Question

276 UNIT 4 • IMAGINATION

! WORD NETWORK FOR IMAGINATION
Vocabulary A Word Network is
a collection of words related
to a topic. As you read the
selections in this unit, identify
interesting words related to the
idea of imagination and add
them to your Word Network.
For example, you might begin
by adding words from the
Launch Text, such as invention,
excitement, and discovery.
Continue to add words as you
complete this unit.
Tool Kit
Word Network Model
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NOTES
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Where can imagination lead?
“Hello Mrs. Bieberman! Hi Tommy!” Alexander called out. He
smiled. “That’s a really silly hat you’re wearing, Mrs. Bieberman!”
Then he tapped his smartphone. If everything worked, his last
comment would be Undone.
“Hello yourself, Alexander!” exclaimed Mrs. Bieberman.
Good! thought Alexander. She hadn’t heard it! Flushed with
excitement, he continued. “You know, your little boy looks like a
toad.” He paused, waiting for a response.
“
I do not not look like a toe!” Tommy wailed and, still
blubbering, started to play his video game. Had Alexander tapped
Undo—or just imagined it? He couldn’t remember.
“He can’t go long without his game,” Mrs. Bieberman said,
sighing. “And only three years old.” Alexander hadn’t started
playing video games until he was nine.
“I want a cookie!” said Tommy suddenly, tugging at the hem of
his mother’s skirt. Mrs. Bieberman reached into a bag of cookies
and pulled one out. “I’ll give you just one, Tommy.” Tommy
grabbed it and stuffed it in his mouth.
“How’s your mother?” asked Mrs. Bieberman. “I should call her.”
Alexander was aware of a tap tapping sound.
Mrs. Bieberman reached into a bag of cookies and pulled one
out. “I’ll give you just one, Tommy.”
Alexander froze. How could he have missed it? He’d read all about
multiple discovery—the idea that most inventions are made by
a number of different people in different places at the same time.
How could he have thought he was the only one?
“’Bye Mrs. Bieberman, Tommy” said Alexander in a shaky voice.
Tommy, his mouth crammed with cookie, looked into
Alexander’s eyes and hit a button on his video game. Tap, tap-tap
.
Mrs. Bieberman reached into a bag of cookies and pulled one
out. “I’ll give you just one, Tommy.”

RESPOND by completing the Comprehension check and by writing a brief summary of the selection



write like a 6th grader

Answer 1

**Comprehension Check:**

1. What does Alexander do to interact with Mrs. Bieberman and Tommy?
- Alexander calls out to Mrs. Bieberman and makes a silly comment about her hat and Tommy looking like a toad.

2. How does Alexander feel about what he said?
- Alexander feels excited and nervous, especially when he wonders if he accidentally sent his comment or just imagined it.

3. Why does Mrs. Bieberman sigh?
- She sighs because her son Tommy can’t go long without playing his video game, and he is still very young—only three years old.

4. What concept does Alexander think about when he sees Mrs. Bieberman again?
- He thinks about multiple discovery, which is the idea that many inventions can happen at the same time by different people in different places.

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**Summary:**

In the story, Alexander greets Mrs. Bieberman and makes a funny comment about her hat and her son Tommy. He feels a mix of excitement and worry, wondering if he really sent his last comment or just thought about it. Tommy, who is very young, is fixated on playing his video game and asks for a cookie. Mrs. Bieberman gives him one, and Alexander realizes he missed something important when Mrs. Bieberman repeated herself. He considers the idea of multiple discovery, feeling surprised that he isn’t the only one who can come up with ideas or inventions. The story shows how imagination can make us think about our interactions and ideas in a deeper way.