Interpretive Questions: Answer all questions in complete sentences, using quotes
as support.
1.) Why does Melinda cooperate with her mother’s plan to get
her father to buy the television?
1. Melinda cooperates with her mother's
plan to get her father to buy the television because it would bring Melinda
closer to her dad, which means that they will be able to be around each
other.
2.) Why does Melinda’s mother make getting the television the goal
of their second visit with Melinda’s father?
2. Melinda's mother makes
getting the television the goal of their second visit with Melinda's father
because she is the only one taking care of the child. She feels like no one is
helping her, she is the one taking care of Melinda and the house. She also never
gets what she wants in life.
3.) Why is Melinda nervous before she goes
down to talk to her father, while her mother is having fun getting her
ready?
3. Melinda is nervous before she goes down to talk to her father,
while her mother is having fun getting her ready because she doesn't want to
ruin their relationship by demanding something. It is already uncomfortable, she
does not want to make it worse. She might be coaching to get the dad on their
side. Maybe it was to get back at the dad. The mom is using Melinda to get what
she wants and not what she needs.
4.) Why does Melinda think for a “wild
moment” of asking for a candy bar, but then tell her father she is saving for
the television? (p. 102)
4. Melinda thinks for a "wild moment," of asking for
a candy bar, but then tells her father she is saving for the television because
even though she knows that she wants the candy bar, she does not want to ruin
their relationship. Even though she hangs out with dad, she still has to listen
and return to mom. She doesn't want to make the mom mad since she is staying
with her for the rest of the day.
5.) Why does Melinda’s mother yell at
her and call her “ordinary” after they get back from Disneyland? (p. 103)
5.
Melinda's mother yells at her and calls her "ordinary," after they get back from
Disneyland because she is disappointed that she didn't get what she wanted which
was the television. Melinda was acting weird around her dad. She is able to be
with the family because she knows them.
6.) Why does Melinda go to Jerry
after the fight with her mother?
6. Melinda goes to Jerry after the fight
with her mother because he is kind of like a father to her. He is the only one
that does not want anything from her. Her mom wants a television and her dad
wants to look good. Jerry does not want anything and can just adopt her for who
she is.
7.) Why does Melinda stop skating after the ice show?
7.
Melinda stops skating after the ice show because her mom is not going to give
attention to her anymore. They are not interested in her, they have given up on
her. They are interested in each other.
8.) Why does Melinda decide not
to go to the Girl Scout breakfast with Jerry?
8. Melinda decides not to go to
the Girl Scout breakfast with Jerry because she knows that he is not her real
father for her. She feels that there is no need to go with her if the event is
for daughters and fathers. She is starting to accept that her real father does
not love her and that Jerry cannot replace being her father.
9.) When her
mother yells at her after their return from Disneyland, why does Melinda remain
silent?
9. Her mother yells at her after their return from Disneyland.
Melinda remains silent because she knows better than to talk back to them. Maybe
she is just ignoring her mom. She could also just make her yell and let it go
because if she talks back, it'll be bad for her since she is staying the rest of
the day with her.
10.) At the end of the story, why does Melinda skate
with Jerry even though she thinks of him as “just another man in the world, who
had nothing to do with me”? (p. 104)
10. At the end of the story, Melinda
skates with Jerry even though she thinks of him as "just another man in the
world, who had nothing to do with me," because she has no one else to go to. He
is the only one showing affection towards her. Her mother and father don't give
their attention to her.
Vocabulary in Context:
1.) Maternal (p.
92)
Quote: "Other mothers got maternal, pulling me close to their soft,
aproned bellies." (p. 92)
Definition (based on context/in your own
words): motherly
Synonym: sympathetic
Sentence (underline the
vocabulary word): My mom gets maternal whenever I get hurt.
2.)
Luxuriously (p. 95)
Quote: "He crossed one leg over the other, smoking
luxuriously." (p. 95)
Definition (based on context/in your own words):
elegant
Synonym: enjoyable
Sentence (underline the vocabulary
word): The dancer danced so luxuriously.
3.) Glamorous (p.
97)
Quote: "He had short bristly hair and a glamorous smile." (p.
97)
Definition (based on context/in your own words): beautiful;
fancy
Synonym: charming
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word):
The young girl walked in with glamorous clothes.
4.) Glinted (p.
98)
Quote: "She glinted along the ice, shifting her weight from leg to
bent leg." (p. 98)
Definition (based on context/in your own words):
sparkling
Synonym: shine
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word):
Her eyes glinted in the sun light.
5.) Approximated (p.
100)
Quote: "He approximated." (p. 100)
Definition (based on
context/in your own words): to guess
Synonym: estimated
Sentence
(underline the vocabulary word): The little boy approximated that he was going
to get good grades this year.
Thinking Map:
Use textual evidence
to show examples of when Melinda’s mother does or says something that is helpful
to Melinda or Hurtful to Melinda. Include 5 examples and support with page
numbers and opinion for each column.
Good Mom
> provides
financial support
> pays for food
> cleans up
>
pays for skating lesson
> helps with skating
>
supportive
> ice skating
> doesn't bad mouth
>
in front of child
> encourages Melinda
> not to just have a
pretty face
> have a talent
Bad Mom
> encourages
lying
> yells at Melinda
> calls Melinda dumb
> not
supervising
> doesn't pay attention to Melinda
> pays more
attention to Jerry
> scolds her
> Melinda doesn't want to go
to the breakfast
> says mean things
> SASSY! *snap*
as support.
