Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Opening Scene

Good Morning,

Today, September 19th, 2011 marks the start of what will be an amazing trip with Hugo in The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.

Here we go with what I hope will be a fun and interesting project for all the students and teachers that are involved. The first thirty or so pages of Hugo are pictures/illustrations. Great illustrations but when you have to show two pages, then flip the page, view two more pages, you often don’t get the full effect or do you? Brian Selznick has made it possible to watch by turning the opening pages into a video. The three questions you are to think about and answer after watching the video and before moving on to the next part of the book are :

Why does Hugo keep looking behind him?
Who is the older man and what role does he play in the book?
What importance will clocks have in our story?

Below is the video link to the video. Teachers, If we could have individual students comment rather then whole classes, it would make the discussion more meaningful for all that are involved. Once you have commented on the blog, be sure to check back and see what other students are thinking about the opening scene.

Opening Scene

Happy Reading,

Mr. Wittmer
Posted by Mr. Wittmer at 8:33 AM
Labels:

40 comments:

  1. nathanSeptember 20, 2011 at 8:58 AM

    Dear,class room 213


    I think hugo is being chased so that's why he ran and hid.

    I think the old man is the boy's dad.

    I think the clock is his hiding spot.

    ReplyDelete
  2. SabrinaSeptember 20, 2011 at 8:58 AM

    1. Because he is getting chased

    2. The man is the owner of the toy booth

    3. Hugo fixes the clocks every day

    ReplyDelete
  3. LalaSeptember 20, 2011 at 8:58 AM

    Dear book bloggers,
    1.I think hugo's looking behind him because he's making sure no ones following him. 2. I think the older man plays as a toy store cashier and is watching so Hugo doesn't come. 3. I think the clock is Hugo's house and he also spies on the old man.

    ReplyDelete
  4. EmilySeptember 20, 2011 at 8:58 AM

    dear students,I think hugo keeps looking behind him because he doesn't want any to see or find him.I think the older man is looking for someone.so someone could tell time.

    ReplyDelete
  5. IsaiahSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:00 AM

    I think Hugo keeps looking behind him because someone is chasing him.I think the old man is a worker in the station.I think the clocks are important because I think Hugo works with the clocks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. EvanSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:00 AM

    dear Hugo fans Hugo is looking behide him becaues he wotes to make sure no bode is behihimde

    ReplyDelete
  7. madiSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:00 AM

    dear classmates of studio 213. I think Hugo keeps looking behind him because to see if anybody is following him.

    ReplyDelete
  8. MadisynSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:01 AM

    1.Because he's getting chased.

    2.He is the man who works at the toy booth.

    3.He fixes the clocks.

    ReplyDelete
  9. DerekSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:01 AM

    Dear studio 213, Hugo keeps looking behind him because he is doing something he shouldn't be and he is making sure no one sees him. Hugo goes inside the clocks and looks out at the old man so that is why the clocks and old man have a perpose in this story.

    ReplyDelete
  10. TimSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:02 AM

    Dear class question1.He is looking behind him to see if everyone is following him2.I think he helps him3.Hugo fixes and seats the time on the train station every day.

    ReplyDelete
  11. danielSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:03 AM

    dear,room 213 hes scared that some on are behind him Brian Selznick the kid will hide there

    ReplyDelete
  12. HannahSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:03 AM

    I think Hugo keeps looking behind him because he does not want to get caught.

    ReplyDelete
  13. RachelSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:03 AM

    Dear Class I think The old guy was trying to find the kid.I think Hugo kept looking to see if the man was behind him. I think the clocks will be a place that Hugo goes to.

    ReplyDelete
  14. maddySeptember 20, 2011 at 9:04 AM

    Dear Bloggers,

    I think that Hugo keeps looking behind because he doesn't want anyone to spot him or to follow him.I think the role that the old man plays is a spy of some sort.Also I think the old man is the cash register man. Last the clocks have an important role because he was in the clock.

    ReplyDelete
  15. ChanceSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:28 AM

    Dear,Hugo Cabret

    I think Hugo keeps looking back because someone is fallowing him.

    I think the old man is the one fallowing Hugo and he is the leader of a group.

    I think that the clocks will be inportant because he was hideing in the clock so it has to mean something.

    ReplyDelete
  16. EvanSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:31 AM

    dear hugo fans the old gay works at the toy both and he fams

    ReplyDelete
  17. matthewSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:31 AM

    hugo keeps looking behind him to see if any body is looking. the old man is a spy because he knows that hugo is near. clocks are important because hugo can look through them.

    ReplyDelete
  18. EvanSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:35 AM

    Dear Hugo fans Hugo works on the colcks

    ReplyDelete
  19. ToriSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:48 AM

    Dear Studio 213,
    1.I think Hugo keeps looking behind himself because he probably thinks that he is being followed.2.I don't know what the old man has to-do with the book but I do know that he owns a toy store.3.I think don't know what the clocks have to-do with Hugo Cabret.

    ReplyDelete
  20. maesonSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:48 AM

    the clock is where hugo gose and a hinding spot and hugo is the one how dose the clocks and the old man is really mean and he sells toys and hugo keeps looking behind him because now ones nose where he is going.

