NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
1. What does the announcement have to say about the school and the principal?
2. Compare and contrast Phil’s journal with Miss Narwin’s letter to her sister.
3. What kind of teacher is Mr. Lunser?
4. What does track symbolize for Phil?
5. What kind of student is Phil? In your opinion, what grade would you have given
Phil’s essay answer?
6. What propaganda technique does Phil use in his journal in Chapter 7?
7. What problem does Phil have with track? What does his Coach suggest he do?
8. In your opinion, is the rule unfair to Phil?
9. How would you describe Phil and Miss Narwin’s relationship? What could Miss
Narwin do to improve it? What could Phil do to improve it?
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
CHAPTER 9
1. Evaluate Phil’s parents and their relationship with Phil.
2. Why doesn’t Phil tell his dad the truth about the track team?
3. What propaganda technique does Miss Narwin use in her letter to her sister?
4. Did Phil tell his dad the truth about his grades?
Chapter 10
1. What is Phil’s plan of attack for Homeroom and English? What propaganda
technique is this?
2. What does Phil do the first morning of homeroom with Miss Narwin? Why?
3. What is the rule about the anthem?
4. What do other kids think about Miss Narwin?
5. What propaganda technique is Phil using when he tells his friends what he thinks
about Miss Narwin? Is it working?
6. Why isn’t Phil telling his friends the truth about track?
7. Miss Narwin checks on Phil’s past homeroom behavior. Why?
8. At dinner Phil is asked again about track. How does he respond? What propaganda
technique is this? Why dose it work?
9. At dinner, is Phil telling the truth?
10. Why do you think Mr. Malloy decides Phil’s teacher is wrong?
11. Do you think Miss Narwin was wrong? Why or why not?
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
Chapter 11.
1. Why does Phil get sent to the Vice Principals’s office?
2. What does Phil tell the Vice Principal? What propaganda technique is he using?
3. What propaganda technique does Mr. Malloy use with his boss?
4. What does Mr. Doane have to say to Miss Narwin?
5. What is ironic about what Mr. Malloy told his wife about his job and what he told
Phil about school?
6. Are Miss Narwin and Phil really lucky? Why or why not?
7. What is ironic about Phil’s parents supporting him?
Chapter 12.
1. What happens in homeroom today?
2. What does Phil demand of the Vice Principal?
3. Do you think it’s wrong what Phil is doing?
4. What are Phil’s true motivations behind singing the National Anthem?
5. What does Miss Narwin suggest to the Vice Principal to solve the situation?
6. what does the Vice Principal insist Phil do, why?
7. Is Mr. Malloy right, is the school after Phil? What propaganda technique is Mr.
Malloy using?
8. Is the Vice Principal and Mrs. Malloy communicating effectively?
9. What does the Vice Principal think is wrong with Phil’s motivation?
10. what does Miss Narwin have to say about Phil?
11. What untruth does Phil tell at dinner?
12. Do you think it’s outrageous that Phil was suspended? Why or why not?
13. What does Mr. Malloy decide to do to support Phil?
14. How does Mr. Griffen fit into all this? What does he suggest?
15. Phil is asked to “tell the truth”. Does Phil and his dad tell the truth? Is it a lie? Why,
why not?
16. What propaganda technique does Mr. Griffen use?
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
Chapter 13
Reporter Checks the Facts
1. Does Dr. Seymour have all the info when responding to the reporter?
2. What propaganda technique does the reporter use with Dr. Doane?
3. Why do both Dr. Seymour and Dr. Doan deny the rule on singing the National
Anthem? What is their motivation?
4. Why does Dr. Palleni the Vice Principal tell the reporter she has her facts wrong?
Are her facts wrong?
5. When Dr. Palleni the Vice Principal talks to Principal Dr. Doane, how does he
explain the incident?
6. What has Phil decided might be the answer to his track team dilemma?
7. Who has the facts right, Superintendent Dr. Seymour, Principal Dr. Doane, Vice
Principal Dr. Palleni, or the reporter? Why or why not?
8. Who has the facts completely wrong? Why or why not?
9. As you see it, what at this point is the truth?
Chapter 14.
1. Is the article factual? What is the truth? What is not?
2. Why is the article more than a concern for Principal Dr. Doane and Superintendent
Dr. Seymour.
3. What does Phil’s friend Ken think about the article?
4. What do Phil’s parents decide based on the article?
5. On page 119, what propaganda technique does Ted Griffen use in his speech?
Chapter 15.
1. What propaganda technique does the American Affiliated Article ustiliae?
2. What is sensation about the article?
3. Do you agree with Dr. Seymour that it doesn’t matter what’s true, it matters what
people are saying?
4. On Jake Barlow’s radio show, who is getting the blame for Phil’s suspension. Do
you agree?
5. Principal Dr. Doane, Vice Principal Dr. Palleni and Miss Narwin meet to “get the
facts straight”. Did they? Do you think they will find the truth?
6. On page 142, what propaganda technique does Mr. Griffen use in his speech? Has it
changed from before?
7. What did the witnesses say about the incident involving Phil?
8. Is the memo accurate? Why or why not?
9. On page 149, how does the memo differ from the first version?
10. What is Phil’s reaction to the telegrams? How does it differ from Ms. Narwins?
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
Chapter 16.
1. How is the administration starting to view Miss Narwin? Is it justified?
2. What does Phil admit to his friend Ken?
3. Is Miss Narwin right, will people misconstrue moving Phil from her class?
4. What does Mr. Lunser ask Phil at the beginning of homeroom? Why do you think
Phil declines?
5. How is Phil’s first day back going?
6. On page 172, what is Superintendent Dr. Seymour’s main concern?
7. What does Dr. Seymour have to say about the anthem rule? Is it true?
8. Who does Dr. Seymour blame for the situation and why?
9. Describe the interaction between Phil and Miss Narwin? How does this affect Phil?
10. Who does Phil go to about his grade and class change? What advice does this person
offer?
11. Do you agree with this advice?
12. What does Dr. Doane offer Miss Narwin? How does Miss Narwin take it? Do you
think that was their intent?
13. On page 184, what propaganda technique does Mr. Griffen use? How has his
position changed?
Chapter 17.
1. What doe Miss Narwin and Phil decide to do that day?
2. What is the other student’s solution to the ordeal? Do they have all the facts?
3. What is Miss Narwin’s feeling about the whole ordeal?
Chapter 18.
1. How did the election turn out?
2. Why do you think it went that way?
3. What happened to Miss Narwin’s article? Why do you think that happened?
Chapter 19.
1. What action has Phil taken?
2. What is ironic about the last sentence of the story?
3. Summarize the story from your point of view.
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH - FINAL
In “Nothing But the Truth” Phil goes to bizarre extremes to try to get on the track team.
In an essay, analyze Phil’s motivations. Is he acting alone? Did he intend to make a
statement? Did he get what he wanted? What forces might be at work here? Why is
patriotism such a sensitive topic?
At least 5 paragraphs
Worth
5
Conventions (spelling, etc.)
5
Your thesis
10
Answered the questions
about Phil’s motivation
20
Used examples from the
book
10
TOTAL
50
Your Points