elapotter.weebly.comelapotter.weebly.com/uploads/9/6/7/6/96769774/twm-cha… · Web viewHe taught...

Tuesdays with Morrie

Supplemental Reading and

Writing Packet

Name______________________

Name_________________________Tuesdays with Morrie

Mitch Albom Biography

MITCH ALBOM is an internationally renowned and best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, playwright, radio and television broadcaster and musician. His books have collectively sold over 26 million copies worldwide; have been published in forty-one territories and in forty-two languages around the world; and have been made into Emmy Award-winning and critically-acclaimed television movies.

Mitch was born on May 23, 1958 in Passaic, New Jersey, the middle of three children to Rhoda and Ira Albom. The family moved to the Buffalo, N.Y. area briefly before settling in Oaklyn, New Jersey, not far from Philadelphia. Mitch grew up wanting to be a cartoonist before switching to music. He taught himself to play piano, and played in bands, including The Lucky Tiger Grease Stick Band, throughout his adolescence. After attending high schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, he left for college after his junior year. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1979 at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, majoring in sociology, but stayed true to his dream of a life in music, and upon graduation, he worked for several years as a performer, both in Europe and America. One of his engagements during this time included a taverna on the Greek island of Crete, in which he was a featured American performer who sang Elvis Presley and Ray Charles songs. He also wrote and produced the recording of several songs. In his early 20’s, while living in New York, he took an interest in journalism and volunteered to work for a local weekly paper, the Queens Tribune. He eventually returned to graduate school, earning a Master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, followed by an MBA from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. During this time, he paid his tuition partly through work as a piano player.

Mitch eventually turned full-time to his writing, working as a freelance sports journalist in New York for publications such as Sports Illustrated, GEO, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. His first full time newspaper job was as a feature writer and eventual sports columnist for The Fort Lauderdale News and Sun Sentinel in Florida. He moved to Detroit in 1985, where he became a nationally-acclaimed sports journalist at the Detroit Free Press and one of the best-known media figures in that city’s history, working in newspapers, radio and television. He currently hosts a daily talk show on WJR radio (airs Monday through Friday, 5-7 p.m. EST) and appears regularly on ESPN Sports Reporters and SportsCenter.

In 1995, he married Janine Sabino. That same year he re-encountered Morrie Schwartz, a former college professor who was dying of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. His visits with Schwartz would lead to the book Tuesdays with Morrie, which moved Mitch away from sports and began his career as an internationally recognized author.

Tuesdays with Morrie is the chronicle of Mitch’s time spent with his beloved professor. As a labor of love, Mitch wrote the book to help pay Morrie’s medical bills. It spent four years on the New York Times Bestseller list and is now the most successful memoir ever published. His first novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, is the most successful US hardcover first adult novel ever. For One More Day, his most recent, debuted at No.1 on the New York Times

2

Bestseller List and spent nine months on the list. In October 2006, For One More Day was the first book chosen by Starbucks in the newly launched Book Break Program, which also helped fight illiteracy by donating one dollar from every book sold to Jumpstart.

All three of Albom’s best sellers have been turned into successful TV movies. Oprah Winfrey produced the film version of Tuesdays With Morrie in December 1999, starring Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria. The film garnered four Emmy awards, including best TV film, director, actor and supporting actor. The critically acclaimed The Five People You Meet in Heaven aired on ABC in winter, 2004. Directed by Lloyd Kramer, the film was the most watched TV movie of the year, with 19 million viewers. Most recently, Oprah Winfrey Presents Mitch Albom’s For One More Day aired on ABC in December 2007 and earned Ellen Burstyn a Screen Actors Guild nomination.

An award-winning journalist and radio host, Albom wrote the screenplay for both For One More Day and The Five People You Meet in Heaven, and is an established playwright, having authored numerous pieces for the theater, including the off-Broadway version of Tuesdays With Morrie (co-written with Jeffrey Hatcher) which has seen over seventy productions across the US and Canada.

