Dream? or Reality?

Journal-

Respond to this quote by comedian, George Carlin.

"They call it the American Dream

because you have to be asleep to believe it."

The trial of George

Culminating Writing Assignment- a Persuasive Paper Of Mice and Men

Now that you have completed the novella, you should have a clear understanding about the events leading up to the death of Lennie. If Lennie had gone to trial for what he did, perhaps he would have been found innocent, on the grounds of a lack of mental competence Do you believe that George made the right decision? Was this a mercy killing? Was George justified? Or is George a murderer?

In this writing assignment we are putting George on trial for murdering Lennie. You are to take the position of either the prosecuting attorney or the attorney for George´s defense. This writing assignment represents your “closing arguments” to the jury as this is the time when a lawyer gives a final summary of his case and has his best efforts at persuading the jury to his side. Watch this example of an attorney's closing arguments to give you some ideas of how to convince the jury that YOUR side represents the truth.....

Your first step is to decide what side you will represent. Next begin to construct your case based on the description of persuasive writing below.

Persuasive writing, also known as the argument essay, utilizes logic and reason to show that one idea is more legitimate than another idea. It attempts to persuade a reader to adopt a certain point of view or to take a particular action. The argument must always use sound reasoning and solid evidence by stating facts, giving logical reasons, using examples, and quoting experts (as appropriate).
Note: Make sure that you cite all references, experts, or facts that you include.

Your essay should be between 750-1000 words.

Your introductory paragraph will present your side and your concluding paragraph will make one final statement that really solidifies your case. The body paragraph(s) will be where you present the persuasive arguments and evidence that support your stance.

Research Project- OMAM

Mercy Killing or Murder?

Chapter 5-6 Of Mice and Men

Was the death of Lennie a mercy killing or cold-blooded murder? Why?
What kind of man is George? Did your opinion of him change when you read Chapter 6?

Think about what you learned about the TRAGIC HERO-
A tragic hero is the main character in a tragedy. The modern use of the term usually involves the notion that such a hero make an error in his actions that leads to his downfall.

Some common traits which are characteristic of a tragic protagonist:

• The flaw is most frequently Hubris.
• The hero discovers that he is a result of his own actions, not by things happening to him.
• The hero sees and understands his doom, and that his fate was revealed by his own actions.
• The hero learns something from his/her mistake.
• The hero is faced with a serious decision.
• The suffering of the hero is meaningful because although the suffering is a result of the hero's own volition, it is not wholly deserved and may be cruelly disproportionate.
  
  Is George an example of THE TRAGIC HERO? If so, what is his TRAGIC FLAW?

Conflict in OMAM

Conflict is all around us.... we see it every day in a variety of forms.

There are TWO different types of conflict-
INTERNAL & EXTERNAL.

INTERNAL CONFLICT is a battle that MAN has with HIMSELF.

EXTERNAL CONFLICT can occur in 3 different ways:
MAN against MAN
MAN against SOCIETY
MAN against NATURE


Your group's task:
Create a chart listing the 4 types of conflict and find examples in OMAM Chapters 1 through 4 of the various types.

American Dreams for All ? OMAM Chapter 4

Think about all we have learned about Crooks, the "stable buck", in OMAM. Now think about what you know about "the American Dream". Is it truly for everyone? Or is there a separation between who can and who cannot achieve the American Dream?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQbZRMLKozk

Want Ads for Lonely People

One of the sub-themes in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is LONELINESS.

Think about the following characters: GEORGE, CROOKS, CURLEY, and CURLEY'S WIFE.
What makes them lonely? What do they want out of life that they do not currently have?
Is each person's "loneliness" the same? Or is it different from person to person?

The following are examples of Personal Ads, both written by someone looking for something in his/life, something to replace his/her loneliness.

'

Your group's task is to write a Personal Ad for each of the following characters from OMAM.
GEORGE, CROOKS, CURLEY, CURLEY'S WIFE
Your ad must reflect your group's understanding of each character and what makes him/her lonely as well as what kinds of things you think this person is looking for to replace the loneliness in his/her life.

Loneliness in OMAM -Chapter 3

Of Mice and Men is a story about many different types of relationships, but at the same time, it is a story about many lonely people. Talk about how loneliness is pervasive throughout the ranch....How does it exemplify itself in the lives of the characters (through Chapter 3)?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC8XymUq6L0

The Irony in OMAM

Irony is defined as a difference or contrast between appearance and reality - that is a discrepancy between what appears to be true and what really is true. After reading Chapters 1 and 2, what irony can you find in Of Mice and Men?

