Poppy

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“The Sequel”

In this activity, students will predict what will happen to the mouse community in New House based on novel details.

The novel concludes with Poppy announcing that her clan will move to New House, where they have plenty of resources to survive. Consider the problems and freedoms Poppy and her mouse family may encounter at New House. Using evidence from the novel, construct visual media to convey a prediction of what you believe will happen in the sequel to this novel. Consider these points as you construct your response:

• Is there evidence in the novel that indicates New House is inhabited?
• Who placed the fake owl in the barn?
• What freedoms will Poppy and her family enjoy without Mr. Ocax?
• What problems may arise in a mouse community that has depended on a tyrant to rule them?
• Will there be other predators nearby? What predators may return?
• What other considerations should be made when analyzing the mouse community’s future?

Share your presentation with peers drawing connections to clues from the novel to validate your response.

Teaching Suggestion: Students may find it helpful to discuss any unanswered questions or to analyze any clues that may provide insight as to what will happen to Poppy’s community at New House before discussing the activity.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with visual impairments may not be able to complete this assignment as written. A reasonable alternative would be for these students to write their responses or to flex their creative muscles by drafting a short story sequel that addresses the same questions.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Consider the author’s decision to narrate some of the novel from Mr. Ocax’s perspective.

• Does Mr. Ocax’s narrative change the way you view him? (topic sentence)
• Explain the impact of Mr. Ocax’s perspective on Poppy’s problems in the novel. What are readers supposed to think of him?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, speculate why the author might have chosen to narrate portions of the novel from Mr. Ocax’s viewpoint.

2. The novel describes the fears of different characters in the novel and how it drives their behaviors.

• What do characters fear, and how does it influence their behavior? (topic sentence)
• Select three characters from the novel, describe their different fears, and explain how those fears influence their behavior.
• Explain how fear contributes to the novel’s key themes and ideas in your concluding sentence or sentences.

3. Love is a prominent theme in Avi’s novel.

• How does love shape the plot of the novel? (topic sentence)
• Choose three moments where love influences Poppy’s actions and describe how they further the story, using examples from the text.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why you believe the author chose to use love as a motivating factor for Poppy in the narrative.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Mr. Ocax acts as a tyrant in the Gray House community, while Poppy acts as a hero. Consider the roles of Poppy and Mr. Ocax in the novel. Describe the similarities and differences between Poppy’s character and Mr. Ocax’s in two or three paragraphs. What might the novel suggest about the difference between heroes and villains? Validate your response by referring to specific examples from the novel.

2. Consider the non-human qualities of the animals in Poppy. In a three-paragraph essay, describe how the reader can make predictions, understand events the characters may be unaware of, or understand themes based on the knowledge the reader has of animal behaviors. Provide supporting details from the novel to justify your response.

3. Consider the knowledge and skills Poppy has acquired from her journey by the novel’s conclusion. Incorporate multiple details into a brief paragraph to analyze the transformation that has overcome Poppy throughout the novel. Consider these points in your response: How has Poppy gained a new perspective? What behaviors in Poppy have altered? How has Poppy’s journey increased her maturity? Include quotes from the novel to support your response.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Why is Mr. Ocax particularly fond of his mouse prey?

A) They are not challenging to hunt.

B) They often disobey his instructions.

C) They are afraid of him.

D) They do not give him credit for his benevolence.

2. What is Mr. Ocax’s greatest fear?

A) He fears a larger predator will defeat him.

B) He worries the animals will discover the lie about porcupines.

C) He is afraid his supply of mouse food will run dry.

D) He fears the animals will question his authority.

3. Which character first embodies the novel’s theme of The Importance of Challenging Assumptions?

A) Poppy

B) Ragweed

C) Lungwort

D) Mr. Ocax

4. What is the motivating factor for Poppy’s quest to discover Mr. Ocax’s secret in New House?

A) She wants to redeem herself to her family.

B) She intends to discover the truth about Ragweed’s suspicions.

C) She seeks to create allies for herself to fight Mr. Ocax.

D) She wants to prove she is not in league with Mr. Ocax.

5. Which statement best describes Lungwort’s character throughout the novel?

A) He develops a close relationship with Poppy when he admits she is right to challenge authority.

B) He does not change his opinions on authority in the narrative and believes good things come to those who obey.

C) He realizes Mr. Ocax is taking advantage of the mouse community’s fears.

D) He feels trapped by Mr. Ocax because he is responsible for the mouse community’s wellbeing.

6. What is Ragweed’s earring symbolic of?

A) The cruelty inflicted on Ragweed

B) Lungwort’s obedience to Mr. Ocax’s rules

C) Poppy and Ragweed’s defiance of Mr. Ocax

D) The freedom of the mouse community

7. How does Poppy’s character change throughout the novel?

A) She follows the rules but becomes courageous and curious.

B) She quits pursuing her goals but eventually develops perseverance.

C) She shifts from independence to interdependence with the characters in the novel.

D) She rejects Ragweed’s claims about Lungwort but begins to doubt him.

8. Though Ragweed dies, he plays an important role in the narrative. What is Ragweed’s purpose in the novel?

A) His memory encourages Poppy to befriend Ereth.

B) He inspires Poppy to ask for Mr. Ocax’s permission to move to New House.

C) He encourages Poppy to avenge his death.

D) He serves as inspiration for Poppy to complete difficult tasks.

9. What is Poppy’s purpose in venturing to New House?

A) She desires to pursue adventure and freedom.

B) She wants to search for safety and protection.

C) She has ambitions to become the leader of the mice.

D) She intends to fight Mr. Ocax to the death.

10. What does Mr. Ocax’s final statement, “Sometimes I wonder why I bother to protect you,” illustrate to the audience?

A) Mr. Ocax is a stagnant character because his opinions have not changed.

B) Mr. Ocax has grown to care for the mouse community.

C) It foreshadows the challenges Poppy’s community will have without Mr. Ocax.

D) Mr. Ocax continues to deceive the mouse community, even in death.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Why is it particularly challenging for Poppy to address the concerns of her clan? What does it suggest about The Importance of Challenging Assumptions?

2. What does the discovery of the fake owl in the barn help Poppy to realize about Mr. Ocax? Why is this a pivotal turning point in the novel?