Yaakov's Thoughts

Yaakov’s Thoughts

A) Amir
#7: I think that Amir’s quote means that even though it is a garden and gardens are beautiful, this was the community garden. This community garden didn’t only contain beautiful fruits and vegetables like pumpkins, radishes and eggplants, but it also became the home base to all different races and ethnicities of Cleveland. When all of the people in the garden became friends, Amir’s quote makes complete sense.

B) Florence
#5: In this book, when all of the people joined the garden, they all became part of their own small community. When Florence refers to all of the gardeners as “Seedfolks”, I am guessing that she giving a name to the small community of people in the garden in her own way.

#6: I'm guessing that Florence wrote this chapter at least one year after the event happened. My reason for thinking this is that when she says "that year", it means that at least a year past after the cold winter.

EItan's Thoughts

1- Amir’s age is around the 30 or 40
2- Amir’s ethnicity is Indian and lives in India
3- Amir’s contribution was learning about different nationality and make knew friends and make the garden a colorful place
4- Because when Amir is involved in the garden it reminded him like back home in India
5- Amir said that all Polish woman and men make cabbage and there rich and when someone here’s that they will fill hurt and start saying mean things about him
6- People think Royce is homeless and scary and a thief
7- Amir what’s the garden a better place and he wants to keep it safe and make it better.


1. Florence is 35 years old
2. Florence is black
3. Florence wants the garden to be safe and nobody to stealing
4. Florence wants to change her place and wants to plant in the garden
5. I think the author choose this title seed folks because all the characters had something to do with a garden
6. It reminds her of growing up in her country

Seth's Thoughts

Amir
7. I think that he means the greatest benefit was not how beautiful it was to the eye, but that its true beauty was how it was able to bring everyone together. It allowed people who would have otherwise not known each other to become friendly.

Florence
5. She means that “Seedfolks” are like our ancestors. They plant themselves somewhere, and the family grows and spreads out to many places. “Seedfolks” could also be people we are connected to. I think that the author chose this title because all the characters are each other’s “Seedfolks” through the garden.

Reminders

Thank you for all of the thoughtful contributions on Seedfolks!

If you are having any trouble finding information to answer your questions, you don't have to look very far.

All answers and the graphic organizers are due tomorrow in addition to the binder checks.

Barbie's Thoughts on Florence

5. What Florence means by the word seedfolks is that everyone had a different part in the garden despite the fact that they only had around two things in common; 1. They all had troubles and hardships. 2. They all helped out with the garden. I think the author choose this title because it in one word pretty much sums up what the whole book is about. They are all folks, and they all either plant seeds or protect seeds. I think it also kind of means love because they all love seeds or gardening and they all like each other as friends some people even feel that the garden is like family. The book is also about working together through whatever and I feel seedfolks the title describes everything that has to do with working together and love.

6. I think Florence wrote the chapter 2-3 years after the garden had started I think that the author purposely wrote the chapter of Florence like this to show that even after a few years the garden was still going strong. It also shoes that everyone is committed to something in their life they just have to find that something.

Liam's Thoughts

For question 7 in Amir's chapter. I think that the people are becoming a community, and becoming friends, and thats all because of the garden. For question 5 and 7 which are bonus on Florence chapter, I think that the answer for 5 is that the first seeds get planted and then more and more people come along and help. For 7 the answer is "the area of the garden now was just some soil a couple months ago, and became a believing community after a while, and Florence wrote this a week after Amir I think"

Rosie's Thoughts

blog bonus question about Amir:
I think that when Amir says "The gardens greatest benefit, I feel is not the relief to the eyes, but to make our eyes see the neighbors." I think he means that the garden is beautiful, but even better than that it brought all the neighbors and the community of Cleveland Heights together. During the book most of the characters became friends and help each other in all different ways. In all of the chapters other people are mentioned, people that the garden was planted for or in honor of, people that are part of the garden. With all those people involved many friendships and relationships that could last a lifetime were formed. The garden made everyone come together as a community and as a family, it also made them care more about the place they live, and the thing inside of it.

blog bonus questions about Florence:
5. I think when Florence said that her family were the seed folks what she meant was that a seed is the beginning of something so I think that she is taking the term seed and applying it to people. If I am right than seed folks means the fist people to do something. Her family “was the first black family in the whole County. My father called them our seedfolks because they were the first of our family there.”

