Room Recall
Who are the married couple traveling to the Vermont farmhouse?
Margaret and Roger
What evidence shows that Margaret’s mother remembered the little room clearly before returning to the farmhouse?
She described several specific details, including the blue peacock couch, pink shell, books, wallpaper, candlestick, and green door
The aunts greeted their visitors “with their usual restraint.” What does restraint mean here? A. Excitement B. Controlled emotion C. Confusion D. Anger
B. Controlled emotion
Correct the sentence: “Neither Nan nor Rita were willing to dismiss her own experience.”
“Neither Nan nor Rita was willing to dismiss her own experience.”
Neither/nor joins two singular subjects, so the verb is singular
Choose a speaking strategy. Then say: “Margaret opened the door and discovered the china closet.” Afterward, decide: keep the response or repair it? Why?
Credit for selecting a strategy, attempting the sentence, judging the response, and making an appropriate keep/repair decision
What two different spaces repeatedly appear behind the same door?
The furnished little room and the china closet
What evidence shows that Roger initially believed the mystery was settled after seeing the china closet?
He released Margaret’s hand, appeared embarrassed or irritated, and said they should not speak about it again
How are a telegram and an email related? Give one similarity and one difference.
Both send written information over a distance. A telegram is an older, usually brief message transmitted through a service; an email is sent digitally
Correct the misplaced modifier: “After opening the door, the china closet surprised Rita.”
“After opening the door, Rita was surprised by the china closet.”
Rita—not the closet—opened the door
Clearly produce these words: Margaret, peacock, wallpaper, furniture, disappeared.
Credit for accurately sequencing the sounds and syllables.
A slowed model, simultaneous production, or delayed imitation may be provided
Name two objects that were inside the little room.
Any two: blue peacock couch, pink seashell, books, brass candlestick, braided rug, flowered wallpaper, or green door
What evidence shows that the mystery damaged relationships?
It created distance between Margaret and Roger, and Nan and Rita argued and began distrusting each other
The room and closet create a contradiction. What does contradiction mean?
Two statements, descriptions, or facts that conflict and cannot both be true in the same way
Remove the unclear pronoun: “When Margaret described the room to Rita, she sounded uncertain.”
Example: “When Margaret described the room to Rita, Margaret sounded uncertain.”
The revision clearly identifies who sounded uncertain
Explain three events from Nan and Rita’s investigation using first, next, and finally.
Example: “First, Nan visited and saw the little room. Next, Rita visited and saw the china closet. Finally, they decided to return together.”
Why didn’t finding the china closet convince Margaret that her childhood memory was false?
She had personally seen the little room as a child, so the closet suggested that the space had changed again
Why was the aunts’ calm reaction more disturbing than an openly frightened reaction might have been? Use evidence.
They acted as though nothing unusual had occurred and repeatedly denied earlier versions of the space, making it seem that they knew something or experienced reality differently
Explain the cause-and-effect relationship between Nan and Rita’s disagreement and their decision to return to the farmhouse.
Because each woman believed the other was mistaken or lying, they decided to return together to settle the disagreement
Correct the punctuation: “Roger wanted a rational explanation, however, Margaret believed the contradiction proved her story.”
“Roger wanted a rational explanation; however, Margaret believed the contradiction proved her story.”
A semicolon separates the independent clauses
Retell the ending using at least four important details and no unrelated information.
Include: Nan and Rita saw different spaces; they argued; they returned together; the farmhouse had burned down
What final event prevented Nan and Rita from discovering the truth together?
The farmhouse burned down before they could return
How do Nan’s and Rita’s conflicting experiences strengthen the story’s mystery?
They visited the same farmhouse close together but reported seeing different spaces. Both trusted their own memories, and the fire later destroyed any chance to verify either account
The dishes were described as gilt-edged. What does that mean, and what reference source could verify the meaning?
The dishes had gold-colored decoration around their edges. A dictionary could verify the meaning
Correct the faulty parallel structure: “The fire prevented the women from examining the room, comparing their observations, and they could not determine whose account was accurate.”
“The fire prevented the women from examining the room, comparing their observations, and determining whose account was accurate.”
All three items now use matching -ing forms
Summarize the entire story in four or five organized sentences. Include the characters, central problem, important events, and unresolved ending.
Response should identify Margaret/Roger, the room changing into a closet, conflicting experiences, and the farmhouse fire that prevented the mystery from being solved