Tuesday, February 17, 2009

ALL STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE THIS POST!!! Post 27 - The Road to Dictionopolis: An Interview with Norton Juster


http://archive.salon.com/books/int/2001/03/12/juster/print.html (interview)
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=1591 (bio)

1. Go to the web sites and read the interview Norton Juster, the author of The Phantom Tollbooth. 

2. What did you learn from this reading?
3. What shocked you or made an impression on you? Why did it affect you this way?
4. If you could have lunch with Norton Juster and you only had three questions you could ask him, what three questions would they be? (literature, inspiration, life lessons, etc. for ideas)

Post 26 - A Million Thoughts Away

"The world that Milo knew was a million thoughts away, and the demons - the demons were there in the distance," (p. 224). 
1. When have you been a million thoughts away?
2. What images does this give you?
3. What does this say about your life? 

Monday, February 9, 2009

Post 25 -The Unwelcoming Committee

1. How does doing unimportant things save trouble?

2. What does it mean when it says, "Milo, who had learned by now that people are not always what they say the are..." (p. 216). Give me an example from the novel and one from real life? Can you think of a play on words, cliche, etc. that would fit this idea? Mine is: Don't judge a book by its cover. You must find a different one. Happy hunting. 

3. List the new characters we meet in this chapter and give a quick description of each one. 

4. Which character is the most evil? Why do you feel/think this way?

5. Out of the characters you have discovered, which one would you most likely be able to have adopted to your family and share bunk beds with? Why?

6. Why are Unenlightened Mountains home to evil? What images do you get in your mind when you read this chapter? What STRONG, VIVID words pop into your mind? You may use some from the chapter, but then expand into your own adventure of vocabulary. 

Post 24- A Very Dirty Bird & A Man with a Blank Face

1. Describe the meeting of The Very Dirty Bird. Why do you think the Very Dirty Bird is from Context?  What does that say about language? p. 204-207

2. Why would a demon not have a face (or a blank face in this case) and be dressed beautifully? p. 208-209

3. What are the three tasks given to Milo, Tock, & the Humbug? WHy do you think these tasks were chosen? How do they play into where Milo wants to go? How do they show how he has changed? p. 209-210

Post 23 - Magic Staff p. 201

1.  Why did Milo need his sights, sounds, words, and his OWN magic staff to continue his journey? (Think about where he was headed...what does HIS OWN magic staff symbolize?) 

2. What does it mean when the Mathemagian says, "but you can be in Ignorance quick enough without riding all the way...."? 

Post 22- King Azaz and the Mathemagician

1. (Characterization) Describe King Azaz & the Mathemagician based on:
    a. Their appearances
    b. Thier actions
    c. What they say and how they say it
    d. What the author and/or narrator says about them
    e. What the other characters say or think about them
    f. How they are treated by the other characters
(you may get a friend and each of you does one character) 

2. Describe the relationship between King Azaz & the Mathemagician. 

3. Who would you rather work for: King Azaz or the Mathemagician? EXPLAIN your choice. 

4. Compare & contrast King Azaz & the Mathemagician. 


Post 21 - 2.58 Children

1. Talk to your parents, do some research, re-read the novel, etc. and find out why 2.58 children was once relevant to our society. Understanding why this saying once fit out culture, will help you make sense of .58.  

2. Would you rather be a whole child or a fraction? Why?

3. List some reasons why being .58 could be helpful. :) 

4. When else do people use averages or means???? Make a math connection here!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Post 20 - WHOLE CLASS RESPOND: Was this what you expected?

1. Copy and paste http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-STZ_jc12jI    into your URL browser
2. View the video
3. Compare and contrast the video clip to how you viewed this scene in your mind when you read the text. 
4. What would you have done differently?WHY?

Friday, February 6, 2009

Post 19 - A New Number/Letter

Create a new number or letter by stealing a letter or number from Digitopolis or Dictionopolis...What would it look like? What sound would it make (letter)? What value would it be (number)?

Draw it!!! Take a photo and post it on our blog!!!

Happy inventing!
Smiles, :)
Miss Bailin

Post 18 - How can you take words out of someone's mouth?

BRAINSTORM!!!!!!!!

Post 17 - What is another way or ways that the Terrible Trivium is blank (other than his face)?

Please read the question and creatively answer it? Your goal is to come up with the most original response. 

Smiles, :)
Miss Bailin

Submitted by: Brandt

Post 16 - How do you think you could get to infinity? Be sure to tell whether it's possible or impossible?

Please creatively answer the question. How many ways can you tie it to the book? Then branch out your response to other ideas. 