Mitch is also an accomplished song writer and lyricist. Later in his life, when music had become a sideline, he would see several of his songs recorded, including the song “Hit Somebody (The Hockey Song)” which he wrote for rock singer Warren Zevon. Albom also wrote and performed songs for several TV movies, including “Cookin’ for Two” for Christmas in Connecticut, the 1992 remake directed by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

He has founded three charities in the metropolitan Detroit area: The Dream Fund, established in 1989, allows disadvantaged children to become involved with the arts. A Time To Help, founded in 1998, brings volunteers together once a month to tackle various projects in Detroit, including staffing shelters, building homes with Habitat for Humanity, and operating meals on wheels programs for the elderly. S.A.Y Detroit, Mitch’s most recent effort, is an umbrella program to fund shelters and care for the homeless in his city. He also raises money for literacy projects through a variety of means including his performances with The Rock Bottom Remainders, a band made up of writers which includes Steven King, Dave Barry, Scott Turrow, Amy Tan and Ridley Pearson. Mitch serves on the boards of various charities and, in 1999, was named National Hospice Organization's Man of the Year.

Biography source: http://www.albom.com/biography.html

3

Lou Gehrig Biography

Of all the players in baseball history, none possessed as much talent and humility as Lou Gehrig. His accomplishments on the field made him an authentic American hero, and his tragic early death made him a legend.

Gehrig's later glory came from humble beginnings. He was born on June 19, 1903 in New York City. The son of German immigrants, Gehrig was the only one of four children to survive. His mother, Christina, worked tirelessly, cooking, cleaning houses and taking in laundry to make ends meet. His father, Heinrich, often had trouble finding work and had poor health.

From Columbia to Yankee Stadium

Christina was adamant that Gehrig receive a good education, so in 1921 he went to Columbia on a football scholarship to pursue a degree in engineering. Before his first semester began, New York Giants manager John McGraw advised him to play summer professional baseball under an assumed name, Henry Lewis. "Everyone does it," McGraw explained, even though the illegal ball playing could have jeopardized Gehrig's collegiate sports career. Gehrig was discovered after playing a dozen games for Hartford in the Eastern League. As a result, he was banned from intercollegiate sports during his freshman year.

Gehrig returned to sports as a fullback at Columbia during the 1922 football season, and then pitched and played first base for the Columbia Nine in 1923. When baseball scout Paul Krichell saw the Columbia baseball team play, Gehrig's hitting skills impressed him so much that he signed Gehrig to the Yankees in 1923 with a $1,500 bonus. Gehrig left Columbia and returned to the Hartford team, where he hit .304 that season. When he was called up to the majors in September, he hit .423 in 26 at-bats.

Yankee manager Miller Huggins petitioned McGraw to permit Gehrig to replace the ailing Wally Pipp on the Yanks' roster for the World Series. McGraw, always looking for an edge, exercised his prerogative and refused. The Yankees won the World Series that year anyway. After a full season at Hartford, where Gehrig hit .369, he became a Yankee for good in 1925. Once he replaced Wally Pipp at first base, Gehrig didn't leave the playing field for over 13 years.

"Iron Horse" and the 2,130-game streak

Gehrig's consecutive game streak of 2,130 games (a record that stood until Cal Ripken, Jr. broke it in 1995) did not come easily. He played well every day despite a broken thumb, a broken toe and back spasms. Later in his career Gehrig's hands were X-rayed, and doctors were able to spot 17 different fractures that had "healed" while Gehrig continued to play. Despite having pain from lumbago one day, he was listed as the shortstop and leadoff hitter. He singled and was promptly replaced but kept the streak intact. His endurance and strength earned him the nickname "Iron Horse."

After batting .295 in 1925, the next year Gehrig hit .313 and led the league with 20 triples. This was the first of 12 consecutive years he would top .300. The Yankees won the pennant and Gehrig hit .348 in the

4

World Series, but the Yankees lost to Rogers Hornsby's Cardinals in seven games.

Ruth and Gehrig began to dominate the baseball headlines in 1927 in a way two players had never done before. That year Ruth hit 60 homers, breaking his old record of 59, and Gehrig clouted 47, more than anyone other than Ruth had ever hit. As late as August 10th, Gehrig had more homers than the Babe, but Ruth's closing kick was spectacular. Together they out-homered every team in baseball except one.

