Storytellers I

Who are the great storytellers of today? Which movie directors and authors can hold your attention? What makes these storytellers better than any others? What plot devices and types of characters hold your attention the MOST? What types of stories leave you bored and uninterested? Why?

Storytellers II

Who were the great storytellers of your youth? Was it your mom at bedtime? Your grandad's war stories? Was it Dr. Seuss? What are the books and stories which come to mind as great stories from your childhood? What qualities made these stories stand the test of time in your memory? What stories will you make sure you tell your own children, nieces, nephews, etc?

Poetry Unit Final Thoughts

On a blog at the beginning of the Poetry Unit, most of you commented that you had very little experience with American poetry or poetry in general. After having studied one poet in depth and after learning about several other poets studied introduced by Mrs. O and by your classmates, what opinions do you have of American poets and poetry now? Which were your favorite and why? What characteristics of poetry do you tend to like? Which do you dislike?

Emily Dickinson or ee cummings??

Last week we read the poetry of Emily Dickinson who was highly criticized for her unusual rhyming, rhythms, capitalization, etc. Even though ee cummings wrote decades after Dickinson, he, too, was criticized for similar reasons. Read a couple of his poems. http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15399 http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15403
What do you think? Which one is more unusual? More difficult to understand? Why? Which one do you prefer reading? Why? Should poetry have NO rules?

Sylvia Plath or Anne Sexton??

You learned about Sylvia Plath on Jamie's detailed Wikicenter project. Many people compare her poetry to that of Anne Sexton. Read Anne Sexton's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15300 then go back and read a poem by Sylvia Plath called "Morning Song" http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15293 . Do you notice any similarities or differences in the two writers' wording, style, or content?

Walt Whitman or Allen Ginsberg??

You have read Walt Whitman. . .Try one of Ginsberg's most famous poems "Howl" at the site below. Is he similar to or different from Walt Whitman in any ways? Which one do you like better? Why? Which one strikes you as the most "American" and why?

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15308

American Poetry

After this unit, we will be studying American Poetry. I like to leave some choices up to my students; therefore, are there any American poets or types of poetry that you would LIKE to study? Or are there any that you feel you have studied enough and don't need to spend the time on? Any projects or assignments you have done in the past that you liked or didn't like with regard to poetry? What general attitudes about poetry do you have? Is anyone interested in writing poetry? I am open to all suggestions!! :-)

Casting Call

If you were to actually be cast in a role in the stage version of Inherit the Wind, which character would you be most suited to play? Are you most like Bertram Cates, living a fairly normal life but willing to stand up for what you believe in no matter the cost? Are you most like Hornbeck, interested mostly in observing situations and then passing the information on to anyone who will listen? Are you like Drummond, with a strong analytical mind able to think on your feet and work things out logically and cleverly. Or are you one of the townspeople, easily swayed by what others think? Choose ANY character from the play to discuss and compare with your own personality.

Supporting a Cause

At one point, Bertram Cates has the option to back out of the trial, but he chooses to continue with the proceedings because he truly believes that he has done nothing wrong. For what cause(s) would you be willing to stand up and fight or lead a protest, even if it meant your life would be turned upside down? In other words, what cause would you testify for or defend in order to support your belief in it? Why?

ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT!!

With only two weeks left in the marking period, some people are working hard and kicking tush in English, but some are falling behind. Only 12 people blogged last week!! Come for extra help. . . .do the extra credits. . . .You can almost CHOOSE your own grade in this class!!

Thank you to those who gave me good ideas for the blogs this week. The three topics came from the comments you guys made last week. Nice!! No need to comment on this posting. . .The topics for this week are below and are: Fads & Trends, Current Events, and School Rules.

Fads and Trends

The town of Hillsboro could not help but join Reverend Brown's bandwagon to crucify Bert Cates as an "evil-utionist." What is it about human nature that makes people join in, sometimes blindly, to current fads and fashions. Who are the trendsetters and who are the trendfollowers? Which are YOU? Is it ok or harmless to follow SOME trends? Which? When does it become dangerous?

