Yoni & His Documentary
What is Yoni traveling around Israel asking people?
What they would wish for if they had a magic goldfish/three wishes.
Would you describe Sergei as trusting or suspicious of strangers?
Suspicious.
Who benefits from Sergei's first wish?
His sister.
What is a theme?
A message or idea about life/human nature developed through a story.
If something is foreseeable, is it unexpected or something you could anticipate?
Something you could anticipate.
Yoni hopes his documentary will be more than just entertaining or profitable. What larger purpose does he want it to have?
He wants it to say something meaningful about people/society—social commentary.
What experiences from Sergei's childhood help explain why he doesn't like strangers knocking on his door?
The KGB frequently came to his family's home in Russia because his father was a Zionist.
Why does Sergei use his first wish?
His sister has lung cancer, and he wishes for her to be healed.
Which is a theme rather than just a topic?
A. Loneliness
B. Wishes
C. Loneliness can negatively affect people's lives.
D. Sergei owns a goldfish.
C. Loneliness can negatively affect people's lives.
Which sounds more informal?
A. "The individual proceeded toward his residence."
B. "The guy headed home."
B. "The guy headed home.
Yoni wants to interview many different types of people throughout Israel. What does this tell us about the scope of his project?
He wants his documentary to represent many different kinds of people and perspectives.
Why does Sergei choose to live somewhere where people generally leave him alone?
He values privacy and feels safer when people don't bother him.
Who benefits from Sergei's second wish?
Sveta's son.
Sergei uses a wish to save his sister from cancer. What idea about human nature could this support?
There is goodness in people / people are capable of selfless acts.
What does informal tone usually sound like?
Casual, conversational, everyday speech.
Yoni imagines interviewing people from development towns, settlements, Arab villages, immigrant centers, and other communities. What can we infer about the cultural setting of the story?
It is diverse.
Sergei doesn't use his first two wishes for money, fame, or possessions. What does this reveal about him?
He cares deeply about other people despite appearing isolated or unfriendly.
What do Sergei's first two wishes have in common?
He uses both wishes to help/save other people rather than himself.
At the end of the story, someone says, "Anything...not to be alone." What idea does this statement develop?
Loneliness can have a powerful negative effect on people.
What's the difference between making an inference and finding text evidence?
An inference is a conclusion you make; text evidence is information from the story that supports the conclusion.
Why does the author spend time explaining Yoni's plans and goals before introducing Sergei?
It establishes Yoni's motivation and explains why he ends up knocking on Sergei's door.
Explain the contradiction in Sergei's personality: How can he be both a loner and a caring person?
He avoids and distrusts people, but his actions show that he cares deeply about others and will sacrifice for them.
What do Sergei's choices about his wishes reveal about his character?
Despite his suspicious and isolated personality, he is fundamentally caring/selfless and willing to help others.
If a question asks which quotation best supports a theme, what should you do FIRST?
Identify what the theme actually means, then find the quotation that most directly demonstrates that idea.
A question asks, "Which quotation best supports your answer?" Should you choose the quote that simply mentions the character or the one that most clearly proves your conclusion?
The quotation that most clearly proves the conclusion.