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Copywork
About This Passage
This passage explains one of the most important facts about Jonas's community: your life's work is chosen for you in secret by a committee. Notice Lowry's layered list — leaders, community, Committee, Elders — and the striking phrase never even any jokes, which tells us how sacred this decision is held to be.
Jonas was surprised. There was no way, really, to know in advance. It was a secret selection, made by the leaders of the community, the Committee of Elders, who took the responsibility so seriously th...
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Retell Chapter 2 in four to six sentences. Include Father's memory of his own Ceremony of Twelve, his rule-breaking to learn Gabriel's name, Mother's warnings about friendship after the Ceremony, and Lily's moment with her comfort object.
Discussion Questions
- What does Father's explanation of how Assignments are made reveal about the way the community decides a child's future — and about how much say the child has in that decision?
- Jonas is awed that his father broke a rule about the Naming list. What does Jonas's strong reaction reveal about the difference between how Father and Jonas have experienced the rules of their community?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
Feeling a sudden, unexpected reaction to something you did not see coming.
Item 2
Before something happens; ahead of time.
Item 3
Something kept hidden and not shared with others.
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Critical Thinking
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