A Dream Deferred

This post if for FRESHMEN only.

First read the following poem by Langston Hughes:

A Dream Deferred

by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up 

like a raisin in the sun? 

Or fester like a sore-- 

And then run? 

Does it stink like rotten meat? 

Or crust and sugar over-- 

like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags 

like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Now go to my 'tostu' folder (look under the C folder, and then open the jcowlin folder) and open the document entitled "A Dream Deferred: Text and Activity." Complete the activity by typing directly into the document. Be sure to save your copy to your personal folder and to print out a copy to receive credit.

Proverbs

This post is for JUNIORS only.

A proverb can be defined as "a short, popular saying that expresses effectively a commonplace truth. Ishmael Beah states a proverb in the book:

"We must strive to be like the moon" (Beah 16).

Beah goes on to explain what the proverb means:


“We must strive to be like the moon.' An old man in Kabati repeated this sentence often... the adage served to remind people to always be on their best behavior and to be good to others. [S]he said that people complain when there is too much sun and it gets unbearably hot, and also when it rains too much or when it is cold. But, no one grumbles when the moon shines. Everyone becomes happy and appreciates the moon in their own special way. Children watch their shadows and play in its light, people gather at the square to tell stories and dance through the night. A lot of happy things happen when the moon shines. These are some of the reasons why we should want to be like the moon" (Beah 16).

Here are a few English proverbs:

• "Let sleeping dogs lie."
• "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
• "Actions speak louder than words."
• "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
• "Justice delayed is justice denied."

And here are a few more from Africa:

• "A champion bull starts from birth."
• "A tree not taller than an ant cannot shade you."
• "A dog knows the places he is thrown food."
• "Water cannot be forced uphill."

Notice how most of these are figurative in nature. In other words, the proverb is "a champion bull starts from birth." The proverb is not "great athletes start practicing when they are young." There is a degree of poetry in most of these. A degree of metaphoric language. For example, one way to write a proverb would be to say:

"You need to help yourself when times are tough."

A better way, though, would be:

"A turtle on its back will cook in the sun."

Your task? Write a concise, one sentence proverb of your own. Then, like Beah does with his moon proverb, explain both its meaning and its implications in a thoughtful, thorough paragraph.


Hint: Try your best to be figurative and poetic. Consider writing about the weather, animals, geography, calendars, clocks, athletic events, jewelry, food, etc.

Reactionary vs Progressive

This post is for FRESHMEN only.

As we discussed in class, texts come in two varieties. Well, maybe three. One kind is REACTIONARY. These texts want things to stay as they are, to maintain the 'status quo'. If a country is in war, a reactionary text wants everyone to pitch in...

...even women. (Who pretty much belong in the kitchen making food while the boys go out to fight.)

Reactionary texts are all about tradition...

PROGRESSIVE texts, on the other hand, want things to change. If there's a government policy, a progressive text would try to get it repealed...

...and to make tomorrow different from today...

Progressive texts want change...

The third type of text, I suppose, are the ones that pretend to be one but are really the other. Look at this ad for Apple. Get it? It wants you to BE DIFFERENT! To BE AN INDIVIDUAL! Pretty progressive, right? (Except that it wants to to buy more stuff and spend more money just like everyone else.)

Be radical! Be outrageous! Be an individual! (How? It's easy...Obey!)

Your task: In a thoughtful, thorough paragraph, respond to the following prompt...

Identify a book or film you have recently read or viewed,

and explain, in detail, why it is either reactionary or progressive. 

Remember, your instructor likely will not have read/seen your book/film, so be sure to summarize adequately and supply plenty of details.

Your editing conventions of the week: 

• No 1st or 2nd person. (1st: I, me, we, us, our, ours, my, mine, etc.; 2nd: you, your, yours, yourself) Write in third person only. (3rd: he, she, him, her, it. its, they, them, themselves, one, etc.)
• No contractions. ("It is" instead of "it's." "Cannot" instead of "can't." "Is not" instead of "isn't." Etc.)

Ready to Rumble?

This post is for freshmen students only.

There's an old saying, that "knowing is half the battle." The joke, of course, is, "What's the rest of the battle?" Fighting? Pain? Losing? Cats with laser beams?

Using this notion as a jumping-off point, address one of the following ideas in a thoughtful, thorough paragraph.

What 'battles' are being fought in Ellison's "Battle Royale"?

Who is likely to succeed in battle, and who is likely to fail?

Which battle is most worthy of being fought?

Which is least worthy?

