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novel ·ties a study guide written by toni albert edited by joyce friedland and rikki kessler 2300 marcus avenue · new hyde park · new york 11042 learning links inc.

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nothing but the truth for the teacher this reproducible study guide consists of instructional material to use in conjunction with the novel nothing but the truth written in chapter-by-chapter format the guide contains a synopsis pre-reading activities vocabulary and comprehension exercises as well as extension activities to be used as follow-up to the novel novel-ties are either for whole class instruction using a single title or for group instruction where each group uses a different novel appropriate to its reading level depending upon the amount of time allotted to it in the classroom each novel with its guide and accompanying lessons may be completed in two to four weeks the first step in using novel-ties is to distribute to each student a copy of the novel and a folder containing all of the duplicated worksheets begin instruction by selecting several pre-reading activities in order to set the stage for the reading ahead vocabulary exercises for each chapter always precede the reading so that new words will be reinforced in the context of the book use the questions on the chapter worksheets for class discussion or as written exercises the benefits of using novel-ties are numerous students read good literature in the original rather than in abridged or edited form the good reading habits formed by practice in focusing on interpretive comprehension and literary techniques will be transferred to the books students read independently passive readers become active avid readers novel-ties® are printed on recycled paper the purchase of this study guide entitles an individual teacher to reproduce pages for use in a classroom reproduction for use in an entire school or school system or for commercial use is prohibited beyond the classroom use by an individual teacher reproduction transmittal or retrieval of this work is prohibited without written permission from the publisher copyright © 1994 2001 2009 by learning links inc.

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nothing but the truth synopsis nothing but the truth is a documentary novel that is constructed of short excerpts from fictitious diary entries memos and transcribed conversations philip malloy a high school freshman is looking forward to joining the track team although the coach encourages him his poor grade in english prevents him from trying out for the team philip transfers the blame to miss narwin a veteran english teacher who loves literature and wants to teach her students to love it too instead philip clowns around in class even joking during an important exam he is unwilling to take the coach s advice to improve his grade by doing extra work in english class philip is also in miss narwin s homeroom where he takes every opportunity to annoy her on the hectic first day of homeroom philip adds to the confusion by humming the star-spangled banner during morning exercises because there is a rule that students should stand at respectful silent attention while the national anthem is played miss narwin insists that philip stop humming at home philip s parents know that he is upset but he doesn t tell them that he is disappointed because he cannot try out for the track team instead he tells them about getting in trouble for humming the national anthem from his account they assume that he is being treated unfairly that he is not allowed to be patriotic in homeroom the next morning philip again hums the star-spangled banner this time miss narwin sends him to the assistant principal s office where he asks for a transfer from miss narwin s classes dr palleni the assistant principal is unsympathetic especially when philip turns up in his office the next morning for the same reason dr palleni warns philip that he must apologize to miss narwin or be suspended for two days philip chooses suspension from that moment the situation snowballs out of control philip s parents are indignant their neighbor ted griffen who is running for the school board develops philip s story into an issue that might help him get elected a local reporter writes a onesided article defending philip s right to be patriotic the story is picked up by a national press service and a national talk show philip becomes a celebrity and miss narwin receives hate mail the school superintendent and other members of the school administration are alarmed by the publicity because an important school budget vote is pending one by one they withdraw support for miss narwin try to placate the voters and actually rewrite the rules regarding morning exercises when the budget is defeated miss narwin leaves harrison high disillusioned and dismayed and philip transfers to a private school where there is no track team when philip is asked to lead his new class in singing the national anthem philip demurs admitting that he doesn t even know the words learning links inc 1

