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/

Montana discussion

AGENDA:

Discuss Montana 1948.  Finish animated poems.

Work on short stories for Friday.  First drafts due.

HMWK:  Montana test on Friday

Montana 1948 Discussion Questions

AGENDA:

Finish Montana 1948.

Discussion questions
1. Bentrock is a fictitious prairie town in Montana that recurs as a setting in Larry Watson’s novels. How would you characterize Bentrock? In what ways is the setting, both time and place, reflected in the characters?

2. What is the role and importance of loyalty in the Hayden family and how does it influence Wesley’s reaction to the accusations brought against his brother? How would you characterize the relationships between the Hayden men, Grandpa Hayden, Frank, Wesley and David?

3. How would you characterize Wesley’s opinions about the Indian characters in the novel, such as Ollie Young Bear and Marie Little Soldier? Do you think his prejudices complicate his role as sheriff?

4. David idolizes many of the adult characters in the novel—for what qualities does he admire Marie, Gloria, Uncle Frank and his parents? How do these affections contradict one another as the story unfolds? How do David’s opinions of these characters evolve as the novel progresses?

5. Did you form any predictions as to why Marie was reluctant to see Dr. Frank Hayden, and if so, how accurate were they? At what point in the story did you begin to suspect Frank’s character?

6. David’s mother, Gail readily accepts Marie’s allegations against Frank, while Wesley is reluctant to investigate. What factors do you think make Wesley hesitant to investigate Marie’s accusations and what factors prompt Gail to believe her?

7. Toward the end of the novel, David observes a reversal of his parents’ roles: “My mother now represented practicality and expediency; my father stood for moral absolutism” (144). What, in your opinion, causes this reversal? Do you agree with the assessment that releasing Frank is the practical and expedient option? Do you
agree with the alternate implication, that prosecuting him is morally absolute?

8. At the novel’s conclusion, it is decided to keep the scandal a secret from the larger Bentrock community. What do you think motivates this decision? If the accusations against Uncle Frank were publicized, who would it have affected and how?

9. In the epilogue David states that he “could never believe in the rule of law again” (164). Why do you think he is disillusioned with the justice system? To what extent do you think his father’s, uncle’s and grandfather’s actions in 1948 shaped this opinion?

10. Montana 1948 has been featured as required reading for high school students while simultaneously appearing on a few banned books lists. In what ways and to what degree is Watson’s novel controversial? Inwhat ways is it educational?
( Questions issued by publisher.)

Work on short stories.

TEST ON FRIDAY!

Animated Poetry

Animated poetry:

Go to Poetry 180:  Billy Collins' web site:
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/


Select a poem to "animate" (shorter poems work best).
Copy and paste your poem on a Word document.
Find images on Google that help to express the mood or imagery of the poem.
These will be backgrounds for the text.

Go to Movie Maker.  Take a tour and follow the instructions on how to use it.
Copy and paste text into Movie Maker.
Copy and paste your images as well into Movie Maker to support the text.

ANIMATE YOUR POEM!
continue to work on your Montana Short Story.

Montana Story/Adjectives

Agenda:

Bellwork: Adjectives

Writing:  Work on Montana Stories

Homework: Read Part II of Montana 1948 for Tuesday