Reading Response #16

4/24/2016

This week we are going to learn about foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is when a writer gives little hints to what will happen later in the story. Usually the hints are very tiny (or subtle), so tiny that you may not even recognize them at first. Those hints often add suspense and mystery to the story.

If you can recognize foreshadowing, you can make better predictions about what will happen in the story. Try it! Read the paragraph below.

At sunset, a well-dressed stranger walked up to the gate of the Millberry Family’s small farm. Mr. Millberry, a poor, humble father of seven kids, just happened to be strolling down his dirt driveway to retrieve his mail. He politely greeted the stranger and asked how he could help him. The stranger put his hands in the pockets of the crisp suit jacket he was wearing and looked at Mr. Millberry. The stranger’s blue eyes seemed familiar to Mr. Millberry, but he didn’t recognize the man. After an awkward moment, the stranger slowly said, “I’m looking for someone,” but he didn’t say who. Then, with a small, fleeting smile, the stranger turned around and walked down the gravel road without another word to the puzzled Mr. Millberry.

This Week's Prompt:
Make a prediction about what you think will happen later in the story with Mr. Millberry based on the hints (foreshadowing) in the given paragraph. Explain why you made your prediction by pointing out words and phrases from the paragraph that you think hint at the future.

51 Comments

Elizabeth

4/25/2016 04:21:43 pm

Dear Class,
I think the stranger will find the person he is looking for, but that person might be one of Mr. Millberry's children. I think this because the stranger came to Mr. Millberry's home, and Mr. Millberry is a "... poor, humble father ..." This stranger didn't have to go to the Millberry residence, but he did. That means the stranger could possibly be looking for one of the children. Also the text states that Mr. Millberry has a lot of children. For example," ... humble father of seven kids..." There is a good chance the stranger is looking for one of Mr. Millberry's kids.

The last reason is that the stranger had a "... small, fleeting smile ..." When I read that someone has a small, fleeting smile I usually think the person with the smile is showing a smile of pity, or the person knows too much and is cursed because they can't tell anybody. Usually I think of a small, fleeting smile as a pity smile.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

Ms. Kimball

4/27/2016 09:30:35 pm

Dear Elizabeth,

You made some interesting interpretations. I like how you quoted the text to support them. One important thing that you didn't mention is about the stranger's intentions. Do you think he has good intentions or bad intentions? You said that the stranger might be looking for one of Mr. Millberry's children. What might his purpose be? Remember, he's a well-dressed man walking to a small farm. No car was mentioned.

Also, why do you think a "fleeting smile" implies pity?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Elizabeth

5/2/2016 04:23:50 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball
I think the stranger's intentions could be evil because of the fleeting smile and that he didn't take a car. I also find that odd, wouldn't a sharply dressed man take a car, wouldn't he be worried about his suit and shoes getting muddy? Also the fact that Mr. Millberry seems to think the stranger's eyes are familiar means he could have known a relative of the stranger. That relative could have told the stranger about Mr. Millberry and his children.

I think the stranger is looking for one of Mr. Millberry's children because he has this massive family grudge against the Millberries. The stranger was thought to despise them. The stranger just wants revenge because of the grudge. The grudge started when One of Mr. Millberry's ancestors stole the stranger's ancestor's best horses. They denied it, but everyone knew they stole the horses. A battle broke out between the families, many lives were lost. But the most were the ancestors of the stranger. The stranger's ancestors would not survive if the fighting continued, so suddenly the stranger's ancestors moved away. The feud almost forgotten, but for the Millberries it was as though nothing happened.