Current Events

It is so much easier for us to find out about current events today than it was in the 1920's of Hillsboro. Hornbeck's news articles could only be read outside of the city limits of Baltimore when "clippers" clipped the articles and sent them to Drummond, Brady, etc. What recent news event or events are "clipworthy" enough for you, personally, to stay tuned to the daily articles about them? What are your opinions about this event/issue? What makes you keep "tuning in" to articles, broadcasts, and interviews related to the event?

School Rules and Regulations

The Constitution was written to meet the needs of our country at the time of its very birth. Then later, amendments were written in order to meet the needs of a changing world--voting, prohibition, etc. What rule or regulation in the student handbook could use an "amendment"? Rewrite the rule in the way that you feel it should be worded, and write why you think your wording is better and would be more successful. If you merely rant or complain about a school rule rather than offering a solution with reasonable support, then you are no better than those single-minded townspeople of Hillsboro! :-)

The Defense and the Prosecution

Every person, guilty or innocent, has the right to a fair trial. Why is this one of the rights we are afforded as American citizens? Any comments about defending the guilty? Or even prosecuting the innocent? There have been many cases of wrongful imprisonment, especially with the technological advances and new DNA evidence. Make any comments you have on these or other opinions you have about our American justice system.

Small Town America

The authors created the town of Hillsboro to be representative of any small town in the midwestern U.S. in the 1920's. Think about NJ's Chester and Mendham today. In what ways are our little towns actually very similar to Hillsboro? In what ways are our little towns very different from Hillsboro? Write your responses and add any comments you have also.

Blogging Ideas??

Now that we are finished the persuasive unit, our Do Now's will be geared toward the texts that we are reading; however, you all have such great ideas for discussion questions, we should put one or two on the blog each week in addition to the questions I add. What would be some good discussion topics for the blog? Give several in the comments, or give one and give your comments to your own question. Or do a combination!

What SHOULD we learn?

If you were on the curriculum board, what content and information do you feel ALL students must learn in order to earn a public high school diploma and be successful adults? What SHOULD schools be responsible for teaching? If you were to design a course that ALL students would benefit from, what would be the basic content of that course? For example, I believe that all ninth graders should, in some way, learn about study skills that would help them be successful in high school. There should be some kind of consistent study skills program that all ninth grade teachers follow. What do you think?

Creation vs. Evolution

In the play we will be reading over the next few weeks, a teacher is arrested and put on trial for teaching evolution to his class. Ironically, Garrett's discussion question last week regarding who decides what we learn in school comes into play significantly here. What do you think about teaching religion in school? Should schools teach students that there are multiple theories out there? Or should public school leave religion alone? This is a very touchy subject because religion is often at the heart of people's moral and personal lives, so, as always, remember there are multiple viewpoints in this class that we must all respect and appreciate, even if we do not agree with them.

Media Frenzy and McCarthyism

The play we are about to read, Inherit the Wind, was written in the 1950's as a response to McCarthyism, as was the play The Crucible which many of you read last year. Even though the public hysteria that McCarthyism specifically provoked is not with us anymore, are there other similar examples from history or modern day that have caused rampant fear, suspicion, public outcry, or media frenzy unnecessarily? Explain the situation.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/mccarthyism.html

Censorship in Music

Most of you chose a song to analyze and share for the recent Persuasive Unit Project. Have the lyrics or music of any bands that you know been censored in any way? Are there situations in which censorship of music is appropriate? What about "clean" versions of songs? What about music videos? Another Mrs. O 80's flashback: Beastie Boys' "Fight for your Right to Party" video

The Freedom to Read

Read the BANNED BOOK PROCLAMATION (click link). What parts of this proclamation are most meaningful to you? How important is the "freedom to read"?

Banned Books Week

BANNED BOOK WEEK is September 29th - October 6th. Click the hilighted link above to see a list of the 100 Most Frequently Banned Books 1990-2000. Have you read any of these banned books? Do any titles surprise you? Why or why not? Are there situations in which censorship of books is appropriate?

Advertisements and Commercials

Advertising is generally what pays the bills in many industries. Marketing a product takes creativity and the ability to PERSUADE. Have you ever bought a product solely on its advertisers' ability to market that product? Identify a particular advertisement that you have seen or heard that is particularly persuasive (i.e. television, radio, billboard, magazine, newspaper, etc.). What kinds of PERSUASIVE DEVICES do they use to entice the general public or a particular age or social group? Have you seen any ineffective advertising?

