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Copywork
About This Passage
This is the chapter's first act of rescue: Pym, just freed himself, digging the buried Peters out of the loose earth. It is worth copying for the strong action verb 'tore' and for the comma that links two joined actions, one effort and its result, so the child practices vivid verbs and a clean compound sentence.
I tore the dirt from around him with all the energy I could command, and at length succeeded in getting him out.
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell the story of this chapter in order. Begin when Pym wakes up buried in the dark, then tell how he frees Peters, what they find when they look for Allen, how they climb to the top, and the secret they learn there. Slow down at the part you think matters most and tell why it matters.
Discussion Questions
- When Pym hears Peters groaning under the earth, he does not first look for a way out. He goes straight to his trapped friend and digs him free with his hands. Why does Pym help Peters before saving himself? Use the details about what Pym does right after he hears the groan to explain.
- At first Pym and Peters believe the earth caved in by accident, from 'some convulsion of nature.' Later, on the hill, they find rows of wooden stakes and grapevine cords. Why do those stakes and cords change Pym's mind about what really caused the cave-in? Use the details Pym notices on the hilltop to explain.
+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide
Vocabulary
Item 1
A feeling that something is wrong, even without proof.
Item 2
Closed up inside a grave or a sealed space.
Item 3
So full of fear or need that you will try anything.
+ 6 more vocabulary words in the complete study guide
Critical Thinking
+ 4 more questions in the complete study guide
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