Here are some questions based around the book we are reading in class right now, Rules by Cynthia Lord. It is a difficult book which deals with some difficult situations. Sometimes the author makes us feel uncomfortable for Catherine, or David, or Jason. Here are some questions I would like you to think about and answer three of them. As usual, use MS Word and Word Talk BEFORE you post. Remember your name (first only) after your entry. Try to be original in your answers and ideas, and give details; don't read other posts by other students.
- What are Catherine’s strengths? What are her weaknesses?
- Name at least three characters who exhibit prejudice in RULES. What do they say or do which shows that prejudice?
- How do Catherine’s feelings change toward Jason as the book continues? What causes that change?
- What do you think would’ve happened if Catherine had been honest right away with Kristi and told her about Jason? Why wasn’t Catherine honest? What do you think she was afraid of?
- Catherine is not the only character in the story who is not always honest. How do the other characters avoid dealing with problems or act in ways that are not completely truthful?
- Do you think it’s true that “Leaving out isn’t the same as lying?” If not, is it ever true?
- Some of Catherine’s rules are what we might call “unwritten rules,” comments on how people behave, such as “Sometimes people don’t answer because they didn’t hear you. Other times it's because they don’t want to hear you." How do people learn these rules? Why do we have them?
- When Kristi has David dance in Catherine’s room, is she being mean? Since he wasn’t upset by it, should Catherine have stopped the music?
2. In the book Ryan is prejudice of David because he’s always saying stuff like; “wow your brother is stupid” etc.
ReplyDelete6. “leaving out is not always lying” is not true in words, but if you leave out a number not so much
8. Kristi was not being mean when she turned on the music she was just showing Catharine how easy it was to actually have fun, she should not have turned off the music because it was keeping David occupied. Jordan
3. Catherine feelings changed toward Jason when she goes to the dance with him and relies that it is not fair to not hang out with him just because people stare when it goes by. What caused the change is that she stared to not care what other people thought of her and Jason.
ReplyDelete4. I think what would of happened is that Kristie would of not been mad when she saw Jason was in a wheel chair and would not of looked stunned plus not of told Catherine to bring him to the dance because she would not want people to stare at her or think he doesn’t know how to dance and not talked about him as much. I think that Catherine was not honest because she really wanted Kristie to like her and not want Kristie to think that she is normal. Catherine was afraid that Christie would not like her and would not want to be her friend.
6. I think that “leaving out things are not the same as lying” because you are not telling a lie you are just not including some things example; “I won the race against slow runners” or “I won the race” and you are not saying that you won the race against really fast runners you are just saying that you won the race and leaving out all the details.
1.Catherine’s strengths are helping people by grabbing something of a shelf that they cannot reach or anything like that but she is not the best at making friends because when she meets someone new she wants to fit in perfectly without being her so when she gets together with that person she is some other person.
ReplyDelete3. Catherine’s feelings toward Jason changed toward the end of the book by understanding that Jason is who he is, and that he is a nice person and he can’t speak and he is in a wheelchair so he can’t walk but he is a normal person.
8. When Kristi had David dance I do not think she was being mean because Catherine had said that she did not dance unless it was pitch black or in her room alone and then Kristi asked David to dance to show her it was not that hard and I do not think Catherine should have stopped the music because Kristi and David where having fun and nothing should have hurt Catherine that bad.
Chase
1. Catharine’s strengths are drawing and being nice to people who have disabilities like Jason and David. Her weakness is trying to protect David while he is trying to have fun and follow the rules.
ReplyDelete6. Leaving out isn’t the same as lying because lying is telling is telling something false and leaving out is not letting somebody hang with you.
8. Yes and no because she was trying to show Catharine that dancing was fun but I think she was trying to get a laugh out of it too. Catharine maid a good choice of turning the music off and she did it do not embarrass David. Nathan
Nathan, for question#6 I think that it means leaving out information, not leaving out friend. So is leaving out information the same as lying in your opinion?
Delete#4I think that Kristi would not have been so mean at the end of the book. Catherine was not honest with Kristi because she thought that she would have lost her if she told her about Jason. Catherine thought after she told Kristi that she would have lost two friends both Jason because she had not told Kristi what he is like and Kristi.
ReplyDelete#6 no I don’t believe that lying is not the same as leaving out. Well it all depends on the situation like if someone wants to play a game and you say no that would be leaving out not lying.
#8i don’t think that Kristi is being mean I just think that it was that Kristi did not know the rule. No I do not think that Catherine should have stopped the music because that was the first time in the book that David did not have a hissy fit.
~Amelia~
Amelia. See my comment to Nathan above.
Delete1. Catherine’s strengths are making rules for David, drawing and making cards and illustrations for Jason’s communication book. Her weakness is protecting David from others trying to hurt or make fun of him.
ReplyDelete3. In the beginning of the book Catherine didn’t want to been seen with Jason outside of OT. Her feelings change as the book continues because in the end see doesn’t care what Kristi or Ryan or anybody else thinks about Jason. When she realizes that people should take Jason for who he is, that is when she isn’t scared to be seen with Jason in public.
8. When Kristi was making David dance I think Catherine was just trying to protect David when she turned off the music. I also think Kristi wasn’t trying to making fun of David but Catherine was being a little over protective.
Claire
1. Catharine’s strengths are: Art, looking after David and her weaknesses are: Not accepting the way David and Jason are.
ReplyDelete4. If Catharine was honest about Jason with Kristi, Kristi would feel bad for Jason and start treating Jason like a baby, Catharine was not honest because she was afraid of the outcome
8. Kristi was being mean because Catharine said no but she still did it, but Catharine shouldn’t have stopped the music because David was happy.
~Rosie
Very nicely put, Claire. When in the book, do Catherine's feelings towards Jason change. How does this happen?
ReplyDelete