The Round House Lesson Plan

In Chapter 8, Joe says it is good that he heard his mother’s confession about what happened at the round house. Then he narrates, “it was a poison in me. I was just beginning to feel that” (165). What do you think he means by this? What could this passage be foreshadowing? What other passages from this chapter might enhance your theory?

Thoughtful student responses will note that, like poison, what he found out about his mother’s attacker is eating him up inside. It’s making him angrier and angrier. Up to this point, he’s been investigating the crime trying to figure out who did it. However, it seems like knowing his mother knows who did it means his investigation is...