SEM2 Q4 #6: CURIOUS ABOUT EPIPHANIES — ALL CLASSES

NEW RULES for 4th QUARTER for ALL ENTRIES:

• 1 entry for a “C”; 2 entries for a “B”; 3 entries for an “A”.
• Length:  Each entry must be a minimum of 3 full paragraphs
• Paragraphs:  Each paragraph must be 5+ sentences.
• Any entry that is less than 3 paragraphs — and entries with paragraphs less than 5 sentences – are not guaranteed credit.

BACKGROUND: All of you are extremely bright and have figured out a remarkable range of ideas along the way.  This is a wide open question that allows you to consider anything we’ve discussed in class this year. Absolutely anything.

• Sometimes the realizations — or ‘epiphanies’ — may have been purely based on the plot or text of something we’ve read.
• Other times they may have been about something that is in the real world…and suddenly feels connected to our class/texts.
• Whatever it is, I’m curious about one ‘big idea’ or realization you’ve had this year (that continues to stick with you) because of anything that was discussed in class. Sometimes they’ve been a mixture of both plot and real world.  Actually, it may be hard to separate them.

CHALLENGE: Tell us about ONE thing that really made an impact on you as a person (and student).

SEM 2, W3, #6: THE WRITTEN WORD

While we spend a great deal of time on the ‘techniques’ of writing, we must never forget that writing is as much an ‘attitude about life’ as it is a set of skills.

Challenge: Pick one of these quotations about writing that catches your eye.  Offer a reaction.

Length: 7+ sentences:

Option 1:

“What I don’t write is as important as what I write.” — Jamaica Kincaid

Option 2:

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” — Scott Adams

Option 3:

“I have nothing to say / and I am saying it / and that is poetry / as I needed it.” — John Cage

SEM 2, W3, #5: A ‘GAP’ YEAR

Obviously ‘college’ is a word that we hear a lot about on a campus like ours.  In some ways, getting into college seems to be the focus for many…but I often wonder what students really want to experience the year after they graduate from high school.  And with the upcoming 10th grade trip in a few weeks to visit 2 Texas colleges, I’m even more curious.

Many students across the world take what is called a ‘gap’ year.

This is essentially a year between high school and college where a student pursues something really important to them (traveling, volunteering, working, creating, etc.).

Challenge:

• If you could take 1 year off from ’school’ between HS graduation and starting college — to do something truly meaningful with your life — what would it be?  And why?
• For the sake of this assignment, assume the money is limited (or at least something that has to be taken seriously) and that whatever you choose it must be something that will have a significant impact on your adult future.

Length: 7+ sentences

SEM 2, W3, #4: CONSIDERING THE BARD

William Shakespeared, aka “The Bard”, is going to become a large part of all of our lives for the rest of the quarter.  With that said, I’m curious what your overall thoughts and experiences are as you look to read one (Eng II) or two (Hon Eng II) of his plays in the coming weeks.

Challenge: Based on what you’ve read in school in the past (middle school or 9th grade), plays/movies you’ve seen (either the originals or adaptations, such as Leonardo DiCaprio’s “Romeo and Juliet” or the high-school version of “Othello” called “O” that also came out a few years back), or just a general sense of Shakespeare’s writing, tell us what your overall ‘expectations’ are about tackling one of his major works in this class.

Length: 7+ sentences

SEM 2, W3, #2: FOREVER IN DRAFT

All of you have turned in a significant piece of original poetry (along with 3+ rough drafts) this past week.

With that in mind, I’d like for you to share part of this poem with the rest of us…plus offer all of us a few elements that you’d still like to improve if you could continue with the drafting process.

Challenge:

1. Copy/paste ONE stanza from your final poem into your comment here.  It is up to you which stanza you share.  If, however, you are not sure which stanza to share, pick the 1st one (that focused specifically on the scene in nature).
2. Identify (5) things you’d like to improve or continue revising about this specific stanza.  Be specific in how you explain what you mean.

SEM, W1, #6: IF YOU COULD STEAL ONE LINE/PHRASE

Back story: In a poem as long and constantly evolving/changing as Wordsworth’s piece (“Tintern Abbey”, for short) that we’ve been reading, there are countless lines/phrases that seem to have a life of their own, that almost seem as if they could be a title for a new poem or story.

