Journals are due! Look below to see what journals you should have.

Freshmen: (50 Points)

Creative Writing:

Similarities/ Differences b/w Romeo and Juliet and Save the Last Dance.
Have R+J been making good decisions?
Response to the painting Land of the Lotus Eaters.
Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world?

Grammar Journals: (FIrst lines/ topics listed)

My running shoes are pretty rad.
Pay up or die!
Clauses 1
Adj. clauses
Noun/ Adverb clauses
Sentence Structure

Sophomores: (55 points)

Creative Writing:

Response to the "Christmas Truce" article.
List of Power-Hungry Characters
If you could talk to Brutus, what would you say to him?
Respond to the painting Ceremony at Sunset.

Grammar Journals: (List of First Lines/ Topics)

Passive Voice
Misplaced Modifiers
Dangling Modifiers
Modals #1
Modals #2
Modals #3/ Review

link

Scroll down for Caesar prompt!

Poetry Assignment: Write a poem of at least ten lines (or four Haiku) relating in some way to Spring. They will be due the Wednesday after Spring Break.

Reference: Freshmen - p. 550-552, Sophomores - p. 588-589 in literature books.

"Driving to Rowan Oak"

I
The slow hum in the walls
Sounds louder
It’s very bad tonight
My nerves! she said
Mine too but didn’t say
And cast my eye inward
To where the green
Hangs wet with bent leaves

I find that waiting for the bang
The explosion
Makes me miss the small explosions
Everyday I lose big
Or win and then
Come to you with the news of my achievement
My small victory
Only to see you shrink away
Like plastic from a fire

At the quiet hour
The time when even spirits sleep between
The unaccompanied humming walls
I see the path, it
Takes many forms
And slips serenely southward
The clouds inflating the pine
Permeating
The Springtime sunshine warm

Morning’s a misty reprieve
Painted in dawn-lonely pastels
The underbrush rife with thrush
A passing thunderpeal
Gives way
To the twilight’s humid hush

Alone or nearly alone
The thrill of your touch still
Numbing my fingertips
My road-black nails
A long dormant voice now speaks
Of trips half taken
I leave the safety of numbers
For the mystery of the trail


II
Over the blown land
Over the hanging pines
Over the callused hand
Over the rusted signs

The talking drums, sound
Just on the edge of perception
A thunderstone
Echoes spilling on the noon flat air
Thunk of recognition
Meandering thoughts I
Slump on the splashboard
Wondering if I am only prolonging the inevitable
Or opening another door

There is sclaff then scintillation
Blinding sun on the spillway
The floodwater rising
Giving birth to interred memories
In the thickheaded evening

III
There is sclaff then scintillation
The dirt of inhumation
I saw a girl who looked like you
Leaving from the station
But the train departed early
And I was far away

IV
What’s done can not be undone
Nor what’s said unsaid
The road behind us stretches further than all that’s ahead

Alone on the roadside
Smoke on the air, rising in columns
To the clouds
The air is softer, the stiletto edge of old
Mordancy diminished with my
Easy manipulation of the past

And all the while stretching
On, the sinuous road,
The forthcoming future
Exclusive in its relevance
Slides through the sarcophagus dust
Under painted oaks
Bejeweled with moss in the sun

- Daniel Brugioni

Respond to this question (one page minimum):

A tragic hero is, by definition, a person more noble than evil, whose fortunes go from good to bad. Does Brutus fit this description, or is the tragic hero someone else, perhaps even Cassius or Caesar? Do you think, perhaps, that the play lacks a tragic hero? Defend your answer.

Can you think of any other characters (from stories we've read in this class) who fit the above description of a tragic hero? Explain.

Click here and have fun. Be appropriate!

Freshmen: Be sure you've completed all of the following journals. See me for details.

CW 1 - Respond to the Quickwrite on p. 732.
GJ 1 - Subject Complements
CW 2 - How do you feel during a thunderstorm?
GJ 2 - Prepositional Phrases
GJ 3 - Adjective Phrases
CW 3 - Respond to the painting The Lovers, Somali Friends.
GJ 4 - Adverb Phrases
GJ 5 - Verbal Phrases
CW 4 - Respond to the painting A Young Couple.
CW 5 - Respond to the painting of the couple in the orchard.
GJ 6 - Verbals continued

Make sure you have these done, for they're worth 55 points!

Read this article and then respond to the overhead prompt.

If you finish early, you may read your novel or check that you have all your journals in.

Grammar Journals (9):
1. Indefinate Pronouns (Agreement)
2. Collective Nouns (Agreement)
3. Conjugation
4. Adverb Phrases
5. Irregular Verbs
6. Tense
7. Progressive Form
8. Lie vs. Lay
9. Sit vs. Set

Creative Writing (6)
1. What did you like the most/ least about The Good Earth?
2. Response to Yosemite Valley Picture
3. How do you feel during a thunderstorm?
4. Is war necessary? (JFK quote).
5. Response to the WW1 Cemetery Picture
6. What would you do if you were stranded on a deserted island?

