The Big Shift.

School Journal Number 2, 2006

Big Shift by Jacqui Brown, City or country - which is better?

WALT:

Comprehension - understand author’s message

Success Criteria:

I can show my comprehension of the text through the activities I complete after reading the text.

I can understand the author's message in the text.

Answer the following questions in red:

Looking at the image on the front page and the title of the text, how do the two support one another? Looking at the page I think it about someone leaving the country and that they will not see each other for a while.

Where were the family initially living, what do you think life was like living at such a place? The family is moving to Wellington and that they are leaving the dad behind because they split up because the mum thought it was over.

Where had the boys and mum moved to after his parents split up? They have move to wellington which is a really small place because they only have two bedrooms and they have to share rooms which is the mum and the daughter and the two brother share rooms.

What is a council flat? A council flat is a house that you only pay half of your house and then the council pays the rest of it. That what council flat means like its a really small house and the cool thing is that you only pay half of your house

Do you think his little sister knew what was happening between mum and dad? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. The little girl doesn’t know what is going on I think she is thinking that they are going for a ride that they will come back but no they are going for ever, because they won’t see dad for a very long time.

What was the young boy wandering? The young boy was wondering if they can’t stay together what if the dad can come with them but live next door to them, but he can’t because he will still be able to see the mum.

Why does it say “the morning we left when we were sitting in the car dad through the window and kissed all of us, even mum”? Why did the author mention “even mum separately and say the word even? What is the author implying? The author mention even is because the dad knows that they will never come back so thats why he had to kiss all of them even mum because mum decided it was over so he kissed her.

For what reason would the young boy have cried? how did he deal with his emotions instead of crying? The little boy didn’t cry but instead what he did was just waving and waving until he couldn't even see dad but then the mum said “SHUT UP”!! and sit back on your chair properly.

Wednesday:

Why was the new place in Wellington not too bad? The reason  wellington wasn’t too bad is because he liked it when he was hearing all these different kind of languages and also the different kind of cooking that he could smell, but even he was walking around and being noisy to the neighbours.

What sound did the young boy even get used to while staying at his new place in Wellington? All of them got used to the rubbish truck waking them up at 6:30 because when they lived at the farm they didn’t have anything like the rubbish truck.

For what reason do you think it took the young boy a few weeks before he began to miss everything and the ways things were before? It took him a few weeks to like it at the place because when he used to live at the farm he will always feed the animals and the sheep and now he starts to like it there.

What does the word ‘miserable’ mean? The word miserable mean is that someone is feeling really sad and upset because he misses his dad being in the family and being able to see him every single day. That what miserable means to me.

If you were in the same shoes as this boy how would you feel going through all of this within such a short amount of time - (Use your empathy skills) I will comfort him and help him be happy by visiting his fathers all the time and try to make him happy and be comfort where he lives.

Why do you think mum was always checking up on the young boy after he cried and told her how upset he was? The reason mum was always checking up on them is because she was worried that he will be upset  and not be able to sleep because he is feeling sad and upset.

What are two things he did like about being in the units? For what reason do you think he liked this? The two thing he liked was hearing all these different of languages speaking and also the special cooking they will always cook and what he always do was he will walk down the hallway being noisy around the neighbourhood.

Thursday/Friday

So far think what emotions is the author making the reader feel by reading this text? It is making the author feel stink and miserable when he reads this text because it is about the father and the mum splitting up because the mum thought it was just over.

Who has the author portrayed as being an upset and sad character, how do you know this? I know this because it says that the character was upset and sad because looking at there faces on the front page all the kids are really upset because they wanted the dad to come along with them.

Judging from the boy stopping a fight and helping Tomo out, what do we know about his personality? We know his personality is a really kind person is because he wanted to stop the fight is because he didn’t want anyone to get hurt so thats why he stopped the fight.

What was Tomo? What does this word mean? Tomo is his friends or his brother because they always play together and have a good time thats why he got through his rough time missing his dad.

For what reason did Tomo, the young boy and Meilai stick together? The reason they were sticking together is because one person can tag on the wall and the other can watch out if anyone is coming like the copes.

Why was Wednesday their favourite day? The reason wednesday was there favourite day is because it was laundry day for them and after mum has sorted the wash coloureds and whites they will take it to the laundry room at the top of the building.

What did the boy and Tomo do when they saw some young children tagging? Did they do the right thing? Justify your answer. What they did they saw the two guys tagging on the wall but they knew what to do call the police but they didn’t what they did was just talking about how they miss dad and one day dad can come and live with them.

How did the boy slowly begin to warm up to being in Wellington? The reason he was beginning to like staying at wellington is because they will always sit up where the laundry building is and get a good view of watching things like how they saw two boys tagging on the wall.

What do you think the author is trying to say in this story - have a think about all of the boy’s feelings and emotions, what helped him get through this rough time? He got through his rough time by trying not to think about his dad not leaving with them so what he did to get it over was by playing with his friends and having a good time.