Students are asked to write a sentence or two describing Phillip and Timothy's attitudes and actions on the "Phillip and Timothy" pages. Question #4 asks students to note how Timothy's childhood was different from Phillip's, and Question #5 asks students to list three practical things Timothy did that Phillip would not know how to do. Discussion prompts ask students to explain how Phillip's and Timothy's relationship is changing and why events (e.g., Timothy striking Phillip) occurred.

Students answer question #1 asking how Barbara responded when Dina told her what happened at Mrs. Koch's home, requiring them to use specific events from Chapters 13–15. The parent plan asks students to "Compare text events with personal and other readers' experiences," and discussion prompts ask students to describe Barbara and consider why Dina used half German/half English, which asks for interpretation of character behavior and interaction. Students also complete pages about "The City and the People of New York in 1870," which asks them to draw on chapter details about setting and people.

Students are asked in Activity 2 to write three character traits for Meg and provide three examples or pieces of evidence from the book to support each trait, requiring them to match evidence to interpretive points. The Reading and Questions section prompts students to explain characters' motives and causes (e.g., why Meg is doing poorly in school, what Denny and Sandy mean), asking students to give reasons based on the text. The Wrapping Up section asks students to think about how the father's absence affects the family's functioning, which requires citing textual cause-and-effect support.