Theme & Summarizing with "The Roller Coaster" RL6.2

Which sentence is the best summary of paragraphs 1-3?

• Hudson is excited because he is going to Six Flags Great America for his eighth grade class trip.

• Hudson is worried because this year’s class trip to Six Flags Great America might be canceled.

• Eighth graders didn't need as much supervision on their class trip to Six Flags Great America.

• Hudson's best friend, Davion, was looking forward to the class trip more than Hudson.

Summarize Hudson's initial reaction to the Twisted Twister roller coaster?

• He is excited and wants to ride it immediately.

• He is indifferent and more interested in his cotton candy and spending time with Tasha.

• He is scared and feels too embarrassed to let his friends know.

• He is proud of his knowledge of the ride and the fact they make 3 entire circles while riding it.

How does paragraph 14 contribute to the theme of the story?

• Hudson realizes he is not ready to attend high school since he can't even dress appropriately

• Hudson describes his clothing as childish which adds to his extreme insecurity about his fears

• Hudson discovers he made a mistake about his clothing and begins to focus on that instead of his fear

• Hudson has temporarily forgotten his original fear: the giant roller coaster he is about to ride

What type of literary technique are the following lines an example of?

"Hudson smiled weakly as his friends cheered when they counted just three rope barriers to go. Then two. Then one. And then they were at the stairs" (15).

• Suspense

• Comedy

• Idiom

• Foreshadowing

Which of the following best summarizes paragraphs 29-35, Hudson and Tasha's conversation?

• Hudson is too embarrassed to tell Tasha the truth and goes back to the ride just so his friends won't laugh at him.

• Tasha explains that while she is nervous, she sings because it is important to her.

• Hudson thinks Tasha is fearless to perform, when actually she has extreme stage fright but pushes through anyway.

• Hudson tells Tasha he admires her bravery when she is on stage.

According to the paragraph 40, what do brave people not let fear do?

• Make them run away

• Stop them

• Make them sit alone

• Make them get in line

True or False: Hudson was not scared when he finally decided to ride the roller coaster

• True

• False

What was more important to Hudson than fear, as implied in paragraph 47 of the story?

• The excitement of the ride.

• The photo as a souvenir.

• The memory of overcoming his fear.

• Tasha's company.

Organize the following statements into the correct columns below.

Groups:

(a) Summary

,

(b) Thematic Topics

,

(c) Story Themes

• Facing fears can lead to the courage to try new things.

• Hudson speaks to Tasha and realizes he should give the coaster a try

• Friendship

• The best friends are the ones who accept you and don't judge

• Bravery can lead to great new adventures

• Hudson realizes he is braver than he thought

• Bravery

• Overcoming fear

• Hudson is nervous to ride the roller coaster

Place the events into chronological order to create a summary of the story.

• Hudson attends the end of year fieldtrip.

• Hudson is nervous about riding the Twisted Twister.

• Hudson runs away in fear and feels ashamed of himself.

• After speaking with Tasha, Hudson decides to give the coaster a chance.

• Hudson learns a great lesson about overcoming fear and what he is capable of.