Main Idea
What is the story about?
A student with a disability (Luz) is trying to make bathrooms more accessible at her school.
Who is the main character?
Luz
How did Luz feel about talking to other students and handing out flyers in the hallway?
Anxious
When Luz and Lavonne got to the principal’s office, it was full of their classmates. What did this show Luz?
that many people agreed with her and wanted to support her in making the school bathrooms more accessible
What is one main theme of this story?
People may not know there is an issue that they can help fix, so it is important to communicate your needs
What is the conflict or problem in the story?
Luz has difficulty using the soap dispensers and doors in the bathroom because of her disability
How did Luz feel about seeing so many supporters at the principal’s office?
She felt surprised and good that so many people had come to support her.
Read the following sentences from the text.
“Luz glanced around the room and saw the entire class staring at her arm. She hated feeling different from everyone else, so standing up and talking about her disability was painful. But Luz gave her head a quick shake and continued on, trying not to make eye contact with anyone….As Luz sat down, a few kids applauded. She breathed, relieved, and smiled when classmates called out ‘Good job!’ But she was still worried that nobody would show up at her rally.”
What conclusion can you draw from this evidence?
It took courage for Luz to face her fears and talk to her entire class about her disability.
Give a 2-3 sentence summary of the story.
Luz hands out fliers and speaks to her class about bathroom accessibility and why it is hard for her to use it due to her disability. Luz receives a lot of support from her friend, Lavonne, and classmates for the school to make a change.
Based on this text, how could Luz’s best friend, Lavonne, be described?
As supportive and good at talking to others
Read the following sentences from the text.
“Luz and Lavonne waited for the warning bell, and then they walked to their science class as Luz tried to steel herself for what she was about to do. Lavonne and Luz together had asked their science teacher, Ms. Ohanian, if Luz could speak to the class before it started. Ms. Ohanian had agreed to set aside a couple of minutes during set-up time. As Luz walked to the front of the classroom, Lavonne passed out flyers.”
As used in this excerpt, what does the phrase “steel herself” most closely mean?
get ready for something difficult
What did Lavonne say to Luz when Luz told her why she hated the school bathrooms?
Lavonne told Luz that she could change things if she spoke up about them.
"If Luz was wearing a long-sleeved shirt like she usually did, it was hard to tell."
Why does Luz usually wear a long sleeve shirt?
To hide her paralyzed arm
What is the name of Luz's science teacher?
Mr. Ohanian
"Luz glanced around the room and saw the entire class staring at her arm. She hated feeling different from everyone else, so standing up and talking about her disability was painful. But Luz gave her head a quick shake and continued on, trying to not make eye contact with anyone."
Why was Luz trying to not make eye contact with anyone?
Answers may vary. Luz was feeling nervous to talk in front of her classmates so she avoided eye contact so it would not feel as nerve-wrecking or painful.