To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence

Today a 99 page document on the reading habits of Americans was released by the National Endowment for the Arts. For this report the authors looked at 40 reading studies completed in the past 4 years and then analysed the data to come to their conclusions. Some of those conclusions are eye-opening.

Begin by reading the 2-page Washington Post article. Then click on the link to the full 99 page report in the second sentence of the article. Once the pdf file opens, read pages 16-20 entitled, "The Declines in Reading Have Civic, Social, and Economic Implications".

Post your comments about both the Post article and the section from the actual report. How will your future income opportunities be affected by your reading habits? Maybe Mrs. Henry's Outside Reading requirement is good for you after all.

Be Careful What You Do in High School

Recently, Capuchino teachers took some time during class to talk about our college choice and experiences. I chose the University of Hawaii Manoa Campus, not for its beauty, but for its distance from my high school peers.

We also spent some time going over what colleges are looking for in student requirements. Today, I noticed this article, Schools Balk at Disclosing Offenses, on the front page of the Boston Globe. As you'll discover by reading the article, most colleges now ask a question about both academic and behavioral misconduct. That means if you have been referred to the Dean for misbehavior or violated Cap's Academic Integrity Policy, colleges will expect you to report those infractions.

Read the article and give your feedback about it. Remember to include information from the article to show that you have read it.

Poetry in Motion

I was talking to a friend that lives outside of Seattle, and she mentioned that they publish poetry on their buses.  I did a search online and found an article about this year's launch party.  It also includes a link to  the chosen poems.  I couldn't resist the title of the one above. Looks like it's a fun and easy way to earn $125. 

Choose several to read and post your comments about the quality of these short poems. You might even mention the literary and poetic elements used by the poets.

American kids, dumber than dirt

This week I'm stepping back from posts directly connected to our work in class.  My husband pointed out this article two weeks ago when it appeared in the SF Chronicle.  Mark Morford writes a pretty persuasive article with much evidence. Read the article to see what he says. (By the way, the article is written at the 10.6 grade level.)

Your task this week is to provide the counterarguments. You are the generation he is calling 'dumber than dirt'.  Defend yourself.

We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

We Wear the Mask

WE wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!

Since our next unit is poetry, I thought I'd try a poetry connection to LOTF this week. Paul Dunbar lived after the Civil War, yet he focused much of his poetry on plantation life.  This poem is really referring to life as a slave.  

What connections can you make to LOTF with this poem?  Did the boys live the lives of slaves on the island? What universal theme do you see?

Musical Connections to LOTF

When I first heard the song,"Devil in Me" by the 22-20s, the lyrics immediately made me think of Lord of the Flies and William Golding's ideas about man's essential illness-the evil within us all. The guitars and drums also create this frenzy that I can see emphasizing the mood for the scene where the boys kill the sow in Chapter 8.



Your task this week is to create a musical score for a new LOTF movie. You will find a song that you feel connects to any of the scenes or characters in the book. The lyrics don't have to be a direct, literal interpretation of the novel. Maybe it's the music in your song that is setting the mood for a scene from the book. Now is your chance to be creative.



Give me the title, the artist, some of the lyrics, and an explanation of the connection for you.

22-20s - devil in me

We Want Meat!!!

How many of you are watching "Kid Nation"? The episode this past week was called, "Hungry for Fresh Meat". If you've missed the show, click on the link to either watch the full episode or video clips from this episode. If you don't have a fast computer connection, you can still read the 3 page 'full recap' of the episode.

After reading or viewing the episode, go to this short health article, "Meat, fish, eggs and Alternatives". Also read this article on children's dietary needs, "Children 'harmed' by Vegan Diets".

Now that you are armed with information about the importance of protein in a diet, consider the following questions:

Did the boys in LOTF have options for protein sources? Has Jack's pursuit of a pig for meat been an obsession or a valuable goal? Is Ralph's leadership failing because he values his goal of rescue for survival over Jack's goal of protein for survival? Or, is Jack using the desire for 'meat' as an excuse to pursue his violent/evil desires? Post your comments now.

Bullying

From the first moment Jack encountered Piggy on the island he has behaved aggressively toward Piggy. Read the article, "School Bullying is Nothing New, But PsychologistsIdentify New Ways to Prevent It" and note both Jack's and Piggy's behavior/personality characteristics that allow the bullying to happen.

Next find and click the link called Bullying Circle. This describes the behavior of others involved in bullying.

Now that you have looked at bullies, victims and others involved in the act of bullying, comment about how the character you are studying in LOTF fits the patterns described.

Chris Crutcher Bonus Blog

In honor of Chris Crutcher's newest book,Deadline, I am offering my students a lifeline to raise their grades prior to the end of the grading period, September 21, 2007.

Attend the Not Your Mother's Book Club event featuring Mr. Crutcher. Be sure to check in with me once you arrive at the Burlingame Library. Return from that event and post comments about his new book and the event.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Read the article, "Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters" to learn more about a mental health diagnosis, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, that was first documented in the 1980's (more than 30 years after our novel was written).

