SPEAK - Ms. McKenzie's Site
SPEAK
by Laurie Halse Anderson
ANTICIPATION GUIDE
Before reading Speak, read and respond to the statements below. Think about each statement carefully before writing agree, disagree, or unsure in the Before column.
When we finish reading Speak, we will revisit these statements and you will write agree, disagree, or unsure in the After column.
|Before |Statements |After |
| |1. The pressures of fitting in at high school are greater than any other point in one’s life. | |
| |2. Students who are depressed are simply afraid to deal with their real or perceived problems. | |
| |3. There is a difference between being quiet and being withdrawn. | |
| |4. Students should not tell teachers about their personal problems, no matter how serious. | |
| |5. A girl who dresses provocatively deserves any negative attention she gets. | |
| |6. Girls are more likely than guys to say they have been sexually harassed. | |
| |7. Whatever happens at a party should stay at the party. | |
| |8. If someone is drunk or high, she or he is not responsible for her or his actions. | |
| |9. Parents simply don’t understand the problems teenagers go through. | |
| |10. People who are quiet have something to hide. | |
Compare your Before column to your After column. Have any of your opinions changed? If so, which ones and what made you change your opinion? If not, why do you think your opinions stayed the same?
Book Structure: No numbered chapters.
Four Marking Periods:
First Marking Period – pages 2-46
Second Marking Period – pages 47-92
Third Marking Period – pages 93-137
Fourth Marking Period – pages 138-198
Plot Overview:
Melinda Sordino is a freshman in high school (grade 9). She attended an end-of-summer party where she experienced a traumatic event, and called the cops. The cops busted the party, so everyone is mad at Melinda. Her old friends won’t talk to her, and people who only know of her think she is a snitch. No one knows the real reason Melinda called the police. Melinda now has no friends and is not close to her parents – she feels completely alone. She starts skipping school and speaking very little. She is basically mute, except when she absolutely has to speak. Speak is about how Melinda struggles through her first year of high school and how she learns to cope with what has happened to her.
Themes:
Adolescence
Growth
Communication
Depression
Point of View: First person narrator from Melinda’s perspective
Characters:
Protagonist: Melinda Sordino Antagonist: Andy Evans
Setting:
Place: Merryweather High School in Syracuse, New York
Time: occurs over the course of a full school year
Conflicts:
Character versus Character(s)
Character versus Self
Character versus Circumstances
Character versus Society
First Marking Period Questions:
1. If something is ironic it is happening in a way that is opposite to what is expected. Think about how Melinda (and perhaps many other students) think about high school. Why do you think the name Merryweather High might be an ironic name for a high school?
2. On page 4, Melinda lists the groups (cliques) at Merryweather High school. Each group has its own special interests and characteristics that are different from the other groups. Why do you think members of different social groups often insult each other?
3. After she lists the social groups of Merryweather High, Melinda puts herself in a category she calls “Outcast.” What does it mean to be an outcast? Look up the meaning in a dictionary, or infer the meaning from the text.
4. Think about how Melinda feels in Art class. Why is Mr. Freeman an appropriate name for the Art teacher?
5. On pages 5 and 6, Melinda list the “First ten lies they tell you in high school.” Write out one lie you agree with and one lie you disagree with. Explain why you agree or disagree with each lie.
6. Is Heather a good friend for Melinda? Explain why you think she is or isn’t.
First Marking Period Journal Response
Write a journal response about your reaction to the first section of Speak. You may use one of the prompts provided, or you may choose to write about something else that moved you. Try to fill all of the lines with your thoughts.
Prompts:
• Think back to your first day of high school. Write about how you felt – nervous, excited, scared, sad, anxious, happy…. Did high school turn out to be what you expected? Did anything significant happen?
• Write about high school social groups. Do they exist here? How do they make people feel (included, excluded, both)? Are there pros and cons?
• Write about the lies Melinda lists on pages 5 and 6. Are they accurate? Do you have any to add?
• Write about an embarrassing or humiliating moment. How did you handle it? Did you have anyone to help or support you?