In this instance I think a fleeting smile is a pity smile because, of the feud mentioned before. Also I think its a pity smile because the stranger could be planning something so dreadful and awful that he feels bad for the poor Mr. Millberry.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

Julia

4/26/2016 04:16:52 pm

Dear class,
Based on the paragraph, I think that later in the story, the person that the mysterious man mentioned will come back later in the story. I think this because the stranger mentioned someone, but he never said who. This sparks readers interest, and makes them want to find out who the person is, which is why I think it will be revealed. I think that person will tie into the later plot, possibly the climax. I also think that it will be a very important character. Lastly, I think that this character will have some relation to Mr. Millberry because the mysterious man came to the Millberry residence. Those are the reasons why I think that the person that the mystery man mentioned will come back later in the story.
Sincerely,
Julia

Ms. Kimball

5/1/2016 09:01:20 pm

Dear Julia,

Good job thinking about the structure of the story, such as the climax, when making your prediction. I have a question for you. What happens if the person that the stranger was looking for was Mr. Millberry? Maybe the stranger was just checking our Mr. Millberry's home in order to confirm that he lived there, and then plans on doing something to him later. How would that change your prediction?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Julia

5/2/2016 07:37:02 am

Dear Ms Kimball,
If the stranger was looking for Mr Millberry, then my prediction would have been this: I think that the stranger will return to Mr. Millberry's house, possibly to explain why he is here and why he is looking for Mr. Millberry. If the stranger is evil, maybe he will even kidnap Mr. Millberry! I don't have proof of that yet, but that is another prediction. Thank you for the feedback!

Ben

4/26/2016 05:42:25 pm

Dear 5K,
sorry that I read the directions wrong. I think that in the story the stranger will tell us who he is looking for. For example it says "After an awkward moment, the stranger slowly said, “I’m looking for someone,” but he didn’t say who. Then, with a small, fleeting smile, the stranger turned around and walked down the gravel road without another word to the puzzled Mr. Millberry."
Also I think that the stranger had a weird smile was because maybe the person he was looking for was someone in his family. I think this because he said "I'm looking for someone, but he didn't say who." also he walked away without saying anything else. Weird and freaky!
Sincerely
Ben

Ms. Kimball

5/1/2016 09:05:54 pm

Dear Ben,

I'm hoping you can elaborate more on your prediction. You said that, "the stranger will tell us who he is looking for." You also said, "maybe... he was looking for was someone in [Mr. Millberry's] family." Can you explain what the stranger might want based on some of the details about him?

Also, what happens if the stranger was looking for Mr. Millberry himself but didn't want Mr. Millberry to know about him yet? What would you predict then?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Ben

5/4/2016 05:31:09 pm

Dear Ms Kimball,
thank you so much for the feed back. sorry I didn't elaborate more. What I think that the stranger is looking for is someone in his family. Maybe he wants to meat them or maybe he was wondering if the other guy knew who he was looking for but the the stranger saw the time and left.
I would predict that maybe he didn't think that it was the right moment. Or he didn't know how to say it.
Sincerely,
Ben

Tal

4/26/2016 06:14:07 pm

Hi Ms. Kimball,
WOW! I just read Tuck Everlasting (which you recomended for me last year, but I was to busy with other books to read), and there is a paragraph at the beginning of the story exactly like that! There was a man dressed in a yellow suit who came to the Foster's house looking for someone, but he wouldn't tell who. I agree with Elizabeth that maybe he is looking for one of the man's children, though I don't understand the part about a fleeting smile being like a pity smile. Maybe that is true, but why would the crisply dressed man be pitying the other guy? Oh! I get it now!
-Tal (remember me?) :)

Ms. Kimball

4/27/2016 09:25:53 pm

Hi Tal,

Haha, great connection to Tuck Everlasting! You are right! I actually was inspired by that paragraph about the stranger going to the Foster's farm and "looking for someone" without saying whom. I used it as the starting point for my own paragraph. You caught me :-)

I agree that a "fleeting smile" doesn't imply pity. Something that is "fleeting" is not long-lasting, so I'm curious to hear what else people think it implies.

