Name: __________________________________________________________

Date Received: ________________________________

Period: _______________________________________
Due Date: _____________________________________

tuesdays with

Morrie
an old man, a young man;
and lifes greatest lesson

Tuesdays with Morrie #7

Chapters: _______________________

Date: _____________

Pages: _____

Summary: (What are the two most important things that happen or
the two most important ideas from this chapter?)

Word Study (pick 3)

Word

Definition

Examples/Synonyms

Non-Examples/Antonyms

1.

2.

3.

Root, Suffix, Prefix Study: de-, im-, cogWord

Definition

3 Other words that use this

prefix

Connect and Respond: Choose 1

1.
2.
3.

Love each other or perish. In what ways is this statement true? Will humans die without love?
Explain with examples to support your ideas.
Write about a family member who is distant from your or your family. What advice would you give
Mitch about how to deal with his younger brothers distance?
Do you or people you know try to detach themselves from their emotions? Describe someone you
know who tries to avoid or hide what they are really feeling. What are some common escapes from
feeling strong emotions?

The Writers Craft: Personification

Suddenly he was half-choking, the

congestion in his lungs seemingly teasing
him, jumping halfway up, then dropping
back down, stealing his breath.
1.

What is being personified in the passage

above? (Ew.)

2.

Circle the words that show that the author is

using personification.

3.

Use a thesaurus or brainstorm a list of 10

synonyms for walk.

4.

Using this list, select one of the following and

write 2-3 sentences that use personification
to give it human-like qualities. Describe it as
if it was alive.

Death
Life
Love
Jealousy
Sleep
Forgiveness
Lies

Tuesdays with Morrie #8

Chapters: _________________________

Date: _____________

Pages: _____

Summary: (What are the two most important things that happen or
the two most important ideas from this chapter?)

Word Study (pick 3)

Word

Definition

Examples/Synonyms

Non-Examples/Antonyms

1.

2.

3.

Root, Suffix, Prefix Study: anti-, spec-, disWord

Definition

3 Other words that use this

prefix

Google It!

Connect and Respond (Choose 1)

Look up one of the following famous

individuals: Angela Davis, Abbie Hoffman,
Jerry Rubin, Malcolm X, Ted Turner
1. Name: ______________________
2. Birth/death: __________________
3. Occupation(s):
political and/or social activist
entrepreneur
civil rights leader
4. Quote them. Copy down something that

1.

2.

They were embracing material things and expecting a hug

back. But it never works. Do you feel that people are too
concerned with looks and money? Can money buy happiness?
What is the relationship between happiness and money? Do
things make you happy? If so, how long does it last? What other
things make you happy?
Describe yourself as an elderly person. What do you want to have
accomplished? How will you have changed?

they said that you liked or agree with.

The Writers Craft: Diction (word choice)

Whenever I went in my life, I met people
wanting to gobble up something new.
Gobble up a new car. Gobble up a new
piece of property. Gobble up the latest toy.
1.

The author repeatedly uses the word

gobble in this passage in order to-a. create a humorous tone that uplifts
the reader
b. compare peoples desire for new
things to turkeys
c. adopt a neutral, unbiased attitude
about the subject
d. emphasize peoples greed for
materialistic things

2. Sort the following into three columns, positive,

negative and neutral: eat, attack, bite, chew,
devour, consume, peck at, inhale, nibble, pick at,
masticate, chow down, break bread, pork out, have
lunch, dine, crush, nourish oneself, scarf down

Neg.

Neutral

Pos.

3. Write two different scenes describing your bae, your family o

r a friend eating. Use positive verbs in the first.
In the second, use verbs from the negative list to describe them eating. U
nderline all verbs used.

4. Explain the effect of word choice on creating meaning. How do authors use d
iction to control and
manipulate meaning?

Tuesdays with Morrie #9

Chapters: _________________________

Date: _____________

Pages: _____

Summary: (What are the two most important things that happen or
the two most important ideas from this chapter?)

Word Study (pick 3)

Word

Definition

Examples/Synonyms

Non-Examples/Antonyms

1.

2.

3.

