FISHy Question for week of 2-2-09

Abigail Van Buren once said, “The less you talk, the more people will listen to you.”

What do you think she meant when she said this?
Do you agree with this idea?
What are some examples from your own life that can either support or refute her idea?

Compose a well-thought response to this and post by Friday for more fish!

January FISHy Questions

In January, there will be two ways to earn extra fish for your fishbowl.

1. You may participate in the writing/art contest sponsored by the West Morris chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women. All entries are due to Ms. Harris by the 30th of January if you do not want to have to deliver them yourselves. Review the rules that were handed out in class on 1/5. See Ms. Harris during Coach Class for assistance.

2. You may nominate up to two of your classmates for a FISH certificate. Get a form and a fish from Ms. Harris. Complete the paragraph about a classmate. Color the fish in and cut it out. Turn both in to Ms. Harris by the end of January.

FISHy question for week of 12-15-08

Recall the following quote from Report to the Principal’s Office:

“…Cymbals is you. When you are up on the stage on September eighteenth and I point to you, you will bang the cymbals. Do you undersand?”
“No,” she said.
“You will do it,” he said.
“I won’t do it,” she said.
Amid the barely breathing class they stared at each other. The music teacher changed colors: his neck reddened, his lower lip acquired a bluish tint.
They were like that for perhaps a full minute, then the bell rang. The girl stood. The music teacher jabbed a finger in her face. “You will.”
She jabbed a finger at him-”I won’t” – and walked out.

Do you think the way Sunny treated her teacher is right? Why or why not? How would you have handled the situation? Can you think of a time when you talked to someone who was your elder in a manner such as Sunny’s? Explain how you handled your situation. Remember to answer all parts of the question, use some of what you remember from the novel to support your answer, and make that connection. Also, check your COPS. Responses with numerous errors will not be posted.

FISH question for week of 11-24-08

Recall the following scene from Report to the Principal’s Office:
“For some time after Mr. Brimlow said, “Dig in,” no one spoke. He decided to break the ice himself with a question to the Johnson boy. “So, Dennis, considering your nickname, you must be pretty fond of pickles, huh?”
Pickles had not folded his sloppy joe filling into a tortilla, Mexican style, as had the others. He has instead laid a tortilla falt on his plate and spread a layer of sloppy joe over it, creating a sort of small pizza. He cut the pie into neat, equal sized wedges.
“I hate pickles,” he said.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I think they’re neat-looking, and I like how the name sounds, but I can’t stand the taste. My mother was always giving me one with my sandwich. That’s why I put them on the Christmas tree, to get rid of them.”
Mr Brimlow filled in the other kids how Pickles got his name.
Salem snickered, “Good thing you didn’t decide to hate bananas.”
“Bananas Johnson,” giggled Eddie.
Trying to include Sunny Wyler, Mr. Brimlow said, “What kind of food would you hang on a Christmas tree, Miss Wyler, if you had to?”

FISH QUESTION:
If you could pick a food to hang on your Christmas tree, Hanukkah menorah, Kwanzaa kinara (candle holder), etc., what would it be and why? You must be able to explain your reason by connecting it to your life. You may not use the reason that Pickles used above. Make sure you use details to support your answer.

FISHy question for November 10th

Eddie Mott’s first day of sixth grade does not appear to be going the way he wanted. Recall the following scenes:
Eddie sheepishly asked an eighth grader for directions to his science class in room 117. The directions were not accurate and the eighth grader sent Eddie to the basement.

Then, there was the band room where Eddie wanted to hide in the storage closet until the end of the period.

During English class, Sunny Wyler decided to annoy the “dodo” (Eddie) by shooting a pretend boogie at him because he was smiling at her.

Being a sixth grader yourself, how would you have handled each of those situations? What would you have done or not done differently? Why or why not.

Be sure to make references back to the text and your own life to support your answer for each scene, as well as, answer all parts of the question.

REMEMBER POSTS WITH TOO MANY SPELLING, PUNCTUATION, OR GRAMMAR MISTAKES WILL NOT BE POSTED.

FISHy Question for October

Sunny Wyler is not happy about having to go to a different school from her best friend. To show her displeasure, she has come up with a plan that she hopes will result in her being expelled from her school and sent to her best friend’s school.

What do you think of her plan? Do you think it will work? Why or why not? How would you feel if you were in Sunny’s position and were separated from your best friend?

Your response must be a paragraph. You can earn up to four fish for your response, depending upon how detailed it is. The more you write, the more fish you can earn for your fishbowl! Remember to proofread your response before posting. Responses with excessive spelling or grammatical errors will not be posted.