Sand Dollars | Chapter 1 Online Activities Guide

Credits

Story written by:
Bob Rouse

Activities written by:
Reta Broadway & Teresa Moore

Illustrated by:
Chris Ware

Titling by:
Amicheli Salyer

Chapter 1:
A New Plan for Summer

In Chapter 1 of "Sand Dollars" you are introduced to the three main characters of the story. The writer tells you some information about the characters directly. But he also lets you know about their personalities by the way they act and the things they say.

How old are Nathan and Brooke Porter? 1.2
What are some of the things they enjoy doing during the summer? 1.2
Why do you think the Porter children are not allowed to swim or fish alone? Who do you think made this rule? 1.2, 2.16, 2.19, 4.4
Why do you think Nate is always looking to get his name in the newspaper? Have you ever had your name in the newspaper? How did it make you feel? 1.2, 2.29
Imagine that you visit Nate and Brooke for a few days at their home. How would you describe the brother and sister to your friends at home? Do they seem to like each other? Do they get along well? Which one of them seems to like attention more? 1.2, 1.12

For the advanced reader

When the Porter children come home for lunch, their mother is sitting at the table and crying. She stops crying and starts smiling when they come in and ask her what is wrong. Why do you think she changes so quickly? How do you think she is really feeling? 1.2, 2.16
Do you think Mrs. Porter has thought about going back to college and becoming a paralegal before she found out that she was going to lose her job? Why? 1.2
The story tells us about Mrs. Porter's job. What are some of the other direct ways in which the writer develops this character? 5.3
Because the story tells us the children's father died six years ago, we know indirectly that their mother has had to be the sole supporter of the family. Look back through this chapter and decide if there are other ways in which the writer develops Mrs. Porter's character indirectly. (Be sure to notice what Nate and Brooke say about her.) 5.3
Using the internet or books, research the educational requirements, job responsibilities, income possibilities, and job outlook for paralegal and lawyers. With a partner or small group, make a comparison chart and discuss. 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1
Invite a paralegal to speak to the class. Prior to the visit, develop a list of interview questions. 1.4, 1.11
Use the information from the interview (above) to write a classified ad for a paralegal position. 1.11

Newspaper-related activities

The Porter children live in Florida. Look through your newspaper to find the weather map for Florida and check out the forecast for the Gulf of Mexico side of the state. If you were there, what would you be doing today? 1.1, 5.4
Using Microsoft Excel or other graphing program, record and graph the high and low temperatures for one week. Discuss the trends. 1.5, 1.9, 1.16, 2.7
Ms. Porter wants to go back to college to become a paralegal. Do you know what a paralegal does? Look in the classified ads in the newspaper to see if there are any jobs available in your community for paralegals. What information do the ads provide? 1.1, 5.3