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nothing but the truth pre-reading activities and discussion questions 1 preview the book by reading the title and the author s name and by looking at the illustration on the cover what do you think the book is going to be about will it be humorous or serious will it take place in modern times or in the past have you read any other books by the same author 2 what is the difference between a documentary film and a feature film notice that this book is called a documentary novel skim through the pages of the book to find out what kinds of documents the author used are these documents fact or fiction 3 read the words of the star-spangled banner discuss with your classmates the meaning of the words and the kind of respect you think the anthem requires talk about instances when someone may have shown disrespect for the anthem do you think this is a punishable offense 4 cooperative learning activity work with a small cooperative learning group to analyze the meaning of the first article of the bill of rights congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances since this first amendment to the united states constitution does not grant unlimited rights generate a specific list of limits to freedom of speech that your group agrees upon compare and discuss your list with those of the other groups in your class 5 do you think parents should believe the stories their children tell or should they investigate the truth when important matters are involved do you think it is a parent s role to give a child emotional support even when he or she has done something wrong is there a point at which a parent may have to let society punish a child for a wrong-doing 6 cooperative learning activity work in small groups to discuss the rules that govern student behavior in your school how and why are rules made how are they enforced do all the rules make sense to you do you have the right to choose which rules you will obey and which you will disobey can you think of a rule you would refuse to obey what would you do what would be the consequences 7 discuss whether we should believe everything we read in a newspaper hear on the radio or see on television choose a sensational story that is currently in the news and try to imagine how the publicity is affecting the lives of the people involved do you think you would enjoy being famous and receiving a great deal of media attention what if some of the information reported about you weren t true learning links inc 2

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nothing but the truth chapters 1 ­ 5 vocabulary draw a line from each word on the left to its meaning on the right then use the numbered words to fill in the blanks in the sentences below 1 document 2 documentary 3 anthem 4 extracurricular 5 facilitate 6 contemporary 7 tuition a modern or current b not part of the required course of study in a school c money paid for being taught in a college or private school d any printed or written record used to prove something e f make easier story presented in a book film or tv show that is based mainly on facts g official song of a country school etc 1 the star-spangled banner is the national of the united states 2 to obtain a passport you must produce an such as a birth certificate to prove you are a citizen 3 sarah would like to go to a private college but the is too high 4 if i had a computer it would my work 5 lee likes music while his twin brother prefers the music of beethoven 6 janet has to give up all activities until she improves her grades 7 i learned more watching an on television about the civil war than i did in a history textbook learning links inc 3

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nothing but the truth chapters 1 ­ 5 cont questions 1 how does philip malloy describe miss narwin in his diary 2 how does miss narwin describe philip in her letter to his sister what good qualities does she see in philip what irritates her about him 3 what is mr lunser s approach to morning exercises in his homeroom class do you appreciate his classroom style 4 what is philip most interested in at school what does he make time for outside of school 5 why does philip do badly on the call of the wild exam do you think he deserves the grade he receives 6 what does miss narwin want to do if she can obtain a grant why does she feel that she needs to do this questions for discussion 1 do you agree with miss narwin that students today do not like to read what could she do to motivate her students 2 do you know anyone who reminds you of philip if so how are they alike would you want philip malloy as a friend literary element style a writer s style refers to the way ideas are presented and expressed usually a writer maintains a consistent style throughout a single book but in nothing but the truth avi presents a variety of styles depending upon the character portrayed and the document conveying the words for example compare the styles of philip s diary and miss narwin s letter how are the styles meant to reflect two very different characters writing activity choose a paragraph from philip s diary and rewrite it as if it were written by miss narwin or choose a paragraph from miss narwin s letter and rewrite it in philip s style learning links inc 4

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nothing but the truth chapters 1 ­ 5 cont special activity avi calls nothing but the truth a documentary novel because he presents the plot and the order of events in the story through a series of imaginary documents the chart below contains a description of some of the documents found in the first five chapters use the documents listed in the word box to complete the document column in the chart then look in the book to find an example of each kind of document word box letter transcript memo document example diary exam description 1 brief communication that gives directions or information 2 written or typed copy of the exact words spoken 3 personal message addressed to a person or organization 4 written test of knowledge 5 daily record of personal activities thoughts and feelings learning links inc 5

