Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie

Let the journey begin!!

To start, watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d73jFTEQpRY&feature=related

Now that you've met the author, Jordan Sonnenblick, let's begin our journey of discovering who Steven Alper really is!!

Chapter 1
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- "The most annoying thing in the world is..."

After Reading:
1) Visit
 http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Carter_Beauford.html

to find out more about Carter Beauford, mentioned on page 6. In your DG&DP notebook, jot down why Sonnenblick might have included Beauford in this book. After listening to some of his music and talents, what do you think?
2) Steven has a drum solo in Brian Setzer's "Jump, Jive, and Wail"- at what minute/second mark is the solo?

Chapter 2
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- "If you could 'throw off the weight' of a particular day, what day would it be? What happened that day?"

After Reading:
1) Look up how to stop a bloody nose and write down your findings. If you did this, and the nose kept bleeding, how would you react?

Chapter 3
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- "Should foreign languages be taught in middle school?

After Reading:
1) Steven mentions it's hard not to think of a color once it's mentioned (blue!)- take this test and see how you do!! Share your results in your notebook.

 http://www.humorsphere.com/fun/color.php

2) Look up and listen to "Cubana Be, Cubana Bop"- What sense do you get from the drum section? Why?

Chapter 4
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- Chapter 3 ended "And this was the absolute worst thing about last October 7th, the one moment I'll never forgive myself for. When my mother began to tell me that my baby brother had leukemia, my first feeling was relief." Steven feels so guilty for feeling relieved; why did he feel relieved in that moment? How much does guilt weigh?

After Reading:
1) Look up the symptoms of leukemia and list them.
2) Steven said, "I haven't always liked being the Protector, but I think I have taken the job pretty seriously overall. So how come when I wasn't looking, Jeffy got cancer?" Can we control things like leukemia? Why does Steven blame himself for Jeffy getting leukemia? Is there something you have blamed yourself for, something that might not be your fault?

Chapter 5
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- Steven says everyone has a role, and his role is the "funny guy" and "drum guy". What is your role(s)? How did this role come to be?

After Reading:
1) Look up and listen to "Manteca". What does Steven mean when he's in "the zone" during this song? Have you ever been in "the zone"? When?

Chapter 6
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- What's your favorite thing about Fall?

After Reading:
1) Steven dresses Jeffy in his favorite Star Wars Episode 1 undies- is there something from your past which holds a special significance for you? Pj's, a blankie, a toy of some kind... what is this special piece of your past, and what makes it so special?
2) Jeffy is diagnosed with ALL- Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Look back at your notes about symptoms of leukemia: what is different about this type? What are the symptoms? What can be done to treat ALL?

Chapter 7
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- When Jeffy gets back from the hospital, he says: "Steven, Steven! You should have seen it! The hospital was HUGE! And I had a real BED! And you could MOVE it! The head sat UP, and the FEET did, too! And the doctors came and put a needle in my BACK! And then I couldn't move for an HOUR! But Mommy got me a cool book about KNIGHTS IN SHINING ARMOR. She sat on the floor and read it to me upside down so I wouldn't be BORED! But I was anyway. And they gave me sleepy medicine and put a special TUBE in my chest called a catheter. And another time they put a needle all the way in my HIPBONE. It HURT! Then they took out some inside bone stuff called BONE NARROW. And my BONE NARROW is sick. So they put another needle in my back yesterday with the THROW-UP MEDICINE! And I had a needle stuck in my chest for FIVE DAYS!" Jeffy has clearly been through a lot, yet he is still upbeat and excited to tell Steven about his trip- how does Steven react? How would you react?

After Reading:
1) Annette is auditoning for Julliard; go to the Julliard website

http://www.juilliard.edu/college/music/

and find out the entrance audition requirements which Annette would have been preparing. List them in your notebook.
2) Look up and listen to "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck. This piece was tricky for Steven... what does this piece say to you?
3) Steven and Jeffrey play Hungry, Hungry, Hippos together- what game stands out to you most from your childhood? Why? Find that game on the internet- how much does it cost today?

Chapter 8
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- Steven claims that dodgeball and dances are "the two D's of my middle school nightmare". What is your middle school nightmare? Has it ever come true?