    ReplyDelete
  21. ZachSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:50 AM

    the old man is being the grandfather

    ReplyDelete
  22. RaymondSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:50 AM

    I think Hugo keeps looking behind him because he afraid someone is following him

    ReplyDelete
  23. AnonymousSeptember 20, 2011 at 6:40 PM

    We are a 5th Grade class in Toronto, Canada and are looking forward to joining you on his adventure! We will blog tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  24. AnonymousSeptember 21, 2011 at 11:31 AM

    I think Hugo's looking behind him because he is doing something bad and does not want to get caught.
    Gr5TO

    ReplyDelete
  25. AnonymousSeptember 21, 2011 at 11:33 AM

    Maybe the boy does not want anyone to know that he's going into the vent because everyone will be asking him why he's in there.
    Gr5TO

    ReplyDelete
  26. AnonymousSeptember 21, 2011 at 11:51 AM

    Maybe the old man is the boy's father. Maybe he is running away because he has no home or parents to protect him and he is in trouble. He doesn't want the station master to arrest him for stealing the toy.
    Gr5TO

    ReplyDelete
  27. AnonymousSeptember 21, 2011 at 11:53 AM

    I think that the old man and Hugo will meet again because the man has his notebook. I think that Hugo is running away because someone is after the notebook. There must be some valuable information inside.
    Gr5TO

    ReplyDelete
  28. AnonymousSeptember 21, 2011 at 12:17 PM

    This novel seems like it might "play with your mind" a bit - it seems mystical and like there might be a surprise at the end.
    I love the art in the novel because it looks like photos.
    I think that the old man is a robber because at night he goes to his stand and steals items and then replaces them in the morning when people wake up.
    I think that the old man is a robot.
    I think the old man sued to be a police officer.
    I think the old man is being chased by robbers and the book that Hugo had in his pocket will give away his identity.
    In the book he said "ghosts are after me". I think he thinks that ghosts made the book in order to catch him.
    He must be very curious about the book because he wanted to know who drew the pictures. He has seen the pictures before. That's suspicious.
    Gr5ATO

    ReplyDelete
  29. AnonymousSeptember 21, 2011 at 12:32 PM

    Hi Fellow Bloggers,
    We are a class from Toronto, Ontario, Canada!
    Until we have "Blogging/Agreement Permission Forms" from all parents and students we will be blogging as a class (e.g. our teacher will record what we say and post for us).
    We love the book so far!
    Sincerely,
    Gr5ATO

    ReplyDelete
  30. AnonymousSeptember 22, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    1) Hugo keeps looking behind him because he thinks the old man is following him.

    2) The older man is trying to capture Hugo or kidnap him.


    3) The clocks could be a place for Hugo to hide in from the older man.

    LBH-5J

    ReplyDelete
  31. AnonymousSeptember 22, 2011 at 10:56 AM

    1)Hugo looks behind him because he did not want any body to see him.


    2)The old man is the toy maker.

    3)The clocks help the boy spy on the toy maker.

    MECS-5J

    ReplyDelete
  32. AnonymousSeptember 22, 2011 at 10:57 AM

    1) He is looking back because he's running away from and hiding from someone so he looks back to see if he's gone.


    2) The older man is playing the role of watching and following Hugo all around.

    3) The clock might be important because Hugo might be hiding from the old man.

    BSCC-5J

    ReplyDelete
  33. AnonymousSeptember 22, 2011 at 11:00 AM

    1) Hugo makes sure that no one was following him.


    2) The old man is selling items and he is spying on Hugo.


    3) So Hugo can spy on the old man and see what he is doing.

    REAJ-5J

    ReplyDelete
  34. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2011 at 9:39 AM

    I think the old man is interested in the notebook because an event happened in the past to the old man, and he is reliving the event by looking in Hugo's notebook. I think the notebook is important to Hugo because he may have written secrets that he doesn't want anyone to know about.

    From,
    grizzly25

    ReplyDelete
  35. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2011 at 9:39 AM

    Dear Book Bloggers,
    Why does Hugo keep looking behind him?
    I think Hugo keeps looking behind him because maybe Hugo did something that was bad and he's scared that someone will catch him.
    From,
    Grizzly07

    ReplyDelete
  36. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    Dear Bloggers,
    I think Hugo keeps looking behind him because he is making sure no one was following him. He was hoping that no one would try to catch him.
    grizzly19

    ReplyDelete
  37. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2011 at 9:42 AM

    1 The old man is really interested in Hugo's drawings because he thinks it is a wind up robot toy that his father invented. The old man knew Hugo's father in the past, and that is why he is a ghost.

    2 I think the notebook is important to Hugo because he found it in the clock, and he is going to invent something. His sketches are in the notebook.

    From,
    grizzly17

    ReplyDelete
  38. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2011 at 9:50 AM

    I think the old man was interested because he was hiding from someone who was chasing him. I think Hugo has some sort of connenction, that's also why he said, "ghost." I think the old man harmed Hugo's family, and the old man thinks that Hugo knows what he did to his family.
    From,
    Grizzly11

    ReplyDelete
  39. AnonymousOctober 12, 2011 at 11:37 AM

    I know that in this chapter Hugo's Father perished in a tragic fire. Hugo thought it was all his fault.Hugo should not be so hard on himself.I really feel sorry for Hugo. He lost his dad, his home, and his toys. And now he work's for his brutal uncle who slaps his knuckles when he makes mistakes.
    Har Toronto

    ReplyDelete
  40. AnonymousNovember 11, 2011 at 11:55 AM

    hugo and isabelle are diffrent in many diffrent ways hugo lives in a train station and isabelle lives with her god parents

    ReplyDelete

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