Question of the Week (1/27/12)

Each Friday a question will be posted on the classroom blog. You will have until Tuesday, at the end of school, to post your thoughtful response and a reflection to a classmate's response to this question. Keep in mind that some weeks you will have your X-period to work on your blog responses, while other weeks you will be in class. The blog is timestamped and your complete response is worth a total of 20 points; 2 points will be deducted for each day blog responses are late and are considered a zero on the Friday of the following week when a new blog question is posted. Don't forget to post to the blog before this time, even if you are late it is much better to receive some points rather than no points at all. This is an easy way to earn points, but can be detrimental to your grade as the zeros add up. If you are FIRST to respond to the Question of the Week, you will not be required to respond to a classmate's response. Keep in mind that the blog is timestamped, so every minute counts. Click refresh on your browser to ensure that you are indeed first. Each complete blog response is worth 20 points unless otherwise stated.

 

In order to understand the type of narrator in a novel, the reader should answer the following questions:

Chapters 1-7 Narration
 

1. Discussing the narrative technique used in the story.

2. Is the narrator part of the story? If so, how much influence does he or she have on what happens? 

3. To what degree does the narrator participate in the action (just observe, participate some, or participate fully)? Is the narrator conscious of the storytelling and commenting on it or not?
4. Is the narrator’s presentation of the situation and people reliable, partially reliable, or biased? 

5. Does the narrator take the reader inside his or her mind? Is the reader listening in on one character telling the story to another?
6. Is the narration written in the form of a diary or letter? Is the narrator telling a story from a significant time in the past?

In your group, answer the previous questions about The Catcher in the Rye.    

For each question that you answer “Yes,” copy a quotation that supports your answer. 

For example – “Yes” Holden is part of the story.
“I’ll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas....” (1).
Each group should present its answers to the class and discuss the observations about Holden as a narrator.

Grammar Exercise Homework for 5/20/11

Use the following list to write a story and/or sentences utilizing the following grammatical concepts:

1. Use then AND than in a sentence (they can be in the same sentence or two different sentences).
2. Serial comma (lions, tigers, and bears)
3. conjunctive adverb (The man ran for pubic office; however he did not win the seat.)
4. Use all commonly confused words in one or more sentences: to, two, too
5. Use all commonly confused words in one or more sentences: its, it's
6. Use all commonly confused words in one or more sentences: your, you're
7. Correctly punctuated interrupting clause or appositive phrase (
8. Proper use of semicolon
9. Proper use of colon 
   10.Use of independent/dependent clause with coordinating conjunction

AND use 10 vocabulary words from sections 5.1-5.5 in your sentences. Please underline your 10 vocabulary words.

Be sure to number your sentences with the corresponding number. Sentences/stories are due on Monday, May 23 when you come to class. If you need additional help or have questions consult: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

Question of the Week (5/6/11)

In the book, Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer admits that Chris McCandless was rash, but he insists he "wasn't a nutcase, he wasn't a sociopath, he wasn't an outcast. McCandless was something else -- although precisely what is hard to say. A pilgrim, perhaps" (85).

Your question:
What precisely was McCandless? Use one of Krakauer's terms or invent your own term. Choose your term carefully, and note passages as you read. Your answer to the question is your central claim. Support this claim with evidence from the text and explain how the language of the quote -- the connotations of individual words in the quotes you cite -- prove your claim to be valid.

Question of the Week (4/29/11)

Finish the article on Everett Ruess and then answer the following question:

In what way are Everett Ruess and Chris McCandless both aesthetes?
Aesthete = a person who affects great love of art, nature, music, literature etc. and an indifference to practical matters. Post your answer by the end of the day of Tuesday and don't forget to respond to a classmates' response. Enjoy your weekend.

Questions of the Week (4/15/11)

Write a short descriptive piece about a time that you "went into the woods". Provide detail about what you saw and experienced. Think back to our reading of the excerpt from Thoreau's Walden. Be sure to post by Tuesday, April 19. For this post only, you do NOT have to comment on another person's post.

Question of the Week (4/8/11)

As we have discussed in class you will be writing about yourself and your life in the Upper Valley to a student in the Marshall Islands. Look at the beautiful Marshall Islands and the students, in the pictures above, with whom you will be sharing your writing.
Be sure to be very descriptive in your writing as the students you are writing to have probably never been to New England. You may write about the following: your school, sports, books you are currently reading, movies you like/dislike, pets, places you've traveled, summer camp, plans for this summer, or for the future in general. If you can, post a picture of yourself. You post is due no later than the end of the school day on Tuesday, April 12. A student from Marshall Islands High School will respond to you. Have fun with your new blogpal!

