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Copywork
About This Passage
Kate DiCamillo gives us three reactions to the same crisis in four sentences: Mr. Watson goes into action mode (calling for rescue), Mrs. Watson goes into emotion mode (crying), and Mercy — though we don't see it here — is already plotting toast. Three different ways of being afraid.
Mr. Watson and Mrs. Watson and Mercy held very still. Mrs. Watson started to cry. 'I know exactly what we must do,' said Mr. Watson. 'We must call the fire department. They will rescue us.'
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 is the most surprising moment, and what does it surprise us about?
Discussion Questions
- Look at chapter 2 again — the bed creaked, the floor moaned, the sleepers heard nothing. Now in chapter 3 the warning has come true. What does it feel like when the warnings you saw earlier finally happen? Why is dramatic irony so powerful in stories?
- Mr. Watson tells everyone 'don't move,' and then says they should call the fire department. Mrs. Watson points out that they cannot do both. Whose thinking is clearer in a crisis — Mr. Watson's or Mrs. Watson's? What does the chapter want you to notice?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
a sudden shaking of the ground that can break buildings
Item 2
filled with fear or alarm
Item 3
a connecting word that signals a contrast — 'but' in formal writing
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Critical Thinking
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