The Yankees chased away all competition, winning the flag by 19 games over the A's and sweeping the Pirates in the World Series. Ruth was not eligible for the Most Valuable Player Award, because he had won it before, so it went to Gehrig. In 1928, the pair tied for the RBI lead with 142 and put on quite a show in the World Series. Despite being walked six times, Gehrig hit .545.

Ruth's dominance as a power hitter was slipping, and Gehrig began to take his place. On June 3, 1932, Gehrig became the first American Leaguer to hit four home runs in a game. After Gehrig's third homer to right field in a game against Philadelphia, an irritated Connie Mack removed pitcher George Earnshaw and demanded that Earnshaw stay with him to watch relief pitcher Roy Mahaffey pitch to Gehrig. Gehrig's fourth homer was to left field and only a great catch by Al Simmons kept Gehrig from hitting his fifth homer of the day.

The Yankees missed the post-season three years in a row (1933-1935). During an off-season barnstorming trip to Japan, the civil relationship between the two slugging stars boiled over, apparently over a comment that Gehrig's mother had made about how Ruth's daughter dressed. Ruth got word to Gehrig that he never wanted to speak to him off the field again, and the two never traded words until "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day" six years later.

Thriving in the shadow of the Babe

Gehrig had spent his whole career in New York, the nation's media capital. But it seemed that another teammate always got more headline attention. First it was Babe Ruth, then later Joe DiMaggio. When historian Fred Lieb asked Gehrig about playing in Ruth's shadow, Gehrig's answer was true to form: "It's a pretty big shadow. It gives me lots of room to spread myself."

And spread himself he did. His lifetime batting average was .340, the 15th all-time highest, and he amassed more than 400 total bases on five occasions. Only 13 men have achieved that level of power in a season. Ruth did it twice, and Chuck Klein did it three times. Gehrig is one of only seven players with more than 100 extra-base hits in one season, and only he and Klein accomplished that feat twice.

During his career, Gehrig averaged 147 RBIs a season. No other player was to reach the 147 mark in a single season until George Foster did it in 1977. And, as historian Bill Curran points out, Gehrig accomplished it "while batting immediately behind two of history's greatest base-cleaners, Ruth and DiMaggio." Gehrig's 184 RBIs in 1931 remains the highest single season total in American League history.

Gehrig won the Triple Crown in 1934, with a .363 average, 49 homers and 165 RBI and was chosen Most Valuable Player again in 1936. Despite his towering size, he stole home 15 times in his career. He batted .361 in 34 World Series games with 10 homers, eight doubles and 35 RBIs. He also holds the record for career grand slams at 23. He hit 73 three-run homers and 166 two-run shots, giving him the

5

highest average of RBI per homer of any player with more than 300 home runs.

The Yankees recaptured the title in 1936. For the next two years, DiMaggio and Gehrig would dominate the league the way Gehrig and Ruth had, and the Yankees began a four-season dynasty that included winning four World Series and losing only three games out of 19. In 1936, Gehrig led the league in home runs and runs scored. The next year DiMaggio did the same.Lou Gehrig's Disease

In 1938, Gehrig fell below .300 for the first time since 1925 and it was clear that there was something wrong. He lacked his usual strength. Pitches he would have hit for home runs were only flyouts. Doctors diagnosed a gall bladder problem first, and they put him on a bland diet, which only made him weaker. Teammate Wes Ferrell noticed that on the golf course, instead of wearing golf cleats, Gehrig was wearing tennis shoes and sliding his feet along the ground. Ferrell was frightened. When asked if he would remove Gehrig from the lineup, manager Joe McCarthy said, "That's Lou's decision."

Gehrig played the first eight games of the 1939 season, but he managed only four hits. On a ball hit back to pitcher Johnny Murphy, Gehrig had trouble getting to first in time for the throw. When he returned to the dugout, his teammates complimented him on the "good play." Gehrig knew when his fellow Yankees had to congratulate him for stumbling into an average catch it was time to leave. He took himself out of the game. On May 2, 1939, as Yankee captain, he took the lineup card to the umpires, as usual. But his name was not on the roster. Babe Dahlgren was stationed at first. The game announcer intoned, "Ladies and gentlemen, Lou Gehrig's consecutive streak of 2,130 games played has ended."