Question of the Week (3/11/11)

Write a brief summary and a brief analysis of chapter 10 or 11.  Think about the symbols, motifs, and themes prevalent in the chapter. Does the reader find out anything new about a character? If so, what? How does it add to the overall plot line? Use passages and quotes (in proper MLA format) from the text to enliven your work. Remember to comment on another students post for full credit. Enjoy your weekend.

Question of the Week (3/4/11)

In Chapter 1, author John Knowles reveals many of the ideas that will help the reader decide
upon the theme of the novel A Separate Peace.  Verify the following ideas by using passages or
quotations from A Separate Peace. Remember to post by the end of the school day on Tuesday and respond to a classmate's response. Enjoy your weekend.

Fear
Friendship
Change
Distrust

Question of the Week (2/4/11)

Using evidence from the text, how has Holden changed from the boy who left Pencey Prep with a bloody nose to the boy who wanders around New York City? Post your answer and a response to a classmate's answer by Tuesday, 2/8/11. Remember you won't have your x-day this week because we will be working on our classroom wiki. Enjoy your weekend.

Welcome 2nd Semester students! Question of the Week 1/28/11

Each Friday a question will be posted on the classroom blog. You will have until Tuesday, at the end of school, to post your thoughtful response and a reflection to a classmate's response to this question. Keep in mind that some weeks you will have your X-period to work on your blog responses, while other weeks you will be in class. The blog is timestamped and your complete response is worth a total of 20 points; 2 points will be deducted for each day blog responses are late and are considered a zero on the Friday of the following week when a new blog question is posted. Don't forget to post to the blog before this time, even if you are late it is much better to receive some points rather than no points at all. This is an easy way to earn points, but can be detrimental to your grade as the zeros add up. If you are FIRST to respond to the Question of the Week, you will not be required to respond to a classmate's response. Keep in mind that the blog is timestamped, so every minute counts. Click refresh on your browser to ensure that you are indeed first. Each complete blog response is worth 20 points unless otherwise stated.

The question of the week for this week 1/28/11 is as follows: 

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution reads:  "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Read about First Principles of the First Amendment at:  

http://www.freedomforum.org/packages/first/Curricula/EducationforFreedom/FirstPrinciples.htm

After you have read about the First Principles and understand the rights guaranteed citizens of the U.S., define the word censorship and post your answer to this question on our classroom blog. 

What effect does book censorship have on an individual's ability to recognize the benefits of the First Amendment?

"Big Mac" Quote Sandwich Paragraph

Post your completed "Big Mac" quote sandwich here. Don't forget to bring your completed "Big Mac" Quote Sandwich worksheet to class, along with your VERY detailed outline. Enjoy your weekend.

A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor

Click on the link above (link= A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor) for the story to begin reading. After you have finished answering the following questions bring your answers to class.

1. What qualities of the grandmother do you like? What qualities do you dislike? How did you feel when The Misfit killed her? Why?
2. How would you characterize the other members of the family? What is the function of images like the following: the mother's "face was as broad and innocent as a cabbage and was tied around with a green head-kerchief that had two points on the top like a rabbit's ears" and the grandmother's "big black valise looked like the head of a hippopotamus"?
3. How does O'Connor foreshadow the encounter with The Misfit?
4. What does the grandmother mean by a "good man"? Whom does she consider good people? What are other possible meanings of "good"? Why does she tell The Misfit that he's a good man? Is there any sense in which he is?
5. What is the significance of the discussion of Jesus? Was he a good man?
6. What is the significance of the grandmother's saying, "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children"?
7. What is the significance of The Misfit's saying, "She would of been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life"?

There are, of course, no absolute answers to these questions; the story resists easy solutions, and, therefore, violates the reader's expectations. This is why O'Connor is a brilliant storyteller.

Question of the Week (9/3/10) Welcome!

Greetings and welcome to your E9 blog. The purpose of this blog is to create a community of online writers (and readers) who share their thoughts and ideas about the texts studied in class.

Each week I will post a question(s) on the blog for you to answer. After you have answered the question thoroughly, using complete sentences, choose another classmate's response and comment on their answer. Do you agree or disagree? Have they made a valid point? Did they notice something you did not? What?
Remember: If you are the FIRST to answer the question you need NOT respond to a classmate. Each well written response is worth a total of 20 points. (See E9 course expectations for more information.)

 Conduct an online scavenger hunt and answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper:
Who wrote Antigone and what are the dates of his birth and death?
When was Antigone written?
Where did the author live?
What are some important roles the author filled for his community during his life?
During what dramatic festival did this author defeat Aeschylus (a reigning great playwright) and earn fame that carried him for the span of his career? Hint: the city in which Antigone takes place.
How many complete tragedies remain from what are believed to be over one hundred plays authored by this individual?
Name the two plays associated historically and plot-wise with Antigone.
What is the City Dionysia Festival?
Describe the competition playwrights would participate in during this time.
How many actors performed in a play?
Why was facial expression unimportant?
Describe the staging of Greek drama during this time period?
How long did performances typically last?

