1a. What circumstances cause Mark to bring the first box of Brekkfast Brikks into his home?
2a. What action causes Mark's cutout garden to change into a life-sized garden?
3a. Whom does Mark meet inside the garden?
4a. In what ways do Rudolf and the princess themselves prevent their own reunion from occurring?
5a. This story could have ended with Rudolf and the princess living happily ever after in the garden. Do you think the ending it has is stronger or weaker than a happily-ever-after ending?
1b. Is Mark happy with his new cereal? Why, or why not?
2b. Why does Mark keep the garden a secret?
3b. Does the story provide a logical explanation for this person's ability to live in the garden? (For example, does it tell what or how she eats or how she knows that fifty years have passed?) Explain.
4b. Why do Rudolf and the princess act as they do? What character traits would you blame for Rudolf and the princess's lost opportunity?
5b. Write a final segment to "The Serial Garden," giving the story a happy ending.
Foreshadowing. What hints were given that the garden would be destroyed?
Setting. What time do you think the "real world" of this story is set in? What details give clues as to the setting?
1. Imagine that you have discovered a secret garden at the back of your closet, or through a special picture of some kind. What would it be like? Write a paragraph describing this imaginary garden, and how you discovered it.
2. Imagine that you are Princess Sophia Maria Louisa at the end of "The Serial Garden," and you are wondering why Rudolf has not yet arrived. Write a journal entry from her point of view, going over the possibilities and resigning yourself to a life without true love.
3. Imagine that the princess and Rudolf do reunite. Write the scene of their reunion as the script of a play.
Understanding Base Words and Prefixes. Many words are formed by adding prefixes to a base. Knowing what the prefix or base of a word means may help you figure out the meaning of that word. For example, if you do not know what the word multilingual means, but you know that the prefix multi means "many" and the base lingual means "of language," you can determine that multilingual means "of many languages."
The following chart shows some common prefixes, their meanings, and ways to use them. For other examples see the Language Arts Survey 1.19, "Learning Base Words, Prefixes, and Suffixes."
Rewrite each sentence using a word from the following list. Explain why the word you chose makes sense in the sentence, using what you know about prefixes.
1. Last night the producers and their guests saw the movie before its release to the public. The ________________ was well received.
2. Mark read the instructions again. In other words, he ______________ them.
3. At first I thought the new student was a snob. But when I saw how friendly he was, I realized I'd ________________ him.
4. The modern world doesn't always feel safe and secure. It is full of _______________.
5. Mark could not enter the garden now that the models were destroyed. Unless he could find more cereal boxes, it would be ______________ to reach the princess.
6. One hour after the airplane landed, the passengers _________________.
7. The manufacturer rejected the ________________ parts.
8. When I discovered my watch was missing, I ______________ my steps through the neighborhood.
9. Lotta's extensive college education made her _________________ for the job.
10. Rudi has had to ________________ many difficulties in his life.
Recognizing Adjectives and Adverbs. Adjectives modify nouns by telling specific details about them. Adverbs modify anything that isn't a namer (noun or pronoun). Adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Read the Language Arts Survey 3.65, "Modifiers." Tell whether each underlined word in the following sentences is functioning as an adjective or an adverb. Then indicate the word it modifies and tell that word's part of speech.
Example Lotta was a very *large dog. very = adverb, large = adjective
1. I want to create a beautiful garden this summer.
2. We can work together to be successful.
3. We can plant some red gardenias and orange marigolds.
4. Rose bushes look lovely in a garden.
5. The roots of certain trees grow very deep into the ground.
6. Rabbits will often eat the tender leaves of garden plants.
7. The spring rains help plants grow quickly.
8. An attractive garden can become a playground for birds.
9. Sunlight helps some plants bloom continuously.
10. I think my favorite pastime is gardening.