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic diagnosed Gehrig with a very rare form of degenerative disease: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is now called Lou Gehrig's disease. There was no chance he would ever play baseball again.

"...the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

New York sportswriter Paul Gallico suggested the team have a recognition day to honor Gehrig on July 4, 1939. There were more than 62,000 fans in attendance as Gehrig stood on the field at Yankee Stadium with the 1927 and 1939 Yankees. He fought back tears of overwhelming emotion and began to speak his immortal words of thanks, calling himself "the luckiest man on the face of the earth." It was one of the most poignant and emotional moments in the history of American sports, and there was not a dry eye in Yankee Stadium. At the close of Gehrig's speech, Babe Ruth walked up, put his arm around his former teammate and spoke in his ear the first words they had shared since 1934.

Gehrig was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame that December. Although his career in baseball was over and his health was on a steady decline, Gehrig began work in the community. Mayor Fiorelli LaGuardia asked him to join the Parole Board, where he could help troubled youths. Gehrig was sworn in for a 10-year term in June 1940. His heath continued to fail, however, and he had to take a leave of absence. Eleanor, Gehrig's wife of eight years, remained by his side as his health deteriorated.

On June 2, 1941, Lou Gehrig succumbed to ALS and the country mourned. Eleanor received over 1,500 notes and telegrams of condolence at their home in Riverdale, New York. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt even sent her flowers. Gehrig was cremated and his ashes were buried at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.

6

Lou Gehrig is remembered as one of the most talented and phenomenal baseball players of all time. More than that, however, he is remembered for his kind heart and winning attitude. When actor Edward Hermann was hired to play Gehrig in a TV movie, at first he had trouble capturing the essence of the reserved, quiet Gehrig. "What made it so tough is I could find no 'key' to his character. There was no strangeness, nothing spectacular about him. As Eleanor Gehrig told me, he was just a square, honest guy."

Sportswriter Jim Murray once described the tall, strong Gehrig as a "Gibraltar in cleats." Gehrig's character lay somewhere between the average and the mythic. He was a dedicated athlete, a caring son and husband, an honest man and an American hero.Statistics:

Birth name: Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig or Henry Louis Gehrig Nickname: The Iron HorseBirth date: June 19, 1903Birth place: New York City Death date: June 2, 1941Death place: Riverdale, New YorkBurial location: Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.

Height: 6'Weight: 200 lbsHair color: BrownEye color: Blue

College: Columbia UniversityMajor: EngineeringCollege Sports: Football and baseballFootball position: Fullback

Parents: Heinrich Gehrig and Christina FackWife: Eleanor Twitchel

Team: New York YankeesPosition: First base, Outfield and Shortstop (for one at-bat in 1934)Jersey number:4 (1st jersey number retired in American professional sports)Batted: LeftThrew: Left

Hobbies while growing up: football, baseball, gymnastics, soccer, ice skating, swimming, billiards, marbles

Did You Know?

Gehrig attended Columbia University on a scholarship to play football, not baseball.

7

In early 1925, the Yankees offered to trade Gehrig to the Boston Red Sox for first baseman Phil Todt to repay Boston for the blockbuster Babe Ruth trade a few years earlier. The Red Sox turned the Yankees down.

July 4, 1939 was declared "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day" at Yankee Stadium. It was on this occasion that Lou Gehrig made the famous fairwell speech, later featured in the film Pride of the Yankees, when he declared, "...today, I consider myself, the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

8


The Last Thesis

After reading the opening four pages of Tuesdays with Morrie, explain what the following quotations say to you.

1. “Mostly, my thanks to Morrie, for wanting to do this last thesis together.”

2. “A funeral was held in lieu of graduation.”

3. “…when he smiles it’s as if you’d just told him the first joke on earth.”

4. “I didn’t want to forget him. Maybe I didn’t want him to forget me.”

5. “When he steps back, I see that he is crying.”

9


One Favorite Teacher

In Tuesdays with Morrie, Albom writes about his experiences with his favorite college professor. Think back over your school years, and focus on one teacher or coach who is special in your memory. Then record the following information.

