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What role does rumor play in the story?  Discuss how rumor and truth can be connected. Is one more powerful than the other?
Rumors play a big role in the story.
What happened to Melinda was a rumor to everyone else.
The truth is more powerful than a rumor.
A rumor is an exaggeration once you know the truth, you won't really believe the rumors.
I believe that the truth is more powerful than a rumor bc how
I believe a rumor is more powerful bc when someone spreads a rumor about you, they will remember you the way they heard.
When they learn the truth, they will think, "Wow we were wrong."
In some cases, the rumor is stronger than the truth.
People know the truth, they will still remember the rumor.
2. How does nature manifest itself in the story line and contribute to the meaning? Discuss the changing seasons could be argued to mirror Melinda's ability to speak.
I agree with Sharlene because in the winter, her lips were frozen. As the time went on, her lips thawed out and she finally spoke up.

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1. He didn't say anything.

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heather wouldnt respond the same she would sympathise and is towards the end heather cared about melinda

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1.I believe  Melinda learn that she doesn't have to be perfect , Mr.Freeman talked to her about it , but now  she speak up , she thought it wasn't perfect the tree anymore so she made the tree special.
2.I think melinda stop being friends with rachel on her own and because rachel didn't wanna do anything , but melinda wanted to do

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1.  Leslee said nothing just listened

2. I think that Melinda shows it by biting her lips everyone else is really terrible they made fun of her and did not bother to ask is there another reason why you called the police I would've definitlye not done whta the other students or her parents did I would try to help her

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WHAT ROLE DOES RUMORS PLAY?
dis agree. the rumor has a certain power. Towards what the truth is, if they find out the truth that truth will be more powerful than the rumor, so then that rumor will  get forgotten or "destroyed".
HOW DOES NATURE RELATE TO MELINDAS ACTIONS?
HH

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1) What does the tree she spends the year creating finally come to symbolize?
The tree represents her life. Throughout the school year she grew and developed. At the end of the year she was happy.
At first, Heather

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~In what ways was her depression evident? How to people react to her behavior? Do you think they respond appropriately?~
A way she shows hoe she is depressed is by cutting herself. She cuts herself to relive depression. people think shes an outcast because she is weird. People do not act appropriately since they are mean to her because she is different.

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2

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1.a. What does Melinda learn in art class?
She didn't say anything
b.What does the tree finally symbolize?
She didn't say anything
2. Despite her internal sense of humor, Melinda seems depressed to the outside world. In what ways is her depression evident? How do people around her react to her behavior? Do you think they respond appropriately? How would you respond?
My partner didn't say anything, Was too shy to talk.

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1) She decided to nickname him IT because for some people IT is there worst nightmare.
2)(Adj: Mysterious)I believe she goes to the janitor closet because she felt relieved from all of the stress nobody really knows the closet is there and Melinda likes to feel safe.
3) The tree symbolizes her pain. Never judge A book by its cover because no one at school knew what she was going through so people judged her for what happened at the party.

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1. Melinda created nicknames so people would not know who she was talking about.
Maybe Melinda does not want to mention his name.  She wants to forget what happened to her, or wishes it never happened.
Melinda did not put a nickname to Mr. Freeman because she was okay with him.  Principal Principal/hairwoman did no treat her fairly.
2.  When Melinda found her spot, when ever she felt down, she would go to her spot.
3. When she started drawing the tree she drew it single and lonely.  Mr. Freeman told her to add to it so it wasn't so lonely.

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~Is There a Relationship Between Speaking and Listening?~
I disagree because people talk without thinking. Everyone has their own different mindset.
~In which places did Melinda find a sanctuary? How do her characteristics of these places provide a window into her character?~
I agree with Amy because the small space is like a homey place to call a sanctuary. There were no grown-ups to tell her what to do or make her worry more about her own life.

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Lara- Express an idea or comment,
Nhi

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Discuss the title of the novel and its significance . Speak up and stand up for your life .
What roles do silence and truth play in the story ? What happened with her at the party . Nhi agreed with Sarbelio about how she felt shame about what happened to her.
Is there a relationship between speaking and listening ? If Rachel listened to Melinda and, what she has been through she could probably understand. She would have reacted differently .
Melinda thinks is won't help if you speak up. Agree, not agree? Why, why not? Nhi doesn't agree with her and she thinks some people will judge her and some will feel happy for her because she spoke up. What happened in the novel negate her statement because she speak up and, people feel sorry for her.
Discuss the social hierarchy of Merryweather high . What role does the concept of identity play in the novel ?  Why Heather want to join clans and, Melinda not?

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1. I agree with Steven and Amy ,she gave them nicknames to keep herself from saying their names and thinking of bad memories (to Steven, Amy)

2. I agree with Nayelis because I think Melinda go to the janitor closet so she can hide from problems and the bullies. Another adjective I will add to is quiet. The closet is quiet like Melinda.

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You should let everyone know whats going on you can't keep it to yourself.

I disagree her silence is frustration she does not want to deal with it she should have said something and not keep it to herself.

I agree that her being raped may be something shameful to speak up about.

I think nothing can really get solved ,when she told Rachel when she tried to tell her and she didn't listen she acted like she was jealous really she had no idea what was going on.

I agree with Jonathan, Heather wants people to liker her she wants to fit in the more people you are friends with the more popular you are Melinda finds it pointless to be popular sense she is already so far down the social chain.

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i think the significance in the word speak is that she should have spoken up earlier instead of keeping it to her self. 2) if melinda had spoken earlier about what had happened when she went to high school everyone would've treated her differently and maybe would"ve talked to her and maybe help her get over what had happened.u

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Melinda didn't how people would react at the party, so she kept quiet about it. She didn't know if people would be angry at her or just feel bad for her.

