We read several works of literature in English 11 this school year. Anthem by Ayn Rand, "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, "A&P" by John Updike, "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, and Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose. Which work of literature did you enjoy the most? What made it so enjoyable? Which work of literature did you enjoy the least? What made it the least enjoyable? Use complete sentences in your response.
Which of the presidential candidates do you believe should become the next president of the United States of America? Mitt Romney, John Edwards, Mike Huckabee, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Barack Obama or Rudy Giuliani? Explain why you believe this candidate is best suited for the job as president.
Read the 8 profiles in the booklet America's Table and include the following in your BLOG comment:
(1) Write the name of the person you are commenting about, (2) Explain what it was (about this person's profile) that you found most appealing, and (3) Explain how this person's story connects to the meaning of Thanksgiving Day.
What is your reaction to the incidents in Jena, Louisiana recently in the news. Read the New York Times article at http://nytimes.com/2007/09/19/us/19jena.html
What does this case tell you about society? What did you find shocking or unusual about this case? What do you think should be done?
Consider the work from this semester and the activities you completed for the portfolio. Which activity did you enjoy the most? Which activity did you dislike the most? Explain your responses in detail.
We watched the film "Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks." What did you learn from viewing this film? What new information did you learn about Rosa Parks? About the Civil Rights Movement? About segregation in America? What does the life of Rosa Parks teach us about the power of an ordinary citizen?
We watched the film "A Time for Justice: America's Civil Rights Movement." What did you learn from viewing this film? What information about the American Civil Rights Movement did you find most startling? Which images or events do you remember the most? What are your personal thoughts about the Civil Rights Movement?
The Time Traveller in H.G. Wells' The Time Machine travels far into the future, then returns and tells his dinner guests about his adventures. What would you do if you could travel through time in a time machine? Would you travel into the past or into the future? What would you hope to discover? Explain your answers.
(1) Which activity did you enjoy the most? Why? (2) Which activity would you change or eliminate? Why? (3) Give suggestions for the Second Marking Period. What can we put in our next Portfolio? Explain in detail.
Consider the topics covered during this session and the ideas shared. What did you learn? What did you find useful? What could you use in your classroom? What other comments, questions or suggestions do you have?
Write your reaction to "The Black Cat." What was unusual about the narrator in this story? Which cat superstitions can you relate to this story? What did you like, or dislike about this story? How does this short story compare to Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
What was the purpose of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address? What was the message of this address and why have its words captured readers for so long? An audio of the speech can be found at: http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2005-04/2005-04-20-voa1.cfm?CFID=84471109&CFTOKEN=68896762
What was the famous Dred Scott Decision? What does this Supreme Court decision reveal about life in America in the mid 1800s?
Write your reaction to the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart." What did you like most about the story? In what ways was this story different from other stories you have read?
What is your reaction to the novel Frankenstein? What did you learn by reading the original version of Frankenstein? What comment can you make about how the novel ended?