Chapter 1 - Dangerous Pie
1. Journal - “The most annoying thing in the world is..."
2. Watch as a class https://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Carter_Bea
uford.html
3. Read chapter 1
4. Why do you think Sonnenblick might have included
Beauford in this book? After listening to some of his music
and talents, what do you think?
Chapter 2 - Jeffrey’s Moatmeal Accident
1. Journal - "If you could 'throw off the weight' of a particular day,
what day would it be? What happened that day?"
2. Read Chapter 2
3. After reading chapter 2 (get a Chromebook). Look up how to stop
a bloody nose and write down your findings. If you did this, and
the nose kept bleeding, how would you react?
Chapter 3 – Anxiety with Tic Tacs
1. Journal - Should foreign languages be taught in middle school?
2. Read Chapter 3
3. After Reading chapter 3
Watch together as a class
https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/the-stroop-test
4. Steven mentions it's hard not to think of a color once it's
mentioned (blue!)- take this test and see how you do!! Share your
results in your notebook.
https://www.proprofs.com/quizschool/playquiz/?title=mtg2ntyynwo05f
5. Watch together as a class
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtCwaEK_TjA
listen to "Cubana Be, Cubana Bop"- What sense do you get from
the drum section? Why?
Chapter 4 – The Fat Cat Sat
Chapter 3 (Anxiety with Tic Tacs) ended "And this was the absolute
worst thing about last October 7th, the one moment I'll never forgive
myself for. When my mother began to tell me that my baby brother
had leukemia, my first feeling was relief." Steven feels so guilty for
feeling relieved; why did he feel relieved in that moment? How much
does guilt weigh?
Steven says everyone has a role, and his role is the "funny guy" and
"drum guy". What is your role(s)? How did this role come to be?
What's your favorite thing about Fall?
When Jeffy gets back from the hospital, he says: "Steven, Steven! You
should have seen it! The hospital was HUGE! And I had a real BED! And
you could MOVE it! The head sat UP, and the FEET did, too! And the
doctors came and put a needle in my BACK! And then I couldn't move
for an HOUR! But Mommy got me a cool book about KNIGHTS IN
SHINING ARMOR. She sat on the floor and read it to me upside down so
I wouldn't be BORED! But I was anyway. And they gave me sleepy
medicine and put a special TUBE in my chest called a catheter. And
another time they put a needle all the way in my HIPBONE. It HURT!
Then they took out some inside bone stuff called BONE NARROW. And
my BONE NARROW is sick. So they put another needle in my back
yesterday with the THROW-UP MEDICINE! And I had a needle stuck in
my chest for FIVE DAYS!" Jeffy has clearly been through a lot, yet he is
still upbeat and excited to tell Steven about his trip- how does Steven
react? How would you react?
Steven claims that dodgeball and dances are "the two D's of my middle
school nightmare". What is your middle school nightmare? Has it ever
come true?
"And I wanted to scream at every teacher, 'Why are you making me do
this stupid busywork while my brother's white cell count is so low?
Who cares about listing the first ten presidents when my brother has
another spinal tap on Friday? What possible use is the FOIL method of
multiplying binomials when my brother's gums are bleeding every time
he tries to brush his teeth?'" Steven cannot concentrate at school
because of what is going on at home- what could he do to work with his
teachers during this time? Complete this thought: One time, I could not
concentrate at school because
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Think back to when Steven talked about showmanship. He said that
when you show off in sports, you're a "hot dog"; when you show off in
class, you're a "brainiac"; and when you show off in music, you're a
"showman". Where do you excel? Is there an area where you show off
too much?
"I had been in a dreamworld for a day and a half. But just because you
get distracted by the silver lining for a little while, that doesn't mean
there's not still a huge dark cloud behind it." Do you agree with Steven?
Why or why not?
If you could pick one word in the English language to describe the
universe, what would it be? Why?
Steven says, "Maybe you'll think it's nuts that the brother of a cancer
patient would feel lucky, but at that instant, I most surely did." Why did
Steven feel so lucky? When during your life have you felt lucky even
though something bad was happening, or had just happened? Why did
you feel lucky?
What do you think of Steven's growth so far? What was he like when
we first met him? What is he like now? What events have shaped him
during this book?