Characters
The main characters are:
old ladies teenagers kids a family
kids
The story begins with Alan
betting Billy that he can't eat fifteen worms in 15 days.
What is a theme in this story?
Teachers accept reasonable answers.
(i.e. Don't cheat and lie, you will be found out.
Stand up to bullies. Keep your word. )
What is the conflict in the story?
Billy has made a bet with Alan that he can eat 15 worms in 15 days. Alan and Joe, however, attempt to cheat and lie their way to victory.
How does the setting affect what happens in the story?
The boys live in an area where worms are plentiful. Without worms, there is no story!
The main character (protagonist) is
Billy
Billy is able to eat the worms because
they are usually cooked or prepared in a certain way.
How does Billy help develop a theme in the story?
He shows grit when he sticks to the bet, not to give in to bullies.
How does the conflict show each boy's true character?
Billy-sticks to his word.
Tom- weak-minded, can't be relied upon.
Alan and Joe-cheaters.
Setting is where and when a story takes place. What is this story's setting?
The relationship between the main characters can best be described as
arguing, fighting most of the time
Billy wants Tom to eat a worm, too, to prove there is nothing dangerous. Tom
takes off running!
How do Alan and Joe help develop the theme?
Their cheating and lying several times over makes Billy all the more determined to win.
How do the parents in the story help reveal the conflict? Give at least one way.
Mrs. Forrester-makes sure Billy keeps up his end of the bargain after Alan and Joe try to sabotage the bet by asking her to make sure Billy eats a worm while they are away.
Mr. Forrester-lets Billy know that the letter from "Dr. McGrath" is a fake.
Mr. Phelps makes Alan and Joe go door to door to apologize for the commotion the night before (after their attempt to feed Billy junk so he wouldn't think about eating his worm that day.
How does the setting in Chapter 25 "Pearl Harbor" affect the story? (This is when Alan and Joe take Billy to a baseball game in Shea Stadium.)
At the baseball game, Alan and Joe feed Billy all kinds of junky food. They hope to distract him, make his stomach too full to eat a worm that day. Then they'd win the bet.
The main character, Billy, shows his grit by
continuing to eat the fifteen worms in fifteen days.
Billy wakes his parents, fearful that eating worms may be causing his body harm. His mother wants his father to call the doctor in the middle of the night. Billy's father
calls Poison Control. They tell him Billy would be fine if he had eaten worms.
How does Alan's dad attempt to teach Alan and Joe a lesson once he realizes what they were up to by taking Billy to the baseball game, stuffing him with junk to eat, and getting him home late?
He makes Alan and Joe go door to door apologizing to neighbors after Billy and Tom use a siren to wake the neighborhood to show Billy did eat a worm before midnight that day.
How does Tom add to the theme?
He lets Billy down by running away when Billy wanted him to eat a worm. However, by the end of the story he redeems himself and gets his little brother to help him get a worm up to Billy's window.
When attempting to eat the 15th worm, Billy is in a barn with Alan and Joe. How does the setting affect what happens next?
Alan shoves Billy into a tool closet to try to stop him from eating the 15th worm. Mr. Forrester shows us, tells Alan and Joe to go home. He tells Billy to go to his room. Billy just needs to eat the last two pieces of the worm and then he wins! His dad tells him the bet is over.
Why does the character, Alan, continually cheat during the 15-day worm-eating challenge?
He doesn't have $50 to pay Billy if Billy does win the bet.
As Alan and Joe realize that Billy just may win the bet, they (list at least two dirty things they do)
continually think of ways to cheat. They take him to a baseball game, feed him all kinds of junk, take him home late so that he will forget to eat the worm for that day. They make a worm out of beans so Billy will think he ate a real one, but then tell him later that he hadn't eaten a real worm. They send a letter to Billy's house, pretending to be Dr. McGrath, that warns that eating worms is NOT good for one's health, etc.
What is a lesson you have learned by reading this story?
(Teacher accepts reasonable answers.)
Which character taught you the most life valuable life lesson? Explain.
Teacher accepts reasonable answer.
Why would an apartment house in a big city not be a good setting for this story?
There would be no worms!