Queen of the Fall

Article:

http://www.memphisflyer.com/BookBlog/archives/2015/05/27/sonja-livingston-the-art-of-the-effort

HMWK:  Read to pg. 30

The First Part Last

AGENDA:

Begin presentations of The First Part Last projects.

Parts of Speech Review

Parts of Speech - Review

The eight parts of speech are verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, andinterjections.

Verbs show action or state of being.

Nouns are the names of persons, places or things.

Pronouns take the place of nouns.

Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns and tell which, whose, what kind, and how many.

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs and tell how, when, where, and how much.

Prepositions must have an object and show a relationship between its object and some other word in the sentence.

Conjunctions join words, phrases, and clauses.

Interjections show feeling and are punctuated with either a comma or an exclamation point.

Good website:

http://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/parts-of-speech.html

Grammar/Poetry/First Part Last Projects

AGENDA:

BELLWORK:  Prepositions, Conjunctions and Interjections

ACTIVITIES:  continue to work on your Because and Because poem

Go back in the blog to find and begin work on a The First Part Last final project!

I Used to Be Poem

Write an Instant "I Used To..." Poem
Method:	Line   1 I used to Line   2 But now I Line   3 I always Line   4 But I never Line   5  I once Line   6 But now I Line   7 If I could Line   8  I would Line   9  I never Line 10 But I might Line 11 I can't Line 12 But I can Line 13 I won't Line 14 But I might Line 15 I used to Line 16 But now I
Sample:	I used to think that summers stretched slow and lazy for a year But now I know better I always thought "school one year, summer one year" But I never counted off the days on my fingers I once felt hours stretch long and easy But now I hear a panicky tick-tock If I could step into a time machine I would go back and reset the clock I never gave it a thought before But I might seriously consider it now I can't turn life into a sci-fi movie But I can gobble up every day 'til I'm filled up happy I won't ever be 16 again But I might be a teenager at heart I used to think that summers stretched slow and lazy for a year But now I know better

First Part Last

AGENDA:

AGENDA:

Review questions from last class.
Discuss possible projects/

In your journals, please write a response to the following questions for Part s I & II.

Discussion Questions

Parts I & II
1. Who are the main characters?
2. Who is the Narrator?
3. What is this book about?
4. When and Where does this story take place?
5. What do you think about the author's use of language?
   Is the language realistic for Bobby?
6. Discuss the writing style of this book (non-linear): Now/Then.
   Do you like it?
   Does it make it harder to read?
   Why do you think the author decided to write it this way?
7. How does Bobby feel about his baby?
8. How does Bobby feel about Nia?
9. Where do you think Nia is? Why isn't she taking care of her baby?
10. Talk about parents' and friends' reactions to news of the pregnancy?
11. Do you think Bobby is a good kid?
12. What do you think about this book so far?

Parts III & IV
13. Read pages 58 - 61 and pages 70 - 75 together.
14. What happened?
    Why did Bobby get arrested?
15. What was the consequence of Bobby taking the day off? (page 95)
16. What decision had Bobby & Nia mad about the baby? (page 106) Why?
17. What happens for the first time on page 115?
18. Where is Nia?
19. What happened to her?
20. What did Bobby decide to do? (page 118) Why? (page 125)
21. Why is the baby's name Feather? (page 124)
22. Where do Bobby and Feather end up?
23. What do you think will happen? Happily ever after?
24. What did you think about this book?

Scholastic Writing Awards

Go to link:

http://www.artandwriting.org/the-awards/categories/

First Part Last Projects

The First Part Last

Pre-reading:
How do you think your life would change as a teenager if you suddenly had the responsibility of an infant? Make a schedule of your life as it is now (look at your day planner) and then make a new one based on a life with baby.

Knowledge:
1. Describe how Bobby and Nia’s parents react to the news of her pregnancy. How would yours?
2. Find a quote that most reveals who Bobby is as a person. Explain why you picked it.

Comprehension:

1. Find three examples that show what kind of father Bobby is to Feather.
2. What do you think is the most difficult thing for Bobby? Why? (Answer this question after a few chapters, answer it again at the end of the novel and see if the answer changes)

Application:
1. Predict what happens to this family ten years into the future. Explain why.
2. Write ten questions you would ask Bobby, Mary, and Nia if you could.

Analyze:
1. On page 35 Bobby says, “ … which pisses her off and makes her scream, and then I look around my room and miss me.” Explain what he means.
2. Angela Johnson tells the story in a non-linear fashion. Why, do you think, she chose this literary device to reveal the story?

Synthesize
1. How would you cope under the extraordinary circumstances that Bobby finds himself?
2. Would you make the same choices?

Evaluation:

1. If Bobby had Nia’s help raising Feather would he be a different father? What makes you think so?
2. Do you agree with Mary and Fred’s approach to grandparenthood? Why or why not?

Multiple Intelligence Projects for

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson



Verbal/ Linguistic

Write at least five letters to Nia explaining what is happening with both Bobby and Feather. Be specific!

or

Study the spare, lyrical writing of Angela Johnson and try to write one scene of a story with a similar quality and the same economy of words.



Logical/ Mathematical:

Find the most recent statistics that you can about teen pregnancy in America. Create at least one graph explaining the results you discovered.



Visual/ Spatial:
Create a piece of art that you feel represents Bobby’s emotions throughout the novel. Think about form, color and line as you create your work. Explain your art in a brief, but illuminating paragraph.



Body/Kinesthetic

In small groups, act out scenes from the novel.
Or-

Write the dialogue and act out the scenes that are left off camera (like what Nia says when she meets Bobby with a balloon on his birthday).

Musical/ Rhythmic

Either create an original piece of music yourself to accompany the story or, find at least three songs that you think belong on the soundtrack of the movie version of this book. Explain why you chose these songs (and include a copy of the lyrics) in a brief journal.

Interpersonal:

Cooperative Learning Project:
In groups of no more than three explore and research one aspect of teen pregnancy (or choose one of your own):

How sex education affects pregnancy rates

Social implications of teen pregnancy on communities

Long-term effects for the mother (and/or father) for future success

Long term success for the infant in health and education

The availability of birth control and other services on pregnancy rates

Which children are most at risk for teen pregnancy

Adoption

Foster care system

Teen shelters

Outstanding programs for young mothers and fathers

Abstinence programs

Then, create a website (or pamphlet) sharing your compilation of facts with the public. Invite the public +/or other teens in a discussion via a message board about it.

Intrapersonal:

Write a letter to yourself about where you want to be in ten years. Reflect on how your goals would be compromised if you were forced to turn your attention to another human being. Assume that your responsibilities would be maximized similar to Bobby’s and that adults would let you assume the brunt of your own mistake.

Refer to the letter as needed.

CREATE a movie trailer for the book using Movie Maker utilizing music and images

First Part Last

AGENDA:

BELLWORK: VERBS

Go to library and get First Part Last.   
HOMEWORK: Read the book for next Tuesday's class.

View animated poems.

All late work (study guides and stories) need to be turned in for credit.

Check out the link to Angela Johnson's website.

Angela Johnson Links

Link to Angela Johnson:

http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Angela-Johnson/1263944 

http://www.ohiochannel.org/MediaLibrary/Media.aspx?fileId=126267 

http://www.ajohnsonauthor.com/


http://www.teachingbooks.net/slideshows/johnson/Reads_FirstPartLast.html



http://thebrownbookshelf.com/2009/02/08/angela-johnson/