Iris

Monday, October 6, 2008 Prewrite 1. What are you good at? I'm good at art and it's also my favorite subject. 2. How do you feel when you're doing the thing you're good at? I feel like I'm free to express myself and show how much I really like art. 3. How would you feel if people wouldn't let you do the thing you're good at? I would feel sad because I wouldn't be able to express my feelings and have fun.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008 CLASSWORK Chapter 1 1. What problems or conflicts are presented in chapter one? Tao needing to find a rabbit is an obvious one; identify at least two more (not having anything to do with the rabbit!). 2. Predict the resolution of each conflict.

Example: sample conflict : Tayo needs to find a rabbit. sample predicted resolution: He will find the one he lost.

conflict 1:Tao wants to be a cave painter, but for his clan it's a taboo. predicted resolution 1:After some time Tao might decide to leave his clan and go to the Big Caves where he might be excepted even if he is not someone important.

conflict 2:Tao had to stay out in the wild at night because he was in trouble. predicted resolution 2:Tao might use the skills that he was taught to survive in the wild.

CLASSWORK: Wednesday, October 8, 2008 Answer the question below Chapter 2 What two important events happen in this chapter? Tao found the wolf and helped it because it had a bone stuck in it's muzzle. Tao dreamt that he was in the the Big Caves painting all kinds of animals, but when he awoke he realized that he was dreaming because in his clan painting was taboo. CLASSWORK Friday, October 10, 2008 Answer the questions below Chapter 3 1. What do Tao and Ram learn to do together?Tao and Ram learned to hunt together, how to keep safe and they learned other animal's hunting skills.

2. What decision does Tao tell Volt? Tao tells Volt that their clan should have a wolf dog to help them hunt, so that they can get more food. Look at Tao's decisions and actions from Volt's perspective. Pretend you are Volt. Write a first person paragraph explaining how you feel. Then if you really want to hunt with a wolf dog why don't you leave our clan forever and go hunt with that evil spirited wolf dog! As soon as you leave with it if you have the courage to,it will eat you up, and you will be sorry for not listening to me. And don't ever talk to me about that wolf dog again, either you leave with that wolf or you stay with our clan and follow my rules! CLASSWORK Monday, October 13, 2008 Read Chapter 4 in class. Answer the following questions Chapter 4 In a good paragraph, describe Tao's mother. Start with an interest grabber. Then write your topic sentence. Give three details or examples to support your thesis. Use a quotation. Tao was just like his mother, Tao's mother was named Vedra. Vedra was very creative she made necklaces       out  of pebbles and fish bones, from ivory and antlers she made beads, bracelets, and needles,she even used grass to make headbands and rings for her hair.Tao's mother was very brave, when Tao was born he was very weak and crippled, so the clan wanted Tao to be left among the boulders to be eaten by the hyenas. But Tao's mother would  not let him be taken away from her. Again and again they tried to take you away, but she fought like a cave lion, screaming, biting, refusing to give you up. CLASSWORK Friday, October 17, 2008 Finish reading Chapter 5 in class Answer the following questions Chapter 5 1. Which two animals does Tao try to draw? Tao tries to draw a horse and Ram the wolf. 2. Which is easier for him and why?The wolf is easier for him to draw because he could look at him and imagine to out line his body.

CLASSWORK Monday, October 20, 2008 Answer the following questions Chapter 6 1. Graybeard realizes that Tao has broken two taboos of his clan. What are they? The two taboos that Tao has broken are that he hunted with a wolf dog and that he gets food at the slough, which is forbidden by his clan. 2. Which taboo doesn't he know about yet? Graybeard doesn't know that Tao found a cave where he draws, but he is not allowed to because he is not a chosen one. 3. Graybeard describes Volt differently than we have. What aspects of Volt's character is Graybeard acknowledging? Graybeard acknowledges that Volt is a very good man, but he believes in bad spirits too much.

CLASSWORK Thursday, October 23, 2008 Write your reaction to the last paragraph in the chapter. Do you agree or disagree with Graybeard? Is what he says true for those times, but not now? Or is the reverse true: is it true now, but wasn't true then? I disagree with graybeard because first of all it's Tao's dream to draw and also because I can't see a way that it would hurt his clan. And if it's not allowed to draw in the clan's land they should let him go somewhere else far away from and let him draw.

Chapter 8 An important theme in this novel is that people should follow their dreams and do what they believe is right, even if they don't follow their society's expected ways. The author examines this theme in a stone age setting. Imagine a similar situation today, where a person's desires go against society's expectations What situation did you imagine? I imagine a situation where a male would like to be a figure skater,but his parents expected him to be something more manly.

In the situation you imagined, should the person follow his or her dreams or should they follow society's rules? Give your opinion. My opinion is that he should follow his dream because he might become a famous figure skater and his parents might be proud of him after all. CLASSWORK Monday, October 27, 2008 Chapter 9 Why do you think Graybeard changed his mind? I think that Graybeard changed his mind about Tao drawing because he understood that it was Tao's dream to draw. What does this tell you about his character? What this tells me about his character is that he is a very wise and understandable person, and he thinks of others not just himself.

CLASSWORK Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Chapter 10 1. What are the "mountains-that-walk"? The mountains-that-walk are really mammoths. 2. What almost happened to Tao? Tao was almost killed by an angry mammoth,but brave Ram saved him. CLASSWORK Wednesday, October 29, 2008 Chapter 11 Do you think Graybeard is a good teacher? Why? I think that Graybeard is a good teacher because he understands that Tao's dream is to draw and he makes him practice so that he can get better each time. Would you like to have been taught a skill by him? Why? Yes, I would like to be taught by Graybeard because he is very skillful and he would understand me and help me get better.

CLASSWORK Thursday, October 30, 2008 Chapter 12 1. Name some of the ingredients used to make paint. Which surprised you most? Some ingredients that they used to make paint was red dirt, limestone powder, fish oil, yellow clay, charcoal dust, honey, boiled fat, and clotted blood. The ingredient that surprised me the most was when the red dirt because, I never thought that dirt could be used this way.

2. Why is Tao afraid at the end of the chapter? Tao was afraid because, since Graybeard was getting old his time might come, he might die.

CLASSWORK Monday, November 3, 2008 Chapter 13 1. Even if Ram had succeeded in hunting the deer, do you think it was a good idea of Tao's to "show off" his dog's ability to hunt? Explain.I think it was a bad idea because they could get killed because it's a taboo. 2. Predict what will happen next. If you've read ahead, invent an alternate scene.

CLASSWORK Tuesday, November 4, 2008 Chapter 14 1. Why does Tao cross the river? Tao crosses the river because he hears that Ram is crying ,so he thinks that Ram is in danger,and he wants to help him. 2. What decision does Graybeard reach? Graybeard decides to give Tao his place as a chosen one, because he has taught him the skills that a chosen one would know.

CLASSWORK Wednesday, November 5, 2008 Chapter 15 What problem does Tao have by the end of the chapter?By the end of the chapter Tao was lost in a cave and he was scared that he would get hurt.

CLASSWORK Thursday, November 6, 2008 Chapter 16 Look at the website of the Laxcaux Caves: http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/en/ Find a picture that resembles the one Tao is painting. Copy it as your answer to this question.



CLASSWORK Friday, November 7, 2008 Chapter 18 Why does Tao feel he needs to go to the Mountain People? Tao feels that he should go to the Mountain People so that he could prove to them that he is doing a good job as a chosen one.