We're not just speaking literally, here. We're speaking figuratively. Be sure to consider all the characters and conflicts: the narrator, his grandfather, the other contestants, the women, the men holding the event, the audience members. Consider the narrator's speech, his dream at the end, his hopes and worries. Consider that some conflicts are external, others internal. Consider that by the end of the story, some battles have been resolved while others have just begun.

Post your response in the comments section. Be sure to include your name so you can get credit. Remember, these are simply ideas - prompts to get you started. All I'm looking for, really, is some thoughtful, interesting discussion. Therefore, feel free to post additional comments in which you respond to your peers' comments. You might also consider checking back in to see if anyone has responded to your comments, so you can reply.

You can receive extra credit for each additional response.

Again, I'm looking for a discussion here, not simply a list of unconnected thoughts. So, make connections and claims, draw conclusions, provide evidence and explanations. I'll be checking in periodically.

In case you're interested, all of these paintings are by a guy named George Bellows, one of the 'Ashcan' artists.

Sierra Leone Research Project - Topics

This post is for juniors only.

Here is a list of the topics and sub-topics for your research unit:

I.  Sierra Leone Overview

1. Brief history
2. Politics
3. Military
4. RUF
5. Economy and jobs
6. Blood/conflict diamonds

II. Sierra Leone Geography

1. Natural geography
2. Towns and cities
3. Buildings and homes
4. Roads and transportation
5. Pictures and maps

III.  Life of a Sierra Leone Child Soldier

1. Recruitment
2. Training
3. Treatment
4. Effects and impact on children
5. UNICEF

IV.  Sierra Leone Culture

1. Daily life
2. Religion
3. Art, music, and entertainment
4. Education
5. Healthcare

Introductory Freshmen Writing Prompt

Greetings. Here it is, folks. Your first writing assignment. The purpose of this activity is for you to demonstrate where you are in your writing, and it will give us some direction as we decide where we have to go. In other words, do your best.

The school year in China typically runs from the beginning of September to mid-July, and the school year in South Korea typically runs from March to February. Students in the United States attend school from late August until early June. There has been much discussion in the national media about lengthening the school year or school day in order to keep America students from falling behind students from other countries such as China and South Korea.

Write an essay in which you explain why the school year in the United States should or should NOT be lengthened. 

Reminders

• Take a few minutes to plan your essay in the space below before you actually begin to write it.
• Pace yourself. You will have 45 minutes to write; this includes your planning and proofreading time.
• You may write about one reason why the school year should or should not be lengthened, or you may include several reasons why.
• Use the best grammar, spelling, and punctuation that you can. Be sure to proofread your essay before you turn it in.

Welcome to Freshmen English!

The following entry is for freshmen students only...

Welcome to freshmen English! We're going to be using this blog quite a bit throughout the year, so, just to be sure we all know how to use it, please respond to the following question:

What is your favorite movie of all time, and why? 

1. Click on 'comments' below.
2. Post your comment. (Try cutting and pasting from word if you like.)
3. Click on 'Name/URL' and type in your name.
4. Click on 'post comment'. 
5. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

For future reference - Your responses to blog entries needs to be thoughtful and thorough. And yes, grammar and spelling count (even though this is the internet). And yes, you can earn extra credit on these. All you need to do is - after you've posted your own comment - read the comments of others and post a thoughtful reply to someone else's comment.

I've got a few favorite movies myself, and they include...

...for its man vs. naure manliness...

...for its man vs. man insanity...

and last but not least...

...for the letter Ben Chapman wrote to my son. (Remind me to tell you the story some time.)

Freshmen Final Exam

This post is for FRESHMEN only.

Master Control Program here.

Greetings, programs.

Okay, so you know how your class didn't do too well on the Of Mice and Men and the A Raisin in the Sun final exam reviews? How some people didn't do their work? How as a class you didn't hit many of the quotations that are on the exam? Well, this is me being nice...

Over there on the right side of the screen, under "LABELS", are the exact same review assignments from the past two years. You can also check out here and here. Those are the review assignments from a few years ago. Those two are really good.

Reminder: If you don't study, you won't do well on the exam.

End of line.

Your Manifesto

This post is for JUNIORS only.

Your task for today?

Write your own manifesto.

Tips:

• Review the manifestos from last week. (They're listed a few posts down.)
• Keep the same format.
• Be neat.
• Your manifesto should be a specific guide for how you think you should live your life, do your job, approach school, treat you family, etc.
• Include a short introductory paragraph explaining your point of view.
• Think of it this way: the INTRO is WHY you have a manifesto (why it is important to be a rebel or be healthy or do well in school or ... whatever), and the LIST is HOW (how one should be a rebel or be healthy or do well in school or ... whatever.)
• You will be using this manifesto for the essay portion of your final exam, so make it good! Get it done and printed by tomorrow!