Root, Suffix, Prefix Study: soph

Word

Definition

Connect and Respond

1. What is your attitude about marriage and commitment? Is it different than the rest of your
generation? Why might young people be getting married later or not at all? Is this a good or bad
thing? What are the benefits to marriage? Review Morries rules for relationships on page 149.
Which is most important? Why?
2. Morrie discusses wanting to be different than his own father. In what ways do you want to be
different than your mother or father? What traits would you like to pass on to your future children?
Explain why these traits are desirable or undesirable?

Google It!
Look up one of the following: the Desana tribe, the Book of Job, The Very Thought of You by Ray Noble.
1. Explain why the author would provide these particular allusions in the novel, answering the following
questions:
1. What is significant about about the allusion you chose?
2. How does it fit into the chapters that we read?
3. How do authors use allusions to give background information to readers?

2. Write an allusion about the cycle of life. R

emember an allusion is a reference to a famous person, place,
thing, or event.

The Writers Craft: Write a Poem or Lyric

Create a blackout poem or an original poem or lyric about death, family, or love.
Select a favorite phrase or quote from the novel to use as a title. 15 line minimum.

Title: ______________________________________________________________________________
I came to love the way Morrie lit up when I entered the room. He did this for many people, I
know, but it was his special talent to make each visitor feel that the smile was unique.
Ahhhh, its my buddy, he would say when he saw me, in that foggy, high-pitched voice.
And it didnt stop with the greeting. When Morrie was with you, he was really with you. He
looked you straight in the eye, and he listened as if you were the only person in the world.
How much better would people get along if their first encounter each day were like
thisinstead of a grumble from a waitress or a bus driver or a boss? I believe in being fully
present, Morrie said. That means you should be with the person youre with. When Im
talking to you now, Mitch, I try to keep focused only on what is going on between us. I am
not thinking about something we said last week. I am not thinking of whats coming up I am
not thinking about doing another show, or about what medications Im taking. I am talking to
you. I am thinking about you. I remembered how he used to teach this idea in the Group
Process class.I had scoffed back then, thinking this was hardly a lesson plan for a university
course. Learning to pay attention? How important could that be? I now know it is more
important than almost everything they taught us in college. Morrie motioned for my hand,
and as I gave it to him, I felt a surge of guilt. Here was a man who, if he wanted, could spend
every waking moment in self-pity, feeling his body for decay, counting his breaths. So many
people with far smaller problems are so self-absorbed, their eyes glaze over if you speak for
more than thirty seconds. They already have something else in minda friend to call, a fax
to send, a lover theyre daydreaming about. They only snap back to full attention when you
finish talking, at which point they say Yeah, really and fake their way back to the moment.
Part of the problem is that everyone is in such a hurry, People havent found meaning in
their lives, so theyre running all the time looking for it. They think the next car, the next
house, the next job. Then they find those things are empty, too, and they keep running.
Once you start running, I said, its hard to slow yourself down. Not so hard,shaking his
head. Do you know what I do? When someone wave and smile. Instead of giving them the
finger, you let them go, and you smile. You know what? A lot of times they smiled back.
The truth is, I dont have to be in that much of a hurry with my car. I would rather put my
energies into people. He did this better than anyone Id ever known. Those who sat with
him saw his eyes go moist when they spoke about something horrible, or crinkle in delight
when they told him a really bad joke. He was always ready to openly display the emotion so
often missing from my baby boomer generation. We are great at small talk: But really
listening to someonewithout trying to sell them something, pick them up, recruit them, or
get some kind of status in returnhow often do we get this anymore? I believe many visitors
in the last few months of Morries life were drawn not because of the attention they wanted
to pay to him but because of the attention he paid to them. Despite his personal pain and
decay, this little old man listened the way they always wanted someone to listen. I told him
he was the father everyone wishes they had. Well, he said, closing his eyes, I have some
experience in that area

The Professor: Part Two

In the second installment of The Professor, Albom discusses Morries younger years.
Specifically, Mitch discusses Morries introduction into the working world. It becomes clear
just how much Morrie affects those around him and how involved he is in the community.
Morrie worked in a mental institution, listened compassionately to his students protests of
the Vietnam War, and most recently, enjoyed the visits from hundreds of former students.
Use the chart that follows to show how Morrie influenced various individuals. In the circle is
Morries name, and from this circle, different lines point outwards. On these lines, write who
Morrie influenced and how.