3 Types of Irony-
1. Verbal irony occurs when people say the opposite of what they mean (and in its most bitter form becomes sarcasm.)
2. Situational irony is when the situation is different from what common sense indicates it is, will be, or ought to be.
3. Dramatic irony occurs when a character states something that they believe to be true but that the reader knows is not true.

Friendship of Lennie & George

Chapter 1 gives us a first glance into the friendship of Lennie and George. Describe that relationship and talk about if you could see yourself in the role of George? Could you befriend a person like Lennie? Truly befriend.....?

Beliefs before Reading Of Mice & Men

Referring to the ten statements on the OMAM Anticipation Guide, choose the ONE about which you have the strongest opinion (agree OR disagree). Post it as a comment this blog and tell why.

1.People who are poor should rely on their friends, family, or church for help, not the government.

2.A true friend will tell you the truth even when you don’t want to hear it.

3.The “n-word” is more offensive than other racial slurs because of the history of hate behind it.

4.Women today are more often treated by men as equals rather than objects.

5.When people are a victim of a crime, they should be able to take the law into their own hands.

6.States with the death penalty have lower murder rates.

7.The best place for justice to be determined is in a court of law.

8.Being rich is more important than having close friends.

9.Sometimes a person has to break the law to make sure justice is served.

10.Life today is more difficult than it was in the 1930s



After we finish reading John Steinbeck´s Of Mice and Men, we will look at each of your responses and see if any of your opinions have changed (or lessened in their degree).

The American Dream

What do you think is the American Dream?
Why are people "Coming to America"?








"Oh yeah, I started out mopping the floor
just like you guys.
Then I moved up to washing lettuce.
Now, I'm working the fat fryer.
Pretty soon I'll make assistant manager
and that's when the big bucks start rolling in."

SCARS

Survival is not only about the moment(s) in which the "surviving" takes place.

Many of the things we survive leave scars that are constant reminders of what we have experienced. Scars are defined as a "sign of healing".... do you agree with this definition?


Papa Roach- "Scars"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPVFGoXUl1k

Another Brick in the Wall

Why are you here?

Why did you choose to be at the gymnasium?

And why did you choose this particular study line?

What do you plan to do after you finish at Herning Gymnasium?


Introduction of analogies :

1 page : novel :: education : "a brick in the wall"
1 page "is to" a novel "as" education "is to" a brick in the wall

Come as you are...

Who are we .......really?
You watched many of the boys on the island transform into very different people than they were when they landed on the island.
Do people change when they are put into tough situations?
Or is this a picture of who they REALLY and TRULY are???

So the question is... WHO ARE YOU?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOL5cpwTkes

Lord of the Flies

12 chapters later, you are finished!

William Golding has received a great deal of criticism about his book because of the brutality he portrays and the negative picture he paints of mankind.

As a response to these criticisms, he said in an interview in 1963,
"I learned during WWII just how brutal people can be to each other. Not just Germans or Japanese, but everyone. I tried to point that out.... some have said that the brutality portrayed in my novel is impossible. It´s not. Just look at any newspaper..."

Do you agree or disagree? Is his statement timely for 2009? More or less than it was in 1963?

Human Rights

As you work in your groups on your "society", you have been asked to think about basic human rights.

What rights should be given to each and every person? Or does everyone on the planet deserve the same rights? Does the murderer deserve the same as you? How about the child molester? Or the rapist? Is there ever a point when you sacrifice your right to those basic human rights?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnXQS6oetQk

LOF Creation of a Society

Welcome to the Lord of the Flies Society. As in the Lord of the Flies, your plane has crashed into the ocean. You and your friends have survived and manage to make your way to a seemingly deserted island. You have collected some items from the wreckage of the plane, but in order to survive until a rescue plane or ship arrives, you need to set up your "society". The first order of business to determine how this new society will function for its members because although you are friends, your group represents a variety of economic statuses, religious beliefs, ethical views, and opinions about right and wrong.

1. SETTING UP A DEMOCRACY:

Each person from the crash is from a country with a democratic system of goverment, so everyone is familiar with how democracy functions. You must develop an "official document" that describes your Democratic system on the island. You should think abou these questions as a starting point:
How will you maintain order, who will be in charge, how will you gather everyone together, how often and for what reason will you meet as a group? There are other questions that you may choose to address in your document.

