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Copywork
About This Passage
Selected because Dad changes his mind in three short sentences after the fly's rescue. The first three words — "You are right" — are doing enormous work: a grown-up admitting he was wrong to a child. Tedd Arnold teaches dialogue punctuation here, and the copywork shows how a small concession can change everything.
"You are right," said Dad. "This fly is smart. He needs a name."
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
In your own words, tell the story of this chapter. What were the most important moments? What made them important — and how do you know?
Discussion Questions
- Tedd Arnold structures the chapter as a small reversal: Dad starts as the obstacle ("flies can't be pets, they are pests") and ends as an ally ("this fly is smart, he needs a name"). What event in the middle causes the reversal, and why does Arnold make it depend on a single moment of action?
- Dad's first reaction to the fly is to grab the flyswatter. His second reaction is to admit he was wrong. Argue what kind of parent Dad is — quick to act, willing to change his mind, or both at once. What does the chapter want us to think about adults who can change their minds?
+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide
Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
An animal that bothers or harms people; the cultural category Dad places flies into at the start of the chapter.
Item 2
A flat tool with a long handle used to swat and kill flies; the instrument Dad reaches for first.
Item 3
To save someone from danger; what Buzz does for Fly Guy when Dad swings the swatter.
+ 7 more vocabulary words in the complete study guide
Critical Thinking
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