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Class Period F Blog

Introductory Blog for A Thousand Splendid Suns

4/17/2023

20 Comments

 
Using the Pen Name that you selected in class, repond to the following blog entry:
  1. Watch the attached video carefully. As you watch, consider the viewpoints of the women being interviewed. Think about how their lives are different now and what the future may hold for them.
  2. Once you have finished watching the video, compose a brief paragraph that summarizes what you watched and offer a suggestion as to what they should/could do and how we (as people outside of Afghanistan) can help.
  3. Consider countries (even our own) that you could make a connection with. How does this video shed light on women's issues in other countries?

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 100-150 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. 
Due by 11:59pm Monday night 4-17-2023! 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 75-50 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Friday night 4-21-2023!
Click the image below to watch the PBS NewsHour video.
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20 Comments

Pen Name Introduction

2/16/2022

11 Comments

 

​Please compose a brief introduction of yourself using your NEW pen name. Research a little bit about your new online persona and post in the comment section below:

1. Name and Image, if possible.
2. Explain what type of writing you are known for.
3. What is your most famous work and what is it about?
4. Paste a link to an Author's Page or some other web-based link to more information about yourself.

11 Comments

Seniors 2.0

11/19/2018

 
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Be like Napoleon and graduate ON TIME!

Tues 11/24- "Platoon" (1986) directed by Oliver Stone: Please read the entire blog post carefully before composing your responses.

11/23/2015

 
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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.

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. Please complete this in the first 20 minutes of 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. Please complete this in the last 25 minutes of class.

PLEASE ADD WORD COUNT AT END OF EACH BLOG ENTRY!

You have ample time to complete these three entries in one period. If you do not, you may complete it as homework, but the blog post will be closed at the end of the day.

Friday Nov. 13 - War and Peace: "The Things They Carried" Primary and Secondary Blogs (3 total)

11/10/2015

 
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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. Finally, compare yourself to one of the characters in the short story. Who do you most resemble and why?

Primary Blog Post: 2 Full Paragraphs (200-250 words - use at least one MLA cited quote from the short story)

Secondary Blog Post: 1 Full Paragraph (100-150 words) X 2 (one each for two classmates)

*please note: You must use the "pen name" that I assigned to you for this assignment (both primary blog entry and secondary blog entry)!

     -(DAY 1) Primary Blog Post: Only those posted by the end of the day (Friday 11-13-2015 at 11:59 pm) will be scored.

     -(DAY 2) Secondary Blog Post: Only those posted by the end of the weekend (Sunday 11-15-2015 at 11:59 pm) will be scored.

Authors' Argument in "Dulce Et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen

3/12/2015

44 Comments

 
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Now that you have read and analyzed Owen's poem, supplementing your understanding by viewing video clips and discussing, please take a moment to reflect on Owen's argument regarding war. Then answer the following prompts:
1. What is his argument and how does he use his poem to prove his argument? Please be sure to use multiple line references (3+ references) to support your analysis>
2. Once you have thoroughly explained Owen's argument regarding war, please compose a thoughtful response either refuting and supporting his stance.

In your Primary Blog Entry, you should respond to the questions above in a single entry. Your Secondary Blog Entry should respond to two of your colleagues' entries that are especially interesting to you.

Part One Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, 2 quotes from the novel, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the assigned "pen name" given to you in class PLEASE FINISH BY FRIDAY NIGHT!

Part Two 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. FINISH BY SUNDAY NIGHT!

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Click on image to enlarge.
44 Comments

Applying the Monomyth to Novel or Film

3/5/2015

 
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After having explored the concept of the Monomyth (or Hero's Journey), you are ready to begin independent application of the 12+ stages of the Monomyth to a work of your choice. Please do the following steps in a narrative form (paragraphs, not list):
  • Select a work with which you feel comfortably familiar.
  • Summarize the work in a single sentence.
  • The bulk of your response should be tracing the main character's journey through the stages of the Monomyth.
  • Conclude your response with a reflection on how the essential learning that the main character learns can be developed into a thesis statement (author's argument + how + why + so what).

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)

"Platoon" (1986) directed by Oliver Stone

2/25/2015

 
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)

"Facing It" by Yusef Komunyakaa

2/19/2015

 
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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)

Randall Jarrell's "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" - Primary Blog entry only

2/12/2015

 
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Now that you have spent some time reading and considering the imagery, connotation, and theme in Randall Jarrell's poem, please respond to the following writing prompt:
  • In reference to his poem, Jarrell wrote that the gunner, who sat hunched up and revolved with the turret, looked like a fetus in the womb. Based on this information, how would you interpret the first four lines of the poem? Remember to refer to the figurative imagery and connotation found within these lines.
  • What does the abrupt and literal imagery of the last line suggest about the speaker’s attitude toward death, specifically in war?
Please compose a Primary Blog entry of between 200 and 250 words (be sure to add word count at the end of your post).

No Secondary Blog entries needed for this posting.

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    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.

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