2. HUMAN RIGHTS:

You must develop a poster that details the rules and rights of the inhabitants of your island. You must include consequences for breaking the rules. Use the websites below to gather information about human rights situations around the world.

HUMA N RIGHTS.org

Amnesty.org-Freedom of expression

Amnesty.org-Tunisia

Amnesty.org-Nicaragua

Amnesty.org-Afghanistan

Amnesty.org-Children

Amnesty.org-Discrimination

Amnesty.org-Women

Going home...

The boys have now been on the island for quite a while, and their hopes of being rescued diminish a bit more each day. Remember- their ages range from 6 to 12.... When the sun goes down, and the darkness comes, what are they thinking about? What would you be thinking about?

Thorns....

Song Title: "Every Rose has its Thorns" by Poison.
Your task--relate this song to the novel Lord of the Flies
What parallels can you draw between the two?

Piggy

Your homework before our next class will be to approach the novel from Piggy's point of view. Before you can do this, you need to understand the "role" that Piggy serves in the story.

He is the kid on the island that everyone picks on. He is reminded of this every time they say his "name". Think about these questions:
Why are kids so cruel to each other?
What about when you are on the receiving end of the cruelty?
Have you ever stood by and watched the cruelty or teasing without stopping it?
Should you do something to stop it?
Or is it even possible ????

I will survive....

When you hear the word "survive", what images or thoughts come to mind? What are the characteristics of a survivor? Does everyone have what they need inside of them to SURVIVE any situation?

Welcome back

It's that time again.... time to journal.
As you listen to the theme song from "Welcome Back, Kotter", a 1970s sitcom about a high school teacher in Brooklyn, think about the year before us.
What are your expections? Was it hard to come back? Are you excited or not at all ready to be here?!
Either way.....Welcome back....


Bonus question...Can you name what famous person got his big start on this tv show?

Go Ask Alice Journal 7

Today´s video is an example of my "final project" for Go Ask Alice. I have chosen the song "You Found Me" by The Fray to represent the character of Alice and her struggle from the beginning of the book, to the end. Rather than writing in your journal today, I want you to just listen to the song and think about WHY I selected this one. I will "present" my connections to you at the end of the song.

That was then, This is now.....a final journal

As we finish our study of S.E. Hinton´s That Was Then, This Is Now, I want you to think about this song and our protagonist, Bryon.
First, read the lyrics before you watch the video.
This post will help you complete your own comparison between the novel and a song.

"Stand" by Rascal Flatts
You feel like a candle in a hurricane
Just like a picture with a broken frame
Alone and helpless
Like you've lost your fight
But you'll be alright, you'll be alright

Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend, till you break
Cause it´s all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad you get strong
Wipe your hands shake it off
Then you Stand, Then you stand

Life's like a novel
With the end ripped out
The edge of a canyon
With only one way down
Take what you're given before its gone
Start holding on, keep holding on
Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend, till you break
Cause it´s all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad you get strong
Wipe your hands shake it off
Then you Stand.

Everytime you get up
And get back in the race
One more small piece of you
Starts to fall into place



Does Bryon "stand"? Does he bend or does he break? And would you say that he finds out what he is made of throughout the story?

Response Journal Go Ask Alice 6 /That was then 3

As you listen to the song, think about how the idea of being a "HERO" applies to the book. Who is looking for a hero? Or who is trying to be a hero for someone else? Are heroes necessary? Or is it dangerous to have a hero?

Alice vs. Alice

Today we are going to analyze Go Ask Alice with reference to another piece of literature-- Lewis Carroll´s Alice´s Adventures in Wonderland. Before we begin our work in comparing and connecting the two texts, here is a quick introduction to Walt Disney´s version of Alice in Wonderland.

Response Journal Go Ask Alice 5

Think about what you read in preparation for class today. Rather than responding to a specific idea, respond to the book up to this point. What part has spoken to you to you the most and where do you predict the story will go?

Resoonse Journal Go Ask Alice 4 /That was then, this is now 2

As you listen to this song and its lyrics, think about this--
What or who have you wanted in your life that you now realize was not good for you? Did others attempt to "talk you out of it" or keep you from getting hurt? Why did you want it anyway?
Why do we want things that are not good for us?

Response Journal 3- Go Ask Alice

Do parents understand what their teens are experiencing?

