My Perspectives G.

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Unit 4
Small Group Learning
Blue Nines and Red
Words
Name: -----------------------------------------------------------
Class: -------------------------------------------------------------
Date: ---------------------------------------------------------------

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from Blue Nines and Red Words
Daniel Tammet

DIRECTIONS: Respond to these questions. Use textual evidence to support your responses.

1. Analyze (a) In what ways might having synesthesia be useful? (b) In what ways
might having synesthesia prove challenging?

2. Connect How does Tammet use numbers to understand other people’s emotions?

3. Compare and Contrast How is Tammet’s relaxation technique different from or

similar to ways people commonly relax?

4. Interpret What does Tammet mean when he says numbers are his “first
language”?

5. Infer What do the final two paragraphs of the text suggest about Tammet?

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Blue Nines and Red Words
Daniel Tammet

WORD LIST
symmetrical spiral aesthetic

A. DIRECTIONS: In each of the following items, think about the meaning of the
italicized word or phrase, and then answer the question.

1. If you took a piece of paper and folded it precisely in half would you have
made a symmetrical fold? Explain.
Yes as both sides would look
the same

2. True or false? A spiral staircase would be a staircase that did not twist and turn
but rather went straight up and down? Explain.
False, as spiral means going
in a circle

3. Would you be judging a piece of art on its aesthetic merit if you just measured
the dimensions of the canvas it was painted on? Why or why not? Explain.

No, i would judge it as aesthetic based on its sense of beauty

B. WORD STUDY: The Latin suffix -ical means, “having to do with” or “made of.” For
example, the word conical means. “having the shape of a cone.” Below, write four more
examples of words with the suffix -ical, provide a brief definition, and then use each in a
sentence.
1. Word: Musical Definition: A drama with music

Sentence: ______________________________________________
The Annie musical is my favorite

2. Word: Numerical Definition: Having to do with numbers

Sentence: The numerical code locked people out of his house

3. Word: Magical Definition: Full of magic

Sentence: Reading the Harry Potter books for the first time was magical.

4. Word: Fantastical Definition: Being fantastic

Sentence: Disney land is a fantastical place

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 MEMOIR AND REFLECTIVE WRITING
Blue Nines and Red Words
Daniel Tammet

A memoir is a person’s record of his or her life, often from birth to death. Reflective
writing is prose that presents a writer’s thoughts and feelings, or reflections, about an
experience or idea. A writer may write reflectively when these thoughts and feelings
are especially strong or important. Many memoirs may contain extensive amounts of
reflective writing. It is important when reading a memoir, to distinguish the parts of
the writing that are simple records of biography from the parts that expand on a
theme, in a reflective way. This sort of distinction can help you get to know the writer
on a more personal level.

DIRECTIONS:Answer these questions about “Blue Nines and Red Words.” Use textual
evidence from the story to support your responses.

1. What is an example of reflection from the first paragraph of the selection?

2. What is one statement that shows the author’s attitude towards numbers?

3. How aware is Tammet of his own unusual ability? How does he show this?

4. How does the structure of the selection show careful reflection?

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 PRONOUN CASE
Many pronouns change form according to usage. Case is the relationship between a
pronoun’s form and its use. Personal pronouns in the nominative case may be the subject
of a verb or a predicate nominative—a noun or pronoun that renames the subject.
Pronouns in the nominative case include I, you, he, she, it, we, you, and they.
Example: I went to the store.

Personal pronouns in the objective case have three uses: as a direct object, as an indirect
object, and as the object of a preposition. Pronouns in the objective case include me, you,
him, her, it, us, and them. Notice that you and it are the same in both cases.
Examples: I gave it to him. (it is the direct object)

I gave it to him. (him is the object of a preposition)

I told her my information. (her is the indirect object)

A pronoun in the possessive case shows ownership.

Example: His shirt is in the laundry.

A. DIRECTIONS: Select the correct pronoun to complete the sentence.

1. Rachel and (I, me) practiced giving our reports many times.
2. It was (I, me) who was nervous, not Rachel.
3. The task of introducing the report was (I, me, mine).
4. The only two speakers today are Rachel and (I, me, mine).
5. First, (she, her, hers) will speak about the life of Daniel Defoe.
6. (I, Me, Mine) will also say something about Defoe.
7. All of the knowledge about Defoe was (she, her, hers) to present.
8. (We, Us, Ours) know that Defoe was a novelist, a journalist, and a secret
agent.
9. It was (he, him, his) that Queen Anne threw in prison in 1702.
10. To Rachel and (I, me, my), Robinson Crusoe is his best novel.

B. DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blank with the appropriate pronoun.

1. They and their friend Kristin left for Florida last night.
2. The last guests to arrive were Jackie and Her cousin.
3. I left My swimsuit at the hotel.

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 4. My aunt brought gifts for my brother and I .
5. On Sunday Dad will drive His car to pick us up.
6. Dad drove to pick you up. Did you see Him ?
7. Are those the correct files? Yes, those are They .
8. May I speak to Savannah please? Yes, this is She .
9. The other team has better uniforms; and Their colors are
better, too.
10. We have been friends a long time; Our friendship goes way
back.

