Sept 9

Language Novel Study:  Seedfolks

Chp1: Kim

Open-ended question that prompt you to offer your own opinion:

By deciding to plant lima beans in the neighborhood's vacant lot full of garbage, what do you think Kim hopes to show her late Vietnamese father?  

What does this show about her as an individual?  

What affect do you think it may have on the community?
What is ironic about what is happening?

Sample responses

By deciding to plant the lima beans in the vacant lot of her run-down neighborhood, I think Kim is trying to honor the memory of her late father.  It is sad and tragic that Kim didn't have the chance to know her own father and, as such, she wants to make him proud of her; she wants him to "notice her" and know that she does exist.  She knows he was a farmer back in his home country and wants to let him know that she is truly his daughter by gardening just as he did and show that his talents were passed down to her. 

Her decision to plant the lima beans shows that she is a most respectful, thoughtful and caring individual because having some kind of connection with her father is important to her.  It also shows that she's a determined person because she would do anything to have her father notice her and be proud of her.

Her act may prompt others to eventually start gardening alongside her; it may transform the lot from something ugly/cold to beautiful/vivacious. Someone in her neighborhood may not care for what she is doing and vandalize her plants.

It is ironic that something good/positive/beautiful such as a garden could be stemming from a vacant, run-down, garbage-infested lot.

Unit 1: Place & Location – Our Community of Humberlea

1. A place or location refers to its position on our planet Earth.

2. Our home addresses are located in a neighborhood or a residential area which forms the community of Humberlea.

3. Humberlea’s boundaries include Sheppard Avenue West on the north side, the Canadian National Railway on the east side, the Humber River on the west side and Oak Street on the south side.

4. Stores, restaurants, shopping plazas, factory outlets are all located in a business park or commercial area.

5. The borough, village or town of Weston, ON is part of the city or municipality of Toronto. 

6. Toronto is the capital of and part of the province of Ontario.

7. Ethnic/cultural areas or districts such as Little Italy, Chinatown or Greektown are commonly found in a multi-cultural city such as Toronto that celebrates diversity.

8. Ontario is part of the nation or country of Canada.  Besides provinces, countries may be also divided into states, territories, or regions.

9. Canada is part of the continent of North America.

10. North America is part of the Northern Hemisphere.

11. The Earth is part of our solar system or Milky Way Galaxy.

12. A sketch of an area, neighborhood, or major road intersection as you picture it in your mind is called a mental map.

13. Factories, manufacturing plants, waste disposal, mechanical/electrical companies are all located in an industrial area.

14. Farming, agriculture and livestock are all located in rural areas.

15. The streets of our city are like a grid running north-south and intersect with streets running east-west forming quadrants of neighborhoods and communities.

16. G.P.S. stands for Global Positioning System.  It pinpoints your exact location on earth using lines of longitude and latitude and can precisely locate major landmarks such as the CN Tower within metres.

17. A precise spot on earth with clearly defined boundaries is called an absolute location.  GPS, Google Maps, radar on air/sea vessels all offer this 100% accuracy. 

18. An estimation or approximation of a spot on Earth is called a relative location.

19. People decide to locate places in certain areas for economic reasons (e.g. employment, manufacturing, transportation) and social reasons (e.g. communal places, culture, language).

20. Crossroads Shopping Centre is located on the south-east corner of Highway 401 and Weston Road.

21. St. Simon School is located on the north side of Wallasey Ave. just east of Weston Road and just north of Walsh & Albion Roads.

22. One would travel west on Wallasey Ave. from St Simon in order to reach Weston Road.

23. One would travel north on Weston Rd. from St Simon to reach St. Basil’s on Starview Blvd. or even Carmine Stefano Community Centre on the corner of Weston Rd. & Sheppard Ave. W.

24. One would travel south on Weston road from St Simon to reach Crossroads Shopping or new Superstore Gas station on the corner of Weston Rd. & Oak Street.

25. Becker’s Convenience is located on the north-east corner of Weston Road and Gaydon Ave, directly across from the Petro Canada Gas station.

26. The general area of Weston Rd./Hwy 401 has a combination of 3 distinct areas, namely: commercial (i.e. Crossroads Shopping/Restaurants), industrial (i.e. Satin Hardwood & Visioneering Lighting manufacturers on Oak St.) and residential (houses, apartments, townhomes).

27.   An example of a governmental or political location in Toronto includes City Hall (municipal affairs) and Queen’s Park (provincial affairs).

28.  An example of a communal location in Humberlea dedicated to spirituality/faith/religion includes St. Jude Catholic Church.

29.  An example of a natural/environmental location in Humberlea dedicated to conservation & recreation includes Strathburn/Humber River path.

U1 Math Factors & Multiples continued...