The Split Cherry Tree

LOTS

1. On the night before Pa comes to the school, Dave says, "I studied plane
geometry. Then I studied my biology lesson. I could hardly study for
thinking about Pa."
Why was Dave so worried?
ANSWER: He was worried because his father planned to go to school and talk to
Professor Herbert.
(5 points)

2. Before Pa goes to the school, Dave says that Pa won't understand "that school
had changed in the hills from the way it was when he was a boy…"
How is Dave's education different from his father's expectations?
ANSWER: The education Dave receives is modern, not old-fashion.
(5 points)

3. What changes Pa’s opinion about his son’s studies?

ANSWER: He talked to Professor Herbert and he spent a day at school. He saw
that the school had changed.
(5 points)

4. Why did Dave have to stay after school?

ANSWER: Dave did not have money to pay for the broken cherry tree.
(6 points)

5. Why did Dave’s father go to the school with him?

ANSWER: To talk to Professor Herbert about the unfair punishment his son got.
(6 points)

6. Why does Pa take his gun to the school?

ANSWER: To convey his message if the words would not be convincing enough.
(5 points)
 HOTS

7. When Pa arrives at the school, Dave thinks to himself: "I'd never seen Pa in
a schoolhouse before. I'd seen Professor Herbert. He's always looked big
before to me. He didn't look big standing beside of Pa."
What is Dave's perspective of his father at this point in the story?
ANSWER: Dave thinks that his father is big and strong and he can hurt Professor
Herbert. Dave says that his father looks mighty, and he is afraid that he may use
force to explain to Professor Herbert his point of view about Dave's unfair
punishment. Dave also thinks that his Pa is old-fashioned. Pa wears farmer's
clothes, while Professor Herbert wears a grey suit and glasses.
(10 points)
8. How does Dave see his father at the end of the story?

ANSWER: Dave understands that his father has a tender heart because he did not
let Professor Herbert to kill the black snake; he also understands that Pa is able to
learn new things because he saw that Pa changed his opinion about school. He
understood that Pa is a good and honest man because he did not agree to cancel the
punishment and helped Dave to sweep the floor.
(10 points)

9. How does Pa’s meeting with Professor Herbert at school change Pa’s
perspective of the professor? Give information from the story to support your
answer.
ANSWER: In the beginning of the story Pa thought that Professor Herbert is a bad
man because from his point of view Dave got a different punishment because he
was a poor man's son. But after Pa spent a day at school his point of view changed:
he understood that school had changed and that Professor Herbert is a good man
and a good teacher who want Dave's best: he wants Dave to have a better life and
that his hands to be softer.
(10 points)

10. How does Professor Herbert’s opinion of Pa change during the story? Give
information from the story to support your answer.
ANSWER: In the beginning of the story Professor Herbert was afraid of Pa, he
thought that Pa may kill him because Pa put his gun on the table at the beginning
of their conversation. However, after Pa and Professor Herbert spent a day at
school together Professor Herbert discovered that Pa is a good and honest person
with a tender heart, who is able to learn new things.
(10 points)

11. What was Professor Herbert’s motive for punishing the boy the way he did?
ANSWER: Professor Herbert wanted to give Dave an educational punishment, a
punishment which is meant to teach and not to shame. Dave did not have a dollar to
pay for the broken cherry tree, so instead of weeping him Professor Herbert paid a
dollar for him and Dave had to stay after school for two hours twice to help the
janitor clean the school.
(10 points)

12. Was Professor Herbert right to punish the boy in his way? Explain.
ANSWER: Professor Herbert was right because he wanted to give Dave an
educational punishment, a punishment which is meant to teach and not to shame.
Dave did not have a dollar to pay for the broken cherry tree, so instead of weeping
him Professor Herbert paid a dollar for him and Dave had to stay after school for
two hours twice to help the janitor clean the school.
(10 points)

13. At the end of the story what caused Pa to help Dave sweep the classroom?
ANSWER: Pa says that honest people always pay their debts since he understood
that the punishment Professor Herbert gave Dave was fair, he could not let
Professor Herbert cancel his punishment. This is why he was ready to help his son
to sweep the floor.
(10 points)

14. At the end of the story, “Pa … told Mom he was going to take her and show
her a germ sometime.” How has Pa’s perspective of the world changed by
the end of the story?
ANSWER: Pa understands that he cannot fight changes and that the world moves
on. He also understands that the school has changed and that his son has to go to
school to have a better life and softer hands. He was excited to discover that germs
exist and to see the through the microscope.

