Grain+-+Kelly-Jo

= Grain Lesson 1 - Chapter 1 & 2 =

Reading Response 1
Answer **one** of the following questions: a.) Explain how the house Gander was born in was built. Include a detailed, labelled diagram or drawing, and an explanation of the problems resulting from this type of building.  This Building seemed more like a Cabin, if anything. They should use shorter nails for the shingles, because it would definitely help with the frost problem.   Theres not much else to say, but have a better Childproof home for lil' Gander. Ganders Father should have refitted the house to make it more stable and have less loosely hanging objects falling, or attempting to fall.   b.) Why should Gander “have been dead long before he reached his tenth anniversary”? (p 23) Describe some of the hazards he experienced. What is your opinion of the “parenting style” his mother and father adopt? Do you think this style was commonplace at the time? Why or why not? Support your answer with reference to the text.

Gander experienced many Disases within those 10 years. Such as The Whooping Cough, Scarlet Fever, Measles, The Prairie Itch & The Dreadful Common cold. He also Ate many vegetation from The Prairie Lands, From Cattails, to tree bark, he must have been a very hungry kid. He fell into the same lake twice, but in different seasons. I the summer time, he fell off a log, because he was trying to pretend it was a raft, and during the Winter he fell through the ice because he was skating. Both times he never mentioned anything about his accidents. Chose ONE of these answers - you only need to answer one question = Grain Lesson 2 - Chapter 3 & 4 = ** Discussion questions ** What are your thoughts about the education system of the time?

I thought the Education System was really different compared to how Gander lived his life back at home. I find that the Education System is awefully Strict as well. Education wan't much of a priority How much of a priority was education then? What are your thoughts about child labour? Is what Gander is doing child labour? How does he feel about it? I think that child labour should be like doing things around the house, and outdoors. Basic stuff like, Mowing/raking the lawn; gutters (if any); cleaning his/her room daily; dishes after supper; & finally, feeding the cats/dogs, as well as doing the litter boxes. (lol) All of these "chores" would be organized correctly, & accordingly to the time of day Ganders work isnt much child labour, back then. To them it was normal. Today, its totally a different feeling. He feels like its normal, he loves the work that he does at home,/ farm.. Is what Gander is doing child labour? How does he feel about doing it? Can you find any examples of humour in the text? I really find how the children talk in the book, awefully funny. It's something way off context in my vocab, but i guess it's just how they spoke back in the day. I also find how the teacher of the prairie schoolhouse is rather Strict. She seems way to disciplined and too adequete to teach these youngsters. But regardless, i still find how she wants these kids to be somewhat like her, and obey her rules, and focus on becoming a better student. When they are just being kids in her class. I can Just imagine how those kids are in real life, if they acted the way they did, and the teacher would be the way she is in the book.

Reading Response 2
Read the following quote & answer **one** of the questions: “Texts are constructs that reflect the times in which they are set and the ethical, cultural and social assumptions of their producers” (ELA40 Curriculum Doc) a.) What are the apparent ethical, cultural and social assumptions about education in rural Manitoba in the late 19th/early 20th century? How do they compare to our attitudes 100 years later? Why have attitudes changed? Which time would you prefer to live in and why? Support your answer with reference to the text.

b.) What are the apparent ethical, cultural and social assumptions about children working? __** I think child labour is alright, because it would definitely build character and stay healthy/fit. Culturally, I believe it would be substantially revelant, because there would be nothing else to do on the farm, but work. And Working on the Farm is pretty much work to live. If you do not work, you cannot live unless there would be another job out there. BUT back in the day there is lots to do. **__ **So what is the attitude of the pioneer society towards child labour?** How do Gander and his family view ‘child labour’? //** Child Labour would be working at home with your family to get the chores around the farm done. **// //** What is the opinion of gander and his family about children working? **//  How does this compare with present day attitudes in this country and overseas?
 * The attitude to "child labour back then" is very incomparable to Today's Childern working. There are many different chores and jobs for ourselves to obtain, unlike back in Ganders time, there was lots and lots of the same work. Farm work seemed very laborious, and constant. The amount of work done by Gander compared to The People from India & China are the same. But the Work itself, is quiet different. Gander Does alot of Farm work that involved Farm machinery, and anything htat involves outdoors. The people in China & India do Many different tasks that have to do with their surroundings, which is fairly different from Where Gander lives. For example, The people in China do rice fields, and the farming of peanuts, cotton, oilseed, tea, and Sorghum. And The indian People (India) farm, Fruits, veggies, Spices, sugar cane, & etc etc. **

What are your feelings about this? My feelings towards child labor is grateful. I'm grateful that these "young men" have worked their butts off to keep civilization up to par. Do you think child labour is right? Child labour is right to a certain extent. For example, helping around the farm would be decent, but making them do many jobs and the parents do very little compared the the children, would not be acceptable. Which time would you prefer to live in and why? I would prefer to live in the present because its just soo much simplier, BUT i have done alot of farm work myself. It wasn't as extreme like Ganders' farm work, but it was still work. Support your answer with reference to the text. = Grain Lesson 3 - Chapters 5 & 6 =

Discussion questions:
What do you think about the role of farm women and girls, as depicted in the novel so far? The role of the Farm girls are pretty decent compared to the work the Men do. All they do is get food ready for the working men, and keep the house tidy. Its just the life of a Simple Housewife, i'd say. (not saying thats my theory but its what i've heard about from years ago.  What new information have you gained? Not much.   How does this affect your understanding? My understanding remains the same, I already know what it is like.   What questions do you have? Yes, I have 1 question. Why are yawns contagious?

Reading Response 3
Make a Johari Window to help you analyze what you know about the character of Gander Stape so far.


 * || Known to Self || Not Known to Self ||
 * Known to Others || Quadrant 1. OPEN // The public self: What is known about an individual’s behaviour and motives by self and others // || Quadrant 2. BLIND // The area in which others can see things in an individual of which he or she is not aware // ||
 * Not Known to Others || Quadrant 3. HIDDEN // The private self: Those beliefs, motives and traits that are known only to the individual // || Quadrant 4. UNKNOWN // What is unknown by the individual and others // ||

= Grain Lesson 4 - Chapters 7 & 8 =

Vocabulary
1. Pick 3 unfamiliar words from these chapters that you needed to look up in the dictionary. List the words and a short definition. **Sinewy**- To be full of meat. aka Meaty **Prodigious**- Remarkable, or Impressively great in extent. **Diplapitated**- In a State of disrepair or ruin as result of age or neglect.

Discussion Questions
1. How did Gander get his nickname? **Gander received his nickname for singing in Church.**

2. What is a school section? **A school Section is a section of land that would benefit the school, financially**.

3. What forces serve to frustrate Gander's desire to spend time alone with Jo? **The weather. and his Unheard Affection for Her**. Why doesn't he go back to the school section the next day? ** The cows were in need of his attention. **

4. There is a strong contrast, particularly in the early chapters of this novel, between the **vernacular** of the characters’ speech and the **tone** adopted by the narrator. What type of **stance** and **tone** do you feel is used by the narrator? How does the author create this effect? Does this contrast affect the way you perceive the characters? Does the contrast in tone enhance the meaning?
 * Vernacular ** – Native language or dialect of a specific population
 * Tone ** – The attitude of the narrator to the characters
 * Stance ** – The ‘distance’ between the narrator and the characters


 * Create a wordle of at least 20 different words that relate to or describe Gander Stake. These can be words that describe his characteristics, environment, attitudes, circumstances, etc.
 * To make a word appear larger (and therefore more significant) in the finished wordle, repeat it several times. The more times you repeat it the larger it will appear (it will only appear once in the finished wordle)
 * To link two words together in a phrase, use the ~ tab. For example Jo~Burge.
 * Once you’ve created your list of words, experiment with fonts, arrangements and colours.
 * Print out your finished wordle, in colour if possible, or save it in your file. Or put it on the wiki, if you can figure out how.

= ** Grain Lesson 5 - Chapter 9 & 10 ** =

** Discussion questions: **
List three unfamiliar words from these chapters that you had to look up in the dictionary. Include a brief definition. **akin**- Related to blood; Of similar Character. "Genius & Madness are Akin". **Scrutinized**- Examine or Inspect closely and thoroughly
 * Taut ** - Stretched or pulled tight; not slack: "The Fabric stays taut w/out adhesive.

How does Gander feel about the war? What impact does it have on him as time goes on? What impact do the opinions of others have on him?

Why does the author describe Gander’s work on the steam thresher as “Gander’s day of romance”? How do you think the author feels about the spread of mechanization on the prairies? Why?

Reading Response
There is a difference between the language used in the novel and present day Canadian English. Choose any passage from these two chapters, 10-20 lines long, and rewrite it in present day language and, if posible, idiom. (You can pick any style of modern day language – redneck, ghetto, etc, or just ordinary speech, but be consistent.) Include the page #s.

Idiom - an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its elements, for example - kick the bucket, hang out, Elvis has left the building, back seat driver


 * = Grain Lesson 6 - Chapters 11 - 13 =

** Discussion/Reflection questions: ** What further pressures does Gander face during these chapters regarding his attitude to the war? How does Gander feel about the wheat buyers? What Canadian institution was established in part because of farmers’ distrust of grain buyers? Did you find any examples of humour in these or preceding chapters?

