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)

Now that you have read and analyzed the poem, "Facing It" by Yusef Komuyakaa, select 3 strong images from the poem and discuss their literal AND figurative meanings. Finish your response by explaining how these images and their metaphorical meaning helps your understanding of the theme of the poem (hint: revisit the title of the poem).


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. Due by 11:59 pm on Friday night (2-20-2015).

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. Due by 11:59 pm on Sunday night (2-22-2015).

(3 total blog entries for this assignment)

Prompt: Think about the items that you carry in your bag (backpack, purse, fanny-pack, man-bag, etc.). Choose two items and explain why you have chosen to "hump" these items wherever you go. What is the tangible and intangible element of each item and why? Then think and write about what these items say about you.

Primary Blog Post: 2 Full Paragraphs (200-250 words - use at least one MLA cited quote from the short story to compare with your own experience).
Secondary Blog Post: 1 Full Paragraph (100-150 words) X 2 (one each for two classmates).

*please note: you must use your assigned "pen name" for this assignment (both primary blog entry and secondary blog entries). If you forget,  you may use a word of your own choosing (appropriate!), but you MUST contact me to let me know who you are so that I may give you credit. Anonymity is important to this process.

     -Primary Blog Post: Only those posted by the end of the day (Friday 2-6-2015 at 11:59 pm) will be scored.
     -Secondary Blog Post: Only those posted by the end of the weekend (Sunday 2-8-2015 at 11:59 pm) will be scored.

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)

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)

Primary Blog Entry: As you watch the film, "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas," consider all the different ways the humans subconsciously and consciously invoke denial as a coping mechanism/survival tactic. Select two or three topics (single words) in which denial often occurs. List them, briefly define each topic, and explain how and why denial is so often found in the experience of each topic. ADD WORD COUNT AT END OF BLOG ENTRY!

Secondary Blog Entry: After you have posted your Primary Blog Entry, please read ALL of your colleagues' entries. Select two that interest you and respond to them in Secondary Blog Entries. You may agree or disagree and explain why, provide further examples and evidence, or offer an alternative way of addressing the topic. ADD WORD COUNT AT END OF 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)  

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.

Prompt: Think about the items that you carry in your bag (backpack, purse, fanny-pack, man-bag, etc.). Choose two items and explain why you have chosen to "hump" these items wherever you go. What is the tangible and intangible element of each item and why? Then think and write about what these items say about you.

Primary Blog Post: 2 Full Paragraphs (5-7 sentences each - use at least one MLA cited quote from the short story)
Secondary Blog Post: 1 Full Paragraph (5-7 sentences) X 2 (one each for two classmates)

*please note: you may use a "pen name" for this assignment (both primary blog entry and secondary blog entry) but you MUST let me know who you are so that I may give you credit.

     -(DAY 1) Primary Blog Post: Only those posted by the end of class will be scored.
     -(DAY 2) Secondary Blog Post: Only those posted by the end of class will be scored.