English 9: The Pigman Novel begins today . . .

 Today: I collected the good copy, draft, and notes for "Penny in the Dust". We took pictures of several excellent VERBAL-VISUAL PARAGRAPHS that I had taped to the board. We signed out copies of The Pigman and returned our short story texts. If you were absent, please return the short story text and pick up a copy of The Pigman. Please do so at lunch before class starts and read pages 1-18. Call your homework buddy tonight.

Look closely at The Loneliness Project below. What will you do? What can you do? How will you do it? Who will join your team? When will you start? 

TONIGHT: SEARCH THE INTERNET. FIND AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE. BRING THE ARTICLE, URL OR A SUMMARY TO CLASS TOMORROW TO SHARE.

BRING A PACKAGE OF POST-IT NOTES TO CLASS. 
The Pigman


We will be working with the theme of loneliness and friendship as we read Paul Zindel's novel.

You will be reading the novel with a careful eye on the three main characters, John, Lorraine, and Mr. Pignati (The Pigman). You will write a literary essay discussing why each character is lonely, how they respond to these feelings, what causes the feelings and how they help each other to overcome loneliness.

You will also design a project to make a difference in your community.

THE LONELINESS PROJECT: WHO IS LONELY IN MY HOME, SCHOOL, NEIGHBOURHOOD OR CITY AND WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT? 


You will also write a journal about your own experiences: Friendships, family, sports, hobbies, time alone, books, movies, vacations, dreams, volunteer efforts are all possible places to explore what you think about your day.


Post-it Note: Three things to look for as I read. Post-it note:

1. Examples of when  John, Lorraine and Mr. Pignati are lonely (disconnected from others).
2. What causes the loneliness?
3. What helps to mollify their loneliness? 

HOMEWORK: READ TO PAGE 18, THE END OF CHAPTER 3. BE SURE TO POST-IT NOTE, ACTIONS, THOUGHTS, DIALOGUE BASED ON THE ABOVE THREE POINTS.

MININMUM NUMBER OF POST-ITS IS 6 PER CHAPTER.

BRING MORE POST-IT NOTES FROM HOME.

Also, if you were absent today, email your homework buddy and ask them to send you pictures of our Verbal-visual paragraphs.

We will start these on Friday and they are due Monday. 
Bring pencil crayons to class. 
You may choose to do John, Lorraine, or Mr. Pignati. 

Feel free to read ahead. If you finish the novel, you can add it to your USSR list for Feb. 

All lists are due Monday, March 2. 

Great work today.  

Pigman excerpt 

If you would like to check that you are comprehending the action. Try answering the questions below: 

The Pigman Study Guide

Name: __________________________________ Per. _______

Directions – Answer these questions on a separate sheet of paper in complete sentences.

Chapter 1

1. Why did they get involved with the Pigman?
2. Who is writing Chapter One on “The Cricket’s” typewriter in the library?
3. What kind of things does the narrator do at school?
4. What did John write on the table?
5. Why are John and Lorraine writing a memorial epic?
6. What denotes profanity (or obscene words) in the memorial epic?
7. Describe Miss Reillen.

Chapter 2

8. Who is typing chapter two?
9. What does Lorraine say about John’s eyes? How does she feel about him smoking and drinking?
10. How is Dr. Freud a hypocrite?
11. What does John call the cafeteria’s Swiss steak?
12. Discuss Lorraine’s relationship with her mother.
13. Why did they get involved with the Pigman?
14. What do John’s eyes remind Lorraine of?
15. How did Lorraine and John end up finally being friends?

Chapter 3

16. Who is typing chapter three?
17. Why are they telling this memorial epic?
18. Describe the gags that Norton and Dennis liked to play on people.
19. What nickname does John give to his father?
20. Why does Bore put a lock on the phone and how does John deal with the lock?
21. What record did Denis hold?
22. What confession is made at the end of the chapter and who is being blamed?

Chapter 4

23. Describe Norton
24. How does Lorraine cheat?
25. Where is Mr. Pignati’s wife?
26. What impression do we get of Mr. Pignati?
27. Discuss John and the lies he tells. What lies does he tell? Why does he tell them?
28. What does Mr. Pignati agree to do?
29. Who complicates things?

