Wrong Way, Roy!

Introduce the Story (5 minutes)  

Build Knowledge, Introduce Vocabulary, and Set a Purpose for Reading

• Tell students to think about a time they made a mistake, then ask them to recall how they felt when they made their mistake. Call on a few volunteers to share. Next, draw students’ attention to the image on page 22 and the title of the play, “Wrong Way, Roy!” Ask students to make a prediction about the mistake a character makes in the play. 
• Build background knowledge about the rules of football by showing our Background Builder Slideshow.
• Show or digitally assign the Vocabulary Slideshow to preview challenging terms, most of which could be used when talking about football. Follow up before or after reading with the Vocabulary Skill Builder. Highlighted terms: defense, on the air, jeered, blunder, unite, triumphant, inducted, memorable. 
• Call on a volunteer to read the Up Close box on page 22.

• Assign parts and read the play aloud as a class or in groups. Students can also listen to our Author Read-Aloud of the play as a first read.
• After reading, put students in small groups to discuss the close-reading questions. Then talk about the critical-thinking questions as a class.

Close-Reading Questions

• According to the Prologue and Scene 1, why was the Rose Bowl such an important game? (key details) Scene 1 explains that during the 1920s, the Rose Bowl was the most important game in college football, in which the country's two best teams played against each other on New Year’s Day. In 1929, the match was between the California Golden Bears and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and according to the Prologue, 66,000 people watched. The Yellow Jackets hadn’t lost a single game, so winning this game would be a really big deal to both teams. The winner would be crowned the best college football team in the entire country.
• What is the main problem in Scene 2? What happens as a result? (identifying a problem) In Scene 2, Roy is running down the field with the ball but gets confused when a player on the Yellow Jackets shoves him. He spins around and doesn’t realize that he is now running toward the other team’s goalposts. A player on his own team, Benny, has to stop him from scoring for the other team. Although Benny stops Roy, the other team is still able to score. As a result, the Yellow Jackets win the game.
• In Scene 3, how is Roy feeling? How do you know? (text evidence) In Scene 3, Roy is feeling completely embarrassed, ashamed, and discouraged. The narrator says that Roy is “slumped on a bench in despair.” He is holding his head in his hands, signaling his embarrassment and shame. He does not want to go back on the field and continue playing the game. He says, “Coach, I can’t do it. I’ve ruined you, I’ve ruined myself, I’ve ruined the team. I couldn’t face that crowd to save my life.” His words and body language express how terrible he is feeling about his mistake.
• What can you infer from Scene 3 about Roy? Is he a team leader? Explain. (inference) You can infer that Roy is a strong person who doesn’t give up. Even though he made a huge mistake and felt extremely embarrassed, he knew his team needed him on the field. He played one of the best second halves of his life. He is a true team leader who was able to put his feelings aside and continue to put his best effort forward.
• What does Scene 4 show you about Benny? (character) Scene 4 shows that Benny is a good friend to Roy. He stands up for Roy when other students make fun of him. He is considerate of Roy’s feelings and tries to make Roy feel better about his mistake. He encourages him to continue playing football when Roy wants to give up.
• In Scene 5, Roy is chosen as the team captain. Why is this event important? (plot) The team captain was picked for his skill, hard work, and ability to unite the team. When Roy’s team picked Roy to be the team leader, it showed him that they all forgave him for his mistake, and more important, they believed in him, despite his mistake. This event helped Roy move on from his mistake, gain back some confidence, and forgive himself.
• Think about Roy’s line in Scene 6: “I realized my mistake was just a bad thing that happened. It had nothing to do with who I was.” What does Roy mean? What lesson does he learn? (theme) Roy means that the mistake he made was just a mistake that could have happened to anyone. It didn’t happen because he was a bad player or a bad person. Roy learns that it’s OK to make mistakes. He also learns that over time, mistakes aren’t as big as they originally seem, and you should not give up when you make a mistake.
• How does Roy’s point of view change from Scene 3 to Scene 6? (point of view) In Scene 3, Roy thinks his mistake is the end of his football career and the end of the world. He thinks it is the worst thing that has ever happened to him and doesn’t think he will ever get over it. In Scene 6, Roy realizes that his mistake could have happened to anyone. He learns to laugh about it and realizes it wasn’t as big a deal as he originally thought.
  

Critical-Thinking Questions

• Think about the players who received a letter from Roy. How do you think Roy’s letters made them feel? Explain. (inference) Answers will vary. Students may say they think people who made the same mistake were probably feeling as horrified and embarrassed as Roy felt. They likely felt that their mistake was something no one would ever forget. Roy’s letter probably helped them feel understood and less alone. They probably felt special to receive a letter from a famous player, and the letter probably made them feel better about their mistake.
• Based on what you read in the play, what should you do if you make a mistake? Use examples from the play in your answer. (theme) Answers will vary, but students might say that it’s OK to feel embarrassed or upset about your mistake at first. You can talk about your feelings to your friends, parents, or coaches for support, like Roy did with Benny and his teammates. It is important to take a step back and try to see the bigger picture. In the moment, your mistake might feel massive, but try to think about whether it will matter in five months or in five years. Most important, don’t give up. Roy was able to see that he could still lead his team and play well despite his mistake. His team still voted him as team leader, and he was eventually inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.

Featured Skill: Point of View

• Distribute or assign the Point of View Skill Builder. Have students complete it independently or together with a partner. This skill builder will help prepare students to respond to the writing prompt on page 26. Then you can send their work to our writing contest (see page 2 of the magazine for details)!