I think that the author chose Seedfolks as the title of the book because they are the seeds of the garden setting an example and as Florence said “any of the people who started the garden on Gibb Street their seedfolks too” “I’m talking about the first year before there were spigots and hoses, and the tool shed, and the new soil. And before the landlords started charging more for apartments that look on the garden.” Things like this are also mentioned in some of the other chapters like in Nora’s chapter she says, “Pantomime was often required to get over language barriers. Yet we were all subject to the same weather and pests, the same neighborhood, and the same parental emotions toward our plants. I f we happened to miss two or three days, people stopped by on our return to ask about Mr. Myles’s health. We, like our seeds, were now planted in the garden.”

6. I think Florence wrote this chapter about 2 and a half years later in winter after because she says that first year which means that there already was a first year and then she says that months are passing fall, winter, spring, summer, fall and then winter. I think that now the winter is just over and Kim is coming to plant her Lima beans.

Yaakov's Thoughts...

I think that Amir’s quotation means that even though it is a garden and gardens are beautiful, this was the community garden.  This community garden didn’t only contain beautiful fruits and vegetables like pumpkins, radishes and eggplants, but it also became the home base to all different races and ethnicities of Cleveland.  When all of the people in the garden became friends, Amir’s quotation makes complete sense.

Adi's Thoughts

7. I think that what Amir is trying to say is that the garden brings people closer together. Together they break the rules and communicate and talk with each other. Different people all together as a community, helping each other and helping themselves to new friends. He is trying to say the garden is not just a community garden it is a life long experience that brings people together, and no matter what it helps many with their hard life to get through it and to some a reason to live.

Noga's Thoughts

6. The people in the garden had heard stereotypes about Black teenagers and thought they where dangerous but Royce was kind and gentle. Royce has 2 sisters and likes cats a lot. He also worked well with his hands so he could help people if they were sick and in return they gave him vegetables.
7. The best thing about the garden is not the fact that it is pretty but everyone is together.


On Florence...

6. She wrote the chapter a year after all the others. I know this because she talks about the old days before Kim found the garden.

Jamie's Thoughts

4) I think Florence’s contribution to the garden was that she was firstly like a guardian angel because she stopped someone from stealing and she was also an observer, this is important because every beautiful thing needs someone to see it because then it could not be appreciated.

5) I think Florence said Seedfolks because she was referring to people who would plant seeds and it makes sense as in Folks who plant Seeds. I also think that the author made this the title because the book is about many folks who plant seeds in a garden so it’s the same reason that Florence said Seedfolks.

6) I think Florence wrote the chapter around one year after Kim planted her beans because she makes it sound as if it was the first winter since the garden was made and Kim planted the beans right after the winter when the soil was still tough.

Dani's Thoughts

I think when Florence says seedfolks she is referring to her great great grandparent when they were the seedfolks of the African Americans in Colorado, they were the first family of African Americans. I think the author was referring to seedfolks because the garden brought the community together, the garden kept growing just like the African Americans community in Colorado.

Leor's Post

The people in the garden had heard stereotypes about black teenagers that they were very dangerous, but when they met Royce they saw that they weren’t true. He has a stutter and two sisters and likes cats very much. He also worked very well with his hands so he would water for people who were sick and would fix people’s fences. In return people gave him some of their vegetables. Whenever he would help someone he would never say that it was him, he was very trustworthy.

I think that when amir said "the garden's greatest benefit, I feel, was not relief to the eyes, but to make the eyes see our neighbors," he means that the most important thing about the garden was not its beauty but the fact that it connects people together and makes them one big community where they all look out for each other. Like in Virgil’s chapter people were helping his

I think Florence wrote her chapter a year after every one else. I think this because she talks about the first year before Kim and the others came, when the vacant lot was still a dump yard and before there were tools or soil. That means that she was there to see the garden change right before her eyes.