Thanks for writing!
Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Whitney

4/27/2016 06:53:58 am

Dear Class,
I think that the stranger knew Mr. Millberry from past experiences and was looking for him. I think this because When Mr. Millberry was looking at the stranger, he said that the blue eyes looked familiar. I take this to mean that he knew him from somewhere, but couldn't quite place him. I think that the man will come back, and finally explain himself. Another reason that I think Mr. Millberry knew this man but didn't recognize him is, the stranger walked away. I think that the stranger realized that Mr. Millberry didn't recognize him, and just walked away. That is also why I think he will come back. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Whitney

Ms. Kimball

5/1/2016 09:08:59 pm

Dear Whitney,

Good job thinking analytically. You wrote, "I think that the stranger realized that Mr. Millberry didn't recognize him, and just walked away." Do you think the stranger wanted or expected Mr. Millberry to recognize him? If they did know each other in the past, what kind of relationship might they have had? Is there any other way a person you don't know could be familiar and be connected to your past?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Whitney

5/2/2016 07:03:40 am

Dear Ms. Kimball,
I think that the stranger expected Mr. Millberry to notice him, maybe because they knew each other when they were younger. One way a person you don't know could look familiar is they could be a relative that you've never met or heard of. This way, you could see little parts of you or someone you know in them, without ever actually meeting them. So that could be a possibility. Thanks for responding to my comment!
Sincerely,
Whitney

Trisha

4/27/2016 05:32:32 pm

Dear Class,
I think that the stranger will come again in the story. I think so because why would a stranger show up at Mr. Millberry's house and not come back again if he's looking for someone. Also, I think that the stranger will come back to get someone. Probably a child of Mr. Millberry's. I think so because why would the author (or Ms.Kimball) mention what Mr.Millberry has 7 children if it wasn't an important fact.
I also think that the stranger is a more wealthy person. I think so because in the text, the stranger is described as "well dressed". So the stranger might want something to do with the money and a child of Mr.Millberry's.
Sincerely,
Trisha

Ms. Kimball

5/2/2016 01:11:40 pm

Dear Trisha,

Good job backing up your theories with specific details from the text. I agree that some of the details, such as "well-dressed," have a special meaning, possibly implying wealth. What do you think a wealthy stranger might want with Mr. Millberry or his family? Do you think the stranger is bad guy up to no good? Or do you think he's a good guy wanting something positive?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Trisha

5/4/2016 07:53:46 pm

Dear Ms.Kimball,
Thank you for your feedback. I think the stranger might want a kid to make money from the kid or, he's a wealthy person who doesn't want to do anything and wants a child as a Slave type of person. I do think the stranger is up to no good, trying to get a child slave and since Mr.Millberry is probably tired with seven kids, he won't notice. Therefore he is up to no good.
Sincerely,
Trisha

Caitlin

4/27/2016 07:48:32 pm

Dear Class,
I think that the stranger will probably find the someone he is looking for. I also think that this stranger is looking for someone from Mr. Millberry's family. One piece of foreshadowing I found to support my prediction is, that the stranger was dressed crisply. That means that the stranger did not just happen to walk pass Mr. Millbery's. But that he was planning to go by Mr. Millberry's house. Then the part when the stranger says that he is looking for someone, which makes me think that the person the stranger is looking for is probably a kid of Mr. Millberry. Then the stranger adds the smile because I think the stranger thinks that it is funny that Mr. Millberry has no idea that he might be coming after one of his loved ones.

One reason that also made me think that one of Mr. Millberry loved ones because it says that Mr. Millberry is a poor and humble father. The poor part makes me think that something bad will happen to Mr. Millberry. And getting a loved one taken away from him might just be that bad thing.
Sincerely,
Caitlin

Ms. Kimball

5/2/2016 09:29:53 pm

Dear Caitlin,

I like how you analyzed so many details from the paragraph, especially the stranger's smile. You really thought about how every word has a potential meaning for the future of the story.

Why do you think the stranger wants to take away one of Mr. Millberry's children? Was there something about the stranger that you think implies that he is up to no good? What if the stranger is a good person? How might that change your prediction?

I look forward to hearing your response!
Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Caitlin

5/5/2016 06:58:04 am

Dear Ms. Kimball,
I think the stranger wanted to take away one of his children because in the paragraph it said poor father. Then the part about the strange man. It made me think that something was going to happen to his children.

