Green Thumb Worksheet
Green Thumb Worksheet
Flipped: Chapter 8 - The Yard
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In this chapter, Bryce watches from the sidelines as his grandfather, Chet, does the unthinkable: he helps Juli Baker fix up her yard. As the weeds disappear, Bryce's feelings start to get a lot more complicated.
Part 1: Quick Check
1. Why does Chet (Bryce's grandfather) decide to help Juli with her yard?
He wants to prove to Bryce's dad that the yard can be fixed.
Juli reminds him of his late wife, Renee.
He is bored and needs something to do during the day.
Juli offered to pay him with fresh eggs.
2. How does Bryce feel when he sees Chet and Juli working together?
Angry that Chet is "betraying" the family.
Happy that someone is finally helping the Bakers.
Guilty and uncomfortable about his own actions.
Excited to join them and help out.
3. What does Chet tell Bryce about "the spirit of the person"?
You can tell a person's character by their house.
Juli is a "whole" person who is greater than the sum of her parts.
Bryce needs to work harder to be a good student.
People who live in messy houses have messy spirits.
Part 2: Digging Deeper
Answer the following questions using the provided sentence starters to help organize your thoughts.
4. Bryce’s father is very critical of the Baker family’s yard. What does this reveal about Mr. Loski’s character?
Sentence Starter: Mr. Loski's criticism of the yard shows that he...
5. Why does Bryce continue to throw away Juli's eggs even after Chet tells him how special Juli is?
Sentence Starter: Bryce keeps throwing away the eggs because he is afraid that...
6. In this chapter, Bryce says he feels like "a coward." Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
Sentence Starter: I (agree/disagree) that Bryce is a coward because...
Yard Secrets Answer Key
Yard Secrets Answer Key
Teacher Resource • Flipped: Chapter 8
Part 1: Quick Check
Correct Answer: Juli reminds him of his late wife, Renee.
Context: Chet mentions that Juli has the same "spirit" and determination that Renee had.
Correct Answer: Guilty and uncomfortable about his own actions.
Context: Bryce watches from the window, feeling like a coward for not helping and for continuing to lie about the eggs.
Correct Answer: Juli is a "whole" person who is greater than the sum of her parts.
Context: Chet introduces the concept of being "more than the sum of your parts," which becomes a central theme of the book.
Part 2: Digging Deeper
4. What does Mr. Loski’s criticism reveal?
Sample Response: Mr. Loski's criticism of the yard shows that he is judgmental and values appearances over people. He looks down on the Bakers because they don't meet his middle-class standards of neatness, failing to see the hard work they do elsewhere.
5. Why does Bryce continue to throw away the eggs?
Sample Response: Bryce keeps throwing away the eggs because he is afraid that if he tells the truth now, Juli will be even more hurt. He has let the lie go on too long and is trapped by his own lack of courage.
6. In this chapter, Bryce says he feels like "a coward." Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
Sample Response (Agree): I agree that Bryce is a coward because he avoids confrontation at all costs. Instead of telling Juli the truth or standing up to his father's prejudices, he hides behind his window and throws away the eggs in secret.
Note: Students may also disagree if they focus on Bryce's internal growth or the difficulty of standing up to parents at his age.
Instructional Tip
Use this chapter to discuss the "Sum of Parts" metaphor. Ask students to identify other characters in the book (or in real life) who might be "less" or "more" than the sum of their parts. This is a great transition into discussing character complexity.
