LAWNI - Chapter 12

If you were Miranda, I'd bet you wouldn't look at chocolate chips the same way again after this chapter. The weather is really changing; 20 degrees the first week of September!

1. Do you think the reaction Miranda’s mother has when she sees Miranda eating the bag of chocolate chips is appropriate, or did she overreact? (p. 193–95) How does her mother’s reaction affect Miranda emotionally? (p. 195)
   
2. The family finally gets letters from Dad. What does he report? (p. 196-198).
   
3. What do you suppose is meant by the following line: "Sometimes it's safer to cry about people you don't know than to think about people you really love." (p. 199).

LAWNI - Chapter 11

Chapter 10 is relatively brief and deals with Miranda having to make a final decision about her schooling for the next year.

1. What decision does Miranda end up making about school?
   
2. What are three factors that impacted that decision?
   
3. Why does Miranda feel taking the school supplies is even "better than Christmas" (p.188-189)?

LAWNI - Chapter 10

This chapter features difficult decisions that need to be made about the upcoming school year as the book reaches late August. Miranda and Jonny must choose between attending either the elementary school or high school for instruction or choosing to be home schooled. On a bike run into the town, Miranda is confronted with the negative side of human nature as a gang of young men are looting the town's boarded up shops.

1. What challenges face the school district in the upcoming school year?
   


2. What is the school board's plan for keeping the school(s) open?
   


3. How are the people of Howell, PA like "prisoners?"

LAWNI - Chapter 9

In this chapter, Miranda thinks a lot about her relationship with her family, Jonny's lost childhood due to the disaster and has a deep discussion about faith with Megan.

1. At the beginning of the chapter, how has the strain of the events following the asteroid attack begun to wear on Miranda's family relationship?
   
2. As a reader, what concerns do you have about Megan?
   
3. What does Miranda realize about her mom when she visits Megan for the last time? (pp. 164–65)
   
4. What does Miranda realize when she said "Its hard to believe I was ever that young. I guess Jonny will never be" (p. 166).

LAWNI - Chapter 8

This chapter continued to deal with change and loss, particularly people leaving Miranda's life, at least in the short term. Dad and Lisa are moving, Dan is being sent off with his father to strike out on his own and Sammi is running off with her forty year old boyfriend.

There is an interesting contrast in this chapter. Mom is doing everything she can to keep Matt, Jonny and Miranda healthy and the family together while her friends are departing for the good of those who stay behind in Pennsylvania. Others leave with the hope things are better in the south.

1. Why does Sammi leave town with forty-year-old George? How does Miranda feel about this?


2. What is Dan's father's plan for Dan? Why do you think he is doing this?


3. How has the changing weather effected animals at the farm Jonny had to work at?


4. Jonny is the first to verbally express the idea "Are we all going to die?" How does everyone at the dinner party respond to this?


5. If you were Miranda, what options about the future might you be considering at this point?

LAWNI - Questions for the Author #2

LAWNI - Chapter 7

In chapter 7, Miranda visits Megan, Jonny goes to baseball camp, and the family deals with new problems caused by the moons changing gravitational impact on the earth.

1. Describe Miranda and Megan's conversation. What are each others' perspective on religion? Do you think they can continue being friends?



2. What new natural disaster threat faces the world? Why? How will it/is it impacting Miranda's family in Pennsylvania?



3. Miranda's mother describes how the family is living post-asteroid impact as "playacting." What does she mean by that? Why?

LAWNI - Chapter 6

Chapter six begins the "Summer" Season of Life as We Knew It. Miranda and her family continued to make the best out of a changing world while Miranda also tries to live the life of a normal teanager.

1. How would you describe the relationship between Miranda and Dan?
   
2. Why is Miranda's mother so angry about Miranda leaving the food line to get Dan (pp. 100-101). What suprises you the most about her reaction?
   
3. Why is it so important to Miranda's mother that Jonny go to baseball camp?
   
4. Is the tension between Miranda and her mother typical for teenagers and their parents about dating? Why or why not?

Juliana's Survival Plan

Review Juliana's Survival Plan and post your ideas and suggestions in the comments section of the blog post.

Corey's Survival Plan

Review Corey's Survival Plan and post your ideas and suggestions in the comments section of the blog post.

