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Copywork
About This Passage
This passage teaches a useful sentence pattern: 'X is SUPPOSED to be Y, but Z.' This is one of the most common ways writers show how reality is different from expectations. Students learn how to use the word 'but' to flip a sentence's meaning. They also see how a writer can use everyday words like 'nothing to do' to show a feeling everyone understands. The phrase 'a lot of nothing' is a funny way to talk about being bored — it sounds like a contradiction but everyone knows what it means.
Summer is supposed to be the best time of the year for a kid, but it has not turned out that way for me. The kids who have pools are having a great time, but I am stuck at home with no pool and a lot ...
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell someone what happened in this chapter in order. When you get to the most important part, slow down and tell it carefully — what happened, why it mattered, and what you think about it.
Discussion Questions
- Greg feels sad because his friends have pools and he does not. Is it OK for Greg to feel sad about this, or is he being UNGRATEFUL for what he does have? What in the story makes you think so?
- Greg complains that summer is boring. Whose JOB is it to make summer fun for a kid — the parents, or the kid themselves? What in the story makes you think so?
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Critical Thinking
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