Who is your favorite poet or musician and why? (Due Friday, February 24th!)

A poet's work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep. - Salman Rushdie
		Who is your favorite poet and why?  What are some of your favorite poems by that poet?  If you don't have a favorite poet or haven't read much poetry, then write about your favorite band or artist.  What are some lyrics they have written that you liked?  Why?  If you can include a specific poem or lyrics, then that's great!  REMEMBER: Your response must be a fully-developed, 5-sentence paragraph.  Below is an example response. This is a tough question for me.  There are so many poets I love: Pablo Neruda, Emily Dickinson, Mary Oliver, Billy Collins... the list goes on and on.  I think my absolute favorite all-time poet, if I have to pick, is William Carlos Williams.  He is known for his short poems, which he wrote on prescription pads when he was a doctor. Though many of his poems are short, they contain touching and true reflections of the human condition.  He also wrote many poems which were musings about artwork.  I especially love the poem called "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" about a Brueghel painting because it emphasizes the everyday world not as backdrop, but as even more important than the fall of a hero: According to Brueghel when Icarus fell it was spring a farmer was ploughing his field the whole pageantry of the year was awake tingling with itself sweating in the sun that melted the wings' wax unsignificantly off the coast there was a splash quite unnoticed this was Icarus drowning

Superbowl Prediction (Due Friday, February 3rd!)

Which team will win Superbowl XLVI?  Why? Remember to support your prediction with several good reasons and use your best grammar.  If you're not a football fan, then what sports team do you follow and why?  If you don't follow a team, then what athlete do you most admire and why? 

A Letter to those in Power (Due Friday, January 27th!)

One characteristic of a dystopian society is that the government is oppressive and all-controlling.  In each of the novels you are reading, society follows very different rules.  This week, your task is to write a letter to the government convincing them to change their ways.

If you are reading The Hunger Games, you must write to the Capitol and plea with them to end the Games and their brutal suppression of the Districts.  Try to appeal to their emotions, their intellect, or their sense of justice.

If you are reading Divergent, you must write to the leaders of Erudite and Abnegation and ask them to change the separation of the factions.  Try to appeal to their emotions, their intellect, or their sense of justice.

If you are reading The Maze Runner, you should send a letter to those outside of the Maze and explain the injustice of it.  Try to appeal to their emotions, their intellect, or their sense of justice.

If you were the protagonist... (Due Friday, January 20th)

The protagonist is the main character who must solve or attempt to solve the story's major conflict. If you were the protagonist in your novel, what choice would you have made?

If you were Katniss in The Hunger Games, would you have taken Prim's place?  If you were going into the arena, what would your strategy be? What skills would you be able to use?  Remember to write a well-developed paragraph with at least 5 sentences, including a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence.  


If you were Thomas in The Maze Runner, what job would you want within the Glade? Would you want to be a runner?  Why or why not?  Remember to write a well-developed paragraph with at least 5 sentences, including a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence.  


If you were Tris in Divergent, which faction would you have chosen?  Do you feel that you possess characteristics similar to Abnegation, Dauntless, Candor, Amity, or Erudite?  Why do you feel you fit best within that faction? Remember to write a well-developed paragraph with at least 5 sentences, including a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence.  

Author Interview Response (Due Friday, January 13th)

Watch the interview above; then, write a response of at least five sentences.  Your response should include your reaction to your author.  Did anything about his or her appearance surprise you?  Were you surprised by anything he or she said?  Are there any questions that you wish you could ask him or her?  What do you think your book will be about based on this interview?

Perfect World (Due Friday, January 6th!)

A "Utopia" is an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. The word was first used in the book Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More. During this unit, we are going to read about worlds that were created to be "perfect" but failed and ended up stripping citizens of choice, individuality, and freedom.

For this post, I want you to describe your perfect world.  In your perfect world, how would people spend their time?  What would schools be like? How would people choose their jobs? What would the government be like? What would people eat?  How would issues like poverty and inequality be addressed?  Have fun with this and be creative in coming up with a world free from problems and strife!  

Holiday Traditions (Due Friday, December 16th)

What are some of your family's holiday traditions?  OR What are you most looking forward to over Holiday Break?

For example, if you were Bob Cratchit from A Christmas Carol, you might write:

I look forward to going down the slide at Cornhill twenty times in honor of Christmas Eve and then playing blindman's buff again like a boy.  Taking Tiny Tim to church is always special because of his thoughtful observations.  My wife's cooking is always a treat, especially her scrumptious goose and Christmas pudding.  I look forward to sitting around the fire with my family and passing the custard-cup back and forth while we revel and play games.  Even though Mr. Scrooge doesn't understand it, Christmas Day is different from the rest of the days of the year, and I look forward to enjoying it with my family!