an extended metaphor to describe the changes Stargirl has initiated. An extend