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I believe that they treated her bad. If she would have spoken up and told someone what happened then people would have treated her better. I disagree with Melinda's statement about speaking up. She was afraid people weren't gonna understand her or take things the wrong way. She also chose the wrong people to tell. If she hadn't waited until the end of the school year and told Rachel what happened before around the middle of the story before she dated Andy, Rachel would've believed her.

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SIGNIFICANCE OF SPEAK?Significance of the  word speak is to express a idea or comment. If you see something speak up, if you stay quiet/silent people will judge in advance or assume what really happened. If she spoke, she would be scared of how people would react, so she didn't say anything and kept on going with her life.
IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPEAK/LISTENING?
There is a relationship between listening and speaking. If  Rachel/ Rachelle listened to what Melinda had to say she could've taken it  another way, bur instead she did not listen and took it her own way, which was another way.
SPEAK OR NOT WHY OR WHY NOT?
i disagree with not saying anything. She should've thought a bit more about who to tell, instead of going back to her best friend, she should've told another friend.
INVOLVED IN A CLAN?
Melinda thinks is unimportant because she has enough attention from what happened at the party

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Melinda nicknames many other characters. discuss

significance.

She did know their names. She did say his name(ANDY EVAN) but later on the book.. It all started as a mystery because nobody knew what or who was IT so it engaged us to read more to find out his name. Why did Rachael change her name to Rachelle? A benefit to give someone a nick name is that if you give that person a nickname people will know who you're talking about. Mr.Freeman had a regular teacher student relationship but in the end she and the teacher had a better/closer relationship. the people she gave a nickname to was because either the she didn't like the person or that person treated her bad. All the people she nicknamed treated her bad or she didn't get treated how she wanted to.
IN WHAT PLACES DID MELINDA FIND SANCTUARY HOW  DO THESE WINDOWS LET YOU INTO HER CHARACTER?

I think that one of the sanctuary she had was obviously the closet because it made her feel at home because she brought stuff from home and the art room and she wanted her room to feel that same way. i also think another sanctuary could be the Art room because she felt relaxed. I agree with nallely at first the closest was abandoned and then when she kinda moved in it represents symbolism because when she started cleaning up the room it was like a way to start a new life. when you have no hope there is always a little switch that can make you feel good. Another adjective i would use for the closest would be hope. From what you used is right beacuse the closet was like a friend she never had, in the story she would talk not with someone but like in her mind so she would think a different way than outside. Melinda 1 the one that was looking up for her self was the one that was precacious meloindaself about only in the closest
WHAT DOES MELINDA LEARN IN ART CLASS HAT DOES THE TREE END UP SYMBOLIZING
when she first started m.freemansaid it resented something. by the end of the school year

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You should tell people something that is bothering you cant keep it to yourself. Her silence represented her frustration maybe it was not wanting to lead on what she thought, so she kept it to herself. Being raped is something really shameful to talk about with others as u don't know how they will take it.
In order for something to be resolved both parties have to willing to speak and listen.She told Rachael but all she did was speak instead of listening.
Heather wants to fit in and have people like her, unlike Melinda who has lost hope in trying to have anyone like her.

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If you want to know what somebody is talking about before speaking, you have to listen first.
There is a relation because without no speaker there is no listener.

Lets take the example of Andy, Melinda nicknamed him IT because she thinks that he doesn't deserve to have a name because of everything he did to her. It helps discover more about Melinda because she gives to some nicknames and to others she doesn't. That means she didn't really feel comfortable with those she gave a nickname because they did not treat her the way she wanted to be treated.

I think that her sanctuary was the closet where she found herself free and relax and gave her a moment and think about what was going on. An adjective?: Mysterious, safe.

The way I looked at it was that at the beginning of the year we did not know much about Melinda as the tree, it was plain and simple,but at the end of the year the book reveals more about Melinda and as that goes on the tree gets better.

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1.Discuss the significance of Melinda placing nicknames on other characters. How does it contribute to the development to the story?
I think Melinda nicknamed people because she didn't want to care about who anyone was. It is a coping mechanism. Instead of having to say IT's actual name, she can just avoid remembering him. Andy Evan's name brings back bad memories for her. What he did was so bad that she believed he didn't even deserve to have an actual name. Rachel changed her name to Rachelle because she made foreign friends and she thought her name was boring, so she changed it so her name wouldn't be too ordinary. Melinda nicknamed people who she didn't feel comfortable around/didn't like. She actually liked Mr. Freeman, so she didn't feel the need to make a nickname for him.
2. In what places does Melinda find a sanctuary?
The janitor's closet shows who she is. When she put up the Maya Angelou poster it showed she liked poetry. She went to the art room to relax and feel better about herself. She finds the closet quiet which is a characteristic she also shares as she refuses to speak to anyone. Melinda was in a dark place in her life. Just like at first the room was dark and abandoned, she was able to find a light switch. As the room became brighter, so did she. I agree with Amy that the closet is hopeful.
Melinda was hopeful that if she stayed there long enough,  something would change.  There were two Melindas, one in the closet, and one out of the closet. Melinda 1 couldn't speak.
3. What does Melinda learn in art class? What does the tree she spends the year creating finally come to symbolize?
Melinda says that she drew trees all the time but Mr.Freeman knew better. Like the tree, Melinda was full of mistakes. In the end, the tree turns out amazing just like Melinda. I think that Melinda learns is that not everything is going to be perfect. In the beginning, when he showed a broken globe and she thought she was going to get something interesting, but she got a tree which she thought was boring but as the year progressed, she learnt that you do have to try and make the best out of every situation.