1. Harcourt Journeys: Story Selection
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2. Unit 2: Lesson 8
“Me and Uncle Romie”
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3. Turn your Text Book to page 200.
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6. 1 2

7. Why does the selection begin with a description of James’s conflict about meeting unknown relatives?
Answer
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8. Answer:
To set up the plot by showing a problem that will be resolved later.
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9. Which of these might cause a young person to feel concerned: eating a favorite meal, changing schools, getting a new puppy, driving a car for the first time?
Answer
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10. Possible Answers: Changing schools Driving a car
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11. 3 4

12. Which story details show that James is unfamiliar with big city life?
Answer
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13. Answer:
He is guided to the subway by Aunt Nanette. He says, “the city is not like North Carolina at all” and that Aunt Nanette’s home “was like nothing he’d seen before.”
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14. Why isn’t James likely to see much of his Uncle Romie during the early part of his vacation?
Answer
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15. Answer:
Uncle Romie is working very hard getting ready for the upcoming big art show.
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16. 5

17. Why do you think Aunt Nanette takes James to Harlem?
Answer
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18. Answer:
She mentions that Uncle Romie grew up there; it’s a chance for James to get to know Uncle Romie indirectly from the things he used to do as a boy; Harlem also appears to be the center for African American life in the city.
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19. 6 7

20. Name one fact and one opinion that James expresses about his tour around the city.
Answer
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21. Answer:
FACT: Aunt Nanette took James all over the city – the ferry, the Empire State Building, Fifth Avenue, Central Park
OPINION: James liked Harlem the best.
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22. How are the things James likes to do in Harlem similar to what he does back home? How are they different?
Answer
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23. Answers:
SIMILAR: In Harlem, James likes playing stickball. It is a similar game to baseball, which is a game James likes back home.
DIFFERENT: In Harlem, James plays in water from the fire hydrant and listens to street musicians. These are both things that can only be done in cities.
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24. 8 9

25. Why does the author have Aunt Nanette try to convince James that his birthday celebration will be alright?
Answer
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26. Answer:
To show Aunt Nanette is wise, to bring Uncle Romie and James together
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27. James describes Uncle Romie’s studio as a glorious mess
James describes Uncle Romie’s studio as a glorious mess. What does that mean?
Answer
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28. Answer:
James admires Uncle Romie’s work and considers the materials that go into his paintings wonderful.
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29. 10 11

30. Why does James start to feel more comfortable with his Uncle Romie?
Answer
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31. Answer:
James looks around the studio and starts to recognize parts of Harlem life that he just saw, as well as a familiar scene from his North Carolina home, in his uncle’s paintings. This tells him that his Uncle Romie likes the same things that James likes.
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32. What do the details from James’s birthday breakfast tell you about the relationship between James and Romie?
Answer
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33. Answer: They have more in common than James had originally thought.
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34. 12 13

35. What is Uncle Romie’s message about people?
Answer
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36. Answer:
That while people live in many different places and family groups, they all care about many of the same things – special foods, songs, games, and stories.
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37. What are some ways in which James and his uncle are alike?
Answer
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38. Answer:
They both like peanuts and pepper jelly, baseball games, and watching trains.
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39. 14

40. What does James discover at the art show
What does James discover at the art show? How might this affect how he feels about his Uncle Romie?
Answer
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41. Answer:
James learns that his uncle’s paintings are making complete strangers remember their families friends, and special times.
James will probably admire his Uncle Romie and his art work even more.
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43. 15 16 17

44. What is different about James’s second train trip, as compared to his earlier one?
Answer
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45. Answer: The first time, he was nervous. Now, he is more relaxed.
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46. How does the main conflict, or problem, of this story resolved?
Answer
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47. Answer:
James was nervous about traveling so far from home, and at first Uncle Romie seemed mysterious and distant. When Aunt Nanette left for a few days, James and Uncle Romie became close while celebrating James’s birthday.
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48. Why would birds appear to streak across the sky?
Answer
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49. Answer: They move so quickly that their motions seem to blur together.
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50. 18 19

51. How has James changed by the end of the story?
Answer
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52. Answer:
He now has good memories of New York and is closer to his aunt and uncle.
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53. Why do you think James is off on a treasure hunt collecting things?
Answer
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54. Answer:
He is planning on making a collage as a birthday present for his Uncle Romie.
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55. Projectable 8.3a
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59. Projectable 8.4
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62. Copyright © 2011 Kelly Mott

63. How did you do?
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