Adam's Survival Plan

Review Adam's Survival Plan and post your ideas and suggestions in the comments section of the blog post

Emily's Survival Plan

Review Emily's Survival Plan and post your ideas and suggestions in the comments section of the blog post.

LAWNI - Questions for the Author #1

LAWNI - Survival Guide

Your mission, whether or not you chose to except it, is to create a survival plan for your family. What supplies would your family need in the event of a natural disaster.

Directions: Post your survival plan (may include videos, pictures, etc. to the main blog, not comments -- ask Mr. Hermance for help if you need to). What supplies, tips/strategies, etc. would your family need to survive a natural disaster.

After each person has posted their survival plan, each one of you will go to the comments section and leave feedback. Will their plan be successful? What suggestions do you have? Did they forget anything?

Helpful links:

• Popular Mechanics: Natural Disaster Recovery
• Popular Mechanics: Survival Checklist (PDF)
• Center for Disease Control: Disasters
• FEMA: Are you ready?
• FEMA for Kids: The Disaster Area
• Health and Human Services: Disasters and Emergencies
• National Council for Natural Disaster Preparedness

You are not limited to these links.

My expectations are that your post/plan will be explained in complete sentences and in your own words. Plagiarism will result in a zero for this assignment. It is also an expectation that you proof read your response to ensure correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Blogger has a spell check tool. As you approach the end of your ninth grade year, it is also an expectation that you will independently self-advocate to Mr. Hermance if you need help with any part of this assignment or utilizing the blog.

LAWNI - Are you prepared for a natural disaster?

So far in Life As We Knew It, Miranda's mother's quick thinking has enabled her family to quickly acquire everything necessary to sustain them in the short term. While they will have to do without certain 21st century luxuries, the family should not have to worry about anything until the winter.

If a natural disaster was to hit the Rochester area, how prepared would you be? Take the following quiz (Natural Disaster Preparedness Quiz) and post your answer to the following questions:

1. In your opinion, how prepared are you for the possible disaster scenarios described in the quiz?
   
2. What are three things you learned from the quiz.
   

LAWNI - Chapter 5

The school year is ending abruptly for Miranda and her friends in chapter five. I'm sure some of you are tempted to root for a meteor to hit the moon in real life so you do not have Regents Exams this June! However, this is just one more example of how Miranda and the rest of humanity have had their lives turned upside down.

A lot of issues arose this chapter. Questions of rationing, religion, depression and striking a balance between helping others and looking out for yourself.

1. Why does it bother Miranda so much that Megan gives away half her sandwich during lunch (p. 65)?
   


2. How does Miranda feel about Megan's new found religious beliefs (p. 68-69)? Based on the first five chapters, why do you think Megan has become so religious? Do you think its affecting her ability to make good decisions concerning her self and her relationship with others?
   
   
3. Electricity is something we more or less take for granted. As we see today in places like Iraq [as a result of the war], inconsistent electric service can have a substantial impact on people's lives. What if the Rochester area was faced with limited to no electric service for several months? How would you cope?

Please provide FREDs (facts, reasons, examples and details) to support your response!

LAWNI - Chapter 4

1. How would you descrbe Miranda's relationship with her brothers, Matt and Jonny?
   
   
2. How has the moon affected weather around the world? How has it effected life locally in Miranda's community?
   
   
3. Why is there National Day of Mourning?
   
   
4. In this chapter, gasoline has reached $9 a gallon. When gas topped $4 a gallon locally last year, it was a burden for many people. How would a sudden spike in fuel to $9 affect your family? Ask your parents if you are unsure.
   

LAWNI - Chapter 3

A reminder: remember to answer these blog questions in complete sentences with sufficient supporting details. It may be appropriate to answer a question with more than one sentence. Proofread your comments; self-advocate for help if you need assistance with spelling and punctuation!

1. What changes does Miranda notice in people immediately after the meteor strike?
2. What does Miranda experience at the supermarket that makes her think things have changed for the worse (p. 35-38).
3. Was Miranda's mother only concerned with providing for her family? Why or why not?
   
4. If a natural disaster hit Rochester and you would be without electricity for several weeks, what would be the ten things you would want to get from Wegmans? What problems would you suspect you would have acquiring these things?