Something that I think that implies that the stranger was up to no good was when he said I am looking for someone. I imagined him saying the I am looking for someone, very creepily. The stranger was wearing well dressed clothe and saying that he was looking for someone but did not say who he was looking for ,made me think that he said that he is looking for somebody in a creepy voice.

If the stranger was a good person, then I do not think he would be trying to go after Mr. Millberrys kids. I think that the stranger could just be a relative that he had not seen in a long time. And when he saw Mr. Millberry maybe he recognized he was the one he was looking for. So then he forgot what he was going to say. Then the part about the stranger's eyes looking familiar. The stranger might had seen that little recognizement in the stranger but then was off.

Thank you so much for your great questions and feedback!

Sincerely,
Caitlin

August

4/27/2016 08:03:47 pm

Dear Class,

I think the man will find the person. I think the person will be one of Mr. Millberry kids, I think this because the paragraph said "father of seven kids." It could have just said many kids, but instead it had to be clear that he had seven kids.

The stranger also had a "small, fleeting smile" the text made his smell sound mysterious. So that makes me think something tragic is going to happen in the future.

Sincerely,
August

Ms. Kimball

5/2/2016 09:44:26 pm

Dear August,

Thanks for your theories. One thing first: when you wrote, "the text made his smell sound mysterious," I'm assuming you meant his "smile," not his "smell."

You say because the stranger smiled a mysterious smile that something "tragic" will happen. Why do you think a person's smile is so suspicious that it could hint at tragedy? Is there any evidence that implies the stranger is a bad person?

What happens if the stranger is a good person? How would that change your prediction?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Liana

4/27/2016 08:49:53 pm

Dear class,
I think that the well dressed person is definitely a shady person, and I think he's up to something that might have to do with Mr. Millberry's family. My evidence is that for one thing, the stranger said he's looking for something, but he wouldn't say who. I find that very suspicious, like he wants his work to be secret. Also at the end it says that the man walked away without another word, and that sounds like he's defineltly up to something, but doesn't want people to find out what it is. The reason I think the stranger is up to something that has to do with Mr. Millberry's family, is that for one thing, he was at Mr. Millberry's farm, and Mr. Millberry thought that the stranger's eyes looked familiar, but he couldn't recognize who this man is. So I think that this stranger knows their family, and is planning something. And it might not be a good something.
Sincerely,
Liana

Ms. Kimball

5/2/2016 09:49:41 pm

Dear Liana,

Good job explaining your thinking by referring to the specific details in the text. I agree that the stranger's actions and words are a bit suspicious. I like how you related the stranger's limited talk to being secretive.

What happens if I told you that the stranger is not up to trouble? Try rereading the paragraph as if you know that the stranger is a good person. How would that change your prediction? Can you imagine why the stranger would act so, well, strangely to Mr. Millberry if he actually had good intentions?

I look forward to hearing your response!
Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Liana

5/3/2016 06:32:07 pm

Dear Ms.Kimball,
Thank you for your compliment! After I read the paragraph, knowing that the stranger is not up to trouble, my prediction would be that the stranger was looking for someone, because they scheduled to see each other, but the stranger forgot what their address was, so he was going the wrong direction. Mr.Millberry thought he recognized the man, because he might have seen him somewhere. The stranger might have been acting like he was, because he was already starting to be late, and he had to leave quickly.
Sincerely,
Liana

Emily

4/28/2016 03:46:57 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
I think the stranger in the beginning on the story will come back. I think that because he mentioned someone without saying who or what the name was.Also why did the stranger show up at the farm,did he need anything? Did he need directions? But he ended up just walking on the streets close to the farm. i also think that the "someone," was one of Mr. Millberry's kids because it was explicitly stated that he had seven kids.I think that because he would of just said a lot of kids or many.

Sincerely,
Emily

Ms. Kimball

5/2/2016 09:57:57 pm

Dear Emily,

It sounds like you are as puzzled about the stranger as Mr. Millberry was! You say that the stranger was looking for "one of Mr. Millberry's kids because it was explicitly stated that he had seven kids." I agree that it was explicitly stated, but I don't see a strong connection between that fact and the stranger.