Watch the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O4sSZc2WCU
and then think about what Alice says in her diary on September 7:

"I wanted more than anything in the world to know that they understood, but naturally they just kept on talking and talking because they are incapable of really understanding anything. If only parents would listen! If only tey would let us talk instead of forever and eternally and continuously harping and preaching and nagging and correcting and yacking, yacking, yacking! But they won't listen! They simply won't or can't or don't want to listen, and we kids keep winding up back in the frustrating, lost, lonely corner with no one to relate to either verbally or physcially."

How are her parents part of what she is going through at this point in her life? Are they to blame for Alice´s actions or is Alice blaming them so that she does not have to take responsibility herself?

Response Journal2 Go Ask Alice

Alice is unhappy.
It is obvious that she is looking for something more in her life, but will she find it? Or will she settle for things that are immediate, rather than waiting for the things she really wants and really needs? How can wanting more or wanting something different be detrimental to your future?

Response Journal 1- Go Ask Alice Unit

Listen to the song as you think about the first section of Go Ask Alice that you read for today.
How are they connected? How are both about someone´s search for herself? What does someone do in order to find out who he/she is? What does it mean to "chase pavements"?


Adele - Chasing Pavements

Character Traits

As each class reads its selected novel over the next 3 weeks, we will spend some time analyzing the characters from the story. Rather than just describing them with adjectives, we will use a variety of metaphors and similes that represent their physical, emotional and developmental traits.



In order to familiarize you with this process, each student needs to post 1 description of a person in his/her life as a COMMENT on this post NO LATER THAN Saturday, 7 March. You decide if you will use a metaphor or a simile.



You also need to plan time to read the comments of your peers, so that you can see the variety of ways that the metaphor and simile can be used in character description.


Here are 3 examples to guide you:

An introduction to SE Hinton

The Outsiders (1967) was S.E. Hinton´s first novel. That was then, this is now was published only 4 years later. To understand the characters, the setting and the "unwritten rules" of society in That was then, this is now, we must first begin with the story she tells in The Outsiders.

http://www.sehinton.com/books/

A final interpretation... Drops of Jupiter

TRAIN´s "Drops of Jupiter".....

A Final Interpretation. ...well, for now!

VIDEO


Now that she's back in the atmosphere
With drops of jupiter in her hair, hey hey
She acts like summer and walks like rain
Reminds me that there's time to change, hey hey
Since the return of her stay on the moon
She listens like spring and talks like June, hey hey
But tell me did you sail across the sun
Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is over rated
Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star
One without a permanent scar
And then you miss me while you were lookin' for yourself out there
Now that she's back from that soul vacation
Tracing her way through the constellation, hey hey
She checks out Mozart while she does tae-bo
Reminds me that there's room to grow, hey hey
Now that she's back in the atmosphere
I'm afraid that she might think of me as plain ol' Jane
Told a story 'bout a man who was too afraid to fly so he never did land
But tell me, did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back to the Milky Way
And tell me, did Venus blow your mind
Was it everything you wanted to find
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there
Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken
Your best friend always sticking up for you
even when i know your wrong
Can you imagine no first dance, freeze-dried romance, five-hour phone conversation
The best soy latte that you ever had... and me
But tell me didyou sail accross the sun
Did you make it to the Milky wayto see the lights all faded
and that heaven is over rated
Tell me did you fall for a shooting star
one without a permanent scar
and did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there...

Response Journal The Fray

Another interpretation to a song that everyone knows. But have you thought about the lyrics and the story they tell?
What do the words mean?
What is the overall message/theme of the song?
How do you know???





Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
And pray to God he hears you
And pray to God he hears you
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life.

Open to Interpretation

Works of literature do not tell the same story to each person who reads them. How you perceive a story depends on where you are in your life and what paths you have walked prior to the day that you encountered that story. Literature is not the same as math... it is definitely open to interpretation....much like the lyrics to a song. What they mean is different from person to person.

Take for example...

"Chariot"

Staring at a maple leaf

Leaning on the mother tree

I said to myself we all lost touch

Your favorite fruit is chocolate covered cherries

And seedless watermelon ohhhh

Nothing from the ground is good enough

Body rised

It puts over me

Oh chariot your golden waves

are walking down upon this face

Oh chariot I'm singing out loud

To guide me

Give me your...Strength

Remember seeking moons rebirth

Rains made mirrors of the earth

The sun was just yellow energy

'It is a living promise land

Even over fields of sand

Seasons fill my mind and

Cover me

From bringing back

More than a memory

You'll be my vacation away from this place

You know what I want

Holding that cup,

It's pouring over the sides

Make me wanna spread my arms and fly.

