Raymond s Run. For Use with McDougal Littell 8 th Grade, Cluster 1. Raymond s Run. Curriculum Companion Sacramento County Office of Education 1

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1 Raymond s Run FICTION SELECTION Unit 1, Part 1, Grade 8 Connect to Your Life is about a girl named Squeaky who has responsibility for her mentally disabled older brother Raymond. Imagine yourself in a similar situation. What might your relationship with your brother be like? How would you handle the responsibility of caring for him? Build Background Squeaky s brother Raymond has a medical condition called hydrocephalus. The symptoms of this disorder include a swelling of the head caused by too much fluid collecting in the skull. Sacramento County Office of Education 1

2 Build Background Sometimes, the excess fluid damages the brain. Hydrocephalus may be caused by an infection, a tumor, a major head injury, or a malformation of the brain before birth. It is fairly rare and affects only about 1 out of every 1,000 children. Words to Know clutch periscope prodigy relay sidekick The events that make up the plot of a story can usually be divided into rising action, climax, and falling action. The rising action consists of the conflicts and complications the main character faces. The climax is the greatest point of interest, or turning point. The falling action provides resolution of the conflict. Sacramento County Office of Education 2

3 In this story, conflicts arise as a result of Squeaky s relationship with her brother and with Gretchen, one of the girls in the neighborhood. As you read the story, look for ways in which Squeaky resolves these conflicts. Events in a plot are sometimes linked to each other in a relationship of cause and effect. What happened is called the effect, or result. Why it happened is called the cause, or reason. Sacramento County Office of Education 3

4 Reader s Notebook As you read, think about how one event causes, or brings about, another. Make and complete a chart to keep track of cause and effect relationships. Download this graphic organizer at Active Reading Cause and Effect Summarize the experiences that have caused Squeaky to make Raymond walk on the inside. Connect What role does each member of Squeaky s family fulfill? Do you think these tasks are divided fairly? What would you do if you were in Squeaky s situation? Sacramento County Office of Education 4

5 Contrast Compare and contrast Cynthia and Squeaky. How are they similar? How are they different? Describe each girl. Active Reading Cause and Effect Why doesn t Squeaky like Gretchen? What is the cause of her conflict with Gretchen? Literary Analysis Motivation Why is Squeaky so ready to fight with these girls? How is the conflict escalating from the beginning of the story? Sacramento County Office of Education 5

6 Clarify What does Mr. Pearson mean when he says, Wouldn t it be a nice gesture if you were to ahhh? Why doesn t he finish his sentence? Literary Analysis Plot Think about how the author builds tension in this part of the story. What problem are you eager to resolve? How does the author make you wait to find out what will happen? Predict Make a prediction about the outcome of the race. What clues in the story helped you make your predictions? Sacramento County Office of Education 6

7 Literary Analysis Conflict Do you think Squeaky has felt any internal conflict regarding Raymond? How would you define this conflict? Active Reading Cause and Effect Squeaky s attitude toward her running has changed dramatically. At the beginning, running was extremely important to her as a source of pride and identity. Now she thinks she might retire. Explain the cause of this change. Sacramento County Office of Education 7