After Reading:
1) Use all your resources to determine the cost of Jeffy's ambulance ride.

Chapters 9 & 10
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- "And I wanted to scream at every teacher, 'Why are you making me do this stupid busywork while my brother's white cell count is so low? Who cares about listing the first ten presidents when my brother has another spinal tap on Friday? What possible use is the FOIL method of multiplying binomials when my brother's gums are bleeding every time he tries to brush his teeth?'" Steven cannot concentrate at school because of what is going on at home- what could he do to work with his teachers during this time? Complete this thought: One time, I could not concentrate at school because _________________________________________________

After Reading
1) At the end of Chapter 9, Steven says he wishes he was dead. Why?
2) Reread Jeffrey's journal entry on page 136. It definitely has "rhetorical flair". Find another speech online, either on youtube, an audioclip, or the actual text, which you think has "rhetorical flair". What make this speech so powerful?

Chapters 11 & 12
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- Think back to when Steven talked about showmanship. He said that when you show off in sports, you're a "hot dog"; when you show off in class, you're a "brainiac"; and when you show off in music, you're a "showman". Where do you excel? Is there an area where you show off too much?

After Reading:
1) Chapter 11 ends with a big misunderstanding between Steven and Renee. Why do you think this happened? Go to this website

 http://awesome.alexanderbecker.net/2006/10/how-to-avoid-misunderstandings.php

and read about misunderstandings. Are there any practices you could put into your life to help avoid misunderstandings? Which ones?
2) Reread Steven's comments to his father about responsibility on page 168. Do you think Steven could have handled this situation differently? How?

Chapters 13 & 14
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- "I had been in a dreamworld for a day and a half. But just because you get distracted by the silver lining for a little while, that doesn't mean there's not still a huge dark cloud behind it." Do you agree with Steven? Why or why not?

After Reading:
1) Look at this comic

 http://www.ninjabilly.com/images/nb_whats_the_point.gif

Steven feels there is no point to trying anymore. Using Comic Creator, create a "What's the Point?" comic unique to your own life and experiences. Make sure to include the url in your notebook.

Comic Creator: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/comic/

Chapters 15, 16, & 17
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- If you could pick one word in the English langage to describe the universe, what would it be? Why?

After Reading:
1) Compare and contrast your journal entry to Steven's.
2) Why did Steven shave his head? What is so significant about this action?
3) Steven says Annette was a piano prodigy, but now that her hand it messed up, those dreams are done. Look up Paul Wittgenstein. What was so special about him? Do you know of any similar musicians?
4)Go to google and look up the price of signed Carter Beauford drum sticks. Why did Steven give Samantha his sticks?

Chapters 18 & 19
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- Steven says "Maybe you'll think it's nuts that the brother of a cancer patient would feel lucky, but at that instant, I most surely did." Why did Steven feel so lucky? When during your life have you felt lucky even though something bad was happening, or had just happened? Why did you feel lucky?

After Reading:
1) Reread what Mrs. Galley says to Steven on page 241. Why does she give him this advice? What is something in your life you could change today?

Chapter 20
Before Reading:
Journal Entry- What do you think of Steven's growth so far? What was he like when we first met him? What is he like now? What events have shaped him during this book?

After Reading:
1) "When we entered, I almost has a heart attack. Every single member of the band was wearing a matching read baseball cap. Did I miss a memo or something? HAD I screwed up my uniform after all? My mom looked at me. I looked at my mom. Jeffrey ran around the room, oblivious. And then somebody spoke. It was Biff, of all people.
Jeffrey, I have something to tell you. We, the members of the All-City Jazz ensemble, would like to present you with a gift in honor of your courage, your good cheer, and the inspiration you give to all of us.
Well, that was laying it on with a trowel, but OK- he had our interest, anyway.
So, Jeffrey, we hereby proclaim you to be an honorary member of the band. It is my pleasure to give you this official All-City T-shirt AND this very special All-City ball cap.
He took off his own cap to give to Jeffrey. Underneath it, he was bald. Biff had shaved his head in tribute to my brother! Just as I started to get a mental grasp on this, everone else reached for their hats, too. At a signal from Annette, who was standing with Renee by the piano, they all whipped off their hats as well. My mom was the only person in the room with hair long enough to comb.

What does this passage speak to you?