Friday, April 3, 2009

Spring Break Requirements

Hello everyone,

In order to remain on schedule and prepare for your upcoming assessments, you are required to read and complete the first three sections of the novel. The required sections are pages 1-34, 35-49, and 50-70. Please follow the directions for each assignment. The vocabulary activity changes with each section and you must respond to each study question. As always, we do not write the questions as it is very elementary. Respond to each question using complete sentences. If you need to contact me over the break use the following email address: missncjackson@dadeschools.net.

Get some rest during your break and come back to school ready to learn!

Ms. Jackson

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Pages 1-34

PAGES 1-34

VOCABULARY TERMS

fiery weaving retaining frantically
opposing raggedy honorable cold-blooded
dizzy dashboard stunted infinite
outrageous scholarship proceeded courage
miscellaneous recuperated adjusting hollers
offends clogged eliminate

VOCABULARY ACTIVITY

Choose 15 of the above vocabulary words and write them in a list. Then find an antonym and a synonym for each word and use each word in a complete sentence.

STUDY QUESTIONS

Who caused the car crash?
Who was involved in the accident? Who was admitted to the hospital?
Explain how Keisha find out about the accident?
Who escapes from the car first?
Explain why the boys couldn’t rescue Rob from the car?
Who is questioned first about the accident? Why?
Explain how B.J. is different from his friends?
What conclusions can be drawn about Gerald’s stepfather?
Explain B.J.’s prayer?
Who was closest to Rob?
Who does Andy confide in on his first day back at school?
What is Andy’s sentence? Is the judge lenient? Why or why not?
What does Andy have to do to keep his basketball privileges?
How would you describe Gerald’s home life?
Explain why Gerald says that Andy and his friends “ended up buying five dollars worth of death?”

Pages 35-49

PAGES 35-49

VOCABULARY TERMS

assuming moody capable frenzied
severe psychic undergraduate dispense
affected initial convert cotillions
affirmative rebellious

VOCABULARY ACTIVITY

Write a brief summary for pages 35-49 using at least 10 of the words from the above vocabulary list. Underline the vocabulary words in the summary.

STUDY QUESTIONS

What does Andy believe is the reason the team won their first game after the accident?
Explain what Andy’s Coach tells him about crying?
Does Andy blame himself for the accident? Why?
Explain how Andy feels about his parents?
Who is Monty?
How does Andy feel about Monty as compared to the rest of the family?
Explain why is Andy worried about Monty?
How does Andy feel about taking Rob’s position as center?

Pages 50-70

PAGES 50-70

VOCABULARY TERMS

adventure righteous tantrums engraved
expectations radiator auditorium fortunate
potential assumes frustration enhanced
shimmers grace dense

VOCABULARY ACTIVITY

Choose 10 of the words from the above list and draw a picture that illustrates the meaning of each word. Then write the vocabulary word in a sentence to accompany the picture.

STUDY QUESTIONS

Why is Andy upset with Keisha?
Why does Andy think his parents don’t understand him?
Where did Gerald get the scar on his face?
Explain what happened when Andy visited the school counselor?
What does Andy say about discrimination to Dr. Carrothers?
Why do you think Andy feels at ease with Dr. Carrothers?
What information is given in Keisha’s diary entry?
What does Ms. Blackwell compare poetry to?
Explain what is Andy referring to in his poem when he says, “The storm clouds are forming/upon the peaceful sea”?
What is ironic about the title of Andy’s poem?
What is Rhonda’s poem about?
How is Keisha’s poem related to Andy?

Pages 71-105

PAGES 71-105

VOCABULARY TERMS

cosmetic browsing commodities exaggerate
vital looted phony cynical
secure aspects donate concludes
glistening cinder metaphor stereotypes
reality hypnotized verbalize traumatic
grieving eliminate alternatives patient
visions foolishness eternity treasure

VOCABULARY ACTIVITY

Choose 10 of the above vocabulary words and write them in complete sentences. (Be original! No elementary sentences PLEASE!)

STUDY QUESTIONS

What did Keisha do to calm Andy after he spoke to Rob’s mother on the phone?
Why does Andy feel like he is watched while he is shopping?
How does Andy perceive his relationship with Keisha?
Why does Andy depend so much on Keisha?
“Sometimes you get sick of bein’ treated like dirt,” Andy tells Dr. Carrothers. In what context does he make this statement?
What is the title of the poem that Ms. Blackwell reads to the class? What is it about?
Explain how does Gerald relate the poem to himself?
According to Ms. Blackwell, which colors are used to show the greatest about of contrast in literature? What other colors can be used as metaphors?
What does Ms. Blackwell say about color bias changing?
Why does Andy wonder if Rob is cold?
Why might Andy remember the retaining wall being larger than it actually was on the night of the accident?
What does Andy mean when he says he is out of touch with reality?
What does Andy see in his future? Why do you think he feels this way?
What conclusions might be drawn about Andy after his session with Dr. Carrothers?
What is Monty afraid of?
What does Monty ask Andy about dreams?
Why does Andy say he decided to write a letter to Rob’s parents?