Smiles, 
Miss Bailin

Submitted by: Jackson

Post 15- What are you: a "nuisance" or a "demon?" Explain.

Please creatively answer the question. Make the strongest point possible. You may brainstorm as many answers as possible to illustrate your point. Relate your response to the text first and then branch out. 

Smiles, 
Miss Bailin

Submitted by: Jackson

Post 14 - How could the man with the blank face talk, if he had no mouth?

Please read the question and creatively answer it. You may brainstorm as many ideas as you wish. 

Smiles, :)
Miss Bailin

Submitted by: Ben, Dani, Haley & Cruse

Post 13 - What if the Mathemagician stole a letter from Dictionopolis? Which one would he take and why?

Please creatively answer the question and support your response. One type of support must be from The Phantom Tollbooth and the other(s) can be from an outside idea. 
Happy Blogging!
Smiles, :)
Miss Bailin

Submitted by: Ben, Dani, Haley, & Cruse

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Post 12 - The Most Valuable Number

1. Which number is the most valuable? Why do you think this (be respectfully persuasive)? 

Post 11 - Where do numbers come from?

In our novel, numbers come from a mine. Where do you think numbers come from? Be descriptive. Why do you think this?

Post 10 - Problems

1. How important are problems? Are they necessary? Why?
2. What "problems" has Milo encountered?
3. What "problems" have you encountered (school appropriate)? How do you handle problems? 

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Post 9 - Smile

1. Is a smile really a smile if no one can see it?
Please formulate a well written response that describes your personal opinion. Make sure your questions and comments to other students are RESPECTFUL and text driven, not personal. Happy blogging. Smiles, :) Miss Bailin

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Post 8 - Ordinary Man

Read the quote and the questions below and choose at least one to answer. Please include appropriate examples and create a meaningful response. 

"In fact, I'm quite ordinary, but there are so many ordinary men that no one asks their opinion about anything," (p. 114).  

1. This man never changes. He simply describes himself in different ways. How many different people can you be without really changing? List/Describe as many ideas as you can. 

2. When can being ordinary a "good" thing?

3. What does this quote say about being ordinary?

4. What quotes can you find that support what the author is saying about being ordinary?

Post 7 - Destinations

1. If you could make  your own destination stop what would it be called and what would it be like? BE DESCRIPTIVE. You may write a poem, paragraph, or song to describe your destination.

THANKS EMILY!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Post 6 - Playing with Language

As we read The Phantom Tollbooth, we are going to come across ways the author creatively uses language. Be on the lookout for puns, idioms, cliches, etc. and post them here. :)

Post 5 - Does size matter? An idea thought of from Cruse asking me a question.

Look at the map and determine an answer to the questions below.
1. Why are the locations on the map different sizes? What symbolically is the author telling us through this map? Pick a few locations and describe their differences in size.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Post 4 - Preference Questioning: Which Letter?

One part we read today included a delicious sampling of letters in the Marketplace. 

Choose one of the options, write a convincing/persuasive piece, and submit it on the blog. Respond to two other students posts in a meaningful way. Feel free to pose questions. Use your creativity. Don't be afraid to use your school appropriate humor. :) This story uses plays on words frequently, so don't shy away from practicing fun with language. THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS!

1. Choose a letter and describe what a day is like for it. Include interesting events. 
2. Choose a letter and describe its feelings and concerns in a poem. 
3. If you were a letter, which letter would you be and why?
4. Write a dialouge/script between two or more letters. Think about what they would discuss or argue. 

Monday, January 12, 2009

Post 3 - Where do you think you would live?

Look at the map from The Phantom Tollbooth

1. Select a place where you would like to live. List at least 6 reasons why you would want to live there (knowing only the location's name and geographically where it is). 

2. Which location is the least desirable to live? List at least 6 reasons why you would NOT want to reside in this location (knowing only the location's name and geographically where it is). 

Post 2 - The Tantalizing Table of Contents

Looking at the Table of Contents
1. Which chapter captures your attention? Support your answer. 
2. Which chapter is the most creative? Support your answer. 

Alternate Activities
1. Draw a picture illustrating what you predict that chapter will look like and post it on the blog.
2. Compose a poem, using the title of the chapters. 

Post 1 - The Land of Expectations

1. A. What does it mean to expect something?
    B. What are positive and negative aspects to having expectations?

2. A. What does it mean to expect something?
    B. Briefly describe a time you expected something. How did this affect your experience?

3. A. Why was the Land of Expectations so beautiful? Be specific. 
    B. How would the Land of Expectations be different if it was called the Land of Negative 
         Expectations?