Vocabulary
Based on the text, what does the word "insignia" mean?
Label
How does Dickie's mom feel about the exam?
Anxious, nervous
Who is the protagonist?
Dickie Jordan
Describe the setting using evidence from the text.
(Teacher Discretion)
What is a potential theme of this story?
Control
Power
Intelligence
Oppression
Based on the text, what does the word "self-regulating" mean?
Control or govern yourself
What does Dickie do that shows he is intelligent?
Asks a lot of questions, likes to learn new things
What is the Point of View?
3rd person objective
What line from the first part of the text shows that the government has a totalitarian rule over citizens?
“...slumped into the armchair with the Government newspaper”
Identify a simile from the text…
(A comparison of two things using "like" or "as")
As cold and official as a courtroom
Based on the text, what does the word "apathetic" mean?
Uninterested/emotionless
Dickie asks many questions about the world around him, this shows that he is..
Curious
What is the climax of the story?
When Dickie drinks the liquid and begins the exam
What line from the text best shows how the exam makes Mr. Jordan feel.
“... his father snapped, then immediately regretted his abruptness.”
Based on the text, what does the word “desisted” mean?
End or Cease
Based on the text, what does the word "vexation" mean?
How does Dickie's father respond to the exam?
He gets angry and irritable
How is this story ironic?
The reader would not expect children to be killed for being intelligent.
What is an example of how Dickie is “dehumanized” in the text?
He has a classification number
Based on the text, what does the word “interred” mean?
Placed in a grave
Based on the text, what does the word "imperturbable" mean?
Calm, collected
How does Dickie respond to news of the exam?
He is curious about it
Why might this government execute children that are too intelligent?
The government wants to avoid people rebelling and intelligent people may find ways to rebel and therefore cause the government to lose control
If the story were to continue, what do you think would happen next? (You do not need to cite direct evidence from the story)
Nothing, based on the text his parents have accepted the society as it is and would not try to change the systems that are in place
What is significant about the way the setting of the Government Education Building is described?
It is described as a cold and official place with marble floors and metal tables, it is meant to be a place that dehumanizes those who enter.