There are no reading and writing assignments for this week.  Please use this time to catch up on any missing assignments pertaining to your novel study choice (only if this applies to you).  Check the blog for previously assigned work.  All missing work is due by Friday, May 15^th.  Otherwise, have a great week! 

Activity

Speak begins on Melinda’s first day of high school. The novel covers her freshman year at Merryweather High School in a suburb near Syracuse, New York. In middle school, Melinda had plenty of friends, but things have changed. Rachel, Ivy, and Nicole were all friends with Melinda, but that was before the night of the party. Rachel and Melinda found themselves at a high school party. Melinda thought this party would be a way to fit in at the start of school; instead it becomes the reason for her isolation. No one will speak to Melinda, including her friends because she dialed 911 for help at the party. When the police arrived to break up the party, some kids wound up in trouble. Melinda is shocked when her friends turn on her, they don’t seem to care why she called the cops and it seems as if she’ll never get the help she was looking for that night.

Think back to your first days of high school  Begin by brainstorming the emotions and memories of the day. Write a detailed account of that experience. Be sure to use descriptive language and dialogue when needed. Change names in your memoir if necessary. 

Required Length:  1 typed page   double-spaced   Times New Roman   Font Size 11

Due:  Friday, May 8th 

• If you were one of Melinda’s friends from middle school, do you think you would just drop her as a friend? Would you try to communicate with her, support her? How?

• Try putting yourself in the place of Melinda’s parents for a moment. How do you think they view Melinda? Why, from their point of view, do they feel such frustration with her?

• What are some of the ways Melinda has developed to help herself cope?                
• Write about the decisions that you would make if you were the main character, Melinda.                                                                                                             
• Write ten chat room-style questions that could be used to start an online discussion about the book. Or, write ten questions that test other students’ understanding of the story. Make sure you provide a list of answers.                     

Answers to these questions are due by Friday, May 1st.  Share them with me via MS 365 or send them to me via email.

Speak

Monday, April 20^th—Read pages 76-94, and complete the activities listed below:

• How significant is the setting in the story? Describe the social impact that the setting has on Melinda and her relationships at school.
• How does communication breakdown impact Melinda and her family?

Tuesday, April 21^st—Read pages 95-113.  There are no additional activities

Wednesday, April 22^nd—Read pages 114-132, and complete the activities below:

• How does the author use characterization to develop Melinda as a character?  Note:  Remember that characterization refers the ways in which the author reveals information about the character—directly and indirectly.
• From anywhere in the novel, choose four words that are/were unfamiliar to you. For each one, write the word, definition, one synonym, one antonym, and an original sentence that has context clues to demonstrate your understanding of the word.

Note:  If you know all of the terms, choose five that might prove difficult for someone else and complete the task.

Thursday, April 23^rd—Read pages 133-151.  There are no additional activities.

Friday, April 24^th—Catch up on reading for this week (if needed).  Be sure that you have answered all of the critical thinking questions using complete sentences and evidence from the text.  Responses may be typed or handwritten legibly and neatly.  Send your completed work to me via MS 365 or via email today.

Speak:  Read pages 57-75.  There are no additional activities today.

• Be sure that you have read pages 1-75 and answered the questions that were assigned. These assignments are due by tomorrow, Friday, April 17^th.  Share them with me via MS 365 or send them to me via email.