Then reflect on the events in chapter one of Lord of the Flies where Piggy explains to Ralph that the plane they had been evacuated out of England on went down in flames and the fuselage (with possible survivors) has been swept back out to sea. Ralph seems to take this information in stride and is thrilled to have no adults around. He stands on his head because he is so excited to be free of adults. He sees his stay on the island as an adventure.

Does this reaction seem normal to you? Why isn't he crying or panicking? Were children emotionally tougher in the 1950's when Golding wrote the novel? Have today's youth become pampered and weak emotionally? Make connections between the novel and the article.
Post your comments in the blog.

Kid Nation: CBS Promo

Kid Nation: CBS Promo

Every year students complain that the literature read in the high school English classroom has nothing to do with real life. This year that complaint couldn't be further from the truth. It looks like reading the novel, Lord of the Flies, in high school had a profound effect on some of the producers at CBS. "Kid Nation", their new reality show appears to be stolen directly from William Golding's novel with only a setting change.

I know I will be setting my TIVO to tape this show weekly, and I don't even like reality shows.

Play the promo for the show. Then read the article at the Kid Nation link.

Does watching this show pique your interest in reading Lord of the Flies ?Would you want to sign up to be a participant on this reality show? What do you think motivated parents to let their children as young as 8 1/2 years old be on this show? Post your comments now.

Leadership Models

In class we've been looking at a variety of leaders and leadership styles. I'd like you to check out at least one more well-known leader from the list below.

Oprah Winfrey

Steve Jobs one of the original founders of Apple Computers

Sergey Brin and Larry Page the founders of Google or go here

Meg Whitman President and CEO of eBay

After reading the article about the leader, decide on the characteristics of their leadership style that you find most unusual or interesting.

Summer Reading Feedback

So we added some new books to the sophomore reading list this year. We also changed the summer reading assessments. I'd like to get your feedback about the books on the list and the change in the tests.

* Were you able to find 2 books on the list that had some appeal to you? What did you like about them?

* How do you feel about having a choice in the assessments?

* Were the assessment models helpful?

*What are your suggestions for assessing summer reading?

Please address all of the questions in your posted comments. I will be giving 10 bonus points for proper blog entries.

"Brownies" by ZZ Packer

So is this the image you expected after reading ZZ Packer's short story, Brownies? Go to the following link from the Girl Scouts of America homepage to read the program goals for Brownies and Girl Scouts. After that, click on the link to read the Girl Scout Promise and Law.


How true to the program and its goals are Arnetta, Octavia, Janice, Daphne, Snot and the remaining girls in the troop?


Should they all be allowed to continue as Brownies or Girl Scouts after the incident at Camp Crescendo?


Be sure to justify your response with evidence from the story. Post your comments now.

Sherman Alexie is Coming to Cap!!!

Noted author and poet, Sherman Alexie will be at Cap on September 12, 2007. Most of you are familiar with his short story, "This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" and his screenplay and movie, Smoke Signals. He will be reading from his brand-new YA novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. Click on the links to read his biography and to learn more about this bittersweet semi-autobiographical piece from Alexie.

After reading the links, post your comments to the following question: What facts about Sherman Alexie's life do you find the most interesting?

Cap's You Say Read? We Say Party! Bookclub will be taking preorders for this book and others by Alexie (which he will be signing and personalizing for you that day). To make it even more worthwhile for you to purchase a book, Mrs. Henry will be offering bonus points when you choose an Alexie novel or poetry book as your outside reading choice during the fall semester. Check with your English teacher to see if they will be doing the same.

Poetry Blog #7 and Socratic Seminar: "Painting a Room" by Katia Kapovich

Did you guess our latest poet is a chain-smoking Russian? Ms. Kapovich and her poet husband emigrated to the U.S. in 1990. They live in the Boston area.

Ms. Kapovich is a totally bilingual poet; she writes her poems in both Russian and English. Kapovich said, "My soul speaks in Russian, but I can write about some things more easily in English. It gives me distance. It's important for a writer to have distance. You can't write about something and be in it at the same time. It's like being underwater. Reality has qualities of salt water. It pinches our pupils and makes our eyes red. We need a mask in order to see clearly."


Blog Directions:

Her poem, "Painting a Room" is filled with allusions to important events/experiences in Soviet history.

Ask your history teachers to tell you about historical event(s) in March 1989 and to explain her references to bread.

Blog about those allusions and other literary elements in the poem.

Consider how her quote above connects to this poem. She said, "We need a mask to see clearly." Do you agree with this statement?

Socratic Seminar Questions (Due Block the week of February 19th):

1) How do the images of a painted room, a window and bread act as symbols? What do they symbolize? How do they advance the theme?

2) The character's emotional state in this poem is ambiguous. In what ways is this ambiguous? (How do you know she has conflicting emotions?) Cite quotes from the poem to support your inference.

3) Discuss the literary elements of imagery and metaphor and how they effectively communicate theme.

4) Write a question and response of your own addressing sights, sounds, diction, theme or any of the parts of explication flower...

Poetry Blog #6: "Ego-tripping(There May Be a Reason Why)" by Nikki Giovanni

On her website she is described as being proud of being "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English." She is vocal about civil and individual rights.

