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

Your Seedfolks Trailer

Seedfolks Introduction by Josha

 
Set in Cleveland in a multi-ethnic neighborhood, Seedfolks is a story that transforms the individual lives of thirteen very different people.
 
It begins with one Vietnamese girl who is mourning for her dead father. She is the first to dig into that rat-infested lot- with the wild hope that the seeds she plants may attract her father’s spirit. Many are to follow. But how are they all connected you ask? Through the belief- each in their own way – that tending the garden could be the answer to the central struggles of their lives.
 
Piece by piece, story by story, the garden begins to come alive. The once vacant lot- like the once lifeless neighborhood and it’s seedfolks- becomes vibrant, colourful and full of meaning.
 
For any reader, Seedfolks is a journey that cannot be missed!
 
                                            
                                                      By Josha

Homework

Proofreading worksheets and binder checks due Tuesday

Nora chapter