(10 points)
15. How has Pa’s experience at the school changed his relationship with his son?
Give information from the story to support your answer.
ANSWER: First of all, Dave discovered that his father has a tender heart and is
able to learn new things, because Pa did not let Professor Herbert kill the black
snake and Pa learned that the school had changed. Pa understands that it is
important for Dave to attend school to have a better life in the future.

(10 points)
16. Compare and contrast Pa’s opinion of Dave’s school before and after he goes
there. Give information from the story to support your answer.
ANSWER: In the beginning Pa thought that Dave's school is a waste of time
because instead of sitting in a class and learning from books the students were
taken to a field trip. Pa also did not like the fact that boys and girls learn together in
the same class. However, after Pa spent a day at school he understood that the
school had changed and progressive education was important to his son's future.
(10 points)

17. At the end of the story Pa says, “…he must pay fer the tree and I’m goin’ to
hep ‘im.” What can we learn about Pa’s character from this quote? Give
information from the story to support your answer.
ANSWER: We can learn that Pa is able to change his opinion, and that he is a
good and honest man. After he spent a day at school, he understood that the school
had changed and that he should not fight this change because it is good for his
son's future. This is why he did not want to let Professor Herbert cancel the
punishment and was ready to help his son to weep the floor.
(10 points)

With Justification
 18. For this question use ONE of the thinking skills from the Appendix (‫ )נספח‬on
page 15 OR any thinking skill studies in class. Write the thinking skill you
chose and then answer the question (10 points for the content of the answer, 5
points for the correct use of the thinking skill).

How does the meeting between Pa and Professor Herbert affect the boy?
Thinking skill I chose: Inferring
ANSWER: By reading between the lines I understand that due to the meeting
between Pa and Professor Herbert Dave understood that his father has a tender
heart. When Professor Herbert wanted to dissect the black snake to show germs to
the kids, Pa did not let him do it, because he does hurt animals because they cannot
defend themselves.
(15 points)

19. For this question use ONE of the thinking skills from the Appendix (‫ )נספח‬on
page 15 OR any thinking skill studies in class. Write the thinking skill you
chose and then answer the question (10 points for the content of the answer, 5
points for the correct use of the thinking skill).

At the end of the story Pa says to his son: “But I’m behind, Dave. I’m a little man.
Your hands will be softer than mine. Your clothes will be better.” What has Pa
learned from his visit to the school?

Thinking skill I chose: Inferring

ANSWER: By reading between the lines I inferred that Pa understood that school
has changed and he is old-fashioned. During his stay at school Pa saw progressive
methods of education. He understood why modern education is good. He saw germs
and understood Dave's educational punishment, which was meant to teach and not
to shame.
(15 points)
 20. For this question use ONE of the thinking skills from the Appendix (‫ )נספח‬on
page 15 OR any thinking skill studies in class. Write the thinking skill you
chose and then answer the question (10 points for the content of the answer, 5
points for the correct use of the thinking skill).

After Dave tells Pa about his punishment, Pa says, “A bullet will go in a professor
same as it will any man. It will go in a rich man same as it will a poor man.”
Why does Pa react to Dave’s punishment in this way? Give information from the
story to support your answer.

Thinking skill I chose: Inferring

ANSWER: By reading between the lines I inferred that Pa reacted negatively to
Dave's punishment because he was sure that Dave got his punishment because he
was a poor man's son and Pa was insulted by Dave's punishment. He did not like
the fact that Dave was the only kid who had to stay after school to help the janitor
and all the other kids could pay a dollar and go home.
(15 points)