Out of My Mind
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Click the link to be directed to Sharon Draper's personal web page
Sharon Draper, the author of "Out of My Mind", was born on August 21, 1952 in Cleveland, Ohio, and is a professional teacher and a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King award. She is best known for her works of "Out of My Mind", "Copper Sun", "Double Dutch", and The Jericho Trilogy. She decided to become an author when she won first prize in a literary contest and was awarded $5000. Sharon did not get inspired by an actual story, but she knew how talented she was when she won $5000 dollars in one contest. Sharon Draper is now 61 years old, and still is a #1 New York Times bestselling author.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy, aka (CP) is a disease of motor conditions that cause some people to have multiple disabilities in different parts of the body, commonly the brain. Cerebral Palsy can be different for everyone diagnosed with it. In the story "Out of My Mind" Melody has different disabilities, such as muteness, and "tornado explosions" (pg. 29) as Melody likes to call them. They are reactions that make kids lose self-control of their body. Cerebral comes from the word cerebrum, which is the part of the brain which is affected by the disease. Palsy comes from the word paralysis, but it has no meaning to the disease. Cerebral palsy can occur any time. Even before the child is born, it could happen. Doctors have not yet found a cure for this common disease, and the pressure is on to find one, because there have been slight rises in the number of children who have been born with it since 2009.
Cerebral Palsy, aka (CP) is a disease of motor conditions that cause some people to have multiple disabilities in different parts of the body, commonly the brain. Cerebral Palsy can be different for everyone diagnosed with it. In the story "Out of My Mind" Melody has different disabilities, such as muteness, and "tornado explosions" (pg. 29) as Melody likes to call them. They are reactions that make kids lose self-control of their body. Cerebral comes from the word cerebrum, which is the part of the brain which is affected by the disease. Palsy comes from the word paralysis, but it has no meaning to the disease. Cerebral palsy can occur any time. Even before the child is born, it could happen. Doctors have not yet found a cure for this common disease, and the pressure is on to find one, because there have been slight rises in the number of children who have been born with it since 2009.
Stephen Hawking
Stephen William Hawking was born on January 8, 1942 in Oxford, England, and a few years after his 21st birthday, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, aka ALS. ALS is a brain and spinal disease that causes muscle weakness and paralyzation. At first, his doctors thought he had another disease, MS, but there was no medicine for that back then, and he was glad he didn't have it. Unlike Melody's Cerebral Palsy, ALS is a disease that cripples the entire body, not just the legs or brain. And in "Out of My Mind" Melody used paper with mom's writing on it to communicate, and Stephen Hawking has a computer with a speaking app that he can use for communication. There are many different crippling diseases, such as Down syndrome, ALS, Cerebral Palsy, etc, and there are different symptoms for everyone with them, such as my aunt, who has Down syndrome, and Stephen Hawking and Melody, but it doesn't mean that they are too ignorant to fit in. everyone is different, but in a way we are all the same.
Stephen William Hawking was born on January 8, 1942 in Oxford, England, and a few years after his 21st birthday, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, aka ALS. ALS is a brain and spinal disease that causes muscle weakness and paralyzation. At first, his doctors thought he had another disease, MS, but there was no medicine for that back then, and he was glad he didn't have it. Unlike Melody's Cerebral Palsy, ALS is a disease that cripples the entire body, not just the legs or brain. And in "Out of My Mind" Melody used paper with mom's writing on it to communicate, and Stephen Hawking has a computer with a speaking app that he can use for communication. There are many different crippling diseases, such as Down syndrome, ALS, Cerebral Palsy, etc, and there are different symptoms for everyone with them, such as my aunt, who has Down syndrome, and Stephen Hawking and Melody, but it doesn't mean that they are too ignorant to fit in. everyone is different, but in a way we are all the same.