Barbie's Thoughts on Amir

I think Amir means that the garden is something that everyone no matter their looks or religion can be a part of. It links everybody together in their own special way; even if you are only watching it or growing vegetables. In the story it linked all thirteen seedfolks together even though they had almost nothing in common. It all started with Kim a young girl just wanting to grow something to please her deceased father: everyone just caught on. Even nowadays a community garden brings everyone together just like it did in the book Seedfolks.

Joelle's Thoughts

I included question four as I thought it was thoughtful and perhaps could help others with their own interpretations. Thanks for this, Joelle. -Mr. G.

4) What is her contribution to the garden?
Florence’s contribution to the garden was mostly not physical, but more spiritual. She loved the garden and cared for it, but she could not plant seeds because of arthritis in her hands. Physically though, she guarded the garden, when someone tried to steal Curtis’s tomatoes, she stopped them right away. Also, she really felt as though if the garden was not happy, and it did not have people planting in it ( like in the winter months) she wasn’t happy either.


5) What do you think Florence meant by “Seedfolks” and why did the author use this for the title of the book? BLOG BONUS
I think that what Florence meant by Seedfolks is that there were many people in the garden, all different, but 2 things they all had in common, 1: they all had troubles, and 2: they all had one big part in the garden, a part of a growing family. I think the author used this as the title because it really summarizes what the book is about; people getting together to form a beautiful garden, and a beautiful relationship.

6) When did Florence write the chapter? She talked about that first year which would indicate quite a bit of time has passed. BLOG BONUS
I think Florence wrote the chapter 2 or 3 years after everyone else. I think this because all the members of the garden still are very committed and still garden a lot. Except in the winter months, there is at least one person gardening every day. Also, the people are still planting the same things, like Curtis, he is still planting tomatoes and someone is still trying to steal them. I think the author made Florence's part years after all the other character's to show that even years later, the garden is still up and running.

Salome's Thougths...

Amir.

I think that what Amir means, is that the whole point of having a
community garden is that there must always be a place where everyone
(no matter where they are from, or their skin color or how many
mistakes they might have made in the past) be able to express
themselves through gardening. The garden is also a place where you can
get to know your neighbors and socialize, as the phrase mentioned.

Florence.

What Florence means when she says "seedfolks" is that she is referring
to her family in the country. They used to farm there and the garden
reminded her of when she did. But the author chose the word
"Seedfolks" as a title because the book is about these different
people who decided to make a garden together so that they would forget
about the tragedies in their lives.

I think that she wrote the chapter a few years ago. When she talked
about "that first year" she meant, she had just arrived in the
neighborhood and didn't know about the garden.- from Salome 6A

Gabi's Thoughts...

I think she meant that they were the pioneers of African American people in Colorado, the same as the people of seedfolks were the pioneers of the garden.

Hana's Thoughts

FLORENCE

What does Florence mean by the word “Seedfolks”? Why do you think the author chose this title for the book?
I think what Florence means when she is talking about “Seedfolks” is that she is referring back to her ancestor who were first “planted” in the garden. Now the garden is growing and growing, not just plants but also people. I think the author chose this title because, in the book seeds grow and people grow, the seeds grow bigger, but the people become better as people. Also, the title is like the cycle of life. First the seeds are planted, just like the person is born, then the seeds grow bigger and bigger, just like humans, and then they eventually die.

When did Florence write this chapter? She talks about “the first year” which would indicate quite a bit of time has passed.
I think Florence wrote this chapter about 2.5 years after the first year of the garden passed, because she indicates that fall, winter, spring, summer and again fall passed. Then she finally saw one person come back to plant seeds, witch was Kim. After she saw Kim she probably started to write in the winter, after that fall.

Isobel's Thoughts

When Florence says “Seedfolks” I think she means a new generation of freedom and happiness like Florence’s father told her. I think the author chose “Seedfolks” as the title because not only is Seedfolks a new generation of happiness but when people come together to garden (seed people) it makes everyone happy. No matter what race or religion our differences do not matter. We are all connected and we can make the world a better place by working together like the Seedfolks did.


  I think Florence wrote the chapter after the garden became popular and everyone had a spot to garden. When she said “that first year” I knew that she had been observing the garden for a long time, maybe even since Kim started the garden with her Lima beans. Florence loved the garden even though she couldn’t physically garden she took care of the garden just as much as anyone else did. I think the Seedfolks garden will keep going for generations and later on people will look back to what Florence said “that first year” and how she was a Seedfolk.