This is similar to when we listen to a song and find a lyric that seems to speak to something far deeper in our lives.  We write it down so that it never is forgotten.  It becomes an anthem for our lives — a shortcut expression that says how we’re feeling and how we see the world around us.

Challenge:

• Find one line from this poem that grabs your attention for any reason whatsoever (and not even because of what Wordsworth is trying to say in his own poem).  Ideally the line/phrase has the potential to inspire a piece of writing, be the title of a poem/story, or just be a life anthem/quote for you personally.
• React to the line in one of two ways:  1) Explain why it has such an impact on you or 2) write a short paragraph/poem that is inspired by (or uses) the line/phrase.

Length: 7+ sentences/lines

SEM2, W1, #4: CAREER DISCOVERY

NOTE:  THIS IS A MANDATORY BLOG ENTRY FOR EVERYONE.

• You must fully complete this for a separate ‘quiz’ grade.
• In order to get credit for any other blog entries this week, you must do this entry as well (which you will also get credit for as one of your entries).

Back story: All of you have met with Mrs. Piland about the “ACT Discover” website  program that will assist you in researching a wide variety of information about potential careers that you may consider in your future.

Challenge: Using the “ACT Discover” program (on a school computer or at home), answer all 9 of the following questions.   Remember that you’ll need your UserID and password when you go to the ACT website.

1. Work tasks
2. Salary and outlook
3. Training
4. Desirable personal qualities for someone in the field
5. Likes & dislikes
6. Majors related to the field
7. What classes will you take if you major in this area
8. Mention one college or university that has this related major
9. What did you like best about this career?

Length: Appropriate for each of the 9 questions.

One Last Thing: Also, remember to take the Values, Interest and Abilities inventories at some point.  See if suggested areas relate to the career you are researching.

SEM2, W1, #3: TRICKS IN THE DESERT

Back story: All of you are being challenged to memorize — and perfectly reproduce — the poem, “Ozymandias”, by Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Challenge: Because everyone has a slightly different style of memorization, I’m curious:

• what tricks you’re using to pull off this challenge
• what part(s) of the poem is/are the most difficult for you to memorize– and why?

Length: 5+ sentences

SEM2, W1, #2: WOULD YOU PLUG IN?

Back story: In class this past week, we discussed something called “The Experience Machine”, a thought experiment originally conceived of by Harvard Philosophy professor Robert Nozick. As he originally described it in his text, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, we are given the following scenario:

“Suppose there were an experience machine that would give you any experience you desired. Superduper neuropsychologists could stimulate your brain so that you would think and feel you were writing a great novel, or making a friend, or reading an interesting book. All the time you would be floating in a tank, with electrodes attached to your brain. Should you plug into this machine for life, preprogramming your life’s desires?…Of course, while in the tank you won’t know that you’re there; you’ll think it’s all actually happening. Others can also plug in to have the experiences they want, so there’s no need to stay unplugged to serve them. (Ignore problems such as who will service the machines if everyone plugs in.) Would you plug in? What else can matter to us, other than how our lives feel from the inside?” (43)

Challenge: Would you plug in? Why or why not? What circumstances would/could change your original response?

Length: 7+ sentences

W11, #8: MORAL SENSE TEST

Who: All periods

Set-up: While most people think that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is simply a ‘monster story’, it’s really a ‘morality tale’.

Ultimately, readers are faced with determining if the creator (Dr. Frankenstein) or his creation (his monster) is more morally ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in terms of what ’sparks’ their actions/choices.

Challenge: With that in mind, let’s take an on-line morality test — sponsored by Harvard University — that asks us to consider whether ‘morality’ is based on a) the specific situation and/or b) choosing between the ‘lesser of two evils’.  Do the following:

1. Take this test.  It’ll take approximately 5-10 minutes (depending on how long you take to read the various questions.  Note, some of them seem similar, but the final ‘question’ or some of the details will change from question to question).
2. Write a response to what the test is trying to determine in terms of how you view ‘morality’.

Length: 5+ sentences (after you take the test).