April 11

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Mahatma Gandhi said, "An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind." What did he mean? Do you agree? Explain your answers.

AGENDA:
1. Journal/check HW
2. Literature circles: status/planning, essay prep

HW: Literature circle work

April 8

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Popular wisdom holds that, "You may pick your friends, and you may pick your nose, but you may not pick your friends' noses." Why not? (Don't settle for the obvious; use what you've learned about norms and cultural customs.)

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Vocabulary quiz/correct
3. Literature circles (remember to plan around next week's testing schedule)

HW:
1. Lit. circle work
2. Type up notes for Monday

April 7

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Why is the light bulb such a popular symbol/metaphor for an idea? Do you experience ideas as sudden occurrences, or as the product of gradual (even painstaking) processes?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Literature circles: a)status, check-in, and planning for five roles; b)extend cultural analysis; c)partners/essay review

HW: Literature circle work

April 6

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Our national anthem ends with the lyrics, "O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave." How free are we? If our government became more restrictive, what would you do? What price would you pay for your freedom?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Literature circles meet

HW: Literature circle essay #1 (see below-- due tomorrow, Thursday April 7)


LITERATURE CIRCLES essay 1

April 5

JOURNAL TOPIC:
If you could give one piece of advice to one character in the novel you're reading, what would it be and to whom would you give it?

AGENDA:
1. Journal/check vocab HW
2. Return/discuss vocab midterm
3. Literature circles

HW: Literature circle work

April 4

JOURNAL TOPIC: Write a short story based on the following picture [Source: Van Allsburg, Chris, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston: Massachusetts (1984)]:


burdick pumpkin

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Meet with Literature Circle
3. Vocabulary

HW:
1. Vocab sentences
2. Literature circle work

April 1

JOURNAL TOPIC:
In a brief paragraph, develop a realistic plan for refinancing the national debt. Avoid party politics and trace causality and possible effects as they relate to Cubism, the Donatist Controversy (or the Shia-Sunni Split) and the Wave Theory of Light. Outline a method for predicting and/or preventing similar effects and criticize your plan from all perspectives (if you are concerned about time you may write a computer algorithm to do this for you.)

[Happy April Fool's Day: no journal today.]

AGENDA:
1. Vocabulary midterm
2. Brief meeting with literature circle

HW: Literature circle work