Advice to Toby

This post if for JUNIORS only.

Last week you wrote advice to your younger, ten-year-old self. Below you'll find some of it - organized by the period in which it was written. Toby, from A Boy's Life, could use some of your advice. Your task is as follows:

Select a piece of advice from your class period that you think would best help Toby. Then, in a thoughtful, thorough, multi-paragraph, short essay, explain why and how that piece of advice would benefit Toby.

Use the following criteria as a revision checklist:

• correct spelling and capitalization
• multiple paragraphs
• specific details
• at least one cited quotation
• no first person (I, me, we, us, my, myself, our, mine, ourselves) or second person (you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves) - except when used in a cited quotation

Please ask a teacher if you have any questions.

PERIOD 3

• Good friends accept you for who you are: you don’t have to act like someone else to impress them.
• Never judge a person by how they look.
• Not everyone is going to judge you as harshly as you assume they will.
• Nobody stays around forever. Don’t let this upset you, because there are so many others to meet down the road.

PERIOD 7

• Some things you might see as a huge problem to get upset about are actually very small. Don’t get upset because later on these things won’t matter to you.
• Telling the truth is better than lying. You might get yourself in trouble, but as long as the truth comes out, you won’t feel as guilty.
• Do not worry too much about mistakes, because making mistakes is part of growing up.
• Life is a pain. You will have a hard time adapting to new situations, but you will learn to deal with it.

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.

This entry is for PERIOD 7 JUNIORS only.

Today we're going to participate in an online discussion. Your task is to comment thoughtfully and often to the discussion. The following is a list of ways to participate:

• post a short paragraph in which you present a point of view
• comment on the posts of your classmates
• ask a question - either regarding a classmate's post or generated simply from your own curiosity
• respond to comments classmates have made regarding your posts

Some of your responses are going to be short, some of them are going to be thorough. All should be thoughtful and appropriate for class. All should be specific. Use specific examples in your discussion - either from the novel we are reading, real life, other literature, films, etc.

Here is the topic of the day:

What natural rights do teens possess?

This question is merely a jumping-off point. Your discussion can go anywhere. Here are some questions you may wish to address throughout your discussion:

• What is a "right"?
• What is the difference between a "right" and a "privilege"?
• When should rights be taken away, if ever?
• How have teens' rights changed over the years?
• How does technology figure into the equation?
• Are all rights shared by all teens, or just a select few?

Here are the instructions for posting a comment:

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'. 

This entry is for PERIOD 3 JUNIORS only.

Today we're going to participate in an online discussion. Your task is to comment thoughtfully and often to the discussion. The following is a list of ways to participate:

• post a short paragraph in which you present a point of view
• comment on the posts of your classmates
• ask a question - either regarding a classmate's post or generated simply from your own curiosity
• respond to comments classmates have made regarding your posts

Some of your responses are going to be short, some of them are going to be thorough. All should be thoughtful and appropriate for class. All should be specific. Use specific examples in your discussion - either from the novel we are reading, real life, other literature, films, etc.

Here is the topic of the day:

What natural rights do teens possess?

This question is merely a jumping-off point. Your discussion can go anywhere. Here are some questions you may wish to address throughout your discussion:

• What is a "right"?
• What is the difference between a "right" and a "privilege"?
• When should rights be taken away, if ever?
• How have teens' rights changed over the years?
• How does technology figure into the equation?
• Are all rights shared by all teens, or just a select few?

Here are the instructions for posting a comment:

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'. 

Ready to Rumble - Period 8

This post is for PERIOD 8 FRESHMEN 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.

Ready to Rumble - Period 4

This post is for PERIOD 4 FRESHMEN 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.

Ready to Rumble - Period 1

This post is for PERIOD 1 FRESHMEN 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.

Write a Little Letter

The following post is for juniors only.

Wolff expresses frustration at the limits of his self-identity as a boy. In other words, he as a man can in no way help himself as a boy; history cannot be rewritten. He writes:

“But the man can give no help to the boy,
not in this matter nor in those that follow" (Wolff 27).

Imagine what it would be like if you COULD go back and help your childhood self. What do you wish you knew then that you know now? What would you say to yourself as a child if you had the chance?

Write a letter to your 10-year-old self. You can offer advice, warnings, reassurances – whatever you think would have been helpful to you as a 10-year-old.

Your letter should be written in first person. It should be detailed and thorough. It needs to be multiple paragraphs and well organized. Employ correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. If have any questions, don't hesitate to ask a teacher.

Who Are You?

This post is for JUNIORS only

Welcome to Junior English. Today is your first opportunity to introduce yourself to your instructors. In a thoughtful, thorough, multi-paragraph essay, answer the following question:

Who are you?

You must write for the entire period. Remember, this is your first opportunity to demonstrate who you are as a person and who you are as a student - so do your best!  Use specific details, correct grammar, and correct spelling. Your essay must be multiple paragraphs. You may wish to use some of the following questions to shape or guide your response:

• What have you done?
• Where have you been?
• What are you goals?
• What mistakes have you made?
• What do you like?
• What do you not like?
• How do you spend your time?
• What drives you?
• What makes you different?

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask one of the instructors. Good luck, and have fun.