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Copywork
About This Passage
This passage will teach the writer how Gordon Korman handles the most common moment in any troublemaker story — the moment a kid stops thinking and starts doing. Notice how Korman writes the moment in a way that makes the reader feel both the rush and the regret at the same time. The technique is to slow down the description right at the second of decision, so the reader can almost feel time stretching the way it does when you know you're about to do something you can't take back.
Open Chapter 1 of Ungifted. Find the moment where Donovan describes the prank itself or the moment right before things go wrong. Choose 2-4 sentences that capture the EXACT MOMENT his impulse becomes ...
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Retell the chapter, paying special attention to the moment Donovan crosses the line from 'kid having an idea' to 'kid in BIG trouble.' Where exactly does the story turn — and why does it turn there?
Discussion Questions
- Donovan does not seem to be MEAN. He does not seem to be a kid who wants to hurt anyone. But he keeps doing things that get him in trouble. What is the difference between a BAD kid and a kid who acts before he thinks? Is there a difference, or is the difference just an excuse?
- Gordon Korman tells the chapter from Donovan's first-person point of view. What would the chapter feel like if it were told from his teacher's point of view, or from his mom's point of view, or from a kid who was watching the prank happen? What does Donovan's voice let us see that no other voice would?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
a planned trick meant to be funny — but with the risk of going further than the planner intended
Item 2
having a natural ability that goes beyond the average — usually used for academic talent, but the word is broader than schools sometimes admit
Item 3
acting on a sudden urge before stopping to think about the consequences
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Critical Thinking
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