What are some other details about the stranger and about Mr. Millberry from the paragraph that might provide clues to the future? Read it again more carefully and look for specific details that stand out.

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Emily

5/4/2016 08:59:29 pm

Dear Ms.Kimball

I re-read the paragraph so I think that the Stanger may have been his best friend in collage or maybe his cousin. I think that because he was acting like it was Mr. Millbury and I think it was. Mr. Millbury didn't really know who the stranger was looking for when the stranger was actually looking for Mr. Millbury but kept it hidden. Also it said the stranger gave Mr. Millbury a "fleeting" smile. So he is thinking "Ummm don't you remember me?"
sincerely,
Emily

Tommy

4/28/2016 04:11:34 pm

Dear class,

I think a hint of foreshadowing in the text implies that Mr. Millberry knows the stranger. I think that because a small hint from the text said "The strangers blue eyes seemed familiar to Mr. Millberry, but he could not recognize the man." That implies that Mr. Millberry could know the man, but didn't recognize him at first.

Another hint of foreshadowing in the text is that the stranger might have been looking for one of Mr. Millberry's children. I think that because in the text is says he is a father of seven children. That implies that there is a pretty good chance that The stranger was looking for one of Mr. Millberrys children.

Sincerely, Tommy

Ms. Kimball

5/3/2016 06:42:55 pm

Dear Tommy,

Good job explicitly explaining some examples of foreshadowing. There are some additional hints in the text about the stranger that I would like you to think about. What else can you infer about the stranger from the details about him? Is there any hint that he is up to trouble?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Tommy

5/5/2016 03:47:02 pm

Dear Mrs.Kimball,

When we talked about the blog in class on Tuesday, I noticed that Cordys prediction might have been correct. The Stranger could have been Mr. Millberry's long lost brother because he might have been trying to surprise him. Then he settled on a small, fleeting smile and walked away when Mr. Millberry rejected him. Also, after looking at the blog in class, I feel that Mr. Millberry could not be in trouble with the man looking sad.

Sincerely, Tommy

Maggie

4/28/2016 04:50:13 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
I think that the well dressed stranger is going to show up in the future and is going to be a bad person.I believe this because the stranger gave him a "small fleeting smile...." and as a person that says goodbye to people, when say goodbye to someone I know I'll see again, I smile.
Another reason that I think the stranger is bad and is going to show up again is that it said that "the strangers blue eyes were familiar to Mr. Millberry" so that means that the Mr. Millberry has probably met the stranger before. This also means that he probably put the stranger out of his mind because it says "but he didn't recognize the man." This means that he didn't want the stranger to be in his mind.
From,
Maggie

Ms. Kimball

5/3/2016 06:48:28 pm

Dear Maggie,

You made an interesting prediction that the stranger is a bad person. However, the evidence you provided to support that theory doesn't necessarily imply that he is bad, at least to me. I usually don't relate small smiles and being vaguely familiar to someone with being bad. If you believe so, can you explain more?

Read the paragraph again, this time with the idea that the stranger is a good person. Sure, he may be mysterious. But mysterious doesn't always mean "bad." Does your prediction about the stranger change if you approach the text with a more open mind?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Maggie

5/5/2016 04:57:09 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
Thank you for responding You are very persuasive Ms. Kimball. I have now been persuaded by you that the stranger is not bad.
I reread the paragraph and I think that the stranger was looking for Ms. Millberry. I think this is because It never mentions Ms. Millberry and Mr. Millberry is divorced and that is why he so poor.
From,
Maggie

Anthony

4/28/2016 05:54:46 pm

Dear Ms Kimball,
I deeply enjoyed this paragraph. It was very shady. What I think that ill happen later in the story is that the stranger will come back. He has a very interesting smile that looks evil. But the weirdest thing is that Mr Millberry thought he looked familiar, but he couldn't quite recognize the stranger. To prove that the stranger will come back later in the story, the text says," ....the stranger slowly said, ' I'm looking for someone,' but he didn't say who. Then, with a small, fleeting smile..." I think that the stranger will come back to look for this "person" because I have a strange feeling his smile says so otherwise.
Sincerely,
Anthony

Ms. Kimball

5/3/2016 06:52:20 pm

Dear Anthony,

I was surprised that you jumped to the idea that the stranger might be evil. You wrote, "[The stranger] has a very interesting smile that looks evil." Did you look up the meaning of the word "fleeting," which describes the smile? I am wondering if you confused that word with some other meaning.

