SD MyLife—due January 16

Type 200+ words about what you've liked in SD MyLife.

Thomas poem—due January 14

Type 100+ words of your personal reaction to the poem.

and

Type 100+ words about what a site says about the poem (include the site link and an author if the site has an author).

and

Type 100+ words about how this poem relates to any other movie, show, video game, book, poem you've ever seen or read.

Valuable chapter—due January 6

Find and read a valuable chapter. What value does this chapter provide? Write 200+ words.

No tiger?—due January 2

Find a section that would be different if Richard Parker were not an actual, physical tiger. Type about that for 150+ words.

Similes—due December 20

Find and type four similes, which are comparisons using "like" or "as," in the novel. Write 250+ words about the value of these similes.

Example (that you cannot use): "I felt like a prisoner being pushed off a plank by pirates" (154).

Chapter 90—due December 18

What's really going on in chapter 90? Write 300+ of your own words along with include at least two direct quotes from the novel.

Life of Pi Chapters—due Dec 13

Select five chapters of Life of Pi to read. Then, choose two to write 300+ total words about. Mention which chapters you are writing about.

Summarize. Analyze. Judge. Praise. Compare to film.

Favorite part—due Dec 11

Write 150+ words about your favorite part of Life of Pi.

Tiger or no tiger? — due Dec 10

Was there a tiger on the boat or not? Respond with 350 words.

The Island—due Dec 9

What is the island? Answer with 350 words.

Possibilities:
1. Real
2. Heaven
3. Purgatory
4. Hell
5. Corpse
6. ________

Narratology—due Dec 2

1. Write 50+ words reaction to the start of the narrative.

2. Then, write one question about the narrative.

"The Hammock"—due November 20

What's the best part of Li-Young Lee's "The Hammock"? Answer with 150+ words.

Li-Young Lee

When I lay my head in my mother's lap 

I think how day hides the stars,

the way I lay hidden once, waiting

inside my mother's singing to herself. And I remember

how she carried me on her back

between home and the kindergarten,

once each morning and once each afternoon.

I don't know what my mother's thinking.

When my son lays his head in my lap, I wonder:

Do his father's kisses keep his father's worries

from becoming his? I think, Dear God, and remember

there are stars we haven't heard from yet:

They have so far to arrive. Amen,

I think, and I feel almost comforted.

I've no idea what my child is thinking.

Between two unknowns, I live my life.

Between my mother's hopes, older than I am

by coming before me, and my child's wishes, older than I am

by outliving me. And what's it like?

Is it a door, and good-bye on either side?

A window, and eternity on either side?

Yes, and a little singing between two great rests.

Prezi Ideas—due November 8

Click on this prezi. View it. Write 250+ words about it.

6-Word Stories—due November 1

Write as many 6-word stories as you can.

Joseph Campbell & Stems—due November 1

Google "Joseph Campbell's hero's journey". Read & learn about it. Then type 350+ words about how The Lion King relates to Joseph Campbell's hero's journey. In what ways does Simba take the journey of a hero?

More Stems—due October 28

With 450+ words, type more on the Stems on the right side of this blog.

1. Expand on what you typed Friday.
2. Read what your classmates typed Friday. React to their ideas and their questions, including their names.
3. Choose other Stems you didn't type on Friday. Type on those.

Stems—due October 25

Select six of the Stem questions on the right side of this blog. Fill in the blanks (about The Lion King) and answer the questions. Include 450+ words total.

Purposes—due October 9

Write 150+ words about the benefits of these Purpose projects.

Hemingway—due October 7

Totaling 200+ words, write about "Hills Like White Elephants."

1. Where can you notice what the story is really about?

2. What two parts of the story are well done by Ernest Hemingway?

3. Is it cool to read a short story a couple times to fully understand and appreciate it? Why/why not?

Carrying the Fire—due October 2

How do you "carry the fire" on a daily basis? Answer with 200+ words.

(decency, hope, kindness, generosity, optimism, benevolence, diligence, work, goodness, effort, passion, compassion; doing, trying, caring, hoping, motivating, wondering, pondering, thinking, creating, developing, seeking)

"Grieving on the Run"—due Sept 30

1. Type your favorite sentence from the story. Why is this your favorite?

2. Rate the story out of 10. Why this rating?

3. Why does this story exist?

Conclusion—due September 20

Type 400+ words about Mad Max: Fury Road.

Include questions, reactions, judgments.

Important: Google "Mad Max: Fury Road analysis" and include summary and reaction to what you find and read online. Lastly, paste the link you read.

Reaction & Question—due September 16

Type one reaction to the narrative.

Type one question about the narrative.

Dis/agree—due September 12

Pick one to write 100+ words in dis/agreement:

1. Women should keep their last names after marriage.

2. Men are too competitive.

3. If the world ends someday, men will end it (not women).

4. Dictators are necessary.

5. Sharing is the best thing to do.

Apocalyptic Fiction—due September 9

What do you know, predict, guess about apocalyptic (end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it) fiction? Answer with 150+ words.

Narratology—due September 6

1. Include a website link about narratology.

2. Write 100+ of your own words on what you understand about narratology.

Reply Chances—due September 5

How optimistic are you about receiving a reply? Include 150+ words in your answer.

Mom's Hands—due August 23

Write 200+ words about your mom's hands.

Dad's Eyes—due August 23

Write 200+ words about your dad's eyes.

1. What have they seen?
2. What haven't they seen?
3. What do they "say" in certain situations?
4. What color are they?
5. Think to write even more than the answers to questions 1-4.

Literacy—due August 22

How have you become so literate? Include 200+ words.

Options (though you can create your own way):

1. Type a list
2. Make a video
3. Compose paragraphs