Invisible+Lines++by+Mary+Amato

= = = = = = = = = = = **//Invisible Lines// by Mary Amato** =

**__DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:__**

1. What’s behind Trevor’s humor? Is he just naturally a funny guy all around, or is he using humor for other purposes, such as to mask insecurities, to get attention, to cope with the hardships of his life, or to show how smart he is? What other reasons could Trevor have for constantly needing to crack jokes?

2. Do you believe it is true that students who come from poorer families and have limited personal possessions can’t be as popular and well-liked as students who have more? Why or why not?

3.Think about your favorite teacher. Now compare and contrast that teacher to Mr. Ferguson? How were they the same? How were they different?

4. Have you ever known someone who behaves like Xander does in the story? Why do you think Xander bullies Trevor? Have you ever bullied someone or been a victim of a bully?

5. Innocent until proven guilty, or guilty until proven innocent? How do you react when you hear that someone has been accused of doing something wrong? Do you automatically believe they are guilty, or do you give the person the benefit of the doubt? Why?

6.Have you ever been in a situation where you had to decide to stand up and defend someone or step back and stay out of it? What did you do, and why? If you could have a second chance to relive that moment, would you change anything?

7. What’s the most important or most interesting thing you learned from reading this book (either about life or about mushrooms)?

**__IDEAS & ACTIVITIES:__**

1. Have a graffiti art name drawing competition among students. Require all entries to be hand sketched/drawn, rather than computer created. OR have students design the school name or mascot in graffiti art and then frame and hang the winning drawing up at school OR if you have enough blank wall space, allow the winning student to paint their art onto a blank wall in large format.

2 Collaborate with science and art classes to do a study of different types of mushrooms. Go on a mushroom “foray” and create an end project that can be displayed or shown in the library or hallways leading up to the library, such as detailed posters.

3.If you have a FACS program, a health or nutrition class, a world’s cultures class, or any cooking related exploratory classes or specials, encourage a lesson on different types of mushrooms, their nutritional value, and how they are cooked or eaten around the world (or whatever other purposes they can be used for). Have students view and sample different types of mushrooms.

4. Have a modern art mushroom “sculpture” contest using only found objects.

5. Hide one tiny mushroom around the school each week to promote mushroom forays. The first student to notice the mushroom and return it to the library each week automatically wins a prize, get’s their name on a wall of mushroom hunting experts, has their picture taken and face added to a mushroom cut out on the wall, or receives some kind of special privilege.

**__RELATED WEBSITES:__**

1. Author’s Website: [] 2. Mushrooming in Missouri, courtesy of the Department of Conservation: __ http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/outdoor-recreation/how/mushrooms __