september 18

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Can a person love someone or something too much?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Writer's conferences & independent literature analysis work (continued)
3. Post your thoughts on "Young Goodman Brown" (title: WAS IT ONLY A DREAM?)

september 17

JOURNAL TOPIC:
What in your life would you miss most if it were gone? This may be a person, an opportunity, a possession, a pet, or even an idea-- like your freedom. Explain your answer.

AGENDA:

1. Journal

2. "Young Goodman Brown" quiz

3. Writer's / progress report conferences

HW:
You should be reading/ working on your literature analysis.  Please bring your book to class every day this week.  ***DUE FRIDAY***

september 14

JOURNAL TOPIC:

Describe a memorable fight scene from a book or movie. What makes this particular conflict stick out in your memory? How was it important to the story?

-OR-

Change can be exciting.  Change can be hard.  In Buddhism, changes are described as "little deaths" -- i.e., when things change, the way they used to be is gone.  Describe a change in your life.  It can be major or no big deal.  It can be positive or negative.  The important thing is to describe how things became different, and how you experienced the process.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Progress report conferences
3. Complete and post your answers to the YGB questions
4. Prepare for Monday's news conference: "Man walks into the woods, many unanswered questions..."

september 13

JOURNAL TOPIC:
In many cultures there are rituals that signify when a child becomes an adult. How can you tell in our culture? By age? Getting a driver's license? Voting? Be sure to explain your answer.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Continue "Young Goodman Brown"
3. Independent work/ Writer's Conferences

HW:
1. Post your Literature Analysis to your blog (title: LITERATURE ANALYSIS: A WORK IN PROGRESS)
2. Create a page on your blog for your Big Question (title: MY BIG QUESTION) and make sure it displays properly so your readers can see it
3. Create a post for the "Young Goodman Brown" questions (title: YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN Q & A)
4. Reminder: please bring your résumé to class tomorrow (Friday)

september 12

JOURNAL TOPIC:

Today you have a choice:
1. Based on the couple paragraphs we read together last week, reflect & recharge your memory: Why do you think Young Goodman Brown left his house?  Where is he going?  What could possibly make him leave his Faith?

(*Since you have very little information from the text itself, feel free to use your imagination.)

-OR-

2. Imagine Donald Trump's hair as an evil character.  Write a story in which you wake up with that hair on your head, and describe the battle of good and evil as it threatens to suck the brains right out of your head.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. "Young Goodman Brown" reminders and next steps
3. Résumés

First draft résumé due at beginning of class on Friday 9/14.  (NOTE: this is to be typed on paper. Handwritten copies will not be accepted.  Also: PLEASE DO NOT post your résumé anywhere online -- it contains your personal information, and you want to stay in charge of who sees it and when.) 

september 11

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Which would you prefer: a minor role in a great [movie/university/team/organization] or a major role in a mediocre one? Why? Explain.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Literature analysis sign-ups HERE (due by class tomorrow 9/12)
3. Big Questions

HW:
If you've ever created a résumé or a brag sheet, please bring it tomorrow.  If you've never done this, please make a list of all the accomplishments/awards/courses/volunteer experiences/jobs/skills that have ever made you proud of yourself (or you think might impress someone else), and bring that with you tomorrow.

literature analysis #1

The time is now!  Please choose a fiction book (a.k.a. a novel) that you would like to read for your first literature analysis.  Please comment to this post with your name and the book you've chosen.  If you need some help with genres, authors, or ideas, see me -- I've got a million of 'em :).  Mahalo.