The Last Lecture: Your Talents

In Randy's introduction, he writes, “If I were a painter, I would have painted for them. If I were a musician, I would have composed music. But I am a lecturer. So I lectured.” He shows us how important it is to use your talents. So now, think about your talents. In your blog, complete the following:

A. Explain & describe 1 – 2 talents you have.

B. Explain how you developed these or are developing these talents.

C. Explain how you use them or can use them to help others.

 

The Crucible: Director Choices

The Crucible: Director Choices

Think about the differences between the play we read and the movie version we watched.  Analyze the director's choices to change things or leave them the same.  Discuss your thoughts in terms of why you think the director made those changes & whether or not they were effective choices.  Do make sure you are using specific scenes or lines to prove your thoughts and ideas.

Exploration Blog

Peter Hoeg stated, "Traveling tends to magnify all human emotions.” We've read and listened to multiple exploration stories.  First of all, what does he mean?  Second, do you believe that Hoeg's statement is correct based upon the learning you've had the past two weeks?  Discuss your thoughts completely.

Pilgrims: Primary & Secondary Sources Reflection

Read Alicia Crane Williams’ article “Women and Children First: The Mayflower Pilgrims.”   Then answer the following questions.


1.  What is your reaction to the experiences of the Plymouth colonists as discussed by Williams?  Discuss your thoughts completely.  Use textual evidence to prove your thoughts.
2.  Then begin thinking about Bradford's primary source (Of Plymouth Plantation) as well as Williams's secondary source.  Did you find one of the accounts more informative than the other? more interesting? more moving?  Explain your answers completely.  Use textual evidence to prove your thoughts.
**in your blog, use 2 vocab words from the week 1 vocab extension list and one vocab word from the Of Plymouth Plantation words to know **

The Last Lecture: Introduction Blog

Introduction:  The Most Important Line

As you read the introduction to The Last Lecture, think about everything that he is saying right now.  In a brief two pages, he's previewed the purpose for what he is doing.  Look through these pages and decide which sentence you believe is THE MOST important.  In a good paragraph, type in that sentence (use quotation marks & cite the page number) and discuss why it is important.  Then begin to discuss how that connects to your life or the world around you.

The Crucible: anticipation guide follow-up

The Crucible: anticipation guide follow-up

 

After reading the play.  Go through the statements and mark whether you agree or disagree with the statement.  Then choose one of the above statements in the AFTER column with which you strongly agree or disagree. Explain on the American Lit blog site your feelings about this statement in a paragraph that follows a formal paragraph format.

TOPIC SENTENCE: Statement of choice.

INTRODUCE EVIDENCE: Why or why not?

QUOTES OR EVIDENCE: Provide an example from real life and from the play that serves as evidence to your opinion.

ANALYSIS: What does each example show? How does each support your opinion?

The Crucible: Quotation Pre-reading Blog

The Crucible: Pre-reading Blog

Read each of the following quotations.  Choose one and write about it- what does it mean, connect it to your life, connect it to the real world, connect it to a current event, connect it to an event from the past.  You need to have an intro, body, and conclusion.  Really focus on your ideas.  Go back through it and make sure you eliminate mistakes before you post it.

• “Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be

true.”  ~Chinese Proverb

• “The man who seeks revenge digs two graves.”  ~Ken Kesey
• “Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.”  ~Alexander Hamilton
• “A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist.”  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “You see what power is - holding someone else's fear in your hand and showing it to them!”   ~Amy Tan
• “Who lies for you will lie against you.”  ~Bosnian Proverb
• “When witnesses concoct lies, they often miss the obvious.”   ~John Grisham
• “Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.”   ~Erich Fromm
• “The opposite for courage is not cowardice, it is conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow.”  ~Jim Hightower
• “I liken an affair to the shattering of a Waterford crystal vase. You can glue it back together, but it will never be the same again.”   ~John Gottman

"A Rose for Emily" Insight

"A Rose for Emily" Insight

From your first-draft and second-draft reading, you jotted down questions, connections, ideas, and more that you had.  Go back through those ideas and choose one that you will focus on.  Give full insight on your ideas and provide textual evidence to prove your thoughts.

Aging Gracefully: prepping for Hawthorne

"Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" 

written by Nathaniel Hawthorne

     What do you like most about being the age you are right now?  What aspects of growing older do you look forward to?  What aspects of growing older are undesirable to you?  Do you think youth and age should be measured by the years a person has lived or by a person's behavior and outlook?

"I Hear America Singing"

Mash It Up!

  We read and discussed Walt Whitman's "I Hear America Singing" as well as Langston Hughes's "I, Too."  Type your modern version of "I Hear America Singing."  Then, write two paragraphs that shows comparisons and differences between all three poems (Whitman's, Hughes's, and yours.)  Really put thought into your writing, avoid the "obvious,"  and use citations to prove your points.

Puritan Literature: Tie It All Together

Beliefs, Values, & Principles

After reading the various pieces of Puritan literature, think about the strong religious beliefs as well as the principles and values that were important to the Puritans.  Discuss how the pieces beliefs, values and principles were similar or different.  Use specific passages from the book (parenthetical notation - MLA) that proves your ideas.  Then discuss if any of those beliefs, values, or principles are still important today.  Please use specific examples to prove your ideas.

"To My Dear and Loving Husband" Comparison

Anne Bradstreet talks about her eternal love for her husband.  We could describe their relationship as passionate, caring, loving, warm. devoted, and tender.  Now think about a couple (real life, tv, movie, or book) that has a relationship that is similar.  Discuss the comparisons between the relationships.  Please use pieces of the poem to show the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Bradstreet as well as specific examples about the couple you know that complete the circle of love blog you're writing.

Unit 1:  Creation Story

You've completed your reading of the Iroquois's myth "The World on the Turtle's Back."  Choose one of the two options below.  

1.  The Iroquois emphasized the importance of living in harmony with the natural world.  Write your explanation of how the Iroquois myth expresses this relationship toward all living things.

2.  The twins in this myth represent "two ways of the world which are in all people" - the "straight mind" and the "crooked mind."  Write your reflection  in which you agree or disagree with this view of human character.  Support your opinion with examples.

Blog Guidelines

We will be blogging regularly in class this year.  Please take a look and follow the guidelines that are set up for our class blog.


1.  Only post what you want EVERYONE to know.  Remember Grandma can see this as can someone in China.  Therefore don't post personal information.

2.  Think before you post.  Only write school appropriate things.  This means no foul language and slang. 

3.  Because we are an English class, remember your writing conventions.  Avoid "text talk" and slang.


4.  If you use any media or quotations from another source, you MUST cite the creator of that idea or work.  Essentially, I want to see your ideas. 

5.  You will be asked to comment on other's blogs at times.  Remember our discussion onconstructive criticism.  This isn't a place to bash someone.

6.  As I've seen on many online sites, use the THINK approach:
      T - Is it TRUE?
      H - Is it HELPFUL?
       I - Is it INSPIRING?
      N - Is it NECESSARY?
      K - Is it KIND?
If you can't answer yes to these, don't post it.


See Mrs. DeVore if you have any questions.