post three

5/8/2013

Respond below to the following discussion prompt. Remember to use complete sentences and have at least 5 sentences in your response. Read the prompt all the way through as it has a few parts.

Discuss the idea of a catalyst. What is a catalyst?

A Catalyst has many meanings within this memoir. There are the catalysts that spur Sonny to action, and in a scientific sense, in the fuel that sends the rockets skyward. As O’Dell says, “A rocket won’t fly unless someone lights the fuse” (105).

How important is it to have catalysts in all endeavors? Would the boys have gotten to the science fair without them? What are the catalysts that influenced Sonny or the other rocket boys? What catalysts do you have in your life?

27 Comments

Martha LoCoco link

5/8/2013 05:30:00 am

A catalyst is someone or something that encourages someone or something to do an action or something else. I believe that the catalyst are very important to the rocket boys. I also believe that they would not have made it to the science fair without them. The catalyst that influenced the rocket boys was when Mr. Bykovski died. It influenced Sonny and the boys later on to make more rockets. Catalysts in my life are my family because they motivate me to do all the things they know I'm capable of.

Nicholas McDonough link

5/8/2013 06:33:56 am

A catalyst is a person or thing that precipitates an event or change. Catalysts are very important to help one in all endeavors because without catalysts, there would not be as much change, good or bad, in the world. The boys would not have gone far in the science fair without catalysts because without their rocket failures or successful launches, they would not have been able to build the rockets that won them the science fair. There were many catalysts that influenced the rocket boys, such as Mr. Bykovski's death, Ms. Riley and her death, and Homer Senior's willingness to give materials to the BCMA. The catalysts in my life are my friends, teachers, and family, because they help me to become the best version of myself and change me for the better.

Ben Sinense

5/9/2013 10:10:39 am

Nice Job Nick! you have some cool catalysts in your life.

Michael Enright

5/8/2013 06:36:10 am

In science, a catalyst is a substance that speeds up the reaction rate than otherwise possible. Otherwise, a catalyst is something that provokes significant change. When O'Dell says, "A rocket won’t fly unless someone lights the fuse”, means that to get out of Coalwood, someone has to light the fuse to get the rocket into the sky. The catalyst is very important in this memoir because it pushes Sonny to light the fuse and get out of Coalwood. The Rocket Boys would not have gotten to the science fair without their catalyst. A catalyst that influenced Sonny was the death of Mr. Bykosfski and Mrs. Bykosfski telling him to continue on working with rockets and that he can achieve his dreams. A catalyst for the Rocket Boys was when one of their first rockets reached 1,000 feet. My parents are my catalysts because they push me to achieve excellence and success.

Seth Roge

5/8/2013 06:57:20 am

A catalyst is something that sets something else in motion. A catalyst could be a person, event, action, and more. It is important to have a catalyst in whatever you are doing because catalysts get something moving. Without a catalyst, there would be no following actions. Sputnik was the catalyst of Sonny's life and Sonny was the catalyst of the rocket careers of the other rocket boys. In my life, a catalyst is my parents, because they told me how to get good grades and hopefully be successful in life. Another catalyst in my life is school because it has caused my to try and do many new things.

Catherine Raster

5/8/2013 11:48:30 am

A catalyst has four definitions, and all of them apply to Octobey Sky. A catalyst can be a substance that causes or speeds up a chemical reaction. This applies to the book because the rocket candy was a catalyst for the rockets. Another defintion of a catalst is something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces without that something being affected. For example, ELsie is a catalyst for Sonny because she inspired him to leave Coalwood even though it doesnt affect her. Miss Riley is also a cataylst for inspiring Sonny to do rockets even though it has no benefit on her. The third definition for a catalyst is a person or thing that precipitates an event or change. Sonny's building rockets caused him to win the science fair. The last definition whose talk causes enthusiam in other. I believe Dorthy was a catalyst to Sonny in some parts of the book. the catalyst would not have won the rockets boys the science fair so they are very important.
Some cataylst in my life are my parents because even though it doesnt affect them, the want me to do well in school. Also, my sister Ann Marie is a catalyst because she always makes me enthusiastic by her presence.

