Making Predictions (parallel reading prompt)

As good readers, it is important for you to make predictions as you read. You use the information that the authur gives you, make inferences, and build a prediction. It is equally important for you to check on the accuracy of your predictions, and think about why they were accurate or inaccurate. Sometimes the author includes misleading information so that he can surprise you later on. Sometimes you will mis-infer. Sometimes, though, your prediction will be spot on, a wonderful reward for the time and thought you have put into making the prediction.

What was one prediction you made while reading Treasure Island? On what did you base this prediction? Knowing what you know now, was it a good prediction?

What is your current PR book? Make a prediction about something that will happen in the book, and tell me the information and inferences on which you are basing this prediction. Finally, tell me how many stars you would give this prediction, and why.

It's been a long year

Look back at some of the posts from early in the year, as well as the comments posted to them. What are some of your favorite posts from this academic year? Who made some of the most insightful comments? If you could change one of your responses because of something you have learned, what would you change? Why?

As vacation time approaches . . .

Which of the countries from which we've had a visitor (click on the ClustrMap to get a list of all of them) would you most like to visit? Why?

Harder but at the same time easier.

In Latin, there are different cases of nouns, so that 'boy' could be puer, pueri, puero, or puerum depending on its use in the sentence. 'Boys' could be pueri, puerorum, pueris, or pueros. This can be a bit confusing to learn, but once you have a firm grasp on it, grammar becomes easier. For example, in Latin the noun that receives the direct object is written in the dative case. In English, the recipient of the direct object is sometimes the indirect object, but at other times it is the object of a preposition.

In both of the following sentences, 'boy' receives the direct object 'homework'. In Latin it is in the dative case in both sentences; in English it's the indirect object in sentence one and an OP in sentence two.

1. The mean teacher gave the boy homework.
2. The mean teacher gave homework to the boy.

As you can see from the following clip from The Life of Brian, this made things difficult for the graffiti writers in ancient Rome.

The Catch

We have talked some about how mastering the basics allows you to accomplish the extraordinary. The 49ers practiced the game-winning play over and over and over again throughout the season, but they never practiced it with this ending. However, along with the scripted play Montana practiced skills like pump-faking to get defenders off of their feet, and Clark practiced coming back to the quarterback in a scramble situation. The time behind the scenes preparing for various contingencies allowed a great play to blossom from a broken situation. Years later when a football fan talks about "The Catch", all of the other fans know he's referring to Montana heaving the ball off of his back foot over the outstretched arms of the Cowboys defenders, and Clark soaring over his defender to secure the ball and win the game.

The Indian or the Arrow?

When I was in middle school, Rickey Henderson was lighting up the basepaths for the Oakland A's, my favorite baseball team. Rickey was the best lead-off hitter of all time. He could hit for power, but more important to the offense of the A's was his ability to get on base and create havoc for the defense. The all-time stolen base leader, Rickey turned walks and singles into doubles and sometimes triples. Rickey was fast and had great timing; he also had the coolest batting gloves ever. When everybody else was wearing fairly standard Franklin batting gloves that were white with a team colored area on the back of the hand, Mizuno made Rickey some sweet neon green gloves with padding on the back. The gloves were as unique and flashy as Rickey was, and I desperately wanted a pair. I was certain that if only I had a pair of Rickey's gloves, I would a great baseball player, and probably I'd be at least a step or two faster. As soon as I was on base the fielder's would all get a little nervous and the pitcher would go into a cold sweat. The catcher would feel sick. They would all be consumed with the fear that if they made even the slightest mistake, I would be tearing around third, slidding head (and awesome gloves) first into home, and celebrating with my teammates.

I never got the gloves. I never made it to the majors. I'm beginning to think it might have had more to do with my inability to hit a curve ball than my lack of awesome gloves. But I'm not completely positive.