Plot and Events
What is the name of the teacher in Room 117?
Mr. Kermit
What is the main setting of the story?
Greenwich Middle School
What is Kiana's initial perspective on being in Room 117?
She felt annoyed, superior, and wanted to leave immediately.
Who is the character that is a talented artist with a short temper?
Aldo
What type of figurative language is used in the phrase "the unteachables were a circus in Room 117"?
Metaphor
What was the event from Mr. Kermit's past that led to him being assigned to room 117?
The Cheating Scandal.
What is the role the rundown classroom (Room 117) plays in the story?
It reflects the low expectations, the way society sees the students.
What was the students' perspective on what school was before Mr. Kermit and Kiana arrived?
Boring, worthless, and something that had to be endured/rebelled against.
Who is the character that is a superintendent who pressures Mr. Kermit?
What is the type of figurative language in the phrase "Kiana was as fast as a cheetah when she ran from her past"?
Simile
What did the unteachables do to the car that showed they were beginning to care about the project?
They started seriously working and restoring the car.
What is the central internal conflict Mr. Kermit faces?
Man v. Self, his lack of motivation v. his desire to be a good teacher again.
What is the main character detail that influences Mr. Kermit's unmotivated actions?
His guilt over the cheating scandal.
Who is the student with reading struggles who has a good heart and is often seen with Kiana?
Parker
What is the meaning of the figurative description of the old car as "a beaten-up monument to failure"?
It shows the car has been neglected, just as the students were seen as failures.
What was Kiana's main purpose for transferring to this public school?
She wanted to hide from her old private-school friends. And not get registered correctly.
What is one action that shows the students' conflict with authority begins to lessen?
They stop pranking Dr. Thaddeus or they focus on the science project instead of causing trouble.
How has the author used the students' actions to show a change in their perspectives on themselves?
It shows they gain confidence, take pride in their work, and start seeing themselves as capable.
Who is the protective student who is sometimes called "rhino"?
Elaine
How does the figurative language used to describe the students (like "monsters" or "the worst of the worst") contribute to the story's meaning?
It emphasizes the extreme challenge Mr. Kermit faces and highlights the severity of the school's judgment of the unteachables.
What is the lesson Kiana learns by the end of the story, as proven by the success of the science fair project?
Working as a team brings success.
The theme of redemption is best supported by whose character arc?
Mr. Kermit
How does the author develop Mr. Kermit's shift in perspective from uncaring to protective?
He starts defending the students to Dr. Thaddeus and fighting for their success at the school fair.
Who is the movie-obsessed student who often acts out characters or quotes from films?
Mateo
How does the figurative language comparing the students to a team or family by the end of the book contribute to the meaning?
It emphasizes the theme of teamwork, belonging, and how they stopped being individuals and became a cohesive unit.