TT+Isaac

1. Put yourself in place of one of the boys who escaped the crash but was forced to watch "helplessly as Rob died". What is going through your head? How do you feel physically and mentally ?How do you think that you will feel tomorrow?

2. When you hear or read of a car accident that involved teenagers, what do you assume is the cause of the accident - drinking, speed - drugs? What about if you hear about a car accident involving the elderly? Explain your answers.

3. Andy and Rob have their own slang and manner of speaking. On the surface they seem to be putting each other down, but it is clear to us that they are close friends who respect each other. What purpose does this style of language serve? Does it draw kids closer together? Does it set you off from others? Explain.

4. In a paragraph rich with sensory detail, write about your own most frightening moment.

6. Even though many people cried, Rhonda did not cry after the accident occured; she was angry. When or if a public tragedy occurs and it is not someone in your immediate family (9/11/01), how do you respond? Explain.

7. One //Herald// editorial says that statistics don't usually "mean much, but this statistic (Rob) had a name, face,..."When we hear of a statistic such as this that reports someone dying in a drunk-driving accident every 18 minutes - how do you feel? Do you agree that it is hard to feel emotional about the numbers when you do not have a face to relate it to?

8. In his homework assigment, Gerald writes that he would rid the world of 3 things. What 3 things would you rid the world of? Stick to concrete items, and back up your choices with personal reasons why you are eliminating them.

9. Neither of Andy's parents bother to show up for the game. How important is it for you that your parents turn out for the events in which you participate? Explain.

10.Andy mentions that some kids at school haven't looked him in the face since the accident; one even taped a mean note to his locker. How would you treat Andy now? Elaborate.

11.Does doing homework help you to perform better on tests? Does homework seem purposeful to you, or is it basically a waste of time? What alternate do you suggest? Defend your answerwith three (3) points.

12. Do you feel that your parents 'get' you or don't understand you at all? What makes you think this? Explain.

13.Andy believed that his friends would talk about him if he won academic awards. Then consider Marcus's unpopularity due to his achievement. Is academic failure or apathy built into teenager's notions about what is 'cool'? What effect does academic achievement have on you?

14. We learn about Andy's grades and study habits. Do you think the guidance counselor who advised him against going into pre-law was being realistic or unfair? Defend your answer.

15. In a class discussion, Keisha says, "All of us at one time or another feel like a cinder among the snowflakes. You stand out when you just want to blend in, you get noticed whether you want to or not". In a paragraph, write about when you have felt like a "cinder among the snowflakes". . 16. Andy envisions Monty will have a future as a doctor or lawyer. But when he thinks of his own future, he sees a blank, or darkness. Can you picture who you will be in 15 years? What do you envision about your future?

1. If I were in the place of one of the boys who surrvived the crash and was forced to watch Rob die the first thing going through my head would be I'm alive and I am not going towards that car. How would I feel physically and mentally, physically I would feel alot of pain from being in a car crash, mentally I would feel depressed for watching my friend die in front of me. How would I feel the next day, I think I would feel like it was a dream but sadly it wouldn't be.

2. If I hear about a car accident involving teenagers I asume that they were drinking beer. The reason why I would think it was drinking is because some teenagers drink before they are 18. If I hear about a car accident involving elderly people I would think that the cause of the accident would be that they are to old and have bad eyes. The reason that I would think the accident was due to bad eye sight is because when you get older your eyes aren't as good as they use to be.

6. If someone dies who is not someone in my immediate family I would do something about it. If a human being had killed the person then I would find him and kill him for what he did. If he/she was killed in an accident then I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. If the person who got killed was not a friend of mine then I would not care.

8. If I could get rid of 3 things first of all there are multiple things. One thing I would get rid of is skate boards because they are not usefull and my brother would shut up if they were gone. The second thing I would get rid of would be video games because all they do is make you an ideot and can make you gain weight. The third and final thing is planes because I have seen to many horror movies to see what can happen.

9. No, it is not important for me that my parents turn out for an event I participate in. There are a few reasons it doesn't bother me if my parents were at an event I was in, one reason is that my parents would annoy me when I got back to my house for hours. Another reason is because, if I would win or lose at the event then my parents would tell everyone.

10. After the accident I would treat Andy nice. I wouldn't care if he killed someone unless I was friends with them. If I were friends with Rob then I probebly wouldn't go as far as putting a mean note on his locker I would forget about it. I have seen and heard enough people die that it wouldn't even bother me.