Protest Songs

For our classwork this week, we will be looking at songs and speeches which demand that people look more closely and think about a specific issue or problem in society. Some do so gently; some inspire listeners to action. Look at the lyrics and related information for one of the protest songs on the following 60's website and comment. Can a song change the world? What makes some more persuasive than others? www.sfheart.com/protest/index1.html

Jumping to Conclusions

The media (radio, tv, Internet, newspapers, etc.) often creates a stir about a topic or person so much so that people begin to GENERALIZE and jump to conclusions about people and groups of people. For example, people see one teenager breaking the law, and they think ALL teenagers are vandals. In our own high school, gossip (true or not true) generates the same results. Comment on some aspect of this issue which affects all of us. Is it part of human nature? Or can we educate people about jumping to false conclusions?

Mental Blocks about Mental Illness

Doctors have learned so much in the past few decades about how to help those with mental health issues; my own family has benefited from several of these advances. Visit this health site that discusses many conditions and treatments that we have been discussing in class (see menu at left of the site's first page), and comment on what you learn. How can we help society understand these very common types of conditions better so that the negative stigma that surrounds them diminishes?

http://www.revolutionhealth.com/conditions/mental-behavioral-health/?msc=A18428

Constitution Day: "We the People of the United States in order to form a more perfect union. . ."

Monday, September 17th was Constitution Day. Go to the link to refer to the articles and sections of the Constitution. What line, article, or section do you feel is the most important part of our Constitution? http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution_transcript.html

RULES and LAWS: Helpful or Harmful?

Identify a school rule or a law that you find is either particularly helpful or particularly harmful in some way. Explain. What about age-related laws or rules such as with driving, voting, joining the military, etc.?

September 11th

Today is September 11th, a day that impacts Americans in a myriad of ways. On 9/11, I was teaching in a high school in Middlesex, the New Jersey county with supposedly the MOST NYC commuters. Many students in my school lost someone: a neighbor, a friend, a family member. How has this event changed what it means to be American? Do you think that because of this event, your life has somehow been affected either specifically or tangentially? Explain.

Cuckoo's Nest: The "Combine" and other Themes

Like Ken Kesey, artists and writers use their work to comment on issues which concern them in society. Kesey seemed to be concerned with issues like the abuse of POWER, the mistreatment and shaming of people who are WEAK or DIFFERENT, the loss of INDIVIDUALITY, the problems created by what some consider PROGRESS. Which of these issues concerns you the most? Who is responsible? What are some possible solutions?

The Psychedelic 60's

Author Ken Kesey is well-known for his role--both personal and literary-- in the cultural revolution in America that was "the 60's." Mrs. O was born to hippie artists in 1966. Yeah, I'm that old. :-) Check out this 60's link and all the interesting info on it. Look on the site and comment in any way you would like based on what you learn about Ken Kesey or any other interesting info about the time period. http://www.lib.virginia.edu/small/exhibits/sixties/

Cuckoo's Nest: Is McMurphy an American Hero?

McMurphy's character from Cuckoo's Nest seems to express what many of you are saying America is all about in your blogs. For example, you have used words and phrases such as: never giving up, fighting for rights, revolution without fear, encouraging what is different, being strong-minded and proud, not letting others dictate what happiness should mean. . .Is McMurphy an American Hero then? Why or why not?

Freedom of Speech

As we discussed in class, one Puritan was severely punished for writing a pamphlet which voiced opinions against the Church of England. I also told you in class that my ninth graders wrote to Mr. Matyas about how they felt about not having their agendas on the first day of school. Now, I seriously doubt any of those ninth graders will get their noses slit or their ears cut off! If you could choose ANYONE in the world to write a letter to in order to voice a respectful complaint or protest, who would it be and what would you say?

America's Future

What will life be like in the United States in the future? What things and experiences will remain the same? Why? What elements do you hope stays the same? What things and experiences will change? Why? What changes would you like to see made in your lifetime?

The American Dream

What is the American Dream? Describe the hopes and dreams of the average American. Or describe your own "American Dream." Or how you think people from other countries view the American Dream.

What is an American?

Although many people consider themselves Americans, most have different definitions of what an American is. What is your definition of an American?