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Lesson 1 (from Chapter 1)

Objective

Chapter 1

At the very outset of the book, one of the first things you notice about Shawn is his humor and optimism. Shawn says the good news is he is a genius and the bad news he is retarded. The objective of this lesson is to explore Shawn's personality the at the beginning of the novel and how it shapes our expectations for the development of the plot for the rest of the story.

Lesson

1) Class Discussion: In the first chapter of the novel, what does Shawn say that gives us a glimpse into his character traits and personality? How does the language he uses to describe where he lives, his gift, and his bad news give insight into this character? How does the way Shawn expresses himself affect the reader?

2) Split the class into groups of three or four. Have the students discuss how Shawn's...

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