Want to hear a version of the poem by the musical group Blackalicious? Click on this link.

This poem is filled with allusions. How do they enhance the meaning?

Notice how Giovanni deliberately violates the rules of capitalization in her poem. Why do you think she does this?

Blog about these items along with the your comments on other literary features of the poem.

Poetry Blog #5 and Socratic Seminar: "Bringing My Son to the Police Station to be Fingerprinted" by Shoshauna Shy

I was originally drawn to this poem simply by the title. However, after reading it, I was fascinated by the author's use of imagery to create character.

I've tried to learn more about the poet, but little information can be found on the web. She is involved in a project to place poetry in unusual places to make it more readily available for people to read. One of her projects was to attach a laminated page of poetry to rental bikes.

Blog Directions: Read through the poem several times. Explicate the literary elements. What is the theme? How does the imagery create the theme?

Socratic Seminar Questions (due during block next week):

1. How and why does the poet use the various shades of yellow in the poem?

2. Describe the various conflicts. How does imagery reveal the relationship between the mother and the son?

3. Discuss the literary elements used by the poet. What is the theme of the poem? How has the poet used the literary elements to effectively communicate the theme?

4. Create one question and write its response. Bring your question to the meeting.

Poetry Blog #4: "Fifteen" by William Stafford

Our poem today is one of Ms. Krueger's favorites.
We just studied a grown woman's perspective on decisions made by a 13-year-old girl. Now we have the poem, "Fifteen" written by William Stafford about decisions made by a 15-year-old boy.




Blog Questions (Must be posted by Tuesday):

As you read the poem, pay attention to the poet's use of:
diction
personification
pronouns

How do these features help you to see the speaker's transformation?

In your opinion, what is the mood of this poem? Use lines, words, images, etc. from the poem to support your answer.

Why do you think that author repeats the line "I was fifteen" throughout the poem? What effect does it create?

Poetry Blog #3 and Socratic Seminar: "Bike Ride with Older Boys" by Laura Kasischke

Here's another poem I have selected. When I came across this poem, I had no idea that I was familiar with any of Ms. Kasischke's work. However, after reading about her, I realized that she was the author of The Life Before Her Eyes,one the most intriguing books I have read in the past 5 years. It opens with a Columbine-type shooter confronting two best friends. He tells them he will only kill one of them, and then asks them, "Which one of you should I kill?" One girl responds without hesitation saying, "Kill me." The story then moves on telling the life of the other girl in flashforwards and flaskbacks. I won't give anymore of the story away.


Poetry Blog Instructions: Begin by reading some background information about Ms. Kasischke at the Ploughshares website. Next, go to the Poetry 180 website to read through the poem. Now explicate the poem and blog about the literary features and theme.

Socratic Seminar Questions:
Prepare a detailed response to the following:

1. When the 37-year-old woman in Kasischke's poem thinks back on her life, how does she view this incident from her 13th summer? Does she have regrets? Does she feel she missed an opportunity, lost a chance, or received a blessing in disguise? Cite quotes from the poem to support your answer.

2. What does this poem say about the choices one makes? Cite quotes from the poem to support your answer.

3. Discuss the literary elements used by the poet. What is the theme of the poem? How has the poet used the literary elements to effectively communicate the theme?

4. Prepare one of your own questions and the response to bring to the discussion.

Poetry Blog #2: "We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks

Here's another poem , "We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks, that at first glance appears to have a simple message, yet on further analysis one discovers much is communicated with so few words. Blog about the the literary elements and how they communicate the author's theme. After responding to the poem, click on 'watch the video' made by an art student in Boston who talks about how important this poem is to him. You will come to a page with John Ulrich's photo. Click on the photo to activate the Real Audio video clip.

Want to hear Ms. Brooks read the poem the way she meant it to be read? Go to this PBS Favorite Poem site. Click on the Real Audio link at the top to hear the segment where she discusses and reads the poem.

Poetry Blog #1: "Gee, You're So Beautiful That It's Starting to Rain"

Today begins our month long journey into the world of poetry. I know some of you will find our travels exciting, yet others of you are already moaning at the thought of reading poetry. Ms. Cerra, Ms. Krueger and I have tried to put together a wide variety of poems in hopes that you may find at least one that appeals to you.

My first offering is a poem by Richard Brautigan, a counter-culture poet of the 1960's and '70's. (Yes, the photo is only about 40 years old.It wasn't taken during the Gold Rush Era.) When he wasn't trout fishing in Montana or visiting Japan, he spent much of his adult life in the San Francisco Bay Area. His lighthearted poetry makes it hard to believe that he was a tortured soul that committed suicide in 1984 at the age of 49.

Click on the link to read Brautigan's tribute to his girlfriend, Marcia with "Gee, You're So Beautiful That It's Starting to Rain." Post comments related to the Sights, Sounds, Emotions, Literary Elements, and Theme of the poem.

After you've completed looking at the poem through the explication lenses, click on the Richard Brautigan Wikipedia link above. Read the last paragraph of the Life section to learn about Marcia's connection to his death. Does knowing this information color your interpretation of the poem written 16 years before his death?