Nicole F’s Blog

My job this week in the Literature Circle was the Critical Thinker. I had to write six different questions:

1.Who was it that gave the “famous” fourth of July speech?

Every year on the fourth of July Mary Lou’s father gives a speech on how the men fought for their freedom and why they celebrate the fourth of July and all the people who signed the Declaration of Independence.

2. Put in your on words Mr. Furtz death and how the funeral went.

Mr. Furtz was healthy and in good health but had a huge heart attack and died. For his funeral it was held at a funeral home (which looks like a regular home) and the Finneys came, the kids saw the body and had night mares.

3. How would you explain Mary Lou’s new relationship with Alex Cheevey?

She (Mary Lou) and Alex have been hanging out more and Alex like her more than just a friend and tells her that the Murpheys were made up and that the only reason he said they exsisted was so that he could come and se her.

4.What was the turning point of pages 91-95?

The turning point was that Carl Ray got alot of money from an unknown person.

5. How would you have handled it when Beth Ann told you that she and Derek broke up and you finally had a boyfriend?

I would have handled it by telling her my news first and then let her sob and tell me her story (only because she was rude and was treating Mary Lou wrong ) and would tell her that if she was my true friend she would be happy for me.

6. If you had all accesstp all resources to finding out who the person who gave Carl Ray the money, would you? Why or why not?

 I would because I want to know who the person is and why he gave him so much money.

1. Describe Beth Ann’s new behavior. How does Mary Lou feel about it?

Beth Ann’s new behavior is kind of being a show off but yet  quiet and proper. For example when Beth Ann is going on the date with her sister’s boyfriends brother and she keeps calling Mary Lou and asks her what outfits she should wear and how she is so excited. Mary Lou at that time feels like Beth Ann is never going to let this go. After the date Beth Ann is saying words like devine and truly and doesn’t really want to give Mary Lou any details. Mary Lou feels like after asking Beth Ann so many times that she can call or talk to her when she wants.

2. How does Mary Lou react when Mr. Furtz dies?

Mary Lou reacts by being shocked because he and his family were new neighbors and Mr. Furtz was very healthy, and kind. For example, Mary Lou says that he was always wearing gym shoes and/or sweats. She also feels sorry for his kids and family, his kids were so young and his wife was even at the hospital when he died.

This week I was the “Reflector” and my job was to reflect my thoughts and opinions on the Literature Circles and the book. I think the Literature Circles are a good idea but that like everyday Ms. F should go to a different group sit and help them out, but other than that I am having a great time. As for the book, I can just picture myself in Mary Lou’s place and what she is going through which makes it alot easier to read.

My role as a “Connector” I have to try to connect the examples in the book to my life. For example I connected the way that Mary Lou and her family treat Carl Ray (their cousin from West Virginia) when he comes down to stay with them, to the time that I stayed with my cousins who I had met for the first time. How my aunt was always letting my sister and I go first for everything and every five seconds was asking us if we were ok and how we would never really answer or would mumble. I also related myself to Mary Lou and how she is thirteen and the second oldest-middle child.

The Titanic was known as the “Unsinkable Floating Palace”. People all over came, and they hit an iceburg and sank.

1.  Why was Paul content to be backup goalie?

 Paul was content to be backup goalie because he knew that goalies get hurt all the time and that he would most definetly be able to play goalie. 

2.   What happened when Paul went in to the soccer   game for Victor? What was Victor’s reaction?

When Paul went into the soccer game for Victor, it was because Vitor was hurt and needed medical attention. Maya (another soccer player on the team) passed it to Paul who was at that moment in front of the goal and kicked it as hard as he could and SCORED! At the end of the game, Victor showed up and congragulated Paul. They had won the game 7-3.

3.Why didn’t Maya need Mrs. Fisher’s encouragement?

 Maya didn’t need encouragement from Paul’s mom because Maya is the top scorer in the county.

