TTDakotaL

1. Put yourself in place of one of the boys who escaped the crash but was forced to watch "helplessly as Rob died". What is going through your head? How do you feel physically and mentally ?How do you think that you will feel tomorrow?


 * 2. When you hear or read of a car accident that involved teenagers, what do you assume is the cause of the accident - drinking, speed - drugs? What about if you hear about a car accident involving the elderly? Explain your answers.


 * If I were to hear about a car accident involving teenagers I would assume it would be from drinking and driving. Some teenagers think that nothing could ever happen to them. Truthfully, it could happen to anyone of us at any moment. Teens should be responsible and not goof around, especially while driving. If I were to hear abount an accident involving the elderly, I would assume it was from poor eyesight or another serious medical condition. The elderly should not be driving, especially under these circumstances.**

3. Andy and Rob have their own slang and manner of speaking. On the surface they seem to be putting each other down, but it is clear to us that they are close friends who respect each other. What purpose does this style of language serve? Does it draw kids closer together? Does it set you off from others? Explain.


 * 4. In a paragraph rich with sensory detail, write about your own most frightening moment.


 * My most frightening moment was when I was little. I was choking on a gummy bear. I think it was red but, I do not remember. My family and I were at my grandmother's house in Rayland. We were all sitting in the computer room when this happened. I was sitting on her bed happily enjoying my gummy bears, when suddenly I couldn't breathe anymore and I was gagging. My dad hurried and stuck his two fingers down my throat and got the gummy bear out. Ever since then, when we were little, they would be very cautious about giving us small candy. I was very young when this happened. Maybe four or five years old. Everytime I had asked for gummy bears after that incident, my dad would just look at me funny. I am glad that everything turned out alright in the end.**

6. Even though many people cried, Rhonda did not cry after the accident occured; she was angry. When or if a public tragedy occurs and it is not someone in your immediate family (9/11/01), how do you respond? Explain.

7. One //Herald// editorial says that statistics don't usually "mean much, but this statistic (Rob) had a name, face,..."When we hear of a statistic such as this that reports someone dying in a drunk-driving accident every 18 minutes - how do you feel? Do you agree that it is hard to feel emotional about the numbers when you do not have a face to relate it to?

8. In his homework assigment, Gerald writes that he would rid the world of 3 things. What 3 things would you rid the world of? Stick to concrete items, and back up your choices with personal reasons why you are eliminating them.


 * If I were to eliminate the world of three things, they would be plastic surgery,**

9. Neither of Andy's parents bother to show up for the game. How important is it for you that your parents turn out for the events in which you participate? Explain.


 * 10.Andy mentions that some kids at school haven't looked him in the face since the accident; one even taped a mean note to his locker. How would you treat Andy now? Elaborate.


 * I would treat Andy with respect. Even though he made a big mistake, he feels really guilty. Just because he made one mistake that he probably will never make again, doesn't mean that people should hate him. Everyone makes a mistake or two in their lifetime. Its normal. Andy should be treated with sympathy and respect by his fellow classmates.**


 * 11.Does doing homework help you to perform better on tests? Does homework seem purposeful to you, or is it basically a waste of time? What alternate do you suggest? Defend your answerwith three (3) points.


 * Homework does not help me perform better on tests. It keeps me up at night and causes less sleep. I do better on tests if we do more classwork than homework. Having examples from the teacher helps a lot too. Yes, I do think it is a waste of time, for the students and the teachers. The students won't want to do it and I think the teachers wouldn't want to go through the trouble of collecting it and punishing the students that didn't do it. I suggest a project or activity to go along with a lesson. Even an online lesson would help me understand more than the homework would.**


 * 12. Do you feel that your parents 'get' you or don't understand you at all? What makes you think this? Explain.


 * Sometimes I feel my parents understand me but, most of the time I don't. I feel if I told them what type of music I listen to they would judge me and yell at me because its mostly metal and screamo. So when they are in the room I just turn on something dumb like pop or hip-hop. My mom and I both like TV shows that involve paranormal things. My dad thinks its stupid and he's a skeptic. There are other times when I feel they don't understand me, for example, when I read or talk about vampires. My mom thinks that I'm heading in the wrong direction. My dad doesn't judge me as much. This is when I feel my parents judge me.**

TB - 1st sentence is contrasting. __and__ should be __but FIX__ 13.Andy believed that his friends would talk about him if he won academic awards. Then consider Marcus's unpopularity due to his achievement. Is academic failure or apathy built into teenager's notions about what is 'cool'? What effect does academic achievement have on you?


 * 14. We learn about Andy's grades and study habits. Do you think the guidance counselor who advised him against going into pre-law was being realistic or unfair? Defend your answer.


 * I think the guidance counselor was being unfair. If Andy wants to be a lawyer, then there should be no stopping him. He shouldn't have been told what he can and cannot do. We all have a choice in life what we want to be when we grow up. If I were that guidance counselor I would have told Andy to do whatever he wanted to. It is his choice and no one elses.**

15. In a class discussion, Keisha says, "All of us at one time or another feel like a cinder among the snowflakes. You stand out when you just want to blend in, you get noticed whether you want to or not". In a paragraph, write about when you have felt like a "cinder among the snowflakes". .
 * 16. Andy envisions Monty will have a future as a doctor or lawyer. But when he thinks of his own future, he sees a blank, or darkness. Can you picture who you will be in 15 years? What do you envision about your future?


 * I think in fifteen years I would be a forensic pathologist or be working in the criminal field. After I graduate from high school I would like to go to school to be a forensic pathologist. I think helping the world understand how the person died or murdered would come close to catching the killer. I plan on going to school out of state. Maybe in a state where there are a lot of people like California, Florida, or even New York. In fifteen years, I would either live in a house or an apartment building. This is how I would like to spend my life after I graduate.**
 * TB - interesting work**