What are some other details in the text about the stranger that could be used to infer more about him?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Anthony

5/4/2016 04:38:24 pm

Dear Ms Kimball,
I looked up the word fleeting in the dictionary and it said that it meant a smile that did not last very long. I took this fleeting smile and thought it was an evil grin of some sort. And yes, I think I did get that word confused with another word.
To answer the other question of yours, I think that I can infer something else based on the text. When the text said that the stranger stood there for an awkward moment. I think he did that because he wanted Mr MIllberry to know who the stranger is, but I guess Mr Millberry had trouble knowing who this strange man is. Thank you for the feedback, Ms K, I really appreciate it.

Sincerely,
Anthony

Kate

4/28/2016 06:51:53 pm

Dear Mrs. Kimball,

I think that the stranger is a very mysterious person. I think this because the stranger told Mr. Millberry that he was looking for someone, but then didn't say who, and then left. This makes the stranger mysterious because how is someone supposed to help find some one if the person who asked them didn't say who. I think that the stranger knows Mr. Millberry's family and is trying to plan something bad to do to them. I think this because it reads "with a small, fleeting smile, the stranger turned around and walked down the gravel road without another word", a fleeting smile s usually a very quick smile because the person wants to get out of wherever he is.

Sincerely,
Kate

Ms. Kimball

5/3/2016 06:58:10 pm

Dear Kate,

I agree that the stranger is definitely a mysterious person in this paragraph. Many students predicted that the stranger was going to be a bad person, but few students explained how they interpreted the details in the text to mean he was a bad guy. I like how you analyzed the word "fleeting" as "very quick... because the person wants to get out of wherever he is." That is a good point to make.

There are some other details about the stranger in the text that could be clues to what will happen later. Can you find any other hints about the stranger that may be important to remember?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Kate

5/4/2016 08:41:18 pm

Dear, Mrs. Kimball,

The line" just happened to be strolling down his dirt driveway to retrieve his mail". This makes me also think that the stranger because why would someone get another persons mail if they didn't know each other.

Sinceraly, Kate

Ryan

4/28/2016 07:23:40 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
My prediction is that Mr. Millberry and the stranger know each other, and will meet again, but Mr. Millberry doesn't recognize him yet. I made my prediction as in the text it states "The stranger's blue eyes seemed familiar to Mr. Millberry". This means Mr. Millberry recognizes him, but still is unsure of who he is. My second piece of evidence is, in the text it states "with a small, fleeting smile". This means that the stranger knows something that Mr. Millberry doesn't know. In conclusion, I think they will meet again because of the stranger's familiar blue eyes, and his fleeting smile.

Sincerely,
Ryan

Ms. Kimball

5/3/2016 07:02:56 pm

Dear Ryan,

Good use of quotes from the text to support your points. I like how you inferred that, "the stranger knows something that Mr. Millberry doesn't know," based on the stranger's smile. That is probably true!

There are a couple of details in the text about the stranger's clothing. I assume that when something is repeated, it must be important. What might those details imply about the stranger? Also, how do those details compare to what we know about Mr. Millberry?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Ryan

5/4/2016 01:34:32 pm

Dear Ms Kimball,
In the text it states "a well dressed stranger". This is probably implying that the stranger is wealthy and has lots a money. Also it says that the stranger has a crisp suit jacket. Usually a poor man would not have a crisp suit jacket and cannot afford a dry cleaner. These details compare the life of Mr Millberry as he is poor, and is a father of seven kids, meaning he must be very tired.

