STETTING
What is the main setting of the excerpt?
Mica Area High School (MAHS).
What are the TWO types of characterization?
Direct and indirect characterization.
What does it mean to infer?
Use clues from the text plus what you already know to determine something the author doesn't directly state.
Who narrates this excerpt?
Leo.
What does Kevin mean when he says Stargirl is “in big trouble” if she is real?
Someone as different as Stargirl will have difficulty fitting into MAHS.
What is the social environment like at MAHS?
Most students conform and dress, talk, eat, and act similarly.
Direct characterization means the author ______ the reader about the character.
Tells.
Stargirl walks through a silent cafeteria and sings “Happy Birthday” to Alan. What can you infer about her?
She is bold/confident and isn't easily embarrassed.
At the beginning, does Leo immediately believe Stargirl is genuine?
No. He wonders whether she is fake, a joke, or a “plant.”
Explain the relationship between setting and characterization in the story.
MAHS's culture of conformity makes Stargirl's independent personality stand out even more.
How does the setting affect the way students react to Stargirl?
Because students are used to conformity, Stargirl's individuality seems strange or shocking.
Indirect characterization means the author ______ the reader and expects the reader to infer the trait.
Shows/gives clues.
What evidence BEST shows that Stargirl doesn't worry about fitting in?
Examples include her unusual clothing, greeting strangers, singing in the cafeteria, carrying a pet rat, or dancing in the rain.
What does Leo mean when he compares MAHS students to “rubber bands”?
When students begin to stand out, they quickly return to behaving like everyone else.
Which theme is BEST developed through Stargirl's behavior and the students' reactions?
A. Success requires competition.
B. Individuality can conflict with society's pressure to conform.
C. Friendship requires people to be alike.
D. Rules should never be questioned.
B. ndividuality can conflict with society's pressure to conform.
Why does Stargirl stand out so strongly at MAHS?
Stargirl openly expresses her individuality, while the school's social environment pressures students to fit in.
Stargirl says hello to strangers, sings to students, and dances in the rain. What trait do these actions reveal?
She is bold, independent, outgoing, or confident. Answers may vary with justification.
Which is stronger evidence that Stargirl is independent: her unusual clothing or dancing alone in the rain? Defend your answer.
Answers may vary, but students must explain how the selected evidence demonstrates independence.
How does Leo's opinion of Stargirl change?
He initially questions whether she is real, but eventually realizes that Stargirl really is being herself.
If Stargirl attended a school where unusual clothing and behavior were common, how might the conflict change?
Her behavior would probably attract less attention, reducing the conflict between Stargirl and her classmates.
How does Stargirl's characterization contrast with the other students at MAHS?
Stargirl freely expresses herself, while most MAHS students conform to the behavior of the group.
Make a claim about Stargirl's personality and support it with TWO pieces of evidence.
Example: Stargirl is independent because she wears whatever she wants and continues behaving differently despite her classmates' reactions.
How does Leo's POV help develop the conflict between individuality and conformity?
Leo describes both Stargirl's unusual behavior and MAHS's pressure to fit in, allowing readers to see how strongly she contrasts with her environment.