How men turn into "monsters"...

Think about the video we just watched and what it says about human nature. Do you think the SS officers would have been the same? Even if they were not involved in the war? What makes a man a "monster" and do the SS officers meet your definition of that? Explain why you think what you think.   How were the German SS officers monstrous?  How were they like normal people?  Do you think they would have behaved the same if there wasn't a war going on?  Or would they have been "normal" guys, not killers?  Explain why you think what you think, in a new blog post.

Today is the greatest WEDNESDAY I've ever known...

Take a lyric from your favorite song and use it to freewrite this morning for a few moments. Tell the artist and title of the song, then use it as a sentence starter to write a blog post. You can even change it a bit to match your mood... Here's my example: "Today is the greatest Wednesday I've ever known because it means it's halfway through the week, which is further along than yesterday (Tuesday). It also is great because I have nothing after school, though I will have to go and work on my stupid assignment for teacher credentialing. Sorry, but that's really how I feel about it. Dr. A is the devil incarnate, at least when it comes to making us do things we really shouldn't have to do. Sometimes, I wonder if finishing my teaching credential is really worth it...even for the money and/or job satisfaction. But, I really need to focus on the fact that today is the "greatest" Wednesday I've ever known and get away from all of this other negative energy...Positive, positive, think positive."

Empathy

Take a minute to step into your main character's shoes. Write a journal entry from his/her perspective describing a particular scene or moment from the book. Try to transport us, the audience, to the scene through your descriptive powers and the voice of your character. You may write using language that "fits" Then, find a couple of fellow students' blogs, read their journal entries, and comment on their journal entries.

Now, for your second mission

Now, to experiment with posting comments on someone else's blog, respond to the following prompt by submitting a comment. Reading is important...but why? What have you learned about yourself, the universe, or life from your reading this year? Please explain how you've learned it, as well as what you've learned.

First Post Assignment

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to compose a post that is a reflection on your reading life so far this year. You should include the books you have completed, and your thoughts, opinions, and feelings on these books. Please choose at least 1-2 that are highlights, and 1-2 that were lowlights and why you label them this way. You can talk about any book that you've read- either in class or outside of school- as long as it has been read during the school year.