Vocabulary
What does the word stunned mean?
What is a noun?
A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea. Examples: basketball, sneakers, hoop
Does the narrator in our story have a name?
No, he is just called 'The Narrator'
What is the theme of a story?
Theme is the main message or lesson the author wants readers to understand.
What does the word instinct mean?
Instinct means a natural tendency for someone to act, feel, or behave without needing to learn or think about it first.
What are personal pronouns?
Personal pronouns take the place of a noun. Examples: I, me, we, us, you, he, she
Which statement best describes the narrator?
a skilled basketball player who lacks confidence
an inexperienced basketball player who needs training
a successful basketball player who does not trust other player
1. a skilled basketball player who lacks confidence
Which of these is a theme?
1. Friendship is important
2. A girl has a best friend
1. Friendship is important
What does the word intense mean?
Intense means extreme or very strong
Replace the italic word with the correct pronoun.
When Dante spoke, Dante got everyone's attention.
Why does the narrator come to the gym regularly during the summer?
He plans to create his own game of basketball.
He wants to make new friends.
He hopes he will get to play on a team with great basketball players.
3. He hopes he will get to play on a team with great basketball players.
What is one of the themes from our story?
1. Positive lessons can be learned from a difficult person.
2. confidence grows when you face your fears
3. You have to take action instead of waiting for opportunities
What does the word paralysis mean?
Paralysis means complete or partial loss of muscle function in a part of the body
Replace the italic word with a personal pronoun.
The other players watched, and the other players were amazed at the younger man's ability.
The other players watched, and they were amazed at the younger man's ability
What does the narrator do in response to his frustrating situation with Dante at the beginning of the story?
The narrator leaves the gym and never comes back.
The narrator stands up to Dante and says he wants to play.
The narrator calls Dante a punk and tells him to get off the court.
2. The narrator stands up to Dante and says he wants to play.
How can characters of a story help you figure out the theme?
What does the word doubt mean?
Doubt means a feeling of uncertainty or disbelief
What are the nouns in this sentence?
The basketball was dribbled down the court and thrown into the hoop.
basketball, court, hoop
In our story what happens as a result of Dante’s challenge to the narrator?
The narrator starts a fight with Dante.
The narrator shows that he can't play basketball with others in the gym.
Others see the narrator’s abilities and invite him to play.
3. Others see the narrator’s abilities and invite him to play.
What lesson does the narrator learn about taking action instead of sitting back?
He learns that he needs to step outside of his comfort zone and take action for things to change.