Rocket Boys - Homer Hickam, Jr.

Requirements for extra-test grade

1.  Read the book Rocket Boys 

            a.  You will need to sign a contract by Dec. 1st.  You will not be required to complete the project if you sign the contract, but you may not do the project if you have not signed the contract by the deadline. 

            b.  You will need to complete a journal packet which will ask you to respond to each chapter, as well as several related topics.  This will be checked periodically to make sure you are not trying to complete the project all at the last minute.

            c.  You will be asked attend two morning discussion groups to check on your progress and answer questions.  ( 7:30 to 8:00 am ; dates agreed upon by participants)

                d.  Parents are encouraged to read book at the same time.  They will be invited to a classroom discussion at the end of the 2nd quarter.  We really value their contributions both to the students journal as well as the final classroom discussion.

2.  Personal journal

            a.  Students will respond to each chapter with their personal reaction to what they have read.  If their parents are reading also, they should include the reactions of their parents.  Each entry should be between 3/4 of a page to a full page.

            b.  With selected chapters, students will be asked to look at related supplementary material or answer related questions.

3.  Supplementary questions/materials

            a.  Chapter 1 - Ask your parents what types of books you were reading in grade school and Junior High.  Were you reading the quality of the coal mining kids in West Virginia?

            b.  Chapter 2 - Are Japanese high school students scoring better than us?  Are we doing anything about it in Math and Science?   Is this similar to Sputnik and Soviet kids in the late 50's?

                                http://www.redshift.com/~jmichael/html/academic.html

            c.  Chapter 2 - Just how scared were we about Sputnik?

                                http://www.nytimes.com/partners/aol/special/sputnik/

                d.  Chapter 5 - Find the song Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford to listen to.  What is it about?  Why was it such a hit?

                                http://www.ernieford.com/Sixteen%20Tons.htm

                e.  Chapter 6 - Who were the Breaker boys? Who was Lewis Hine?

                                http://www.iarelative.com/mines.htm

                                            http://boondocksnet.com/gallery/nclc/occu_coalmines.html

               f.  Chapter 17 - What was Race Music?  (Referred to black rock and Roll in the book)  Listen to some of the songs mentioned in the chapter.  If you can't get them at home or on the internet, you can find them at the Library.

               g.  Chapter 18 - Discuss the Quecreek (Pa.) Mine Disaster (July 24, 2002)

                                   http://cnn.com/2002/US/07/30/mine.investigation/