Benchmark Tomorrow!

Hi English 98ers,

Tomorrow's the big day - be prepared to argue YOUR take on the "Fast Food: Who's to Blame?" debate with your in-class essay.

Bring any and all materials EXCEPT a pre-written essay. All notes, quotation sheets, fishbowl questions, PAPA squares, etc.

For those of you interested, here is an electronic copy of the "5 star" essay that a few groups got a chance to look at in class today and Friday, just to give you some ideas of structure.

Rest up and good luck tomorrow!

Fishbowl Preparation Questions for FRIDAY, November 1st

Happy Halloween, English 98-ers!

In case you need a second look at them, here are the fishbowl prep questions for this Friday's discussion on OMAM, chapters 1-3.

Fishbowl Preparation

 

Main Text: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Chapters 1,2, and 3

 

Directions: In preparation for the fishbowl discussion on Friday, 11/2, answer these guiding questions with your thoughts, opinions, personal experiences, and evidence from the first half of Of Mice and Men. Each response should include at least 1 quote from the text to support. Answer on a separate sheet of paper.

 

1.     Talk about Lennie and George’s friendship. Would you qualify it as a true friendship? What does each character “bring to the relationship”?

 

2.     Of Mice and Men has an allegorical quality, with each character possessing a specific trait that represents something in society. (Allegories are stories that symbolize some bigger idea in a culture.) Choose 2 characters and figure out what “bigger idea” Steinbeck is exploring through them.

 

3.     How does Steinbeck make the reader sympathetic toward Lennie?

 

4.     Analyze Steinbeck’s descriptions of the natural world. What role does nature play in the novel?

 

5.     Steinbeck uses several characters and scenes to develop his theme of dreams/The American Dream.  What he seem to be telling us about achieving dreams? (Think back also to question 5 on your opinionnaire from Monday.)

 

Questions: Write down at least 2-3 questions you would like to explore further or that comes out of your thinking from the previous questions.

Quizlet Vocab and Characterization Terms Study

Hi Ladies and Gents,

Here is a link to a site that lets you create free flash cards (for anything that you'd like to study, not just English!) I took the liberty of making a set for "The Possibility of Evil." Remember, we have a test on this story this Friday before you head off for fall break.


Besides flash cards, the site has built-in games you can play to sharpen your vocab skills. Check it out if you're interested.

 http://quizlet.com/15099280/the-possibility-of-evil-vocabulary-flash-cards/

 Have fun!

MLA Header and Heading

Hi English 98ers,

Below are a couple of tutorials on YouTube that might be helpful as you're finishing up your final drafts.

Here's one for using Word 2010 on a Windows computer. (Only the first 6-7 minutes or so are what you need - the rest is about creating a works cited page, which we're not doing with this essay):

If you have an older computer like mine and are using Word 2007, here are some slightly different directions:

Here's another for using Microsoft Word on a Mac:

If you're using Pages on a Mac, try the Microsoft Word for Mac directions, as I couldn't find a tutorial for that one. If you do find a good one, send it to me!

Homework - Fishbowl preparation for Friday, Oct 5th

Fishbowl Preparation

Main Text: The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

Directions: In preparation for the fishbowl discussion on Friday, answer these guiding questions with your thoughts, opinions, personal experiences, and evidence from The Most Dangerous Game. Each response should include at least 2 quotes from the text to support. Answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1.      Civilized vs. Uncivilized? At what point does a person cross that boundary? Who or what can we consider “civilized” in The Most Dangerous Game?

 IIs it inhumane to kill animals? How about humans? Where do Rainsford and Zaroff draw the line? Where do you draw the line?

3.      What does Richard Connell want to communicate to us as readers about humans in general? Consider the background information about big game hunting and General Zaroff’s game. Are humans naturally good, evil, selfish….? What evidence from the story gives the author’s opinion on that?

 

Questions: Write down at least 2-3 questions you would like to explore further or that comes out of your thinking from the previous questions.

Autobiography Journal #1 - 9/27

Autobiography Journal Topics:

 

Choose ONE and write a longer journal entry about it (about a page and a half).

 

Don’t worry too much about grammar, spelling, or organization at this point. Those things will come later!

 

1.   Jim McLaren’s life was changed forever in two separate moments. Think of a “moment” in your life that you recall vividly, which taught you something you’ve never forgotten, and describe that moment.

 

2.   What is the best gift you’ve ever given OR the best gift you’ve ever received? Describe the gift, when you gave/received it, and what the experience made you realize. What made it such a great gift?

 

3.   First impressions are tough to overcome, but often they are wrong. Write about a time when you misjudged someone upon first meeting them OR a time when someone misjudged you upon first meeting you.

 

One of these topics will eventually form the basis of your autobiographical narrative. For today, you’re just writing about 1 ½ pages to get your brain moving.

Journal Entry 9/25

Hi English 98-ites,

In case you were absent, here is the journal entry from yesterday (Tuesday, September 25th):

9/25 ASP/Emmanuel's Gift Journal

Because of an accident, Finny lost his leg and also his athletic dreams. Think of something you are really good at or enjoy doing. Now, imagine life without being able to do that activity. How would you react? Would you try to do something else? Would you become bitter? Etc...