1. Research the following new weapons that were developed for use in the Great War and explain how they changed the face of war. Weapons to explore: flamethrower, tank, machine gun, submarine, airplane, and 3" mortar.

2. Explain what "no man's land" was and draw an illustration of it.

3. How was gas used as a biological weapon in the Great War? What types of gas were used, and what were their effects?

4. What was life like in the trenches for the typical German soldier?

5. True or false: You should read ch. 1 by Friday. Answer in 5 pages or less, demonstrating grade-level appropriate control of diction and tone.

6. How did Americans view the war before American involvement? Did this opinion change once the United States was involved? If so, how?

7. What happened at Verdun that made it so notorious?


Click here to start your search. You may also use such search engine sites as Google or Yahoo, or browse Wikipedia. Remember, plagarism is strictly prohibited! Use vivid sensory details in your answers, and don't be afraid to be unusual. Your anwsers are due Friday, so get crackin' weiners.

Mike Greer: Draw the following: snake, bear, square, dog.

Give me a few sensory details for each of the pictures above. What would you see, smell, taste, touch, and hear? Be creative!

Click here for a Pigman quiz.

For A Separate Peace Study Guide, click here.

For some Things Fall Apart questions, click here.

http://www.billoreilly.com/currentarticle

I am writing in reply to something you wrote – a response to one of your students, Tyler W-. I’ve been meaning to put my thoughts down on some of these issues for a long time, and this provided the stimulus.

My goal here is not to change your mind or attack your beliefs in any way. My goal is simply to present my side (and the side of those like me) in hopes of bridging a better understanding. I admire your convictions and, honestly, wish that I could share them. While I don’t agree with you on many things, I don’t see the harm in that. You obviously love America, and your beliefs reflect that. I hope that, after you read this, you’ll see that I too love America and that my beliefs reflect that love as well.

First, let me agree with you on a few things. Saddam Hussein was a ruthless dictator (not too many people rise to dictatorship by being fair and impartial). It is good that he has been removed from power. Also, I do agree that the US is in a no-win situation, that if we go in to someplace, people get angry, and if we sit back and do nothing, people get angry. We do a lot of good that often goes unrecognized (for example, Israel - I laud our leaders for sticking by the Israelites).

However…

I’ve stood against the war in Iraq since its inception more than three years ago. There are a few things you should know about my stance before I give my reasons.
First, I’m not one to jump on the bandwagon – when the war started, it was unpopular to be against it, and I was.

Secondly, I’m not one to bash the President just because he is a Republican. I’ve rooted for the man several times (and even find myself liking him – as a person – on many occasions). I have been disappointed by his policies – greatly so – but I feel that I did give him a chance. I rooted for him after September 11th, but became disillusioned when he gave his, “You’re either with us or against us,” speech. This associated people who were for peace (me) with people who sympathized with terrorists, and divided the country at a time when we were at out most united. And secondly, after Hurricane Katrina, I actually said, “Show me something, George. Be a leader.” And I hoped. His response to this was (in my opinion) almost wholly inept – to the point that even his staunchest supporters had trouble putting a positive spin on it. But – I did try. I think he is a decent person at heart, but (IMO) this does not a good president make.

Thirdly, I think that there have been necessary wars – not good wars but necessary ones. World War II, for instance, had to be fought. Whether we got into it too late is a debate for another time (and one I’m not knowledgeable enough for), but from what I’ve learned, it needed to happen. And the strike against Afghanistan in October 2001 (removing the Taliban from power) was something that I saw the need for.

So, that being said…here’s why I am against the war. I’m no genius, and I know that there is always more to the picture than meets the eye, but here is where I stand.

The Iraq War is not a war that I have ever seen the need for. I am definitely in support of protecting this country and encouraging peace around the world, but I’ve honestly been unable to see how this war will accomplish these things. It seems to me to be working at cross-purposes with the stated agenda behind it.

The proponents of the war (Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield) presented their arguments in a very forceful way, appealing mostly to fear and emotion. I’ve learned that, if someone is trying to persuade me appealing to fear or emotion predominantly, that his or her arguments are most likely unsound. George Bush’s speeches (in my mind) were very short on logic and filled with loaded words (freedom, justice, tyranny, murder, heroism, terrorism etc) and irrational sentiment (“We must drag these killers of innocent Americans into the light and bring them to justice”) …I feel there is no place for newspeak and emotive language such as this in a logical line of reasoning.

Here’s a quote that I think illuminates my point of view very well:

"Naturally, the common people don't want war, but after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."- Herman Goering, speaking at the Nuremberg Trials after WWII

George Bush claimed only three months before the war started that Saddam was no longer a threat, that he was in complete accord with UN and CIA inspections, and that he “constituted no risk to America or our allies.” At that time, Iraq was under such heavy sanctions that even medicine could not get through.