1.) Why does Melinda cooperate with her mother’s plan to get
her father to buy the television?
1. Melinda cooperates with her mother's
plan to get her father to buy the television because it would bring Melinda
closer to her dad, which means that they will be able to be around each
other.
2.) Why does Melinda’s mother make getting the television the goal
of their second visit with Melinda’s father?
2. Melinda's mother makes
getting the television the goal of their second visit with Melinda's father
because she is the only one taking care of the child. She feels like no one is
helping her, she is the one taking care of Melinda and the house. She also never
gets what she wants in life.
3.) Why is Melinda nervous before she goes
down to talk to her father, while her mother is having fun getting her
ready?
3. Melinda is nervous before she goes down to talk to her father,
while her mother is having fun getting her ready because she doesn't want to
ruin their relationship by demanding something. It is already uncomfortable, she
does not want to make it worse. She might be coaching to get the dad on their
side. Maybe it was to get back at the dad. The mom is using Melinda to get what
she wants and not what she needs.
4.) Why does Melinda think for a “wild
moment” of asking for a candy bar, but then tell her father she is saving for
the television? (p. 102)
4. Melinda thinks for a "wild moment," of asking for
a candy bar, but then tells her father she is saving for the television because
even though she knows that she wants the candy bar, she does not want to ruin
their relationship. Even though she hangs out with dad, she still has to listen
and return to mom. She doesn't want to make the mom mad since she is staying
with her for the rest of the day.
5.) Why does Melinda’s mother yell at
her and call her “ordinary” after they get back from Disneyland? (p. 103)
5.
Melinda's mother yells at her and calls her "ordinary," after they get back from
Disneyland because she is disappointed that she didn't get what she wanted which
was the television. Melinda was acting weird around her dad. She is able to be
with the family because she knows them.
6.) Why does Melinda go to Jerry
after the fight with her mother?
6. Melinda goes to Jerry after the fight
with her mother because he is kind of like a father to her. He is the only one
that does not want anything from her. Her mom wants a television and her dad
wants to look good. Jerry does not want anything and can just adopt her for who
she is.
7.) Why does Melinda stop skating after the ice show?
7.
Melinda stops skating after the ice show because her mom is not going to give
attention to her anymore. They are not interested in her, they have given up on
her. They are interested in each other.
8.) Why does Melinda decide not
to go to the Girl Scout breakfast with Jerry?
8. Melinda decides not to go to
the Girl Scout breakfast with Jerry because she knows that he is not her real
father for her. She feels that there is no need to go with her if the event is
for daughters and fathers. She is starting to accept that her real father does
not love her and that Jerry cannot replace being her father.
9.) When her
mother yells at her after their return from Disneyland, why does Melinda remain
silent?
9. Her mother yells at her after their return from Disneyland.
Melinda remains silent because she knows better than to talk back to them. Maybe
she is just ignoring her mom. She could also just make her yell and let it go
because if she talks back, it'll be bad for her since she is staying the rest of
the day with her.
10.) At the end of the story, why does Melinda skate
with Jerry even though she thinks of him as “just another man in the world, who
had nothing to do with me”? (p. 104)
10. At the end of the story, Melinda
skates with Jerry even though she thinks of him as "just another man in the
world, who had nothing to do with me," because she has no one else to go to. He
is the only one showing affection towards her. Her mother and father don't give
their attention to her.
Vocabulary in Context:
1.) Maternal (p.
92)
Quote: "Other mothers got maternal, pulling me close to their soft,
aproned bellies." (p. 92)
Definition (based on context/in your own
words): motherly
Synonym: sympathetic
Sentence (underline the
vocabulary word): My mom gets maternal whenever I get hurt.
2.)
Luxuriously (p. 95)
Quote: "He crossed one leg over the other, smoking
luxuriously." (p. 95)
Definition (based on context/in your own words):
elegant
Synonym: enjoyable
Sentence (underline the vocabulary
word): The dancer danced so luxuriously.
3.) Glamorous (p.
97)
Quote: "He had short bristly hair and a glamorous smile." (p.
97)
Definition (based on context/in your own words): beautiful;
fancy
Synonym: charming
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word):
The young girl walked in with glamorous clothes.
4.) Glinted (p.
98)
Quote: "She glinted along the ice, shifting her weight from leg to
bent leg." (p. 98)
Definition (based on context/in your own words):
sparkling
Synonym: shine
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word):
Her eyes glinted in the sun light.
5.) Approximated (p.
100)
Quote: "He approximated." (p. 100)
Definition (based on
context/in your own words): to guess
Synonym: estimated
Sentence
(underline the vocabulary word): The little boy approximated that he was going
to get good grades this year.
Thinking Map:
Use textual evidence
to show examples of when Melinda’s mother does or says something that is helpful
to Melinda or Hurtful to Melinda. Include 5 examples and support with page
numbers and opinion for each column.
Good Mom
> provides
financial support
> pays for food
> cleans up
>
pays for skating lesson
> helps with skating
>
supportive
> ice skating
> doesn't bad mouth
>
in front of child
> encourages Melinda
> not to just have a
pretty face
> have a talent
Bad Mom
> encourages
lying
> yells at Melinda
> calls Melinda dumb
> not
supervising
> doesn't pay attention to Melinda
> pays more
attention to Jerry
> scolds her
> Melinda doesn't want to go
to the breakfast
> says mean things
> SASSY! *snap*