Jake Drake, Know-It-All

Jake’s mother accuses her husband of being a “K-I-A/D-I-A” (33). What does she mean by this? What evidence supports her accusation? What evidence contradicts her accusation?

In this story, how does “know-it-all” behavior hurt both know-it-alls and the people around them? What does the story’s theory seem to be about why people might act this way, despite the consequences?

How does the reward of the Bluntium Twelve computer affect people’s thinking and behavior in this story? Do some research to learn more about what scientists have found out about how rewards impact people in the real world. Does this research support or contradict the story’s plot?

In what ways is Pete different from Marsha and Kevin? At which points in the story is Jake most like Marsha and Kevin? How does Jake change over the course of the story to become more like Pete? What causes these changes in Jake?

How would you describe Jake’s narrative voice? How do his language choices, the details he chooses, and his tone work together to help create this narrative voice?

When the science fair is first announced, what would Jake probably say his central conflict is? When does he seem to first realize that this is not his story’s real conflict? What is the story’s real conflict?

When the science fair is first announced, what would Jake probably say his central conflict is? When does he seem to first realize that this is not his story’s real conflict? What is the story’s real conflict?

Do some research to learn more about what educators claim is beneficial about participating in science fairs. Do the characters in Jake Drake, Know-It-All benefit in any of these ways? Why or why not?