CHARACTER TRAITS
Dyamonde really wants a pair of red high-top sneakers and does not give up easily when she wants something. Which character trait does this show?
Determined or persistent
How does Dyamonde feel when she sees Tameeka's new high-top sneakers?
She feels excited and jealous.
What does Dyamonde want at the beginning of the story?
She wants a pair of red high-top sneakers.
At the beginning of the story, what does Dyamonde think she needs?
She thinks she needs the red high-top sneakers.
What does Dyamonde want that starts the main problem in the story?
She wants expensive red high-top sneakers.
Dyamonde tells her mother that she needs to buy the very expensive sneakers she really wants, and it is a mother's job to provide for her daughter. What trait does this show about Dyamonde?
She can be demanding or stubborn.
How does Dyamonde feel when her mother takes almost all of her clothes away?
She feels angry, frustrated, and upset.
What lesson does Mrs. Daniel want Dyamonde to learn when she removes most of the clothes from her closet?
She wants Dyamonde to understand the difference between what she needs and what she wants.
How does Dyamonde feel about her mother's decision to take away most of her clothes?
She is angry, frustrated, and unhappy.
What problem does Dyamonde create when she tells her mother that she needs the sneakers?
Her mother decides to teach her a lesson by taking away almost all of her clothes and leaving her with only what she needs.
After learning about Isabel's family losing their belongings in a fire, Dyamonde decides to do something to help. What character trait does this show?
She is caring, helpful, and compassionate.
Dyamonde has to wear the same outfit while her mother keeps the rest of her clothes. How does Dyamonde respond to this situation?
She becomes frustrated and embarrassed and wants her clothes back.
How does the problem with the sneakers help Dyamonde learn about wants and needs?
Her mother shows her that she can live with only the things she truly needs, such as basic clothing, instead of having everything she wants.
How does Dyamonde's thinking about clothing change after she learns about Isabel?
She begins to understand that clothing is something people may truly need, not just something to make them look fashionable.
Why does Dyamonde become upset after her mother removes most of her clothes?
She thinks her mother is being unfair and does not yet understand the lesson about wants and needs.
Dyamonde does not have money to buy things for Isabel, but she thinks of another way she can help. What does this show about Dyamonde?
She is creative, resourceful, and problem-solving.
Mrs. Cordell tells the class that Isabel's apartment was destroyed by a fire. How does Dyamonde respond to this news?
She becomes concerned about Isabel and immediately begins thinking about how she can help.
How does Isabel's situation help Dyamonde understand the lesson her mother was trying to teach her?
When Isabel's family loses everything in a fire, Dyamonde sees the difference between wanting something extra and actually needing basic things.
At first, Dyamonde wants more things for herself. By the end, she wants to help Isabel. What important change has occurred in Dyamonde?
She changes from being focused on her own wants to being concerned about someone else's needs.
What new problem does Isabel's family face?
Their apartment is destroyed by a fire, and the family loses almost everything they own.
At first, Dyamonde focuses strongly on getting something she wants. Later, she focuses on helping someone who has a much greater need. Which TWO traits describe Dyamonde at the end of the story? Explain using events from the story.
Caring/compassionate and generous/selfless.
She realizes that Isabel's family has a serious need and organizes a clothing drive instead of continuing to focus only on the sneakers she wants.
At the beginning, Dyamonde is very upset because she cannot have the sneakers she wants. Later, she learns that Isabel's family has lost everything. How does Dyamonde's response to Isabel show that her feelings have become more mature?
She realizes that her own problem is small compared with Isabel's situation. Instead of focusing on herself, she feels compassion for Isabel and takes action to help.
Which event has the greatest effect on Dyamonde's character development: seeing Tameeka's sneakers, losing most of her clothes, or learning about Isabel's family? Explain your answer.
Learning about Isabel's family has the greatest effect because it helps Dyamonde truly understand the difference between wants and needs. It also motivates her to help someone else.
Explain how Dyamonde's experiences with her mother and Isabel work together to change her.
First, her mother teaches her about needs versus wants by taking away most of her clothes. Then Isabel's family loses everything in a fire. Seeing someone who truly needs clothing helps Dyamonde understand her mother's lesson and become more generous and caring.
How does Dyamonde help solve Isabel's problem, and what does this reveal about how she has changed?
Dyamonde realizes that she has clothes she does not truly need, so she decides to help Isabel's family. She organizes a clothing drive, which grows into a school-wide effort. This shows that Dyamonde has become more compassionate, generous, and aware of other people's needs.