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nothing but the truth chapters 6 ­ 9 vocabulary use the context to determine the meaning of the underlined word in each of the following sentences then circle the letter of the meaning you choose 1 if i answer your question bluntly i run the risk of hurting your feelings a tactfully b directly c courteously d brutally 2 the candidates agreed to debate any controversial issue that might arise between now and election day a arguable b contemporary c unpopular d silly 3 as a teacher i expect my principal to be supportive of me particularly when i am faced with unruly students or angry parents a loyal b strengthening c orderly d strong 4 once all our funds have been allocated i will have to turn down requests for extra money for books a wasted b contested c found d assigned 5 despite an appearance of harmony we were surprised to hear the young couple bickering constantly about silly things a quarreling b bartering c meeting d singing questions 1 what important educational issues will be addressed in the april fifth election 2 why does the school superintendent want to be informed if any controversial issue arises 3 what is philip s way of dealing with other people 4 why doesn t miss narwin receive the grant she needs in order to take a course in new ways to teach literature who does receive financial aid and for what kind of course 5 when philip learns that he can t try out for the track team because of his english grade how does he justify his position what excuses does he make 6 what suggestion does coach jamison make to philip is philip willing to take responsibility for his predicament how do you know what are philip s solutions learning links inc 6

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nothing but the truth chapters 6 ­ 9 cont questions for discussion 1 do you think philip s parents deal with the issue of their son s grades in the best way 2 do you think miss narwin is justified in being angry after her request for a grant is denied language study platitudes a platitude is an idea or saying that is stale and worn from use especially one given as if it were new some of the characters in nothing but the truth give each other advice in the form of platitudes read each platitude below and tell what each one means 1 you have to go along to get along 2 go with the flow 3 a rule is a rule 4 won t be the end of the world 5 life isn t a sitcom 6 take the bad with the good learning links inc 7

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nothing but the truth chapters 6 ­ 9 cont literary device irony irony is the use of a word or phrase to mean the opposite of its usual meaning irony of situation occurs when there is a great difference between the purpose of an action or a statement and the result what is ironic about the school district s motto which appears at the top of the superintendent s memo and the decision about how to allocate special funds for teachers writing activity imagine you are a good friend of philip s what would you advise him to do about his english grade and the track team write a letter giving him your advice learning links inc 8

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nothing but the truth chapters 10 11 vocabulary antonyms are words with opposite meanings draw a line from each word in column a to its antonym in column b then use the words in column a to fill in the blanks in the sentences below a 1 frantic 2 civilized 3 vigilant 4 consistent 5 gratifying 6 insolence 7 specific 8 stamina b a respect b disappointing c e f general barbarous inattentive d calm g weakness h changeable 1 she had enough to work twelve hours a day 2 his mother became with worry when he didn t come home all night 3 i need to know the time when the train will leave 4 joanne makes an effort to earn excellent grades 5 the actors found the continuing applause 6 hank kept an watch for any sign of intruders 7 the old man made himself greet her in an way despite his feelings of contempt 8 what to attend the meeting in a dirty sweatshirt and with uncombed hair questions 1 how does miss narwin s attitude toward morning exercises differ from mr lunser s attitude why does miss narwin disapprove of philip s behavior in homeroom 2 why does philip dislike miss narwin how does he behave in her english class learning links inc 9

