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Copywork
About This Passage
This is chosen because it is the very first moment Stanley tries to dig. The words tell us three things at once — that the shovel is HEAVY, that Stanley's hands are SOFT, and that the ground is so HARD the blade bounces back. Sachar uses the words 'banged,' 'bounced,' and 'rattle' to let the reader hear the shovel hitting the ground. It also teaches the parts of a shovel: the BLADE (the sharp metal part) and the SHAFT (the long wooden handle). Children will feel in their own hands what Stanley feels in his when they copy this sentence.
The shovel felt heavy in Stanley's soft, fleshy hands. He tried to jam it into the earth, but the blade banged against the ground and bounced off without making a dent. The vibrations ran up the shaft...
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell about Chapter 7 in four sentences. Say what Stanley is learning to do, what he is learning about his great-great-grandfather Elya, the promise Elya made to Madame Zeroni, and what all the boys do when they finish their holes.
Discussion Questions
- What in the story tells you Madame Zeroni knew a lot? Think about what she said about Myra's head being 'as empty as a flowerpot,' and about the mountain, the piglet, and the song.
- What in the story tells you Elya did NOT keep his promise to Madame Zeroni? When did he remember, and why was it too late to go back?
+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide
Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
A tool with a long handle and a flat metal blade used for digging — the boys each get one, and Stanley's hole has to be as deep and as wide as this tool is long.
Item 2
The flat, sharp metal part at the end of a shovel that cuts into the ground — Stanley's bounces off the hard earth the very first time he tries to dig.
Item 3
The long wooden handle of a shovel — Stanley holds onto this part with both hands, and the vibrations from the blade travel up through it into his wrists.
+ 5 more vocabulary words in the complete study guide
Critical Thinking
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