Sincerely,
Ryan

Jansyn

4/28/2016 11:03:16 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball
My prodiction is that the stranger is looking for a person but I think the person is one of Mr. Millberrys 7 kids. I think this beacuse why would he just walk to any house and say " I'm looking for someone " when someone asks you can I help you. Another reason I think it's one of the 7 kids is beacuse the stranger just saw someone and it ended up being one of the kids and he probably said were do you live and they probably answered so maybe that's how he got to that house. My last reason is the stranger just is a kidnapper and saw the Kansas dos and now he is trying to find them.
From Jansyn
To Ms. Kimball

Ms. Kimball

5/3/2016 08:54:28 pm

Dear Jansyn,

Wow! What an interesting prediction. So you think the stranger is a kidnapper? Although that sounds pretty wild, the way you explained it actually sounds reasonable. However, you didn't back it up with enough evidence from the text. I agree that the stranger sounds very mysterious, but what other details about him make him seem like a potential kidnapper to you?

Did you notice the details about how the stranger dressed? What do you think that says about him?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Jansyn

5/5/2016 08:52:31 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball
I also thought he was mysterious because of his cloths but I don't think there is any other mysterious reasons like there might not be enough foreshadowing.

From
Jansyn

DeAngi

4/29/2016 06:54:37 am

Dear class,

I think the man with the crisp suit jacket is a person who remembers what Mr. Millberry has done to him in the past. He want's to take revenge, and the revenge is is someone in his family. My evidence for that is, the stranger had blue eyes that Mr. Millberry remembers. This was ,most definitely, from a long time ago. He also said I am looking for someone but it didn't say who. That is where I thought he is looking for someone in the family. Then, (Ms.Kimball said) he had a fleeting smile. The definition of fleeting is: "lasting for a very short time." If his smile is for a short time, I would think he is plotting something.

Sincerely,

DeAngi

Ms. Kimball

5/3/2016 09:05:42 pm

Dear DeAngi,

Interesting prediction! Many students thought that the stranger was a bad guy or trying to go after one of Mr. Millberry's children, but you're the only one who went far enough to suspect revenge. Even though your theory seems a little wild, you explained it very reasonably with evidence from the text. Good job!

I like how you related the "fleeting smile" to "plotting something." I never thought of it that way, but I can see how it makes sense, especially if you view the stranger as being up to no good.

What happens to your prediction if I told you that the stranger wasn't a bad guy and that he was actually was looking for Mr. Millberry? When you reread the paragraph knowing that, what do you think of all the little clues about the stranger?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

P.S. Great job on this blog, DeAngi! It was very coherent and easy to follow. I would say it's your best yet!

Cordy

4/29/2016 07:41:16 am

Dear class,
I think the stranger will find the person he's looking for. That person he is looking for might be Mr. Millberry.I think this because in the text it said "The strangers blue eyes seemed familiar to Mr. Millberry." That could mean they where brothers along ago, but they got separated from each other.

Sincerely,
Cordy

Ms. Kimball

5/3/2016 09:10:12 pm

Dear Cordy,

Wow! Interesting prediction! Most of the class thought that the stranger was looking for one of Mr. Millberry's children. You're the only one who inferred that he was looking for Mr. Millberry himself. Good use of a quote to support your thinking, and good job explaining it in more detail.

I like how you guessed that the stranger and Mr. Millberry could be related, though separated long ago, based on the familiar eyes. There are some other details about the stranger in the text. What else can you infer about the stranger from the hints in the paragraph?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Cordy

5/4/2016 08:35:03 pm

Dear Ms.Kimball
I can infer that the stranger is well dressed. Know this because in the text you wrote you said "The stranger put his hand in the pocket of the crisp suit jacket he was wearing". So since the stranger was so well dressed he could be rich.
Sincerely,
Cordy

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Ms. Kimball's Grade 5 At Pine Hill, 2015-2016

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Reading Response #16

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Reading Response Blog​For​Ms. Kimball's Grade 5 At Pine Hill, 2015-2016

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Automation Setup

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Ms. Kimball's Grade 5 At Pine Hill, 2015-2016