English II Honors - Open Mike Sessions

Hey guys!

Following is a podcast of the Open Mike Session we did in class on Tuesday. There were a few technical difficulties (thanks to me!! grr.), but I was pretty happy with the outcome. Expect more recordings with better audio quality in the coming weeks, as a few students have volunteered to record some audio tracks for us.

Thanks, and enjoy!

http://www.switchpod.com/
users/musketeerenglish/feed.xml

English II Honors - Choose a Novel to Study

Hey guys!

In an effort to give you as much choice as possible regarding the final novel that you will be studying, I have decided to select two books, as opposed to just one, and you may choose the book that best suits your needs or interests. It is important to note that the format of this study will be very similar to the way in which we studied 1984, with three sets of response questions relating to the novel, a multimedia project, and an essay-based final.

The two novels that I have chosen are Fahrenheit 451 and The Chocolate War. The following is a summary of each book:

FARHRENHEIT 451

Guy Montag is a firefighter who lives in a lonely, isolated society where books have been outlawed by a government fearing an independent-thinking public. It is the duty of firefighters to burn any books on sight or said collections that have been reported by informants. People in this society including Montag's wife are drugged into compliancy and get their information from wall-length television screens. After Montag falls in love with book-hoarding Clarisse, he begins to read confiscated books. It is through this relationship that he begins to question the government's motives behind book-burning. Montag is soon found out, and he must decide whether to return to his job or run away knowing full well the consequences that he could face if captured.

THE CHOCOLATE WAR

Set at the fictional Trinity High School, the story follows protagonist Jerry Renault as he challenges the school's cruel, brutal, and ugly mob rule. Because of the novel's language, the concept of a high school's secret society using intimidation to enforce the cultural norms of the school, and the protagonist's sexual ponderings, it has been the frequent target of censors and appears at number three on the American Library Association's list of the "Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books in 2000-2007".

On Wednesday, after we have presented and submitted our poetry notebooks, you will have to check out one of these books and will be required to complete the assignments associated with that novel. YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO DO BOTH! Please do not make that mistake - I do not need anyone going into cardiac arrest.

The first set of workbook questions is posted below. Assuming there are no other epidemics, blizzards, interruptions, or distractions, they will be due Wednesday, March 18.

Good luck and enjoy the book of your choosing.
Mr. Parsons
English II Honors

English II Honors - The Chocolate War Questions #1

Here are your questions for the first third of the book that you have chosen. Your responses to each question should be three to four sentences, minimum, and should include a quote from the book wherever possible to justify your response. Your responses should be posted as comments on this post prior to the class of the due date on which they are assigned; you may also submit responses in handwritten or typed form.

Good Luck!

PRE-READING QUESTIONS

1. Read a biography of Robert Cormier. Write a summary of no less than 100 words describing him and the things you learned about him from his biography.

(http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Library/Archives/WAuthors/cormier/bio.html is a good place to start.)

2. Read the short story "The Bully" here: http://www.thecockatoo.com/bully.html

3. Write a 100-word response to the story in which you consider the story and bullying in general.

4. Write a 100-word response describing a situation in which you have felt bullied and how you dealt with it.

READING QUESTIONS PART I:
Chapters 1-13

1. What affect did the first sentence have on you? Why did the author use it? (ask this question again after reading the whole book)

2. Do you feel you have to stay on the good side of anyone in your life? Why?

3. What would you do/how would you feel if you found out someone was keeping private information about you? (like Obie’s notebook)

4. Why is the man at the bus stop contemptuous of Jerry? What does he mean when he tells him he’s “missing a lot in the world?”

5. Who is Brother Leon? Describe him.

6. Who are the Vigils? Why does everyone in the school ignore the Vigils?

7. Why does Goober have to comply with the assignment? What would you do?

8. What kind of a teacher is Brother Leon? Have you ever seen a teacher pick on a student? Have you ever been picked on by a teacher? What did the rest of the class do?

9. Do you know anyone with any of Emile’s characteristics? What are they?

10. Why do they choose to pick on Brother Eugene?

11. Jerry feels like he can’t talk to his father. How could he remedy the situation? Do you ever feel that way? How could you remedy the situation?

12. What have you had to sell for school fundraisers? Have you felt any pressure to sell? What drives the pressure to sell in this novel?

13. Describe the coach in chapter 12. What does his behavior suggest about his views toward the students at Trinity?

14. Write a 100-word response in which you discuss your feelings about the first 12 chapters of the book.

English II Honors - FAHRENHEIT 451 Questions #1

Here are your questions for the first third of the book that you have chosen. Your responses to each question should be three to four sentences, minimum, and should include a quote from the book wherever possible to justify your response. Your responses should be posted as comments on this post prior to the class of the due date on which they are assigned; you may also submit responses in handwritten or typed form.

Good Luck!

PRE-READING QUESTIONS

1. Read a biography of Ray Bradbury. Write a summary of no less than 100 words describing him and the things you learned about him from his biography.

(http://www.raybradbury.com/bio.html is a good place to start.)

2. Read the short story "All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury (download it here: www.dodea.edu/instruction/curriculum/lars/ela_lab/PreK-Grade6/ Guided%20Reading/AllSummerinaDay.doc)

3. Write a 100 word response to the story and what you think that the story might suggest about the type of book that Ray Bradbury might be capable of writing.

READING QUESTIONS PART I:
The Hearth and the Salamander (pages 3-68)

1. What do the "fireman" do for a living?

2. In the opening scene, why are the books compared to birds?

3. According to pages 3-4, what does Montag think of his job?

4. Who does Montag meet on the way home?

5. During his conversation, Montag says that "You never wash it off completely" referring to the kerosene. What could this mean symbolically?

6. Why do you think that Bradbury would introduce Clarisse before Montag's wife, Mildred?

7. Why does Mildred need help when Montag gets home?

8. Describe the help that she receives. Is there anything unusual about the way the two men go about helping Mildred? How is it unusual?

9. How is life in Montag's house very different from that of Clarisse's house?

10. How does Mildred react after she wakes up from her previous night's experience?

11. What is Clarisse doing when Montag sees her on page 21? How is Clarisse different than Mildred?

12. What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose?

13. What is the hound's reaction to Montag?

14. Why does society consider Clarisse “anti-social” (page 29)?

15. At the next fire, what does Montag take?

16. On page 40, Beatty reveals something very important about himself and his knowledge. What is it?

17. What has happened to Clarisse? How did it happen?

18. Read pages 55-62 very carefully. They contain great truths about our world. List three things Beatty talks about in his speech to Montag that are true about our world.

19. Write a 100 word response in which you ponder your thoughts on the first third of the book.