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nothing but the truth chapters 10 11 cont questions 3 after hearing philip s explanation what do you think philip s parents believe happened in miss narwin s homeroom 4 how does philip s dad show support for philip 5 why do you think philip decides to hum the national anthem again when he attends homeroom the next day what does miss narwin do in response 6 what evidence leads dr doane to claim that miss narwin is their best english teacher why do you think she calls miss narwin into her office to relay this information 7 compare mr malloy s attitude toward his job estimate with philip s attitude toward miss narwin how does this relate to the advice mr malloy gives his son questions for discussion 1 how does cassius line from julius caesar for the eye sees not itself relate to philip and his conflict with miss narwin 2 why do you think mr lunser doesn t answer directly when miss narwin questions him about allowing students to sing while the national anthem is played 3 do you think philip s parents should take their son s problem directly to a candidate for the board of education or should they follow another path how is their behavior similar to that of their son s 4 how does philip explain his behavior to mr palleni the assistant principal do you think the singing is a patriotic thing with him does mr palleni take him seriously language study idiomatic expressions idioms are expressions in which the words do not mean exactly what they say for example when philip says just don t bug me he s not referring to insects find two other examples of idioms provide page numbers and tell what they mean writing activity write about a time when you or someone you know stood up for a cause that was unpopular but just or write about a time when you or someone you know supported a cause that was unjust describe how the situation developed and how it was resolved learning links inc 10

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nothing but the truth chapter 12 vocabulary synonyms are words with similar meanings draw a line from each word in column a to its synonym in column b then use the words in column a to fill in the blanks in the sentences below a 1 condone 2 infraction 3 absurd 4 straightforward 5 obscure 6 singular 7 tense 8 compelled b a forced b violation c exceptional d excuse e f ridiculous anxious g candid h hidden 1 we were thrilled by the beauty of her voice 2 joan was so upset by his remark that he felt to apologize to her 3 michael was wearing an wig and clown shoes 4 not even jenny s mother could her behavior 5 repeatedly causing a disturbance in class is a serious of the rules 6 maria s account of what happened friday night gave the police an important lead 7 the atmosphere in the room became when zach arrived with his guard dog 8 for some reason they didn t get along well learning links inc 11

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nothing but the truth chapter 12 cont questions 1 the third time that philip sings the national anthem in miss narwin s homeroom he claims that has the right to do it what does he mean 2 what does philip want dr palleni to do what does this reveal about philip s real motive for singing the national anthem 3 what does dr palleni suggest philip do what will happen if philip doesn t follow dr palleni s advice 4 what does miss narwin think about philip s suspension from school how does she feel about his being transferred to another homeroom 5 do dr palleni and mrs malloy communicate well with each other what do you think mrs malloy would have liked to discuss with dr palleni 6 what rule does mr malloy think philip has broken when he is suspended questions for discussion 1 would you agree with philip that miss narwin doesn t like him and has it in for him 2 do you think all rules should be obeyed do you think you have the right to disobey rules that you think are stupid or unjust are there any circumstances under which you might disobey a rule 3 do you think philip has some second thoughts about the controversy he has instigated 4 referring to philip s suspension from school dr palleni writes in a memo to dr doane the principal i assume nothing more will come of this do you agree what do you predict may happen writing activity write a transcription of a short conversation that might have taken place between philip and his dad immediately after they talked to the reporter jennifer stewart learning links inc 12

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nothing but the truth chapters 13 14 vocabulary draw a line from each word on the left to its meaning on the right then use the numbered words to fill in the blanks in the sentences below 1 prior 2 minor 3 confidential 4 particulars 5 slanted 6 acknowledge a details circumstances b admit to be true or real c distorted biased d previous preceding in time e f not serious or important spoken or written in secrecy 1 richard wrote on the envelope so that only his superior officer would look at the contents 2 the lawyer wanted to know all the before she would take the case 3 since parking illegally is considered an offense the fine is small 4 my sister waved in my direction to my presence in the room 5 once we learned that the newspaper was supporting the new candidate s campaign we knew that the news articles would be 6 none of the girls could come to the party because they all had commitments questions 1 how does dr seymour answer when jennifer stewart asks him if the harrison school district has a rule forbidding students to sing the national anthem how do you think his answer affects ms stewart s belief about philip s suspension do you think she should have given dr seymour more background on the reason for her call 2 what does mrs malloy conclude when she learns about the reason for philip s homeroom transfer how does philip react to the homeroom change learning links inc 13

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