Down Syndrome in the Classroom
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Down Syndrome is a disability that affects some parts of the brain, and it can lead to multiple things later on in the person's life. My aunt, Shauna has Down Syndrome, and she goes to a place for people with it, called ARC. My grandmother takes her to a doctor every once in a while, and recently, she was told that eventually Shauna would get alzheimer's, and some of her memory about her family, and herself would fade. Also, my mother grew up with her, and Shauna cannot speak clearly, which is caused because people with Down Syndrome have large tongues, and small teeth, so you have to listen very closely when they speak. My mother teaches me and my sister a lot about her and this disability, and how one unusual thing about her is caused by it. This disability affects children in the classroom because when they may be asked something, the teachers usually cannot understand. One resource for children at school with this disability is: http://www.parents.com/health/down-syndrome/down-syndrome-resources/ and this site also teaches how to raise a child diagnosed with this disability. Children with Down Syndrome are commonly homeschooled, because like other disabilities such as ALS, ADD, or Dyslexia, most children with it have a hard time learning things when they have these many side effects. In "Out of My Mind", Melody knew how to listen closely to what her classmates said, even though it wasn't so clear, and she knew how it felt to have something trapped inside of her for her entire life. Even though people like this sometimes cannot tell people some things, they express their love in different ways, and we try to do the same.
One Tough Cookie
In the "One Tough Cookie" video, Hannah has Cerebral Palsy, like Melody in "Out of My Mind". The disability affects them in some similar ways, and some different ones.
Similarities
1.) Both Melody and Hannah can barely move, so they have to have people to take care of them 24/7. 2.) Both go to school. 3.) Both have to go to a care-taker's home after school. But a difference is to the right. 4.) Both are intelligent on the inside, but some people can't see it. |
Differences
1.) Melody gets made fun of more at school. 2.) Hannah has a lift, but Melody has the Medi-talker. 3.) Melody goes to Mrs. V's home, but Hannah goes to her nanny's home. 4.) Melody and Hannah both express their love for their families in different ways. |
SSR Special Education:
SSR is a methodology for children with learning disabilities. SSR, aka SPED is formed how many common disabilities are. Usually it is when a baby has not been born yet, and when the mother does not eat healthy. SSR is not a crippling disability, only a small disability that makes it hard for some people to learn and do things on their own. All disabilities come with a common side effect as the person ages, called alzheimer's, which causes the person's memory to fade over time. For example, people with alzheimer's sometimes go for walks, but cannot remember how to get home, so they keep walking. Disabilities lead to different effects later on in life, and there is nothing that doctors can do to cure them, but even though this happens, God loves all his children the same, and we should too.
SSR is a methodology for children with learning disabilities. SSR, aka SPED is formed how many common disabilities are. Usually it is when a baby has not been born yet, and when the mother does not eat healthy. SSR is not a crippling disability, only a small disability that makes it hard for some people to learn and do things on their own. All disabilities come with a common side effect as the person ages, called alzheimer's, which causes the person's memory to fade over time. For example, people with alzheimer's sometimes go for walks, but cannot remember how to get home, so they keep walking. Disabilities lead to different effects later on in life, and there is nothing that doctors can do to cure them, but even though this happens, God loves all his children the same, and we should too.
Chapter 1-8 Summary
In chapters one through eight in Sharon Draper's "Out of My Mind", the protagonist is Melody. Melody is the protagonist because the story is mostly about her, what she can and cannot do, and photographic memories of smells, activities, etc. Her disability, Cerebral Palsy, cripples almost her entire body, but mostly her brain, and because of this, she cannot fully control her body, and she cannot communicate with others. For example, Melody and her mother went grocery shopping, and Melody saw a toy that she saw in a commercial, saying that "several children had been hospitalized with led-poisoning," (pg.30) but they were still on the shelf. When Melody loses her self-control, she has severe reactions she likes to call "tornado explosions" (pg.29) and they can be caused by annoyance, sadness, anger, etc. When Mom thought that Melody wanted the toy, she said no, but then Melody exploded, and started to cry afterwards, because no one knew what Melody wanted to say, or what she was thinking of. Melody's world seems to her as if there was no point of her to have life if she was like this, but everyone has a purpose in life, and you have to go looking for it.
