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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Esme think about the physical appearance of her former students at the graduation ceremony?
(a) They look very different.
(b) They look just about the same.
(c) They seem huge, like little adults.
(d) They are smaller than she remembers them.

2. Which child is especially shy about being a storyteller?
(a) Serena.
(b) B. B.
(c) Maurissa.
(d) Ozzie.

3. What conflict resolution does Kyle agree to with Zykrecia?
(a) Kyle agrees to never speak to Zykrecia again.
(b) Kyle will bring her lunch for a week.
(c) Kyle agrees to return the pencil he stole.
(d) Kyle agrees to bake her a cupcake for her upcoming birthday.

4. When do parents "throw a tantrum" at Esme's new school (as of the Epilogue)?
(a) When the football team fails to make the state finals.
(b) When their kids get F's.
(c) When not enough extracurricular activities are available.
(d) When their kids get C's.

5. What teaching guidelines are given to the school by the Michael Jordan Foundation?
(a) The 3-Pointers of Success.
(b) The Championship Way.
(c) The Jordan Rules.
(d) The Slam Dunk Doctrines.

6. In the Afterword, how does the chairman of the State Board of Education act when he visits a school?
(a) He acts extremely enthusiastic.
(b) He acts humble.
(c) He acts cold and indifferent.
(d) He acts like he is royalty.

7. Which best describes an aspect of Codell's philosophy of reading out loud to the class?
(a) The teacher should read words very slowly and loudly.
(b) Any difficult words should be immediately looked up in the dictionary.
(c) Each child should have a book, so they can follow along with the reading.
(d) The teacher should often stop to have discussions about the text.

8. How many stages does Codell create as part of her Storyteller Festival?
(a) One.
(b) Zero.
(c) Four.
(d) Two.

9. How long after the events in the journal does Codell write her Epilogue?
(a) Twelve years.
(b) Two months.
(c) Three years.
(d) Three weeks.

10. Why is Codell impressed with her students when they have a field trip to the Historical Society?
(a) They make sure to carefully read the plaques on display.
(b) They are using knowledge learned in class in the real world.
(c) They do not steal anything the entire day.
(d) They are exceedingly polite to the society's staff.

11. What is the stated purpose of the "educational chiropractor" early in Part III?
(a) To "straighten out" the student body.
(b) To "massage" the teachers' union into agreeing to lesser pay.
(c) To "align" the teachers' curriculum.
(d) To "work out the kinks" in school rules.

12. What does prefabricated curriculum lead to, in Codell's opinion?
(a) Both good and bad teachers ignoring mandates completely.
(b) The rise of only good teachers, because even the best teachers need state guidelines.
(c) Either good teachers skillfully adapting it to their needs, or bad teachers using it as a crutch.
(d) The rise of only bad teachers, because the curriculum is stifling and uncreative.

13. Why is Ozzie becoming ill at school?
(a) Ozzie is eating Elmer's glue.
(b) Ozzie's nausea is purely psychosomatic.
(c) Ozzie has been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
(d) Fearful of going hungry, Ozzie eats several hamburgers at a time during lunch.

14. Which is NOT one of the reasons, according to Jim Trelease, that Educating Esme is "terribly relevant"?
(a) Codell is young, and represents the future.
(b) Codell was a success, and her students learned.
(c) It provides a realistic snapshot of American education.
(d) Although Codell's students didn't learn the "right" things, they had a ton of fun along the way.

15. In Codell's reading group method, what role does the "literary luminary" play?
(a) Reading passages out loud.
(b) Defining difficult words in the text.
(c) Guessing what comes next in the plot of the book.
(d) Making questions up about the book.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Codell's reading group method, what role does the "practical predictor" play?

2. What does Codell tell B. B., which she later apologizes for?

3. According to Jim Trelease, what kind of portrayal is Educating Esme, with respect to American education?

4. How does Codell prepare her students for the Storytelling Festival?

5. How does the class do on the yearly standardized tests the district administers?

(see the answer keys)

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