Pre-service teachers used blogs to discuss award-winning Newbery books using reading roles creativiely adapted from Harvey Daniel's 'Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student-centered Classroom'. Contact Anne Davis at adavis@gsu.edu if you have questions.
These blogs were moved from Manila blogs to TypePad blogs. The author shows up on each post as Anne Davis as a result of the transfer. The original posts were made by students and the instructors Lynne Jordan & Anne Davis. The initials on the post title signify who did the actual blogging of the post.
« September 2003 | Main | November 2003 »
I was rereading Chapter 5 and noticed a very interesting phrase that we had not mentioned before. Michelle did, however, touch on the passage surrounding the words. On page 37, Jonas's mother uses the words "first stirrings."
In the passage Jonas's mother says, "Jonas the feelings you described as the 'wanting;' it was your first stirrings."
I think first stirrings refers to the onset of puberty.
I chose these words because, to me, first stirrings is an interesting and strangely accurate way to describe puberty. When something is being stirred, it is not at rest. Puberty is the same way. There is movement. Things are changing and sometimes young adults may feel confused and a little "mixed up." When I stir something, it is usually to mix something up.
New sentence: During first stirrings, adolescents undergo many physical changes.
In the beginning of this chapter, Jonas showed up to the old man for more training. But, for Jonas this day would be different. He would travel beyond any experience he has ever had and see things he has never seen. Jonas is introduced to snow, a sled, being cold, and the exhilaration of being free.(pg. 80 -81) How wonderful and scary, it must be for him, to move from one conciousness to another.
We usually can only travel from state to state or country to country. I had to stop and wonder what it would feel like to move from one state of being to another.
The word that I chose is "snow." On page 81 in The Giver is says, " Beyond, through the swirl of what he now, somehow, perceived was the thing the old man had spoken of -snow... The ground was thick with the furry snow..."
Snow - Watery particles congealed in the air, and falling in flakes.
To you and I, this word may sound easy. We may all get a clear picture of what snow is in our head when we read it. But to Jonas, this word was difficult because he had never experienced it or heard of it. I think all words are like that. They are hard when you have never heard them or cant see them in your mind. They become easy when you can. I, as a teacher, will remember that when I am teaching spelling in the classroom.
The word I chose is "piecemeal". This word is found in chapter 8, page 59. The sentence reads: "They applauded at the final Assignment; but the applause was piecemeal, no longer a crescendo of united enthusiasm."
The definition of piecemeal is "bit by bit: gradually".
My sentence: The participation of the students in the class discussion was piecemeal.
I personally don't think this is a very common word and I imagine most students might not know what it means. I think this would be a good word to add to a vocabulary list of words unique to The Giver.
Knowledge: What ceremony is Jonas attending for himself and his fellow groupmates?
Comprehension: Compare and contrast the importance of age in The Giver until age 12 when it is no longer considered important to the importance of age in our society during one's entire life. Is age even important in our society?
Application: What is the result of the Ceremony of Twelve that makes it so important?
Analysis: Why do you think the Chief Elder skipped Jonas during the Ceremony of Twelve?
Synthesis: Can you describe another way the Chief Elder could have handled Jonas' assignment that wouldn't have caused as much commotion and that wouldn't have taken away from the rest of the groups assignments?
Evaluation: Why was it better, at this point in the story, that she skip over him?
I'm taking a psychology class now, Theories of Personality. We often talk about how dream analysis is used in therapy because it can provide an insight into the mind and unconscious desires and conflicts. Many theorists and psychologists use this approach and there is an idea that those who dream and remember them are people who are more introverted than others. The idea is that those who remember their dreams, or even dream to begin with, do so because they are more intune with their inner world.
Lily, to me, seems to be a very extroverted-outgoing individual. According to the theory, she isn't one likely to remember her dreams. According to the book though, she always has lengthy dreams to share that are very detailed. Jonas, to me, seems to be more introverted than Lily and yet his dreams are rare. When he does have a dream, he only remembers tiny bits and pieces that he can't make much out of. Their personality and dream relationship seems to be opposite of the theories. Of course, this is just a book with fictional characters. So, I'm wondering where you fit in.
For me, I feel I am slightly more introverted and lean more in that direction. I do, very often, remember my dreams and relate them back to my life. I keep a journal and consider myself to be someone very intune with who I am as a person. I seem to fall into the theory easily. How about you?
The word I have chosen is "ceremony". This word appears throughout this book, but I especially noticed it in chapter 4, page 28. "Once, long ago, it was whispered among children, an Eleven had arrived at the Ceremony of Twelve only to hear a public announcement that he had not completed the required number of volunteer hours and would not, therefore, be given his Assignment."
A ceremony is defined as "a formal act or set of acts performed as prescribed by custom, ritual, or etiquette".
My sentence: At our graduation ceremony we will be honored for all of our hard work.
This word is throughout this book and is very important. Their lives are almost defined by these cermonies and what happens during them. I find this word interesting because I think many people have their own definitions or associations with the word. For me, whenever I hear the word ceremony, religion pops into my head. I was part of a religion that was very ceremonious and ritualistic. For me, the association is religion and church. How about you?