Maddie Kalmer

5/8/2013 11:56:04 am

A catalyst is someone or something that causes an event to happen. It is important to have a catalyst in all endeavors because they will be there to support you in your event. In October Sky many characters influence Sonny to carry on with his dream of making a rocket and getting to go to Cape Canaveral. If it wasn’t for these catalysts Sonny would not have come nearly as close to achieving his goal. One of the many catalysts in the book is Miss. Riley. She was not only a teacher to Sonny, but someone who he could always go to because he knew she would be there to answer any of his questions. She supplied Sonny with a chemistry book to learn certain equation which would eventually help him to accomplish his goal. She was always encouraging Sonny, and giving him confidence that he would do very well at the Science Fair. In my life I have many catalysts to be there to support me, some of which being my friends and family. My mom leads me to make good decisions so I can not only practice Gods faith but live it out too.

Matt Schneider

5/8/2013 12:52:09 pm

A catalyst is a person or thing which prematurely is in a big event. These catalysts can affect other people in both positive and negative ways. Catalysts help all people in all endeavors because they can be an encouraging factor. Without the catalysts, the boys might not have thought they could make it to the science fair and win. One of the catalysts for Sonny could have been Mr. Bykovski because Mr. Bykovski brought Sonny materials and encouraged him to keep building rockets and to get out of Coalwood, even when they got in trouble. Also, Mr. Bykovski's death might have pushed Sonny to win the Science Fair for him and all he did for the Rocket Boys. Another possible catalyst for Sonny could have been Jim. Sonny lived in the shadow of Jim for his whole life. While Jim thrived as a football star, Sonny disgraced his family. Sonny finally worked hard on his rockets and finally got out of Jim's shadow and people. After he won the Science Fair, people thought of him more than they did Jim. A couple catalysts in my life are my parents. They encourage me to do what is right and be the best I can be at everything. They teach me how to work hard and reach my goals.

Mike misiewicz

5/9/2013 07:11:50 am

A catalyst means many different things. It can mean a person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy gets other people to act more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic. It can also mean a person or thing that makes an event or change happen suddenly. Its important to have catalysts becasue they spur you into action. The boys would not have been able to get to the science fair without a catalyst. The catalysts that the boys had were Mr and Mrs Bykovski. Mr Bykovski's death and Mrs. Bykovski telling them to reach for their dreams. My catalysits are my friends, my teachers and coaches and also my family.

Elizabeth Goblirsch link

5/9/2013 07:43:02 am

A Catalyst brings forth a change. It is important to have catalysts in our lives because without them, our lives would never change. We would stay the same, nothing significant would ever happen. This is why we need catalysts in all endeavors.The Rocket Boys would not have won the science fair if they did not have anything that made them really want it. Sonny was influenced by a catalyst when his rockets were improving, and the amazing success of the rockets is also partly what drove him to win the science fair. Another Catalyst that had driven him to keep working to win the science fair was Mr. Bykovski, who had supported Sonny and helped to get him started in building rockets. Mr. Bykovski's death is what ultimately made Sonny want to be successful with his rockets. Some Catalysts that I have include getting good grades so that I can be successful later in life, and focusing on putting my best effort into everything I do to further improve my future.

Ben Antonneau

5/9/2013 08:24:23 am

A catalyst is a person, event, or idea that initiates an event. There are many catalysts in Sonny's life, some good and some bad, but how you respond to the catalyst is what matters. For example, there are many people trying to stop Sonny from building rockets and encourage him to just work in the mines, but he responded by blocking out those catalysts and not letting them effect him. On the other hand, there are a few good catalysts in his life, like Mrs. Riley or his Mom, he takes in the positive energy and information from these sources and uses them for the improvement of himself. It is not always required to have a catalyst, but it is helpful in all situations, and vital in larger, time intensive projects. The boys probably would not have gotten to the science fair without them. My family and freinds are catalysts in life, because they encourage me and help me to do things I wouldn't think I could do.

Ben Sinense

5/9/2013 10:09:24 am

A catalyst can be many different things, it can be words of encouragement, or something that changes the speed and rate of something. I don't think the boys would have gotten to the science without them because the entire motivation of the group could be thrown off and people might not have worked in the same way they did before. One of the biggest catalyst to Sonny was when Mr. Bykovski died and Mrs. Bykovski told the boys to keep doing what they are doing because its what Mr. Bykovski would want. In my life a catalyst might be an older friend that i look up to.