On Monday, September 11th Paul and the other kids at Lake Windsor Middle School were socializing when all of the sudden they head an enormous crack of thunder along with hard rain coming down. All the teachers who were in portables went outside to see Paul’s math teacher and her class with all their backpacks and supplies heading toward the office when suddenly they hear a whoosh and screaming from all the seventh and eighth graders. There was more commotion toward the back of the portable because they were tilting into the sinkhole!

Paul and all the other kids that were in portables rushed outside to go to the office when he saw that his math class was in the sinkhole. He and his friend Joey went to go help pull them out. When what had looked like everyone was safe the Principle started sending kids home. Paul had to take the bus which was smelled and was covered in mud. When all the kids were on the bus, the bus driver turned around and in a hurry she said that she had instructions to take them right to their front doors.

When Paul reached home he broke the news to his mom. After he went to his room and changed his clothes and cleaned up. Towards the evening his Grandparents called to say that they were on the News. His mom turned on the T.V. and they were right. The whole school was in a sinkhole. Paul was disappointed because nobody was injured badly and nobody died but only a few people were in the hospital. Later that day Joey called to say that he heard from Cara that potable eighteen was buried in the sinkhole. Paul was shocked and it hurt to think about it.

 Friday the 15th Paul and his parents went to the high school in the evening and were prepared to hear the emergency relocation plan for the school. While they were waiting for the meeting to begin, Mrs. Fisher told Paul that he might have to move to a Catholic School but Paul reminded her that they were not Catholic. Mrs. Fisher said that it didn’t matter and that she spoke to the principal Sister Mary Margaret and she said that 10% of the students there are not catholic and that some of the kids would be from Lake Windsor Middle School. After some silence, Paul spotted Joey and they began socializing. Joey said that if they hadn’t gone home that they would be on television and that Mike (Joey’s dead brother) would have been proud of them.

Soon after, Mrs. Gates went on calling up all the important peoples name’s including Paul’s dad and went on saying that the students would be back in school on Monday! She also said that different middle schools would take some 7th graders in. That was that. Then Paul had a brilliant idea were he told his mom that if he went to Tangerine Middle school for the term, he could be on the soccer team without and IEP and would be the goalie not the water boy. His mom felt guilty and agreed. The heavens had opened up for Paul.

If I was going to make “Tangerine” into a movie the backgroung music that I would pick would be spooky and mysterious. I chose this kind of music because the story itself is a mystery. While living in Huston, TX, Paul (main character) had a flashback right before moving to Tangerine, FL. The flash back was about him riding his bike and suddenly he hears loud noises and a car’s engine coming closer and closer. He panics and starts peddling faster and faster. As he does that the car comes closer and closer. On the passenger’s side of the car he can see someone streching out of the window with a baseball bat. When the car gets close enough, the passenger takes a swing for Paul’s head, and misses because Paul had ducked and fell on the grass. He picked himself up and started running for home. When he got to his house, he screamed. When his parents came into the room he screamed “Erik (his older brother) tried to kill me!” His parents were in shock when he said this. Paul does not have the best eye sight so his parents said that he probably didn’t see clear. Not just that but when he got home Erik was sitting at the dinner table.

The safe exposure limit for noise is 85 decibels for eight hours a day. Every time the volume level increases by three decibels, the safe exposure time drops by half.

1. Why would a car stereo be used in for the snapshot?

A car stereo  would be used for the snapshot because it is comparing the different types of machines that let people listen to music. It is also one of the loudest machines one can use.

2. Why is the “100″ more to the left than the numbers above it?

The 100 is more to the left than the numbers above because it is showing the loudest to the least loudest.

3. Why are the lines wavy? What does it represent?

The waves represent and are wavy because of the sound waves. 

4. What is the purpose of the ear on the right?

The ear shows the music going into the ear.

5. Do you need to know what a decible is in order to understand theis snapshot? Explain your answer.

No. The picture shows the different loudness of music going into the ear and effection it.

Welcome to Learnerblogs.org. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!