1. Scalded pg. 11, paragraph 4
-“Even the words I spoke scalded my tongue.”
-Verb, meaning felt like it was burning
-To burn with a hot liquid or steam almost to the point of boiling
-The author used this word because he wants us to feel how Joey Pigza felt.  He wanted us to imagine how wrong Joey felt, no matter what he did.

 
2.  Clamped Pg. 5, 1st incomplete paragraph
-“…Mrs. Maxy came out and clamped her hands down on my shoulders.”
-Verb, grasping/grabbing
-To fasten or brace
-The author uses this word because he wanted us to imagine how Mrs. Maxy was reacting to him.  She grabbed him because she had had enough.

2. Prescription Page 27, Paragraph 2
-“And while I waited for the prescription to be filled I picked the cotton stuffing out of an old padded chair.”
-Noun, medicine from a doctor
-A written direction for the preparation and use of medicine
-The author uses this word because he wants you to know Joey needs the help of medicine and a doctor.
 

3. Wired Page 3, Paragraph 1
-“But there is no doubt about it, I’m wired.”
-Adjective, hyper/fidgety
-Metal drawn into a long thread
-The author uses this word to depict Joey Pigza.  This is one of the first adjectives he uses to describe Joey, and he wants us to know how he acts.
 
Katie Neely
Passage Picker
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key

      1.)  The passage I picked:
 -page 28, 1st incomplete paragraph.  Begins with: “Then we”  Ends with:  “it would help.”

This is the passage where Joey Pigza takes his first pill.  This is a descriptive passage because it tells how the pill went down his throat and exactly how he felt.  It makes it seem much more important.

Why did the author write about the pill like this?
 -Because the pill was so important to Joey Pigza and everyone around him.  “Everyone said it would help,” and everyone was waiting for that.

2.) The passage I picked:
-Page 4-5, 2nd paragraph.  Begins with:  “I had seen”  Ends with:  “and you know the rest.”

This is the passage that describes when Joey Pigza is trying to bounce himself off the lockers like the Tasmanian devil.  This is a humorous passage because Joey is acting so silly as he tries to spin himself around really fast.

Why did the author want to write about Joey doing this?
 -This passage makes Joey Pigza seem very hyper-active and describes how silly he can really be.

3.) The passage I picked:
-Page 12-13, paragraph 2.  Begins with:  “Finally, she got”  Ends with:  “what had happened.”

This passage describes how Joey’s grandmother loses her temper and she tries to punish him by making him have a timeout in an empty refrigerator.  This is a frightening passage because Joey’s grandmother lost her temper and really was trying to make Joey get in the refrigerator, which would have been extremely dangerous.

Why did the author write this?
 -This passage depicts what Joey’s grandmother was like and how mean she could become.

4.) The passage I picked:
-Page 11, paragraph 4.  Begins with:  “No matter”  Ending with:  “my tongue”

This passage describes how Joey feels when his grandmother tells him to be still and quiet.  This passage contains lots of figurative language and imagery.

Why did the author write this?
 -It is written to make the reader understand how difficult it is for Joey to sit still and quiet, and to understand where he is coming from.
 

Katie Neely
Discussion Director
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key

1. Describe your feelings about Joey’s Grandma?
Yes and no.  Joey’s Grandma took care of him and sometimes allowed him to be wild, but in other times she degraded him and did not understand him.

2. Do you think that Joey’s mother understands him?
Yes, because she is constantly taking her time with Joey.  She knows what works with him and she is patient enough to sit him down to talk and explain things with him.  She loves him and seems to know how to take care of him.

3. How do you think Joey Pigza’s grandmother and mother are alike?  How are they different?
 

4. What does Joey Pigza keep telling Mrs. Maxy?  Why does he say this?
a. I didn’t do it
b. I promise I’ll stop
c. Can I get back to you on that?  ****
d. None of the above

5. How does Joey Pigza feel about taking his pill?  Explain.

Katie Neely
Character Sketcher
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (pgs. 1-41)

Character Traits of Joey Pigza’s grandmother:
1. Irrational.  Page 12-13, paragraph 2.
“Finally, she got so mad at me for bouncing around she threw everything out of the refrigerator and yanked out the shelves and flung them across the floor.
“Now get inside and stay inside,” she said with the ketchup bottle stills spinning around her feet like a bowling pin.”

2. Apologetic. Page 15, paragraph 1
“’I’m so sorry,’ she’d begin. ‘I never knew anything I said upset anyone.  You all shouldn’t listen to me.  You know I’m just a nasty trash-talking old fool.’”

3. Fun. Page 10, paragraph 3
“We zipped around the house and slapped at each other like one of those World Wrestling tag teams.  I’d be the Hulk and she’d be Doctor Doom and when the phone rang we’d run at it screaming and yelling and slam into each other, and by the time one of us got the upper hand the person on the other end had freaked out and hung up.”

Character Goal:
 -To make sure Joey doesn’t turn out like his father.
Problem:
 -Joey needs medicine to help him out and to calm him down.
Solution/Possible Answer:
 -To find Joey some help and to get him a prescription/fin people who can help her deal with him.

Katie Neely
Summarizer
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, Section 1 (pgs. 1-41)

 Joey Pigza is a young boy who has ADD/ADHD and has trouble controlling himself.  His mother ran away after his father left them both, and he is left to live with his grandmother who has a hard time controlling him because she is slightly hyper and unmanageable herself!  Joey’s mother returns but his grandmother gets meaner and more irrational towards Joey, and ends up leaving to go live with Joey’s father.  Joey’s teacher, Mrs. Maxy tries to deal with Joey’s behavior, but has trouble and decides to send him to the new special Ed room.  Joey’s mother is left to take care of Joey and begins to understand him more.

 
Katie Neely
Literature Circle Plan, Section 1, Pgs. 1-40

 Character Sketch
 Your job is to sketch Joey’s grandmother.

Discussion Director
 Your job is to ask 5 questions:
(1)  Fact/Opinion
(2)  Compare/Contrast
(1)  MCEOG
(1)  Thinking Question

Passage Picker
 Pick 4 passages that exhibit the following:
1 descriptive
1 funny/amusing/humorous/entertaining
1 scary/frightening
1 figurative language/imagery

Word Wizard
 Your job is to complete your role sheet for the following words:  (Pick 4)
Scalded (pg.11)
Wired (pg. 3)
Racket (pg. 4)
Clamped (pg. 8)
Pinned (pg. 15)
Prescription (pg. 27)

Summarizer
 Prepare a brief summary of today’s reading.  Make sure to include all main ideas and points.