John

5/9/2013 10:41:28 am

A catalyst is very important because it is what keeps you going. It helps keep the spirit alive. They would have not made it without them. Ms. Riley was a big one for them. She gave then the hope they needed to go all the way. My parents keep my spirits hopes and dreams alive today.

David Precour

5/9/2013 10:46:42 am

A catalyst is something or someone that encourages you to do something. Catalyst's are very important because they help give you a reason to keep doing what you are doing. I think the boys would have still gotten to the science fair without them, however I don't think that they would have kept with it as long as they did without them. The main catalyst that influenced Sonny was Mrs. Bykovski, without her he may not have ever shot off rockets again. The catalysts in my life are my parents, teachers, coaches, and friends.

Emily Steybe link

5/9/2013 10:51:23 am

A catalyst is a person or a thing that participates in an event or change. Catalysts make up a very important part of our life and needed in all endeavors. They are the things that keep life interesting and constantly changing. The Rocket Boys would not have gotten to the science fair without endeavors because they would have nothing to really help them look forward to entering it and competing in the science fair. The catalysts really helped the boys when they started to become more and more successful with their rockets. Two of the most major catalysts for Sonny were Ms. Riley and Mr. Bykovski. They both strongly supported Sonny when everyone else seemed to doubt him. Ms. Riley helped show them new mixtures for possible rocket propellants and gave Sonny the rocket book. Mr. Bykovski just as equally influenced Sonny to build the rockets as well. He helped to actually build the rockets, but was also like a second dad to him. Finally when Mr. Bykovski died it really switched on a light in Sonny's head telling himself that he needs to continue building rockets for Mr. Bykovski. The next thing you knew Ms. Riley became sick when he discovered that she had cancer. This also really influenced Sonny to reach his dream of becoming a rocket scientist. My major catalyst is keeping up with my school work and keeping my grades up. I work hard at these two things to make sure that I will have a good future.

McKenna F.

5/9/2013 11:02:01 am

A catalyst is someone or something that causes an event or a change. It is important to have a catalyst in all endeavors because they will be the one to keep you going. If you want to quit, they can convince you to keep going. Without catalysts, the Rocket Boys wouldn’t have gotten far. Without Ms. Riley the boys may never have entered a science fair, and they may not have learned as much about rockets as they did. She changed their rocket building with the book she gave them and the confidence she had in them. The book taught them many equations that ultimately helped them to build better rockets. Without catalysts, the rocket boys may not have continued to build their rockets. At one time, Sonny wanted to quit, but catalysts convinced him not to; this may have changed his life. One example of catalyst in my life, is my parents. They help me to make good decisions and keep me going even when I may want to quit.

Annie Steigerwald

5/9/2013 11:03:29 am

Catalysts are anything from what speeds up a chemical reaction to someone or something that brings about a change or an event happening. It is necessary to have catalysts in our lives because we need constant encouragement to do what is right and aim for our dreams. Without catalysts many people will loose hope and simply give up. It would not have been possible for the rocket boys to get to the science fair without the catalysts in their lives at that time. The main catalyst would most likely be miss Riley. She constantly gave sonny and the other boys hope and encouragement to shoot for their dreams. She was the one who brought the science fair into play for their group. Without her, the rocket boys would have not have gotten so far in the little time that they did. Just like sonny had catalysts motivating him, I too have these people in my life. The catalysts i have confronted in my life so far are either friends or family members. These people have encouraged me to do what is right and to never let anything bring me down. Without catalysts, the world would not have accomplished nearly as much as we have.

Alex Cashmer

5/9/2013 11:28:25 am

A catalyst is a person that encourages others to do something or try something. It's important to have a catalyst in all endeavors because without them, you might not be pushed to try something new. The rocket boys most likely would not have made it to the science fair without them. For example, without Miss Riley pushing the boys to try new designs and enter the science fair, they would have never gotten as far in their experimentation. In my life, my main catalysts are my parents and my teammates.

Charlie Klein

5/9/2013 11:33:32 am

It is important to have catalysts in all endeavors because it helps you to work harder and to keep on going when things are not going your way. I don't think that the boys would have gotten to the science fair because he Sonny was sad he would have never kept on going without catalysts. I think that the catalysts that influenced Sonny the most was Miss Riley. The catalysts in my life are my family and they help me to keep working.