Identifying Theme

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Directions: Determine what the theme is for each story and explain your answer.
Remember, a theme is a lesson or message in the story. Write in complete
sentences.

1. When Katie Clean invited Messy Missy to her house to work on their biology
project, she had no idea what a visit from Messy Missy entailed. First of all, it
was raining and Messy Missy neither bothered to take her boots off nor
thoroughly wiped them on the doormat. Then Messy Missy ate a bag of hot
chips on Katie Clean’s white bedspread without asking. Messy Missy is a sloppy
eater too, so hot chip powder got all over the bedspread. Katie Clean tried to be
polite and ignore Messy Missy’s sloppy behavior. But then Messy Missy threw
her chip wrapper on the floor. Offended, Katie Clean pretended that she was
sick and asked Messy Missy to leave. The next day Katie Clean asked the
teacher if she could work by herself. After Katie explained the situation, the
teacher allowed Katie to work alone. Messy Missy almost finished the
assignment alone, but she spilled grape soda all over it and quit.

What is the theme of the story?

_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this?

_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

2. Money Mark was born rich. He never had to work a day in his life and he got
everything handed to him on a silver platter. When he was six, Money Mark
wanted to go to a basketball game. His father paid the starting five of the Bulls
and Celtics to play a private game of Nerf-ball in Money Mark’s bedroom.
When Money Mark turned thirteen, he wanted to start a band. His father hired
the Mountain Boys to play with him every Saturday at the family’s private

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concert hall, though his family was never there. By the time he was twenty-one,
Money Mark was bored with life. He was surrounded by a bunch of possessions
that he didn’t appreciate. Nothing was new or exciting to him. Despite his vast
wealth, Money Mark never found happiness. Penny Petal was born poor. Her
family hardly had anything to eat, but they loved each other. Penny Petal
appreciated every thing she got. When she was six, her father walked her
around the United Center before the Bulls played the Celtics. She was excited
by the crazy fans and feeling in the air. She looked forward to the day that she
could see a real game. When she was thirteen, she learned to play the buckets.
She was an extremely talented musician, a natural percussionist. Everyone on
the block loved the rhythms that poured from her palms. By the time she was
twenty-one, Penny was a successful businesswoman. Soon she had everything
that she had ever dreamed of having. She loved to share her wealth and
happiness with her family, who had supported her through the hard times.

What is the theme of the story?

_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

3. Tammy and Sammy were both students in Mr. Morton’s reading class. Mr.
Morton wasn’t too strict about deadlines, and Sammy took advantage of that.
Sammy did all his homework in his other classes. But he never bothered to
complete Mr. Morton’s reading assignments. He figured that he could complete
them later. Tammy, on the other hand, completed each assignment Mr. Morton
had assigned every night. She had to stay up a little later, but she knew that
reading was the most important subject. She knew that if she learned to read
well, then she could teach herself anything. So she always worked hard in her

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reading class. When the end of the quarter came, Tammy and Sammy had both
planned on going to the Magic Castle amusement park. They were both so
excited. But then Mr. Morton called Sammy’s mother to report Sammy's grade.
She grounded Sammy and that weekend was horrible for him. He stayed up
until 2:00 AM each night, yet he still couldn’t complete all the assignments.
Meanwhile, Tammy had a great time eating pizza at Enchanted Castle. After
that she stayed up late and watched movies. She enjoyed her weekend free of
stress and pressure. At the end of the quarter, Sammy was lucky to squeak by
with a C minus. Tammy earned an A. Yet, Sammy still hasn’t learned his
lesson. He may not complete this activity either.

What is the theme of the story?

_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________ ________________________________________________

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this?

_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

4. Mr. Pig and Mr. Dog relaxing at the food court of the animal shopping mall.
Mr. Pig was eating a huge feast of pizza and drinking a large jug of fruit punch.
Mr. Dog was watching him eat. "Hey, Mr. Pig. If you give me a slice of your
pizza, I'll let you have the next bone I find." Mr. Pig declined, even though it
hurt his stomach to eat the last three slices of pizza. "I'm sorry, Mr. Dog," Mr.
Pig said between grunts, "but I paid for this pizza and it's all mine." Mr. Dog
sighed and waited for Mr. Pig to finish. Then they left the animal mall together.
On the way out, a hunter spotted them and gave chase. Mr. Pig normally could
have escaped the hunter, but he was weighed down by the large meal. Mr. Pig
collapsed and the hunter seized him. Mr. Dog easily escaped. Later that night,
Mr. Dog returned to the scene. He caught the scent of something delicious and
began digging around a trashcan. He found a large ham bone with lots of meat
and marrow still stuck to it. Mr. Dog happily ate.

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What is the theme of the story?

_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________ _______________________________________________

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this?

_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

5. In his sophomore year of high school, basketball legend Michael Jordan tried
out for the varsity basketball team. But at five feet and eleven inches tall, the
coach believed that Jordan was too short to play. The coach cut Jordan from
the team. Jordan didn’t let this obstacle defeat him. In fact, it pushed him to
work even harder. He trained vigorously and grew another four inches the
following summer. The next year, Jordan made the varsity squad. He averaged
25 points a game and went on to become one of the greatest basketball players
in history. What is the theme of the story?

_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________ ________________________________________________

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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