Remember: Answer the questions on a separate sheet of paper, and bring your answers to class on Tuesday. Do NOT post your answers on the blog.

Question of the Week 9/3/10 (Post your answers on the blog, after you have created a Google account.)
After conducting your online scavenger hunt, what is the most interesting aspect you uncover about Greek drama?

Question of the Week (9/10/10)

What do you think of Antigone as a person? In trying to bury her brother, is she "doing the right thing for the wrong reason" as the writer T. S. Eliot claimed? Your post should be at least 5 sentences, NOT including your response to a classmate's reflection. Posts are due by the end of school Tuesday.

Question of the Week (9/17/10)

Below are a number of questions directed toward comprehending and interpreting scene four. Find the quote that supports your answer(s) to the question, then paraphrase the quote in your own words. Answer TWO of the following questions and comment on a classmates' response. Posts are due by the end of the day on Tuesday. Enjoy your weekend.

Here is an example:

What are Creon's plans for Antigone? Why does he choose this for her death?
 "Take her, go!
You know your orders: take her to the vault
And leave her alone there. And if she lives or dies,
That's her affair, not ours: our hands are clean" (227).

Creon commands that Antigone be entombed alive (buried alive), apart from everyone, to live or die. In this way he believes he will be innocent of her eventual death because he is technically not guilty of murder.

1) What final request does Antigone make, and to whom is she making it?
2) How would you characterize the chorus at this point? Why?
3) What does Antigone make reference to in her parting words to Thebes?
4) What does Antigone question in this scene?

Question of the Week (9/24/10)

Describe the character and motivation of Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon. How are their characters revealed? What is disclosed through their interactions and confrontations (Antigone vs. Ismene, Antigone vs. Creon, Creon vs. Haemon)? What are the major patterns of imagery in this play and how are they connected with Antigone and Creon?

Imagery: the formation of mental images, figures, or likenesses of things, or of such images collectively: the dim imagery of a dream.

Post your answer and your response to a classmates post by the end of school Tuesday. Enjoy your weekend.

Question of the Week (10/1/10)

What is your opinion of the Stage Manager? Is the Stage Manage gender specific? What was Thornton Wilder's purpose in having the Stage Manager speak directly to the audience? How effective is this approach? Enjoy your weekend!

Question of the Week (10/15/10)

Follow the directions below and post your will to the blog. A suggestion would be to type your will in a word document and then cut and paste it onto the blog. Wills are due by the end of the school day on Tuesday.

In Act III of Our Town, Emily has died in childbirth. She joins other characters among the dead,
such as Simon Stimson, Mrs. Gibbs, and Mrs. Soames. The dead observe the lives of the living
and comment on their lack of understanding of life and living.
Your task is to write a will for Emily, who has just died in childbirth, or for Simon Stimson or
Mrs. Gibbs. Keep in mind the will is be read aloud to family and friends a few days after your character’s death. The purpose of a will is to distribute personal belongings, like money or material possessions,
and to express one’s final wishes and thoughts. Here are some ideas that might be appropriate for
your character’s will:
• What do you want to tell your children? The town? The world? Your spouse? Your
friends?
• If you are writing Simon’s will, why did you choose to die the way you did? Why didn’t
you seek help and live out the rest of your life?
• Would your character leave any advice for anyone?
• Would your character divide his or her possessions? You can assume certain possessions
that are not mentioned in the play as long as they are consistent with the character and the
time period.
Write in first person, from your character’s point of view. Wills should be about one page in
length. Do not forget to revise and/or proofread to reduce grammatical errors. Use the following
line as your beginning:
“I, __________, declare this to be my last will and testament….”

Question of the Week (10/8/10)

Choose one of the following questions and answer using evidence from the text. Post by the end of the day on Tuesday. Don't forget to respond to a classmate's response! Enjoy your weekend.

In Act II, the Stage Manager focuses on love and marriage. Why does he choose to show one particular conversation between Emily and George? What does it reveal about their relationship? What might this suggest about love?

Discuss the portrayal of marriage in Our Town. Compare the marriages between Mr. and Mrs. Webb and Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs. What does Mrs. Webb mean when she says that sending girls into marriage is “cruel”? 

Question of the Week (11/19/10)

Answer the following questions for Act IV, Scene 1. Do NOT post your answers to the blog, bring them to class on Monday. Enjoy your weekend.

1. How would you characterize Macbeth's behavior as he interacts with the Witches?
2. What is the first apparition, and how does it warn Macbeth? How does Macbeth respond? What advice doe the Witches give Macbeth about speaking with the apparitions?
3. What is the second apparition, and what does it reveal to Macbeth? What is Macbeth's response?
4. What is the third apparition, and what is its message? How does Macbeth respond?
5. What is Macbeth's final question? What answer does he receive, and what is his response?