The Final Fishbowl: "A Good Man Is Hard To Find"

This is it! Let's end with your strongest discussion yet.

If you haven't yet jumped into a hotseat, now is the time! Remember to comment consistently throughout the entire discussion.

Enjoy!

Gothic Fishbowl: A Rose for Emily

This is our second-to-last fishbowl, my friends, so let's make it noteworthy.

Remember that you are using the blog and hotseating to show me that you have read and thought about the story. Each outer circle blog is equal to 10 points in the listening and discussing category.

Enjoy, and again, get yourself into a hotseat!

Gothic Fishbowl: The Lottery

Keep up your strong work, outer circle. Two suggestions:

1. Remember to bring in at least one textual passage.
2. Get yourself into a hot seat!

Enjoy!

Gothic Fishbowl #4: "William Wilson"

Keep up your strong work, outer circle.

Here are your daily reminders:

1. Participate frequently; leave comments from the beginning of class through the very end.
2. Bring in passages.
3. Get your fun self into a hot seat!
4. Enjoy!

Gothic Fishbowl #3: "The Minister's Black Veil"

Hello, outer circle!

Remember that you want to be participating consistently from the beginning of the discussion through the very end. As always, keep bringing in passages as often as you can.

And, of course, try to get yourself into a hot seat (even if it's only for a moment).

Enjoy!

Gothic Fishbowl #2: "The Tell-Tale Heart"

Fantastic job last time, outer circle. Bravo!

Keep bringing in quotations, asking wonderful questions, and showing how your mind was working as you read this bizarre but classic Poe tale.

Enjoy!

Gothic Fishbowl #1: Fall of the House of Usher

Remember that your goal is to participate thoughtfully and CONSISTENTLY during today's discussion.

A few thoughts:

1. Hit F5 to refresh your screen (new comments do not automatically pop up).

2. Show professionalism by using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation; remember that the world will be looking at our blog.

3. If you are responding to someone directly, reference them in your comment.

4. Bring in quotations when possible.

The Village Blog, Part 1

Please post two of your Village questions on this blog. They may be Level 1, 2, or 3 questions, but try to avoid repeating questions that others have already asked.

Enjoy!

If Arthur Miller could whisper to us from the grave...

Imagine the ghost of Arthur Miller entering our humble classroom of C-15...Don't worry--he's not gory or scary or anything. He looks like a nice, old man. He's just here to warn us.

What specific warning or warnings would Miller whisper to us if he could? In other words, what social criticism does The Crucible have to offer? What are the Puritans' most pressing issues, and how can we avoid their fate? EXPLAIN YOUR THINKING USING AT LEAST ONE EXAMPLE FROM THE PLAY.

As always, please proofread for grammar and spelling before you post.

The Stanford Prison Experiment

WARNING: What you are about to read may disturb you...

Please click on this link to read about one of the most controversial experiments of our time: The Stanford prison experiment. Read meticulously (carefully), as some of the most fascinating (and disturbing) elements of this experiment are in the little details.

When you have finished reading, I'd like you to use the blog to respond to what you have read. I'm not going to give you guiding questions this time; instead, I'd like you to ask your own questions and offer your own, authentic responses. Tomorrow in class we will be connecting this experiment to The Crucible.

Remember that the blog is space to have a conversation, so read others' comments, respond to others' questions, and react to others' reactions.

Steady Hands or Individual Villainy

After reading the first five pages of The Crucible, please select ONE of the two prompts below to respond to:

Steady Hands

"They believed, in short, that they held in their steady hands the candle that would light the world. We have inherited this belief, and it has helped and hurt us" (Miller 5).

What do think this passage means? What is the "candle"? Do you agree that modern Americans have inherited this Puritan attitude?

OR

Individual Villainy

"When one rises above the individual villainy displayed, one can only pity them all, just as we shall be pitied someday. It is still impossible for man to organize his social life without repressions, and the balance has yet to be struck between order and freedom" (Miller 7).

Do you, like Miller, pity the people of late 17th century Salem? Do you think that we will be pitied one day? Do agree that repression is an inherent part of organized social life?

Please remember to read and comment on others' posts as well; the blog should be a conversation rather than a collection of individual responses.

Big Question Brainstorming

Hello, future documentarians! As you start thinking about what question you might like to investigate throughout the course of the year, please post your brainstorming on this blog. If you know exactly what question you'd like to explore, you can just post that one question. If you're debating between several, post them all!

Please post by 10 pm Thursday if possible.

Welcome to American Literature!

Your first mission: Subscribe to this blog by clicking on the link on the right side of this page that says, "Follow." Make sure you are signed into blogger before you do this.