Character Growth
What emotion did Maya feel when watching the garden being torn down?
Her throat tightened (sadness/loss)
What was being built where Mrs. Chen's community garden used to be?
A parking garage
What was the FIRST action Maya took toward creating a new garden?
She created a petition overnight (and got 50 signatures from her building)
How long had the original garden been Maya's escape?
Answer:
Three years
What does the garden represent in the story?
Answer:
Community, nature/escape, hope, and connection in a concrete neighborhood
What skill did Maya develop that she showed at the community board meeting?
Public speaking/confidence (her voice was shaking but determined)
What was Mrs. Chen's main concern about starting a new garden?
Answer:
The lot belonged to the city and they'd never allow it
How many signatures did Maya collect in total?
Answer:
300 signatures
Where was the empty lot that became the new garden located?
Answer:
Beside the old library
What does Maya's idea 'blooming in her mind like one of Mrs. Chen's flowers' symbolize?
Answer:
Hope growing from loss, or creativity/solutions emerging from problems
How did Maya's role in the garden change from the old garden to the new one?
She went from just enjoying it to helping build it
What were TWO challenges the new garden faced once they got permission?
Answer:
The space was smaller than before and the soil needed lots of work
Name TWO people who helped Maya make her proposal stronger.
Answer:
Mr. Rodriguez (environmental science proposal) and Ms. Washington the librarian (reading circles for children)
What day of the week did neighbors gather at the original garden?
Answer:
Saturday
What is the significance of the story's title 'The Last Garden'?
Answer:
It represents the end of the old garden but also suggests it won't truly be the last - new gardens/communities can be created
What important lesson did Maya learn by the end of the story?
When something you love disappears, you can fight to create something new instead of accepting the loss
Why was the loss of the garden significant to the whole community, not just Maya?
Neighbors gathered there every Saturday, Mr. Rodriguez taught kids, the Johnson twins picked strawberries, and Mrs. Chen shared vegetables with families who needed them
What did the city grant them, and for how long?
Answer:
A one-year trial permit
How is the new garden described as being 'even better' than the old one?
Answer:
Because Maya helped build it herself (not just enjoyed it)
What does dirt under Maya's fingernails represent at the end of the story?
Answer:
Hard work, hands-on involvement, and earning something through personal effort rather than just enjoying what others created
How does Maya's transformation represent the theme 'how change happens'?
Answer:
She demonstrates that change happens one person, one idea, one small seed at a time - showing individual action can create community change
What does the destruction of the garden and building a parking garage represent about urban development?
Answer:
It shows the conflict between community needs/green spaces and development/modernization in concrete neighborhoods
List the complete sequence of actions Maya took from idea to approval (at least 5 steps).
Answer:
1) Created petition,
2) Collected signatures,
3) Spoke at community board meeting,
4) Wrote letters to mayor and council members,
5) Created proposal with helpers,
6) Received permit approval
What specific plants are mentioned in the story and what do they symbolize?
Answer:
Tomatoes (grew like rubies - value/beauty), sunflowers (stretched toward sky - growth/hope), strawberries (community sharing), and vegetables (practical help for families in need)
How does the story use the metaphor of gardening/seeds throughout to represent activism and change?
Answer:
Ideas are planted like seeds, change requires nurturing and time to grow, individual actions (seeds) can grow into community transformation, and creating change requires getting your hands dirty