PAGES 106-135

PAGES 106-135

VOCABULARY TERMS

noble wretched morality degeneration
inevitable deterioration coward strut
confidences progressed uptight potential
inhibitions intentions dismissed stable
hilarious ease extraordinary overwhelming
magnificent electrify bombard daggers

VOCABULARY ACTIVITY

Choose 12 of the above vocabulary words and create a word search with them. Be sure to turn in both a word search and an answer key.

STUDY QUESTIONS

How is Macbeth similar to Andy?
What did B.J. have to say in regard to the passage from Macbeth?
Explain why Andy runs out of class when they are discussing Macbeth?
Explain why Tyrone and B.J. visited the counselor?
What lies does Andy tell Dr. Carrothers? Why does he lie to Dr. Carrothers?
Why does Dr. Carrothers stop Andy’s visits?
Who called Andy’s father about his grades and behavior?
How does Andy’s father respond to the teacher’s concern for Andy?
How are Counselor Thorne and Ms. Blackwell similar or dissimilar when it comes to concern for students and their well-being?
Who does Monty compare to his picture of the tiger? Why?
What does the teacher in the conversation on page 127 say about black people?
Explain why the teachers believe the talent show is a waste of time?
Who is Master of Ceremonies for the talent show?
What is the irony between the conversation of the two teachers and their attendance at a human relations meeting after school?
What evidence does Keisha give in her journal that her relationship with Andy is not as strong as Andy believes it to be?
What are the different ways Rhonda talks about “love” in her note to Tyrone?
Why doesn’t Keisha perform her solo act at the talent show?
Why would Keisha choose the night of the talent show to break things off?
How do you think Andy will respond to this break-up with Keisha?

pages 136-154

PAGES 136-154

VOCABULARY TERMS

unfortunate vaguely crept revelation
resilient emerged dedicate bout
hectic reprehensible punitive ambitions
detriment dignified assimilate

VOCABULARY ACTIVITY

Think about Andy, Keisha, B.J., and Mr. Jackson. Decide which of the above vocabulary words you associate with each character. Write them in a chart. Be sure you can defend your decisions, as many of the words fit several different characters. Afterwards, write a brief explanation defending your decisions. (1 paragraph per character)

STUDY QUESTIONS

Did Andy’s parents attend the talent show to watch him perform? Why or why not?
Where did Andy visit with his family when he was nine?
Why didn’t Andy tell his parents on the vacation that he was going out for a late night swim?
Explain why doesn’t Andy’s mother face the reality of what happened to Rob and how it has affected Andy?
Why does Andy compare his feeling to drowning in an ocean?
Who did Coach Ripley tell Andy had been looking for him?
What led up to Andy’s father wanting to discuss Andy’s grades with him?
What is Andy’s father’s real name?
What does Andy’s father feel that Andy is lacking?
How is Andy’s relationship with his father different from his relationship with Coach Ripley?

Pages 155-180

PAGES 155-180

VOCABULARY TERMS

adviser soul fatal instinct
ancestors tufts disposition summoned
bitter severity triumphed envied
shattered irritable

VOCABULARY ACTIVITY

Write 3 poems using at least 10 of the words from the above vocabulary list that depicts the mood of the last part of the novel. The poem can be written in any style of poetry (haiku, cinquain, etc.).

STUDY QUESTIONS

Who did Andy first call to talk about his emotional state?
How does Andy feel about talking to answering machines?
Explain why Andy is feeling more vulnerable than ever right now?
Explain why isn’t Andy able to talk to Keisha at night?
Why does Rhonda go to Andy’s house?
Explain why doesn’t Keisha go with Rhonda to Andy’s house?
Explain how Andy identifies with a tiger?
What other time had Andy felt so cold and empty?
What tells you that Andy is going to commit suicide?
What events led up to Andy’s inability to handle his problems on his own?
How does Andy feel about dying?
If Dr. Carrothers had been available for Andy to talk to, how might it have changed the outcome of the story?
What did Monty notice when he came home with his mom?
Who visits the school to help the students with the loss of Andy?
Does the grief counselors’ visit have an affect on the students’ feelings toward the death of Andy? Why or why not?
What were the students advised to do to help ease their pain? How would this activity help?
Why does Tyrone compare Andy to Romeo and Juliet?
How does Gerald fell about Andy after learning about his suicide?
Why is Gerald so angry toward Andy?
How were Marcus and Andy’s feelings toward one another similar?
What does Keisha mean when she states in her letter to Andy, “Wait for me”?
What is B.J.’s attitude when speaking to the Lord about Andy?
Who is having the hardest time dealing with the death of Andy?
What changes have occurred in Andy’s family since his death?