Response Journal "Viva la vida"

Coldplay"Viva la Vida"

The song's Spanish title, "Viva la Vida", is taken from a painting by 20th century Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. It translates into English as "long live life"....
Life is easier to live, it seems, when one is on winter break.... it recharges you for the next several weeks of school.....or it is supposed to.

Did winter break recharge you? What helps you relax and "recharge your batteries"?
Listen and respond.

Response Journal- Stephen King

What do you really know about Stephen King? What is your opinion of him as a writer? Do you like his works? Why or why not?
Listen to this interview and then begin to think about what you would ask him in an interview.....

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mKEVKO7DR4RA:m1IM4EOPHS76S7

Response Journal- Man who loved flowers

What motivated this man? Was he a horrible person? Can we blame his crimes on something from his past or on something that these women did to "deserve" their fate? Or was he just LOST?

Response Journal- Shadow of the Day

Listen and Respond.
What character from Shawshank does this song remind you of?


Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day

"Life" in Prison

Prison was created for two basic functions--
PUNISHMENT of a crime & REHABILITATION of a criminal.

Some questions to think about:

1. Does prison do its job?
2. Does it punish AND rehabilitate so that a person does not commit the same crime again?
3. Does it offer a SECOND CHANCE to those it houses?
4. Does it change a person? How?
5. What does prison do to the family members of the incarcerated?

6. How many innocent people are sent to prison each year?
7. What happens to them? Physically? Psychologically?
8. Does anyone continue to fight for them once they are sent to prison?
9. How do they maintain hope while they are locked up?

Repsonse Journal- Waiting on the World to Change

How much power do you, as one person, have?
If you do not agree with a policy or law, CAN YOU AFFECT CHANGE?!?!
Listen and respond.

John Mayer - Waiting on the world to change

Response Journal- The Death Penalty

Read the following quote and respond.

Consider the young Hindu, who sits in prison today, so heavily guarded because he killed Gandhi. Is he to die or to live? If we are to take Gandhi literally, and I think he meant always to be taken literally, that man should not die by violence, even as punishment for a crime.

-- Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973), writer, Pulitzer Prize winner 1932, Nobel Prize winner (Literature) 1938.

Response Journal--Crime Rates

Fact:
The overall crime rate in Denmark is lower than it is in America.

Respond:
WHY?
What factors contribute to a country's crime rate?

What is the difference between larceny and burglary?

Larceny- The unlawful taking and removing of another's personal property with the intent of permanently depriving the owner; theft.

Burglary-The act of entering a building or other premises with the intent to commit theft.

Response Journal- Bowling for soup / My Sons on Death Row

As you listen, think about "My Sons on Death Row" from The Lift.
Are there similarities between the story and the song?
How did the story make you feel? How does the song make you feel?


"When We Die"
Bowling for Soup - When We Die

Response Journal "SAY"

Listen and Respond.

John Mayer
"SAY"

Tillykke.... You found it!

Welcome 1c and 1r to our classroom blog!

If you are reading this, you have not only found our blog, but you are now connected to the one place where everything you will need for class can be found. Of course, we will still use LECTIO for our basic scheduling and assignments, but this location allows you to post questions and comments to me and your classmates (some of which will be voluntary, and some of which will be assigned, once we get deeper into the literature).

Of course, we must set a few ground rules before we begin our electronic journey together....well, actually there is only 1 rule.
1. Be RESPECTFUL.

I commit to respect each of you, as individuals, and I realize that as we embark on this literary adventure known as "English class", we will find that our opinions about the text, the author´s purpose and well, life in general, differ. With that knowledge comes a need for respect. I commit to respect your opinions, comments and ideas that may differ from my own. All that I ask from you is that you do the same.

__________________________________
Guidelines for posting comments:

1. Include your name with your comment, rather than relying on me to recognize you from your email address.
2. Write your comment in a mature and thoughtful way. If you are looking for a place to vent or rant, this is not it. Make an appointment with me and you can vent or rant face to face! :o)
3. If you make a suggestion of other literary selections which you think the class should read as a part of our unit of study, you must include a justification.
_________________________________

Pretty simple, don´t you think?

Of course this class is designed to improve your English--in the areas of writing, reading, listening and speaking, but I plan for it do so much more. As we experience each literature selection, each grammar topic and each literary concept together, we will grow.
Some will grow more than others. Some will grow faster than others. But all of us will grow.