Elizabeth Janowski

5/9/2013 11:48:48 am

A catalyst could be someone or something that instigates an event. Alternatively, in chemistry, a catalyst is a substance that accelerates the speed of a chemical reaction. Catalysts are exceedingly important in a person's life, especially when one lacks confidence or self-motivation. With the encouragement of others, people tend to reach much greater heights than they would without support. In the case of October Sky, Sonny and the Rocket Boys receive motivation from many people in their town. Without Mrs. Riley's persistent prompting and Mr. Bykovski's tragic death, Sonny would probably not have entered in the science fair. The launch of Sputnik was the catalyst for Sonny's passion for rocket science, and Elsie further convinces him to pursue his dreams. Additionally, without the help of Jake Moseby and Mr. Caton, Sonny would not have been able to continue on with his more advanced rocket designs. Some catalysts in my own life include the motivation I receive from my friends and teachers, which gives me the confidence I need to excel in school.

Jack Lambie

5/9/2013 11:52:25 am

A catalyst is someone or something that can encourage someone do to something. Sonny and all his friends would not have gotten to the science fair if it was not for the catalysts in their lives. Miss Riley was definitely one of the main catalysts in their lives. She knew they were destined to do great things because of their talents with rockets. Also, Sonny's had has dad by his side as a catalyst as well. Although Homer did not really like the idea of building rockets at first, eventually he liked it and helped Sonny in anyway he could. The catalysts in my life are definitely my family and my friends.

Jack Lambie

5/9/2013 11:55:02 am

I also meant to add that in science a catalyst is something that speeds up reaction time.

Alexander Witkowski

5/10/2013 07:27:44 am

A catalyst is a person or something that encourages someone to do something. In the book Homer makes a science fair and without catalyst, he might have missed the cut. Miss. Riley and Mr. Bykovski are the most important in the book because they encourage him to keep going. Also the Sputnik because without that they may have never launched rockets or created the Rocket Boys. Homers dad was also one too because he did not like the idea but, then he thought it was a good idea. A catalyst in science is something that can sped up a reaction. The catalyst in my life are people with great and inspirational stories.

Robbie Lauer

5/11/2013 01:03:51 pm

A catalyst is someone who causes a change to a situation. We need catalysts in our life to give us that push in the right direction to do something phenominal. Throughout October Sky there are many catalysts in Sonny's life. I don't think that the rocket boys would have gotten to the science fair without the catalyts because the rocket boys did not have a whole lot of support when they started shooting rockets. Therefore the catalyts played a huge role in pushing the rocket boys to the science fair. The catalysts in Sonny's life was Ms. Riley. Ms. Riley being the physics teacher, pushed Sonny to the science fair by giving Sonny the science book and defending the rocket boys against the principal's objections. The catalyts in my life are my friends and family because they push me to my potential.

Andres Gomez

5/12/2013 04:07:43 am

a catalyst is someone encourages another and helps them stay positive. We all need someone to be a catalyst in our life to get through hard times, or to break out of the fear of something. in October sky, sonny catalyst is Mrs. Riley because she encouraged the rocket boys to go into the science fair. Sonny was the one who mostly grew attached to Mrs. Riley. another catalyst to sonny was Mr. Bykovski. He helped sonny make rockets because he believed that he could get them to fly far into the sky. a catalyst in my life would be my mother. she always tries to motivate me and most of the time it works.

Steven Butler

5/14/2013 08:08:37 am

Catalysts are changes that are made by a person. It is important to have catalysts because then we can have drive to improve something. That is what happened to Homer Jr. There were many changes, and he strived to make them perfect. Without catalysts, the boys would not have gotten to the Science Fair. This is because they would not have a drive to change the rocket because then there would be nothing to change. Some catalysts in my life are homework because it changes my schedule and makes me adjust to get it all in.

Ben Leas

5/14/2013 10:24:49 pm

Catalysts are very important in October sky. It is very important becasue catalysts bring change into the rocket boys life. Without anyone changing thing, the rocket boys would not have been as successful. Homer Sr. change in his view of rockets was a huge help to the rocket boys and especially Sonny beuase it gave him more motivation to build.

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