The Last Book in the Universe
By: Rodman Philbrick
ENG1PI - Crowell
Visualizer
• Your job as Visualizer is to create a visual
representation in response to the reading that we
have done together in class.
• Your visual should relate to something specifically
discussed in the assigned reading or a picture that
conveys any idea from the text.
• This could be a:
Sketch
Diagram
Drawing
Cartoon
Timeline
Flowchart
Mind-map
Stick Figure
Scene
Visualizer – Mrs. C’s Example
Visualizer – Mrs. C’s Example
Write a brief explanation
of the significance of
your visual.
I created a diagram of what
happened in “The Smell of
Lightning.” I created a map
of what Spaz’s journey looks
like. He is trying to save
Bean and he almost gets
killed by the people who live
in the stacks. Ryter saves his
life.
How did creating this
visual deepen your
understanding of the
story?
My visual is a good way to
describe what I am seeing
as I read the story. It helps
me to see the journey of
Spaz, Ryter and Little Face.
Also, I am a visual learner,
so this drawing will help me
remember this chapter
better.
Questioner
• Your job as Questioner is to make a list of
questions about the book. Think about
characters, problems, themes, issues, thoughts,
feelings, events and/or concerns.
• Questions to think about:
– What were you wondering about while we were
reading?
– Did you have questions about what was being
described?
– What predictions can you make about what will
happen in the text?
Questioner – Mrs. C’s Example
1. What happened during the ‘Big Shake’? Was
it like an earthquake? A tsunami? Did people
die when it happened?
2. Why is Bean so close to death? What is “the
bone marrow sickness”? Will she survive?
3. Will Spaz ever reunite with his family unit? If
he makes it to see Bean, will they even let
him in the door?
Connector
• Your job is to make connections between the
selection read and…
Text to Self
Text to Text
• Your own experiences • Other books,
• Happenings at school
newspapers,
• Other people or
magazines or novels
problems that you
you have read
are reminded of
• Other movies or TV
broadcasts you have
viewed
Text to World
• World events and
issues
• Happenings in the
community
• Similar events at
other times and
places
Connector – Mrs. C’s Example
Text to Self
• This story reminds
me of the people in
my family who have
died from having
terminal illnesses. I
remember feeling so
helpless and sad
about the fact that
there was nothing I
could do to make
them better.
Text to Text
Text to World
• This novel makes me • Spaz describes all of
think of a TV show
the smoke, pollution
called ‘Terra Nova.’
and the hungry
Eden is described as
people in the Urb.
being a utopian place
This part of the book
where everything is
makes me think of
beautiful and perfect.
those commercials
In ‘Terra Nova,’ the
that show starving
main characters get
children and families
to leave their homes
in other countries
(because Earth is so
around the world. It
polluted) and they
reminds me of
start fresh in Terra
extreme poverty and
Nova (like Eden).
hunger.
Vocabulary Enricher
• Your job is to make a list of TEN important
words from the novel. As you write down each
word, keep track of the meaning / definition
of the word.
• This novel is full of words that were created
just for this story. Try to find as many new and
original words as you can!
Vocabulary Enricher
– Mrs. C’s Example
Word
Meaning / Definition
Latch
A subdivision of the Urb controlled by a gang. Billy
Bizmo is the gang leader in his latch.
Maximall
A place where people traded goods and services
in the backtimes. It sounds the same as a mall.
Eden
Paradise. Where the proovs get to live. It sounds
like it is the land of perfection.
...
...
Passage Picker
• Your job as Passage Picker is to choose two
passages from today’s reading of the novel
that you find interesting, strange, powerful or
emotional.
• Try to choose passages that are memorable to
you!
Passage Picker
– Mrs. C’s Example
Passage page 129
I chose this passage because I am
surprised to learn that mind
probes come from Eden. Bleek
tells Lanaya that the probes must
be made in Eden because no one
else could afford the technology
to create them. This passage
makes me question the purpose
of Eden creating the probes. Are
they trying to numb and silence
people who live in the real
world? Why?
Passage Page 134
I chose this passage because I
like that Spaz says to himself:
“I stayed alive for you. Now
you stay alive for me.” He is so
desperate to get to Bean in
time. This passage reminds me
of the importance of their
journey and what Bean means
to Spaz.