Drums Journal prompts:

Answer on a sheet of notebook paper. Label the journal by chapter number. After completing Chapter 1 journal, draw a line under it, and then start Chapter 2. After completing Chapter 2 journal, draw a line under it, and then start Chapter 3. Continue this way for all remaining chapters.

Chapter 1) Make your own “…list of truly annoying things (2).”

List 5-10 things that annoy you.

Choose one and write at least a half-page journal entry about it.

Chapter 2) If you were to “throw off the weight of this particular day (13),” what day would that be?

Describe a day from your past (or one you imagine in your future) which you would like to erase.

Chapter 3) “Should foreign languages be taught in middle school (27)?”

Explain why or why not.

Chapter 4) “I remember when I was eight (37).”

Write about something significant that happened to you when you were eight. If a different age lends itself to a better journal, please choose that age.

Chapter 5 journal is a “write afterreading the chapter” journal…

Chapter 5) Choose 1 of the following:

a) “If I could say anything I wanted to, to anyone in the world right now, I would be all over ______(57).”

(name of person)

Decide who you would talk with, and write what you would say.

b) Reread and then analyze Steven’s journal entry on pages 57-60. What is Steven really saying? Was this an effective way for him to “say” it? Why or why not?

Chapter 6) Choose a Thought, Speech, or Action text evidence that proves characterization of Steven and write a response to it.

Write the proof in text evidence format (directly from the book and include page number. Then, respond directly to Steven, respond to the teacher (me), or respond in a different way.

Ex: b) “When my mother began to tell me that my baby brother had leukemia, my first feeling was relief (36).”

Possible Response: Steven, how could you possibly say that? Do you only think of yourself? What were you relieved from? You should be thinking of how your mom and Jeffrey feel. Your mom must be exhausted and so scared to watch her child go through a life or death process right before her eyes. Jeffrey has to be scared to death too. I feel sorry for him. No, actually I feel sorry for you because while Jeffrey is in pain, scared, and looking up to his so-called hero brother, that hero brother is relieved his delicate loving little brother has leukemia.

Chapter 7)Steve notices similarities between dodge ball and dances and calls them the “two Ds of my middle school nightmares (95).”

Write your own comparison of some kind,

______and ______. “The two __s of my ______nightmare.”

Chapter 8) Similes

How do these comparisons help the reader understand the situations?

(Copy quote “a” and explain your answer; then copy quote “b” and explain)

a) “…our ride to the hospital was like the Indy 500 (99)”

b) “Thedoctor in charge was barking orders like a Marine Drill Sergeant…(99).”

Chapter 9)Metaphors – “In my case, Annette was the locomotive (114).”

What is Steven comparing?

Why does the author use this comparison?

Explain the comparison from Steven’s point of view (write your explanation as if you are Steven explaining it).

Chapter 10 journal is a “write afterreading the chapter” journal…

Chapter 10) Find evidence of anger within the text.

Write (3) text evidences to prove the anger.

Consider who is angry in the chapter and how you know they are angry. Remember also to consider characterization. Look for the main character’s:

-Action

-Speech

-Thought

Respond to (1) with advice you would give to Steven about the anger.