- Director-Develop questions and lead the discussion
- Can you relate to Catherine trying hard to fit-in with Kristi? How important is it to belong with the right crowd at school?
- Do you find it interesting that Kristi is the new kid in town and Catherine is the one working so hard to be friends with her? Why do you think that is?
- Catherine does not really know what Kristi likes or is like, but she guesses. Have you every done that and have gone through a lot of trouble trying to be someone else for nothing?
- Catherine is very perceptive and empathetic about a lot of things, why do you think interacting with her regular peers is a blind spot for her?
- Catherine's words for Jason are helping him have a personality. The words before helped him ask for his basic needs, but not to express himself. Catherine immediately felt that if she were in him place, she would want to be able to express herself. What are some other words you could add to Jason's book that would help him to express himself and reveal his personality? (Think about what personality is and the kinds of words that go with types of personalities...we do not know what kind of personality Jason has, so we need to give him plenty of options!)
- If you had a communication board, what would be the most important words for you to have to express yourself/people to understand who you are and what you care about (you don't need to put words for obvious daily care and needs)?
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
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Week 6, Post 4 Class Poetry Project Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time indian . New York: Little, Brown and Co...
Can you relate to Catherine trying hard to fit-in with Kristi? Yes, I can relate as teenagers are trying to find their identity, interests, shared interests of who they are. I find personally I can be like a chameleon where I have different groups of friends that I can be with, each group of people having different interests of doing things, and no set group that I have to be a part of at all times. At school for teens, it becomes harder as they develop mentally and emotionally, let alone having to deal with personal physical and hormonal changes. Such a difficult time for teens and yet, all wanting to have friends, fit in with them and be able to have a sense of belonging.
ReplyDeleteCatherine does not really know what Kristi likes or is like, but she guesses. Have you every done that and have gone through a lot of trouble trying to be someone else for nothing?
ReplyDeleteAnother thought on this is that I felt that Catherine was hoping Kristi her new neighbor friend would be like Melissa. Obviously, Kristi was her own person even though the two of them tried to find common ground, or interests, with one another but never quite were one the same page.
I think this is really insightful...I did not even think of this. Catherine obviously misses Melissa, but she really is doing more than that. She is trying to put Kristi into a Melissa-shaped box! Very well reasoned! All of the things she hopes to do with her neighbor would be things she and Melissa would enjoy. I cannot believe I missed this, especially because I actually experienced my best friend moving next door to me in real life!
DeleteAs for your point about Catherine guessing about what Kristi is like, that is true. When Catherine was picking out her bathing suit, I found myself tense because I knew she would regret not wearing the bikini (regardless about its potential for malfunction); I guess I was making assumptions about Kristi too (Lord, 2006, p.130). Kristi turned out to be a pretty static character though, typical popular girl as defined by the stereotype, proven by the way she treated Catherine at the dance at the end (Lord, 2006, p.196).
To answer your question, I absolutely have tried to be someone else in an effort to belong. I think we all have. It never turns out well.
The questions that you developed are going to lead to a great conversation. I like how not only do you have to read the book in order to understand the questions but they will have students pull from other experiences in their life. This book sounds really interesting and I will be adding it to the list of books I read in the future!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lauren! I appreciate you checking out my blog even though you didn't read the same book. I do think the book is a worthwhile read. It has really great characters, foreshadowing, suspense, and themes. I was really impressed all that was in there for the reading level. It is a longer book for the reading level, so that should be taking into consideration.
DeleteI am glad you liked the questions I came up with. The "Director" was my favorite role in the Literary Circle. I love coming up with discussion questions. I find having questions to consider as you read helps you to engage with the text. The questions help develop the characters, setting, and conflict. They frame the story so that there is more meat as you read, because you took the time to consider these details.
Even making an observation helps future reading. For instance, I noted in the beginning that Catherine seems to have an interest in birds and describing hair...as I read, these details completely jumped off the page, whereas if I hadn't written that thought down, I might've missed these motifs altogether.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteGreat questions! These questions are very insightful and will help the reader think deeply about the meanings and the context of the story. The questions you pose will allow students to think critically about the reading, while at the same time relate to aspects and events from their own personal lives. I like how you encourage students to think deeply and connect to the reading, rather than just posing simple, basic questions with only one answer.