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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the person who arranged the trip to Puerto Rico over spring break?

2. What did Mrs. Zajac think about the Science Fair while resting in the center of the gym?

3. What change did Mrs. Zajac see in Clarence after she initiated the core evaluation for him?

4. What was the name of the newspaper Felipe bought and brought home to his father and a resident of his building?

5. What did Mrs. Zajac dream about the weekend after Clarence left her class?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were some of the changes January brought to Mrs. Zajac's class and her students?

2. How did Mrs. Zajac differ outside of her class from inside her classroom?

3. What student left Mrs. Zajac's class? Why did the student leave?

4. How did Mrs. Zajac think the students in her class would react to Clarence's departure from their class? How did they actually respond to Clarence not being in the classroom?

5. What did Mrs. Zajac and her family do over spring break? Who organized the experience? Why did Mrs. Zajac decide to spend her spring break this way?

6. Who among Mrs. Zajac's students was particularly excited about entering the science fair? What was the project? How did Mrs. Zajac feel about this student's participation in the science fair?

7. How did Kelly Schools fare on the standardized tees the sixth grade took? How did Principal Laudato respond to this news? How did Mrs. Zajac respond?

8. What kinds of behavior did Robert exhibit that concerned Mrs. Zajac? What did she want Robert's mother to do? Did Robert's mother follow through with this suggestion?

9. What is the history of Puerto Ricans in the town of Holyoke? How were they treated in the second half of the twentieth century?

10. As the class approached spring break, how did Mrs. Zajac feel about her class? About herself? What were her parting words to Jimmy as the children leave for a week's break?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mrs. Zajac's classroom had many Puerto Rican students in it. How were Puerto Ricans treated in Holyoke? How were they represented in the school? What were some of the things Mrs. Zajac did to honor the Puerto Rican students in her class, and their culture?

Essay Topic 2

Choose three of the children in Mrs. Zajac's fifth grade. How are the children similar? How are they different? Include social skills, cultural differences, levels of intelligence, family backgrounds.

Essay Topic 3

At the Science Fair, Mrs. Zajac decided to speak to Al about rethinking the fair because it may not be appropriate for Kelly School. Later, when she saw the disappointment and frustration of the students who did not receive an award, she told herself to remember to give all students awards next time. Why did she think a science fair might not be appropriate for the school? Explain how Mrs. Zajac could feel both things simultaneously. What does this say about her as a teacher?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,308 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample