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=Instructions for online discussion. Discussion are worth 20 points per posting.=
 * 1) ===Before reading your assigned chapter of our non-fiction novel check below for your Guiding Question.===
 * 2) ===Keeping the question in mind while reading, take notes accordingly. (The questions are designed to help you successfully write your Summer Reading Essay).===
 * 3) ===When you are finished reading and taking notes, post your minimum 2 paragraph response/reflection under the Discussion tab at the top of this page.===
 * 4) ===Type the chapter in the subject box of you posting.===
 * 5) ===After posting your response to the question, read one other student's posting and respond to it.===


 * Date || Chapter || Discussion Question ||
 * Wed 7/8/09 || 2 || Do you think Mom is exhibiting mental illness, or do you think she is just a "supermom"? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. Why do you think Dave included these memories of his mother?

For students reading another Non Fiction book: What is the most prominent trait(s) apparent in the main character thus far? Identify the trait, and give a detailed analysis of how it affects the characters thus far, or how you think it will affect them later in the story. || 7/9/09 || 3 || This chapter is titled "Bad Boy." How does the mother punish this six-year old bad boy, and what are her reasons for doing so? How do you think these messages change Dave's opinion of himself?
 * Thurs

Alternative:Focus on your main character's outer traits, and how they effect the plot. || 7/10/09 || 4 || Discuss the several ways that Dave is able to retaliate against his mother's abuse in this chapter. What are some of his character traits that enable him to keep going on living?
 * Fri

Alternative: Focus on the main character's inner traits, and how they effect the plot. || 7/13/09 || 5 || Discuss the reactions of the entire family to Dave's "accident." How do you make sense of the family's reaction to the abuse taking place in their household? Be specific.
 * Mon

Alternative: How is the main character viewed by the other characters in the story? What does that reveal about the main character? || 7/14/09 || 6 || Analyze some of the ways in which the family members turn their backs on Dave. How does mother's "trick" on Dave possibly explain why the family acts the way they do?
 * Tues

Alternative: Choose one or two major traits of the main character and write your own thoughts on how this makes the character dynamic. Remember to use clear examples from the text to analyze your character. || 7/15/09 || 7 and Epilogue || Choose the one or two character traits that best describe your character at the end of the story, and write a personal reflection about how these traits enabled the character to overcome obstacles. || % || % ||
 * Wed