Informational video on the trumpeter swan

Airline Research - chapter 18: Please work with an adult

Louis requests help from Sam Beaver, and says that he will pay Sam's plane fare. (p 170)  Do some comparative shopping.  Find out how much the plane fare is from Billings, Montana to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  How long is the flight?  Is it a non-stop flight?  Is there more than one airline servicing that area?   What was the best deal you found?

You may also want to play around with traveling at different times of the year.  Does it cost more or less to fly during the week of Thanksgiving (November 19-25) compared to the end of October?

A Night at the Ritz - chapter 15

Do you know what a celebrity is?  On page 125, the author mentions the names of celebrities who might have been seen at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in 1970, the year in which this book was published.  What are the names of some celebrities that might be seen there today?  Who would you like to meet there? Why?
The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common

Text to World - Text to Text

This is one text to world connection.  What do you think of this music?  Do you like it?  I think it's pretty cool.  I could listen to it all day.  Can you guys find any other text to text or text to world connections?

A Thieving Swan (chapter 9)

     "Make way!" shouted the owner.  He ran for the door, stepped outside, and fired another shot - bang! - at the disappearing bird.  His shot was too late.  The cob was safe in the sky, beyond the range of the gunfire.  He was headed home, toward the southwest, high above the roofs and spires of Billings.  In his beak was the trumpet.  In his heart was the pain of having committed a crime.
     "I have robbed a store," he said to himself.  "I have become a thief.  What a miserable fate for a bird of my excellent character and high ideals!  Why did I do this?  What led me to commit this awful crime?  My past life has been blameless - a model of good behavior and correct conduct.  I am by nature law-abiding.  Why, oh, why did I do this?"
      Then the answer came to him, as he flew steadily on through the evening sky.  "I did it to help my son.  I did it for love of my son Louis."


Discussion:  In real life is it acceptable to do what the cob did? To steal for the love of someone?  Please explain.

Handicapped

Think about the word handicapped.  What does it mean to you? What kind of connotation does the word  possess?  Positive, neutral, or negative?   Let's talk about this word and try to come to a consensus on its meaning.  Post your comments below.

Trumpet of the Swan: after reading chapter 5

Were you surprised by the cob's reaction to Louis?  Why or Why not?

Ultimate Animal Dads: Trumpeter Swans

Hey Readers, check out this link on Trumpeter Swans.  Do you think the cob in our story matches the description of the cobs in this video clip from Animal Planet?  What do they have in common?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnqkfglZI2Q

Trumpet of the Swan - After Reading Chapters 1-3

I can't help but think of a certain character when I hear this song.  Do you know who I'm thinking of?  And if you do, why is it a good match? And... if you listen to the second verse, why is it a bad match?

To answer the second part, you need to know about Trumpeter dads.  So you might want to click on this link...  

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnqkfglZI2Q