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Second Marking Period Questions
1. Re-read pages the section called “Closet Space” on pages 50 and 51. Why do you think Melinda has difficulty talking?
2. Describe Melinda’s relationship with her parents. Use examples from the book to support your answer.
3. On page 72, Melinda’s parents give her a sketch pad and charcoal pencils for Christmas. They tell her that they have noticed that she has been drawing. Why does this gift make her emotional and want to explain what happened? What happens next that makes her change her mind about opening up to her parents?
4. On page 87, Melinda uses a paperclip to scratch lines onto her wrist. Why might she have caused herself physical pain? How does her mother react?
5. Is your opinion of Heather and Melinda’s friendship the same as it was at the end of the First Marking Period? Why or why not?
6. Why do you think Melinda refers to Andy Evans as “IT” instead of “him”?
Second Marking Period Journal Response
Write a journal response about your reaction to the second section of Speak. You may use one of the prompts provided, or you may choose to write about something else that moved you. Try to fill all of the lines with your thoughts.
Prompts:
• Is school a place where you can say what you think and/or feel? Are there certain places where you feel more comfortable than others? Are there certain people you feel are more accepting of what you have to say and think?
• On page 52, Heather tells Melinda about her plan for the next 10 years. Melinda worries about the next five minutes and making it out of ninth grade. Who do you relate to and why? Why do you think each girl has such a different outlook on life? Is it scarier to have your life planned out or to have no plans at all?
• Melinda’s closet is her safe space. What makes a space safe? Is it important to have a place to go that is comforting for you? Does a safe place make up for the lack of a support system or a person to talk to?
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I Am… Poem
Try to put yourself in Melinda’s shoes. Complete the I Am Poem Template below from Melinda’s perspective at this point in the novel. Think carefully about how Melinda sees herself and how she would represent herself in words. Remember, that “I” and “You” are referring to Melinda, not to you!!
FIRST STANZA
I am ____________________________________________(2 special characteristics you have)
I wonder ___________________________________________________(something of curiosity)
I hear ________________________________________________________(an imaginary sound)
I see __________________________________________________________(an imaginary sight)
I want ___________________________________________________________(an actual desire)
I am ___________________________________________(the first line of the poem repeated)
SECOND STANZA
I pretend ____________________________________(something you actually pretend to do)
I feel _________________________________________(a feeling about something imaginary)
I touch ________________________________________________________(an imaginary touch)
I worry _______________________________________________(something that bothers you)
I cry _______________________________________________(something that makes you sad)
I am ___________________________________________(the first line of the poem repeated)
THIRD STANZA
I understand ________________________________________________(something that is true)
I say ____________________________________________________(something you believe in)
I dream _______________________________________________(something you dream about)
I try ____________________________________(something you really make an effort about)
I hope ____________________________________________(something you actually hope for)
I am ___________________________________________(the first line of the poem repeated)
Third Marking Period Questions
1. After running away from Andy Evans, Melinda decides to skip school (page 97). Is this an effective coping mechanism? Why or why not?
2. Heather ends her friendship with Melinda in the section called “Lunch Doom” (pages 104-106). Summarize Heather’s reasons for doing so, and discuss your reaction to it. Are Heather and Melinda better off not being friends?
3. When Melinda ends up at the hospital during one of her skip days. At first, she feels somewhat comfortable, like she wants to stay there. However, on page 113, she thinks, “There is nothing wrong with me. These are really sick people, sick that you can see. I head for the elevator. The bus is on its way.” Why does Melinda think there is nothing wrong with her? Do you agree with her?
4. Is the meeting between Melinda, her parents, the principal, and the guidance counsellor effective? In other words, does it help Melinda at all? How could the adults have approached the meeting in a more helpful way?
5. Even though Melinda likes Art class, she is struggling with her project. Why do you think she is having so much trouble drawing her tree? (Hint: think about bottling up emotions).
6. In the section, “A Night to Remember,” (pages 133-136), we find out what happened to Melinda. List three times where Melinda needed to speak out but wasn’t able to.
Third Marking Period Journal Response
Write a journal response about your reaction to the third section of Speak. You may use one of the prompts provided, or you may choose to write about something else that moved you. Try to fill all of the lines with your thoughts.
Prompts:
• What is friendship? Does Melinda have any true friends? Do you have friends you can count on and who believe in you, no matter what?
