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Ungifted
Last updated Thursday, March 30, 2023
Author: Gordon Korman
Date of Publication: 2012
ISBN: 006174266X
Grade Level: 5th (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Apr. 2023
Synopsis:
When Donovan Curtis pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he’s finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special program for gifted and talented students.
Although it wasn’t exactly what Donovan had intended, the ASD couldn’t be a more perfectly unexpected hideout for someone like him. But as the students and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything), he shows that his gifts may be exactly what the ASD students never knew they needed.
| Note to readers: |
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Eight-grader, Donovan Curtis, has an IQ of 112. He likes to do pranks. One, which was more of an accident, goes horribly wrong. Instead of being suspended or even expelled, he is transferred to school for really, really smart kids. They all have IQs at least 30 points above, which classifies them a geniuses.
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| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Readers: Read the paragraph above.
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Do you know anyone who is enrolled in a class or school for gifted students? What do think it is like for them?
Vocabulary:
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ancestry: family decent or line (your family tree). Who your ancestors were (e.g., grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., and all of their relatives). Ancestry.com is an on-line company that helps people search for their ancestors.
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I.Q.: Intelligence quotient, a measure of an individual’s intelligence.
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prank: a practical joke or mischievous act.
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Atlas: a character in Greek mythology. He fought against the gods. As punishment, Zeus, the leader of all the gods, made him hold of the heavens up on his shoulder. He is seen in art as a big man holding the Earth up on his shoulders.
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hypothesis: a possible assumption in order the test the consequences in order to prove it right or wrong.
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gifted: refers to individuals with special talents or skills that are greater than the average person’s.
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academy: a school where special subjects are taught.
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superintendent: the person who has oversight over and is in charge of an organization.
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chagrin: distress of mind caused by humiliation, desperation or failure.
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robotics: the science and technology dealing with the design, construction and operation of robots.
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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When Donovan gets in trouble for making the announcement over the school’s P.A. about the basketball team, the “2 Daniels” are there but let Donovan take the blame. What do you think this says about them as friends? Would you do the same?”
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What do you think will happen to Donovan when Dr. Schultz finally catches up to him? If you had done something similar, what do you think would happen to you?
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How would you feel if you suddenly found yourself in a class or school for gifted students? Would it change how you behaved or worked?
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Readers: Encourage the kids to finish this book. It is fun to see how all the students, including Donovan, change as a result of his being in the class. Also, there is epic showdown at the Robotics conference.
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| Special activities: |
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Do the Word Search
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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