1. Give the name of the school and its location.

2. Give the name of the teacher, and identify the subject(s) you studied with him or her.

3. Describe the teacher’s physical appearance.

4. What personality traits made this teacher special for you?

5. Mitch recalls his goodbye moment at graduation. Describe a good-bye moment you had with this teacher.

6. Recount three specific events that reflect the reasons for the teacher’s special place in your memory.

10


ALS—Lou Gehrig’s Disease

Use the internet or other reference materials to discover information about the disease that afflicted Morrie Schwartz. Record facts to answer the questions.

1. What is the technical term for ALS?

2. What causes the disease?

3. What are the early symptoms?

4. How does the disease progress?

5. What are the treatments?

6. Why is ALS called Lou Gehrig’s disease?

11


The Lessons Begin

Directions: Comment on the following conversations with Morrie. What does each tell the reader about his character?

1. His interest in the newspaper strike

2. His comment regarding his dependency

3. His connection to the suffering of others (Bosnia, etc.)

4. “The most important thing in life is to give out love, and to let it come in.”

5. “Love is the only rational act.”

ELA 30-2 Name____________________________

12

Tuesdays with MorrieDirections: At the end of “The Third Tuesday,” Mitch includes a list of topics to discuss with Morrie during their Tuesday meetings. Briefly describe your philosophy or belief about each topic. As you continue your reading, record Morrie’s and Mitch’s beliefs.

Topic My belief Morrie’s belief Mitch’s belief

Death

Fear

Aging

Greed

Marriage

Family

Society

Forgiveness

A meaningful life

ELA 30-2 Name_________________________

13

Tuesdays with MorrieDirections: In the first column indicate Mitch’s point of view on the designated topic. Then in the second column, find in the book life situations which could be responsible for the attitudes towards each topic.

Topic Mitch’s Point of View Reasons/Life situations for his point of view

Spirituality

Physical Contact

Immersion in career/work

Death

Marriage/family

14

Mr. Gildea, Mrs. Lucas Name_________________________Language Arts 10Tuesdays with Morrie

Lou Gehrig—The Luckiest Man

Directions: In the italicized section after “The Fourth Tuesday,” Mitch and Morrie talk about Lou Gehrig’s famous farewell speech. After watching the speech, answer the following questions. (Re-read it on the internet at http://www.lougehrig.com/ )

1. Where and when did the speech take place? In what way are Lou Gehrig’s comments ironic?

2. Lou Gehrig had a fatal, horrible disease. Why did he consider himself a lucky man?

3. What do Gehrig’s comments reflect about his philosophy of life?

4. Do Morrie’s beliefs resemble Gehrig’s? Why or why not?

5. List some reasons why you might consider yourself one of the luckiest people on earth.

15


Mitch and his Brother

Directions: At the end of “The Fifth Tuesday” and in the following italicized section, Mitch mentions his younger brother. Review the passages and answer the following questions.

1. What do we learn about Mitch and his brother as children?

2. How would you describe Mitch’s attitude toward his brother?

3. How has the brother’s life gone in a different direction from Mitch’s?

4. How might Mitch’s experiences with Morrie affect his relationship with his brother?

5. Do you think siblings often go in very different directions? Explain your answer.

16


Everything is Transitory

Directions: Answer the following questions. Discuss the answers as a class.

1. In Mitch’s conversation with Charlotte at the beginning of “The Sixth Tuesday,” what sets the tone?

2. What is the tone in “The Professor, Part Two”? How is this tone created?

3. Does the setting of the story, in a sickroom, in any way affect the tone? If yes, in what ways?

4. How do Morrie’s attitudes about his condition affect Mitch? Do their discussions bring enlightenment to Mitch? How do these chapters affect you?

5. What is usually the tone of a book about a dying character? Does this hold true in this book?

18


Feeling and Aging

Directions: Review Morrie’s comments about emotions, detachment, and aging on the sixth and seventh Tuesdays. Then answer the following questions.