Jacob's Thoughts

SeedFolks the Final Chapters – Florence
I think what Florence means by the word seedfolks, is that in a family, your great great great… grandparents would be the seeds and then their children would grow from the seeds, which would be the grandparents (the seeds). I think the author chose the title “Seedfolks” for the book because each and every character works or watches the garden. Some of the characters, such as Gonzalo, are very young, while others like Sam are older. They can all learn from each other, if you think about it.

Liam's Thoughts

I think everyone in the garden was looking for a community, and when they got the chance they took it. I think the greatest benefit of the garden is that it brings people together, and makes hope in the used to be dirty Cleveland.

Jamie's Thoughts

What I think Amir meant when he said this statement was that when all these different raced people are walking on the street, they’re too scared to try to communicate with other people when they don’t speak the same language because they’re afraid that this person or that person is a gang member or not a good person. Take Royce for example, he looked like a really bad guy but all he really wanted to do was help, when he was in the garden, he could be nice and not be aggressive because everyone else was nice to him. I think that people were just very unsure of themselves when they weren’t with friends in the garden doing something familiar, not hearing people speak a foreign language.

Hana's Thoughts...

I think what Amir means is that the reward of the garden isn’t just the beauty of it, but how it brought together all different sorts of people. When we read the chapter about Sam he thought the garden was just like the rest of Cleveland Heights, but now the garden is the total opposite. Everyone is friendly to each other no matter what color, race or religion.

Neev'e Thoughts

I think that he means is that it doesn’t matter who turns up or how the plants look, its just for people to put an effort and make the world a better place.

Joelle's Thought on Amir

I think Amir means that the garden is not only for beauty, but to bring the neighbors of Cleveland Heights, all those troubled people, together. The garden is helping 13 different people get smiles back on their faces.

Isobel's Thoughts

Here is my blog bonus Mr. G!

Blog Bonus

7. I think the quotation, “the garden’s greatest benefit, I feel, was not the relief to the eyes, but to make the eyes see our neighbours,” means that the garden even though is beautiful to the eye, it also brings neighbours together and work as one to make something beautiful.

Jacob's Answer

I think what Amir means when he said, “The garden’s greatest benefit, I feel, was not relief to the eyes, but to make the eyes see our neighbors” is that everyone, no matter what race or religion you are, can come together in the garden, and form a community. I truly recognized this when Amir met the Polish women and realized that his stereotypes about Polish people were wrong, and they could also be nice and friendly. Sam was like Amir in a way, because he was friendly to everyone, no matter what race or skin color.

-By Jacob L.

Seedfolks: The final Chapters

Please answer these in your Reading Power Notebooks. These are all due on Tuesday, December 15th.

Blog Bonus: any questions with "Blog Bonus" next to them is an opportunity to earn extra points. If you email your answers to me for posting on our blog, you will receive two bonus points each. I will only post answers that have been proofread. Remember, if this is going out on the World Wide Web, it better be polished!

Chapter 12: Amir

1. What is his age?
2. What is his ethnicity?
3. What is his contribution to the garden?
4. What was his reason for becoming involved in the garden?
5. What are some of the stereotypes Amir has about Polish people, and how does his
attitude change when he meets one?
6. What do we learn about Royce through Amir?
7. Amir says that, "the garden's greatest benefit, I feel, was not relief to the eyes,
but to make the eyes see our neighbors." What does he mean? Use examples from other
chapters. BLOG BONUS

Chapter 13: Florence

1. What is her age?
2. What is her ethnicity?
3. What is her contribution to the garden?
4. What was the reason for her becoming involved?
5. What does Florence mean by the word "Seedfolks"? Why do you think the author
chose this title for the book? BLOG BONUS
6. When did Florence write the chapter? She talks about "that first year" which would
indicate quite a bit of time has passed. BLOG BONUS

Homework

-Parents sign and read your Seedfolks project marks and responses (Tues)
-Binder check Tuesday
-All corrections or redone Seedfolks entries must be in by Tuesday