Ideas for posts...

Last week, we talked about requirements for blogs (see "Literacy Blogs" handout). This week, I want to see you create your own post that satisfies some requirement mentioned on the handout. Here are some ideas for your post...or, come up with your own! 1. Journal/Diary entry from main character's perspective. 2. Compare/Contrast different texts. 3. Write a book review- tell what you thought about the book and persuade people to either read it or not to read it. 4. Write/draw an "open mind" activity where the audience gets a sense of what is going on in the mind of the main character. 5. Post a playlist for your main character. 6. Write about an event in the book from the point of view of another character than the main character. 7. Create an alternate ending that makes sense to the story (kind of like a "what if?"). 8. Think about what might have happened after the end of the book...you could even fast forward 10 years and write about what you think your characters are doing in the future. Or, if you come up with something else, check with me to okay it.

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.

9th grade Honors English

You can post your project here as a comment, then return to it later. Just remember the blog address, princessleiasgalaxy.blogspot.com.