George Bush has claimed that Saddam was connected to Osama bin Laden. This has been proven untrue. This reasoning never convinced me, and now it is no longer cited as a reason for the war. Genghis Kahn used to avoid the Middle East on his forays, because the culture was such that wars lasted for thousands of years – it’s a culture that, love it or loathe it, you don’t want to stir up needlessly.

George Bush claimed that Saddam was developing weapons of mass destruction – this has also been proven untrue. Whether you believe the President that the CIA was at fault, or believe the CIA who have claimed that the entire regime was told of the lack of WMD’s as far back as March of 2003 (before the war), it’s still a tough situation. (And the world worked for fifty years to get the UN to where it is – it was not perfect but it was functioning. And by ignoring the UN and invading Iraq, we have enfeebled and rendered it irrelevant.)

I agree with you about America being in a no-win situation (as I said before), but much of this seems to be our doing. If you believe the estimates, Saddam gassed thousands of Kurds. But this was in 1988 – it was international news and we still did business with him for three years after this. Only in 2003 did this become an issue with the American people. And we claimed that we were taking action, among other things, to bring aid the people of Iraq; why, then, did we secure the oil fields surrounding Baghdad so quickly (April of 2003) and leave pressing human rights issues unanswered (I’ve read that 75% of Baghdad is still without power, water, police, and hospitals.) Much of this is not in our control, but it does make me wonder as to the motivations of the preemptive strike.

And if we indeed did this to liberate Iraq and oil was not an issue, our actions make little sense in the global scheme. Our principal trading partner and foremost ally (China) is unparalleled in its inhumane treatment of its citizens. And in the Sudan, where no one is doing anything, more that 400,000 people have died in the past two years (at least 390,000 more than have died in Iraq under Hussein). If our actions are altruistic, it makes no sense that we haven’t taken at least some action in the latter two places. We’re the richest and most powerful country in the world, and to whom much is given, much is expected.

In conclusion, I just can’t support the war – I have not been convinced that it was the right thing to do. This doesn’t mean that I don’t support the troops (I feel truly heartbroken that they’ve gone through what they’ve gone through), or that I think we should pull out of Iraq (that is not an option). I just hope that this kind of decision-making is not repeated. Our country is as fiercely divided as its been in years, our allies in Europe see George Bush’s presidency as the single greatest threat to world peace, our national debt is an imaginary number (nine trillion dollars), and there is no end in sight to the war, which some estimate will cost American taxpayers over 1 trillion dollars. If I am paying for something, I want to believe in it…Sadly, I do not. And despite what some people will say, it’s not Un-American, or weak, or kooky, to point out errors in logic, or to have questions, or to disagree with the government – in fact, it’s very American to do these things.

(Note: I was no big fan of Bill Clinton, but I find it ironic that the people who disagreed with him most vehemently are the ones who label people with my opinions Un-American for not supporting and agreeing with the President.)

To quote Neil Young, “I fold my hands and pray for peace.” I agree with you that “you either believe in, totally support, love and be willing to die for this great country, or get the hell out.” I totally support and love this country – that’s exactly why I am so against this war. I think America is a beautiful place with a great spirit – it’s just (IMO) not being run very well. My hope is for someone who can bring us back together. As much as I think it’d be cool to have a woman in the White House, I just don’t think Hillary is the answer right now (she’s just too divisive). We need a leader who is not in the position solely for love or want of power, who will look beyond the private investors to the greater good, who will speak to us not with propaganda and loaded words (and thus appeal only to fear and emotion as motivators) but will speak to us calmly, logically, and intelligently.

You will be taking a virtual tour of Africa to guide your reading of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Here are some questions to guide you on your way. (Isn't it cool that you can come to class anytime?) Links have been provided for your benefit. Complete these questions before coming to class on Tuesday, March 16, 2010. You may e-mail your responses to me (the link is provided in my profile). Please feel free to leave comments, questions, or concerns, either in my inbox or in the comment section below the post.


1. What country is Brazzaville in?
2. Tell me four things about the Bubi Tribe, including the country in which they live.
3. Write a short paragraph describing the mood of this painting.
4. How much would it cost you to fly from Chicago to Brazzaville, Congo? Print out your itinerary. I will award five bonus points to whomever comes up with the lowest round-trip fare. Suggestion: www.expedia.com
5. What country is Chinua Achebe from?
6. What country does Things Fall Apart take place in?
7. What awards has Things Fall Apart won?
8. Tell me three things about the city of Libreville.
9. What is the average high temperature in Antananarivo, Madagascar in August? (I'd use www.weather.com) What is the hottest place in all of Africa?
10. List five works of literature that have been set in Africa.

Bonus: Where was the above picture taken?