1. What are emotions? What seems to have been Mitch’s attitude toward them in the past?

2. What did Morrie believe about emotions?

3. Explain Morrie’s ideas about detachment. Can you apply them to any areas in your own life?

4. In “The Professor, Part Two,” Mitch includes brief glimpses into Morrie’s past. What do they reveal?

5. What did Mitch observe in the billboards he passed? How did he feel about it?

6. How did Morrie alter Mitch’s perspective?

20


A Teacher to the Last

Directions: Use incidents from the chapters you have read so far to answer the following questions. Be prepared to discuss answers as a class.

1. What is the theme of Tuesdays with Morrie?

2. How do you come to the above conclusion?

3. Name two situations wherein Morrie’s conversation causes Mitch to evaluate his own life.

4. Name two situations which show that Mitch has already changed.

5. Several times Morrie tells Mitch, “You’re just like a younger version of me.” Is this true?

21


In the Sickroom

Directions: Explain the importance of the setting of the sickroom for each of the following situations.

1. Mitch’s wife Janine singing for Morrie

2. Mitch and Morrie joking about the Book of Job

3. Mitch taking lessons from Morrie’s physical therapist

4. An important television show filming a segment of Morrie’s sickroom

5. Morrie’s profound influence on others

22


Mood

Directions: Identify the mood created by each of the following scenes from the book. Explain your responses.

1. Mitch comments that Morrie had always been a dancer. Mitch notes that even if he wasn’t good, he loved it and did it every chance he got.

2. Morrie was honest in informing his last class at the college that he was beginning but might not be able to finish the course. He offered to let those who wished to drop the class do so.

3. Morrie planned a “living funeral” for himself.

4. Mitch discovered, by accident, Morrie’s approaching death.

23

5. Mitch admits that on his first visit to the sick Morrie, Mitch kept him waiting while he tended to business.

24

6. Morrie’s situation and his acceptance of it preyed on Mitch’s mind even as he traveled to sports events around the world.

7. Mitch refused to face Morrie’s death, and Morrie constantly insisted that he do so.

8. Mitch includes many flashbacks to his college years when Morrie was his teacher/advisor.

9. Mitch realized that Morrie could no longer eat the food he had been bringing but he continued to bring it.

10. Morrie loved his family, and they demonstrated love for him.

25


Commencement

Directions: Complete the following items.

1. List below the numerous clues which finally brought Mitch to the realization that Morrie’s time was near.

a. from his body

b. from Charlotte

c. from the unused tape recorder

2. a. During Mitch’s final visit, what did Morrie insist he be called?

b. Where was Morrie during this visit? What does this recall to Mitch’s mind?

3. When Mitch and Morrie verbalized their mutual love, what did Morrie mean by, “You…always have…”?

26


A Fond Farewell?

Directions: Indicate the aspects of nostalgia in the following situations.

1. Mitch checked his tape recorder for tapes on his final visit, knowing he wouldn’t need them.

2. In the kitchen Mitch noticed that morphine had been added to Morrie’s huge supply of medicine.

3. Even though Morrie could no longer swallow, Mitch still brought his favorite foods when he visited.

4. Morrie was dying, but his beard continued to grow.

27

5. When Morrie tried to laugh and could not, Mitch describes it as a sad sound.

28


Graduation

Directions: Respond to the following questions.

1. In Morrie’s final act, that of dying, how did he show his family the extent of his love?

2. Who was present at the funeral? What does Mitch’s inclusion by Charlotte indicate?

3. What is significant in Mitch’s looking at his watch and realizing it was Tuesday?

4. Reread the excerpt from the poem by E.E. Cummings that was read by Morrie’s son at the funeral. Why was this an appropriate choice?

5. Morrie is dead, but what connection does Mitch retain?

29

Mr. Gildea, Mrs. Lucas Name ________________________Language Arts 10Tuesdays With Morrie

“Dear Teachers” Writing

Read the poem below written by Sonya Sones in which she reflects on special teachers she has had the fortune of knowing.

Dear Teachers,To Mrs. Hunt,my kindergarten teacher,who taught me the pleasureof making up fairy tales in my mindto go with classical musicshe played each day during nap time,I say thank you.

To Mrs. Savles,my third grade teacher,who respected my creativity so muchthat she let me spend the whole dayworking on my raindrop story,that time I was so inspired,I say thank you.