• Everyone at the party jumped to a conclusion about why Melinda was on the phone with the police. No one noticed that she was bruised and crying; they were just angry that their party was busted. Why do people jump to conclusions and ignore other possible explanations for a situation? What can happen when people believe gossip and rumours?
• Each of the first three sections ends with a report card. Comment on what Melinda includes in her report card and how her “courses” change for each marking period (pp 46, 92, & 137). What do report cards really say about students? Are they accurate? How could they be more informative/helpful?
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Fourth Marking Period Questions
1. What advice does David give Melinda on page 159? Even though the advice is about school, how can it apply to Melinda’s personal life?
2. How does Melinda tell Rachel about what happened the night of the party? Why do you think it was easier for her than talking?
3. How does Rachel react to Melinda when she tells her about Andy? What happens at the prom to make Rachel change her mind about Andy?
4. What does Ivy show Melinda in the bathroom stall? How does this help her start to change her life?
5. How does Melinda act differently when Andy attacks her in the closet? (page 194)
6. Re-read page 198. What two things does Melinda accept that help her begin a healing process?
7. The last line of the book is Melinda saying, “Let me tell you about it” (198). Explain why this line is important and how it relates to the title of the book.
Fourth Marking Period Journal Response
Write a journal response about your reaction to the fourth section of Speak. You may use one of the prompts provided, or you may choose to write about something else that moved you. Try to fill all of the lines with your thoughts.
Prompts:
• Discuss your thoughts/opinions/concerns/questions/emotions about the novel, its themes and/or characters.
• Discuss what we should really value about people. Talk about how people were or were not valued in the novel. Share personal experiences/thoughts about how people show that they value or don’t value others.
• Have you ever felt like there were two “yous” fighting inside of you? Or, have you known someone who has dealt with this feeling? How did you/he/she cope?
• Why is communication important? Why is the novel titled Speak? Now that Melinda is able to communicate, how do you think her life will change?
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I Am… Poem
Think about how Melinda changes in the second half of the book. Complete the I Am Poem Template below from Melinda’s perspective at the end of the novel. Think carefully about how Melinda sees herself and how she would represent herself in words. Remember that “I” and “You” are referring to Melinda, not to you!
FIRST STANZA
I am ____________________________________________(2 special characteristics you have)
I wonder ___________________________________________________(something of curiosity)
I hear ________________________________________________________(an imaginary sound)
I see __________________________________________________________(an imaginary sight)
I want ___________________________________________________________(an actual desire)
I am ___________________________________________(the first line of the poem repeated)
SECOND STANZA
I pretend ____________________________________(something you actually pretend to do)
I feel _________________________________________(a feeling about something imaginary)
I touch ________________________________________________________(an imaginary touch)
I worry _______________________________________________(something that bothers you)
I cry _______________________________________________(something that makes you sad)
I am ___________________________________________(the first line of the poem repeated)
THIRD STANZA
I understand ________________________________________________(something that is true)
I say ____________________________________________________(something you believe in)
I dream _______________________________________________(something you dream about)
I try ____________________________________(something you really make an effort about)
I hope ____________________________________________(something you actually hope for)
I am ___________________________________________(the first line of the poem repeated)
Final Assignment
Part One:
On looseleaf, write half a page about how Melinda changes throughout the novel. Describe what she is like at the beginning of the novel: how she acts and what she looks like. Talk about the activities and people who eventually help her through her experience. Discuss the differences between the way she acted the first time Andy Evans attacked her and the way she acted the second time. How does her reputation at school change? Why do you think she chooses to talk to Mr. Freeman about what happened?
Include a few sentences about the two I Am poems you wrote. Explain the differences between the two poems and how some of the words/phrases you chose show Melinda’s changes.
Part Two:
Choose either I Am poem to polish into a good copy.
You are welcome (encouraged) to revise your choices of words and phrases to make sure you have chosen the most effective words. Make sure everything is spelled and punctuated correctly.
Type or neatly hand-write a good copy of your poem.
Make a creative background for your poem that reflects the emotions and themes of the novel using pictures and words (can be cut-out or hand-drawn).
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