Chapter 5

30. Who does John blame for Mr. Pignati’s murder?
31. What is ironic about John’s living room?
32. Why did John say his mom put her finger in an electrical socket? Did she really?
33. Who/ what does John blame every time he gets accused of doing something wrong?
34. How does John still manage to use the phone even though the dial is locked?
35. What does John “decided” and try to convince Lorraine to do?
36. How DOES John convince Lorraine?
37. What would John do if Mr. Pignati was not as nice as he seemed?
38. What 10 objects does Mr. Pignati memorize? How did he do it?
39. Where does Mr. Pignati ask the children to go with him:?
40. What does Mr. Pignati show John and Lorraine?

Chapter 6

41. Why does John go to Tony’s Market?
42. Describe Lorraine’s mother and their relationship.
43. Why do John and Lorraine skip school? How do they get away with it?
44. Why doesn’t Lorraine like the Baron Park Zoo?
45. What bad omens does Lorraine mention?
46. Describe Mr. Pignati’s best friend.
47. How does Lorraine feel about the alligators? Why? Do you agree with her opinion? Why?

Chapter 7

48. How did Mr. Pignati show his affection for John and Lorraine?
49. Where do all the kids go to drink?
50. How does John feel about cemeteries, death, life, himself?
51. Why does Bore tell John “try eating your imagination when you’re hungry sometime”?
52. What does John call his mother? Why?
53. How does John feel about going to visit Mr. Pignati?
54. What service did Silver Lake provide? How much did it cost?

Chapter 8

55. According to Lorraine, why doesn’t she have good conversations with her mother?
56. How does John feel about waiting at the Staten Island ferryhouse?
57. Why did Lorraine go with John and Mr. Pignati to Beekman’s Department Store?
58. What omen(s) does Lorraine see?
59. What food items are purchased?
60. What does Lorraine get for her mother? Why?
61. How does Lorraine feel in the Toy Department?
62. What kind of logic aggravates John? How did John retaliate?
63. In your opinion, are John and Lorraine taking advantage of Mr. Pignati? Explain.
64. Why does Lorraine wear her new roller skates through the department store?

Chapter 9

65. John and Lorraine have previously mention Norton. Describe this character. Mentioning Norton now is an example of foreshadowing. What might happen later in the book?
66. What threat does Norton make?
67. Why does John drink so much?
68. How does John feel about his parents? How does he feel about the Pigman?

Chapter 10

69. Why does Lorraine’s mom hate men?
70. Why does Mr. Pignati look tired and depressed?
71. What do John and Lorraine tell Mr. Pignati?
72. What does Mr. Pignati tell John and Lorraine?
73. What happens to change the mood?
74. What does John do to entertain the other two?
75. What is each person in the “murder story” symbolic of?
76. What example of onomatopoeia occurs at the end of this chapter?
77. What happens to Mr. Pignati as a result of being “It” during the tag game?

Chapter 11

78. What lie does John tell to the police officers? Why?
79. Why do John and Lorraine skip school?
80. What does Mr. Pignati offer John and Lorraine? In your opinion, is it a good idea to accept his offer? Why?
81. What request does Mr. Pignati make?
82. How does John feel about hospitals?
83. How are chapter 10 and 11 turning points in The Pigman?
84. Why does John go upstairs?
85. How does John and Lorraine’s relationship change?

Chapter 12

86. Describe John in the beginning of this chapter.
87. How does Lorraine talk to her mother
88. How does Lorraine feel about John in this chapter?
89. What does John’s dad threaten to do? Why?
90. How does Lorraine feel about the pig room?
91. What is John’s idea?

Chapter 13

92. How did Lorraine feel about having a party at Mr. Pignati’s house?
93. Who was not invited to the party? Why?
94. What does John say about most of the people he invited (provide an example as proof)?
95. Why did Lorraine and John keep inviting people? How many came in all?
96. Why did the house start to “jump” after eight?
97. CHART: The progression of the party. How does it start? How does it evolve? How does it end up? (This is a lengthy/ detailed answer).
98. Who arrives at the part in a taxi?

Chapter 14

99. Why does the policeman look sorry?
100. Why does Lorraine feel that her mom will never understand her?
101. Why does Lorraine think about a kitten playing?
102. When John calls Mr. Pignati (with Jane) what does he offer?
103. Describe Mr. Pignati.
104. What happens at Bobo’s cage?

Chapter 15

105. Where does Lorraine go? Why?
106. Does John care about Mr. Pignati?
107. Where is John (in reality and in his head)?
108. How does Lorraine react?