To Mrs. Slotnick,my seventh grade English teacher,who taught me that solace and salvation can be foundin the pages of a diary,I say thank you.

31

To Myra Cohn Livingston,the teacher I waited for all my life,who taught methe infinite joyof writing poetry,I say thank you.

And to all of you,who are out there every day,teaching children to love the written word,I say thank you, thank you, thank you,for giving them this magnificent gift.

With deepest admiration and appreciation,Sonya Sones

32

The author uses the following form for structuring her poem:

To (name of the significant person),my (role that the person played),who…(describes the person’s influence in 3 or 4 lines)I say…(what you would say to the person)

By following the form above, fill in the names, roles, and significant contributions of teachers from your past. You can choose anyone that has taught you something. The people that you choose do not have to be teachers in the traditional sense. A coach, a youth group leader, a family member or religious leader who has shared life lessons would also be appropriate.

To ____________________________________________

my _____________________________________________

who ____________________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

I say ____________________________________________

To ____________________________________________

my _____________________________________________

who ____________________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

I say ____________________________________________

To ____________________________________________

my _____________________________________________

who ____________________________________________

____________________________________________

33

____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

I say ____________________________________________

34

Mr. Gildea, Mrs. Lucas Name ________________________Language Arts 10Tuesdays with Morrie

Aphorisms

An aphorism is defined as a tersely phrased statement of truth or opinion; an adage. It is a brief statement of a principle. Morrie shares many aphorisms with Mitch during their Tuesday visits. Read through the list below and choose two that speak the loudest to you. In a typed document, explain why you chose each aphorism and what event in your life helped you to come to that realization.

1. “Accept what you are able to do and what you are not able to do.” (18)

2. “Accept the past as past, without denying it or discarding it.” (18)

3. “Learn to forgive yourself and to forgive others.” (18)

4. “Don’t assume that it is too late to get involved.” (18)

5. “…if you really want it, then you’ll make your dream happen.” (47)

6. “Sometimes you can’t believe what you see; you have to believe what you feel.” (61)

7. “What if today were my last day on earth?” (64)

8. “Don’t cling to things because everything is impermanent.” (103)

9. “…love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone.” (133)

10. “…the big things – how we think, what we value – those you must choose yourself. You

can’t let anyone – or any society determine those for you.” (155)

11. “Don’t let go too soon, but don’t hang on too long.” (162)

12. “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” (174)

13. “You’re not a wave, you are part of the ocean.” (180)

14. “...there is no such thing as ‘too late’ in life.” (190)

15. “The most important thing in life is to give out love and to let it come in.”

35

Do Now

In everyone’s experience there are those days when we dread that which is coming. Recall such a time in your life and describe the time just preceding the unavoidable.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

36

Do Now

Are you afraid to die? Why or why not? What would you miss if you passed away? What is it about death that makes people afraid? Why was Morrie not afraid of death?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

37

Do Now

In the book Tuesdays with Morrie, Morrie has his own funeral because he feels sad that the person who died did not get a chance to hear all the nice things that were said. If you were to hold your own funeral, what would you want people to say about you as a person and about how you have lived your life so far to this point? Do you feel you need to make any changes in your life?______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

38

Questions

1. How do you feel Morrie’s childhood influenced his outlook?

2. In what ways was Morrie an effective mentor?

3. In what ways was Mitch a “good” or “bad” student?

4. How did Mitch’s behavior benefit Morrie? Do you feel like Mitch’s reappearance in Morrie’s life was in any way an imposition? Why?

39

5. In some ways Morrie’s death is very public. Should death be a public or private event? Explain.

6. Why did Morrie have a living funeral? In what ways, could a living funeral be both a good and bad event?

7. How did the style (organization, structure, voice) of the book affect your acceptance of its messages?

40

elapotter.weebly.comelapotter.weebly.com/uploads/9/6/7/6/96769774/twm-cha… · Web viewHe taught...

Documents

Transcript of elapotter.weebly.comelapotter.weebly.com/uploads/9/6/7/6/96769774/twm-cha… · Web viewHe taught...