THAT ENGLISH TEACHER
  • Home
    • The Personal/College Essay
  • Class Blogs
    • English IV Class Blog Period A
    • English IV Class Blog Period B
    • AP Literature Class Blog Period C
    • English IV Class Blog Period E
    • English IV Class Blog Period F
  • For Your Viewing Pleasure
  • Contact Me
    • About Me...

Class Period A Blog

NPR Throughline-Afghanistan: The Center of the World (2021)

2/5/2025

 
Picture
Click on the NPR Throughline Logo above to be directed to the podcast: Afghanistan-Center of the World.
Day One-PRIMARY BLOG ENTRY-After actively listening to the linked NPR Podcast, please consider these three topics. Select ONE of these three topics to respond to in your Primary blog entry. In this Primary blog entry:
  • Label your entry with its topic.
  • Answer the aligned questions in a soild narrative paragraph (word count below).

Day Two-SECONDARY BLOG ENTRIES-Scan through all of the Primary Blog Entries and pick TWO (ONE form each of the OTHER two topics). For EACH Secondary Blog Entry you may respond with your choice of the following types of responses:
  • Agree? Disagree? Why?
  • Continue the discussion.
  • Add additional thoughts.

1. Historical Narratives & Power: This episode explores how Afghanistan has been shaped by both internal and external forces over centuries. How does the way history is told influence our understanding of a place like Afghanistan? Who controls these narratives, and what impact does that have on global perceptions of the country?
2. Geopolitics & Identity: Afghanistan has often been referred to as the "graveyard of empires" due to its strategic location and history of resisting foreign control. How has Afghanistan's geography influenced its role in global politics, and in what ways has this shaped Afghan national identity?
3. Colonialism & Its Legacies: The episode highlights Afghanistan's encounters with colonial and imperial forces, from the British and Soviet invasions to U.S. involvement. How do the long-term effects of these interventions compare to those experienced by other nations with similar histories of foreign interference? What patterns of colonial influence do you see repeating across history?

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 75-100 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name that you were assigned in class as your PEN NAME and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59 pm TONIGHT!

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 75-100 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. In these replies, you can contribute, agree, disagree, support, elaborate, challenge, clarify, and/or connect. Please use the PEN NAME that you were assigned in class as your PEN NAME and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59 pm on Friday night!

War and Peace: "Platoon" (1986) by Oliver Stone (Primary and Secondary Blog Entries)

3/24/2014

 
PictureSgt. Elias and Sgt. Barnes
Just as Chris and the platoon are divided between Elias and Barnes, viewers also feel somewhat divided. You feel compelled to side with Elias because he is jaded and righteous and seems to care about his men, but you can't help but admire Barnes' hardiness, his determination to win the war and ability to survive. 

After our class discussion about allegory, the Christ figure and Machiavelli, as well as the inability of humans to be purely good or evil, you understand that this is a decision that is not as easy as one might hope. 

Imagine that you are a soldier in this platoon. Who do you follow, Sgt. Barnes or Sgt. Elias? Take into consideration all factors: survival, morality, reality of the war environment, psychological effects of the war, constant extreme stress, and any other factors that would affect your decision. Explain your decision in a thoughtful and well supported blog entry.

PLEASE ADD WORD COUNT AT END OF EACH BLOG ENTRY!

Primary Blog Entry Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the assigned "pen name" given to you in class.

Secondary Blog Entry Expectations (read everyone's first responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the assigned "pen name" given to you in class.

(3 total blog entries for this assignment)

"War" by Luigi Pirandello (Primary Blog Entry only)

3/17/2014

 
Picture
Now that you have read the short story "war" and watched the short film adaptation, please answer the three following questions:
1.     How would you characterize the ending of this story… a realization, a denouement, or an epiphany?

Denouement - after the climax, a gentle restoration of relationships prior to the events in the story

Realization - where a character becomes aware of a reality in his or her life

Epiphany -  a sudden, sharp realization, an awareness of a desire that can never be fulfilled, or "reality"

Explain your answer and describe its effect on the characters' different levels of denial. (100-150 words)

2.     What desires motivate the fat traveler? Explain. Are these in conflict?  (100-150 words)

3.     Why is the atmosphere of the overnight train appropriate? (100-150)

Falling Into the State and Awaking to Die: Randall Jarrell's "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner"

3/4/2014

 
PictureClick on photo to read poem
After reading and annotating Jarrell's poem, The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner," please consider the following question:

     What does the imagery of the last line suggest about the speaker's attitude toward death?

Please post your response here, using your assigned Student Number (contact me if you forget it). Your response should:
     1. use the poems' title and author's name
     2. answer the prompt
     3. use a properly cited quote from the poem to support your ideas (hint: better quotes aren't just the last line)
     4. be between 100-150 words (hint: type response on Word Doc and the Copy/Paste into submission box)

 This blog response is due by 11:59 pm tonight.

    Blog Requirements

    *your blog must clearly relate to the prompt.
    *connect to at least one aspect of the reading.
    *show thinking that extends beyond simple summarization.

    Blog Rubric

    Want to see how you will be assessed? Please click the link below.

    Picture

    Archives

    March 2025
    February 2025
    April 2023
    February 2022
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    November 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    March 2014
    February 2014

    Categories

    All
    Afghanistan
    A Thousand Splendid Suns
    Childhood
    Death Of The Ball Turret Gunner
    Denial
    Futility Of War
    Khaled Hosseini
    Loss Of Innocence
    Morality
    Platoon
    Shelter
    Survival
    The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas
    The Things They Carried
    War And Peace
    Weight
    Women's Roles

    RSS Feed

  • Home
    • The Personal/College Essay
  • Class Blogs
    • English IV Class Blog Period A
    • English IV Class Blog Period B
    • AP Literature Class Blog Period C
    • English IV Class Blog Period E
    • English IV Class Blog Period F
  • For Your Viewing Pleasure
  • Contact Me
    • About Me...