1. SCIENCE FRICTION
LESSON 8
FIRST READ

2. HOW CAN MISTAKES TURN INTO ANSWERS TO PROBLEMS?

3. THINKING THROUGH THE TEXT
1. Is the group’s method for choosing a leader scientific? Why or why not?
2. Why do you think Amanda is starting to like Benji? What evidence supports your claim?
3. Think about the title “Science Friction”. Based on what you have read so far, is this a good title for the story?

4. THINKING THROUGH THE TEXT
4. What tone does the author create with dialogue between Amanda, Eilen, and Benji? How does he create it?
5. How would you describe the strength of each character, based on text evidence?

5. THINKING THROUGH THE TEXT
6. Why do you think Amanda’s mother isn’t making her clean up her room?
7. What details tell you how Benji’s attitude has changed since the beginning of the project?
8. How does the condition of Amanda’s room lead to the destruction of her science project?

6. THINKING THROUGH THE TEXT
9. Amanda says that the equations only have one solution – that Eilen didn’t eat bread. What does Amanda’s response show about Amanda?
10. How do the characters’ personalities and traits work together to create the makings of a science project?

7. THINKING THROUGH THE TEXT
11. What inferences can you make to explain why the pieces of turkey are in various stages of decomposition?
12. What does Benji mean by “when in Slobovia do as the slobs do”? What clues in the text help explain this figure of speech?
13. What text evidence shows why the group uses Benji’s puns as captions if they are “awful”?

8. THINKING THROUGH THE TEXT
14. How does Amanda’s scientific principle connect to the beginning of the story? What figure of speech is this? What is she saying?
15. What text evidence tells you why Amanda suggests that they make their own snacks?
16. What theme do you think the author is communicating with this story?