Reading Response
Complete **one** of the following. Use images labelled for reuse. (Left click on the gear at the top of the images page. Scroll down to usage rights. Click on the drop down menu, & click on 'free to use and share'. Click on 'advanced search' button.) a.) Create a collage, drawing, comic book page, illustrated diagram/web or other detailed representation to show how Gander feels about the war, and to illustrate and explain the various pressures, both in favour of enlistment and against, that are brought to bear on him. In an accompanying paragraph explain the impact and effect of each influence you include. (You can use a computer program if you prefer.) If you want to do a comic, try using Comic Life, if you can download the trial. [] b.) Explain, using drawings and/or diagrams, how a threshing engine works. c.) Investigate the origins of the Canadian Wheat Board, and the circumstances that led to its inception. Present your findings in a powerpoint, brochure, or written report. = Grain Lesson 7 - Chapters 14 - 15 =

Vocabulary
Pick three unfamiliar words from these chapters and write a short definition for each.

Discussion/Reflection Questions
What do you think is going on between Gander and Jo Burge in Chapter 14? What do you think of Gander's behaviour? Why do you think he acts this way? What new information have you gained? How does this affect your understanding? What questions do you have? = Reading Response =

Blackout Poetry
[] Pick any page from these two chapters and photocopy it. Read it carefully and pick out words that for you represent Gander, his environment, circumstances, beliefs, interests, passions, characteristics, appearance, or life. Alternatively you could pick out words that represent a theme from the novel, for example, agricultural mechanization, unrequited love, farming, isolation, pioneer life, etc. Using a black marker, black out every part of the page except these words. Type out your 'Blackout Poem' and copy and paste it onto the wiki. Include a title, and hand in your blacked out page, with a page #. help on how to format text = Chapter 16 - 17 = Please go to the discussion forum on the first page of the wiki to add your opinions on these chapters. (Click the 'Discussion' button on the edit toolbar.) You must post at least once for each question. You must express and explain an opinion, and can contribute as many times as you like. Please include your name in your post. = Chapter 18 - 19 = After reading these chapters formulate a question to post on the discussion page. Make sure your question requires a higher level of thinking, such as analysis, synthesis or evaluation. [] Answer your own question and respond to at least one other posted by a classmate. Include your name. = Chapters 20-21 = After reading these chapters formulate a question to post on the discussion page. Make sure your question requres a higher level of thinking, such as analysis, synthesis or evaluation. Answer your own question and respond to at least one other posted by a classmate. Include your name. = Chapters 22-23 =

Pick one of these questions:
====1. //"There is, moreover, a seriously flawed ending...Young people, of course, leave the farm for the city all the time. But all we have learned of Gander Stake up to this final denouement would lead us to believe that he would not be one of them." (Introduction, 1963 edition.)//==== ====Do you agree with this quote? How do you feel about the ending of the novel? Is it effective and in keeping with the development of Gander's character? Should it be different? How do you feel it should have ended? Explain.====

====2. Stead uses a "//dry humour that slips out easily and naturally, and is as authentic as the characters themselves//." (Introduction, 1963 edition.) Do you agree with this comment? Give several examples of Stead's use of humour, and explain how it enhances his writing. Support your answer with reference to the text.====

====3. Explain, with reference to the text, how farming in Manitoba changes over the course of this novel.==== = Chose from one of these after reading responses: = 1. Create an **original** photo gallery, photo essay or photo journal that records the links between the pioneer times described in the novel, and present day southern Manitoba. Explain where each photo was taken and it's connection to the past. (You are expected to take your own pictures, though you can scan or photograph old family photos. You can't use pictures from the internet or books.) Present your pictures as a power point, photo album, scrapbook, or photo gallery. Find a way to record the necessary information as part of your presentation. Include around 15 - 20 well-chosen pictures. 2. Create a documentaty that includes interviews with family members or community elders, and which casts light on the experiences of the pioneer families and the changes in farming practices since those times. Create the questions you want to ask ahead of time, and hand in a written transcript with your documentary. 3. Investigate the impact of the First World War on one or more prairie communities in Manitoba. Consider attitudes towards the war, volunteer and conscription rates, labour shortages, loss of community members, mechanization, political changes, social changes, etc. Present your findings in whatever way seems most appropriate and effective. 4. Research the roles of farm women and girls in Manitoba during the time period of the novel (1890s to 1919). How has life changed for farm women today? Present your findings in whatever way seems the most appropriate and effective. 5. Personal choice - please check with Ms. Wright first. ||  || Contributions to http://scs-ela-wiki.wikispaces.com/ are licensed under a [|Creative Commons] ||
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