In chapters one through eight in Sharon Draper's "Out of My Mind", the protagonist is Melody. Melody is the protagonist because the story is mostly about her, what she can and cannot do, and photographic memories of smells, activities, etc. Her disability, Cerebral Palsy, cripples almost her entire body, but mostly her brain, and because of this, she cannot fully control her body, and she cannot communicate with others. For example, Melody and her mother went grocery shopping, and Melody saw a toy that she saw in a commercial, saying that "several children had been hospitalized with led-poisoning," (pg.30) but they were still on the shelf. When Melody loses her self-control, she has severe reactions she likes to call "tornado explosions" (pg.29) and they can be caused by annoyance, sadness, anger, etc. When Mom thought that Melody wanted the toy, she said no, but then Melody exploded, and started to cry afterwards, because no one knew what Melody wanted to say, or what she was thinking of. Melody's world seems to her as if there was no point of her to have life if she was like this, but everyone has a purpose in life, and you have to go looking for it.
Chapter 9-18 Summary
In chapters nine through eighteen in Sharon Draper's "Out of My Mind", Melody is beginning to think bigger about herself, and that she is who she is, and there is nothing wrong about it. She has a special helper named Mrs. Valencia, aka Mrs. V, who helps her learn to do things on her own, such as bracing herself when she falls off of her wheelchair, or even to prevent herself from falling off of her wheelchair. "Mrs. V is well, like a tree, and my mom is a twig next to her." (Pg.64) Unlike Melody's teachers from H-5, Mrs. V sees potential in Melody, and thinks she is very intelligent and loyal. " 'All kids are special,' Mrs. V had replied with authority 'but this one has hidden superpowers.' " (Pg.66) And even if Melody hasn't uncovered her superpowers yet, they will come to her.
In chapters nine through eighteen in Sharon Draper's "Out of My Mind", Melody is beginning to think bigger about herself, and that she is who she is, and there is nothing wrong about it. She has a special helper named Mrs. Valencia, aka Mrs. V, who helps her learn to do things on her own, such as bracing herself when she falls off of her wheelchair, or even to prevent herself from falling off of her wheelchair. "Mrs. V is well, like a tree, and my mom is a twig next to her." (Pg.64) Unlike Melody's teachers from H-5, Mrs. V sees potential in Melody, and thinks she is very intelligent and loyal. " 'All kids are special,' Mrs. V had replied with authority 'but this one has hidden superpowers.' " (Pg.66) And even if Melody hasn't uncovered her superpowers yet, they will come to her.
Out of My Mind Conflict:
Man vs. Self
Melody gets frustrated with herself because she cannot express her feelings and thoughts to other people. When she gets too angry of this, her "tornado explosions" (pg. 29) take over her entire self control. This makes it hard for Melody to be in school, because she can get very mad when kids like Claire and Molly make fun of her, and never even know what her and the H-5 kids are thinking about. And it didn't surprise anyone when Claire said “I’m not trying to be mean—honest—but it just never occurred to me that Melody had thoughts in her head.” (Pg.212). In summary, the conflict of "Out of My Mind" is Man vs. Self, because Melody needs to fight herself from getting angry about kids making fun of her for being the odd one out.
Man vs. Self
Melody gets frustrated with herself because she cannot express her feelings and thoughts to other people. When she gets too angry of this, her "tornado explosions" (pg. 29) take over her entire self control. This makes it hard for Melody to be in school, because she can get very mad when kids like Claire and Molly make fun of her, and never even know what her and the H-5 kids are thinking about. And it didn't surprise anyone when Claire said “I’m not trying to be mean—honest—but it just never occurred to me that Melody had thoughts in her head.” (Pg.212). In summary, the conflict of "Out of My Mind" is Man vs. Self, because Melody needs to fight herself from getting angry about kids making fun of her for being the odd one out.
Radio vs. Out of My Mind
Differences:
1.) James/Radio was never diagnosed with a disability. 2.) James can talk, walk, and take care of himself. 3.) When Claire and Molly made fun of Melody, they just acted like disabled kids. When Johnny and some other football players made fun of James, they taped his hands and legs together and locked him in the supply shed. 4.) Coach makes the football team respect James, and the teachers make the school respect Melody and the H-5 students. |
Similarities:
1.) Both Melody's and James' mother work at a hospital. 2.) Both Melody and James like to listen to music. 3.) Both Melody and James have people who think they have great potential. 4.) Both Melody and James have nicknames, "Mello-Yellow" and "Radio". |