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Copywork
About This Passage
Two sentences that model how simile and physical detail create suspense: the rabbit comparison captures the children's instinctive, wordless response to danger, while the heartbeat detail makes fear tangible and visceral — satisfies criteria A (sank, plainly), C (simile: 'like frightened rabbits'), and D (the terror of being hunted by the very adults who were supposed to help them).
Without a word, the four children sank down behind the bushes like frightened rabbits. They could plainly hear their hearts beat.
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
- Jess takes the crusty ends of the bread and claims 'crusts make you strong,' but Violet looks at her and silently understands the real reason. What does Jess want for her siblings that she will not say out loud, and what details in the text show that Jess sacrifices her own comfort without asking for recognition?
- Violet suggests going to a big town where 'nobody will notice us,' and Henry praises her thinking. Why is Violet's quiet intelligence just as valuable to this family's survival as Henry's physical strength? What evidence shows Violet contributing in ways others might overlook?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
In a happy, encouraging way, even when things are difficult
Item 2
Said something in a clear, firm way for everyone to hear
Item 3
Agreed that something was true, even when you did not want to say it
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Critical Thinking
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