Of Mice & Men: George's Choice

At the end of the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George makes the painful choice to kill his best friend Lennie.  From what you know about Lennie and George, their dreams for the future, their friendship, and the tragedy resulting from Lennie's inability to control his own strength; do you think George is justified in killing Lennie?  Write a paragraph or two explaining your opinion complete with evidence from the text (at least two examples) to support your claim and deep commentary, explanation and analysis of your evidence and opinion (at least two sentences for each piece of evidence).  35 points.

I.C.E.  Be sure to introduce, blend, cite (concrete details), and explain (commentary) your quote so that your readers understand the context of each and how it proves your opinion (10 points).

Creative Grammar:  Also, be sure to have at least one out-of-order adjectival phrase as well as at least one introductory phrase (adverb, participial, prepositional) (10 points).

Of Mice & Men: A Character Analysis

In the novel we're reading Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck, the characters' personality and spirit are revealed through dialogue and action.  Write a paragraph in which you describe one of the central characters in the novel.  Be sure to find evidence in the novel to support your description and explain fully what the evidence reveals about the character you chose.  Remember to use I.C.E. for embedding quotes into your text and don't forget your two out-of-order adjectives.

Characterization of Zaroff

According to dictionary.com, the definition of 'civilized' is: “educated,” “at an advanced stage of cultural development,” “refined.”

With this definition in mind, do you consider General Zaroff to be a civilized man living a civilized life? Write a formal character analysis paragraph on Zaroff with a clear topic sentence, quoted evidence from the story to support your characterization, and your commentary or explanation of your evidence. Don't forget to wrap up your analysis with a strong concluding sentence or sentences.

"The Sun Goes Down on Summer"

Steve Lawhead's poem, "The Sun Goes Down in Summer" creates a picture of a student returning to school after a long sweet summer. But is that all there is to the poem? Aside from the obvious surface message, what deeper messages or themes do you read in this work?

YOUR TASK

Write a paragraph describing at least one deeper message in the poem. Include a:

(1) topic sentence (a guiding sentence with a subject and an opinion about that subject). Remember, when you’re writing a paragraph about a piece of literature, your introduction must include the name of the text and the author.   

(2) After your topic sentence(s) that describes the deeper message, write your concrete detail to back it up (example quote from the poem that illustrates your opinion).

(3) Finally, add your commentary about how that quote proves your topic sentence to be true.

(4) Repeat with another sentence or two of concrete detail providing proof from the poem to back up your opinion and then another sentence or more of commentary that discusses that proof and how it relates to your topic sentence. 

(5) You need to write at least two commentary sentences for each concrete detail or example you provide.

(6) Finish with a concluding sentence.

WELCOME TO ENGLISH 9: THE WRITER'S VOICE

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to your English 9 Blog. Here I will post a writing prompt as a new blog entry for your commentary, analysis, and discussion. The prompts will connect to the themes and ideas presented in the literature we're reading in class. Please write your responses in the comments section of the corresponding blog post and be sure to follow the formal writing and composition rules. No text message or chat language on this blog.

Also, be sure to check out the resources on the right side panel of this blog. There you will find a monthly list of class assignments and due dates. This is provided to keep you on track with your work. There are also writing and vocabulary resources. 

Please share this website with your parents, friends and others who might be interested in what you're scholarly life at LHS is all about. Remember that a blog is open to the public and that means that your readers are going to come from everywhere: the school, the community and the world. So, do your best work and let your voice be heard. 

Identity & Place

As we begin reading the memoir Night by Eli Wiesel, it is important to first look at how identity and group identity play a role in the actions and reactions of a society during different historical periods. Understanding the concept of identity is not only valuable for our own social, moral, and intellectual development, but it is also critical to understanding the choices made by individuals and groups living in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s.

As a reflection on the guiding questions, "What does it mean to be 'from' a place? and "How does where we are from influence who we are?" please incorporate some of the information you have put together about the facets of where you are from and write your personal "Where I'm From" Poem. As an example, I've provided you with my own.

I'm From Many Lands

I'm from the high mountain air

From the valley green, yellow and purple spring flowers.

I'm from high Alpine lakes

From deep blue, pollen from tall pines.

I'm from the house on the hill

From sledding down to town, speeding with the wind at my face

I'm from quiet late nights watching the snow fall in the streetlight outside my bedroom window

From hoping, hoping for a snow day.

I'm from tall grand people, big boned Russians, those fleeing aristocrats

From my mother's eyes, her hair, her wild spirit.

I'm from Puritan fear, we don't have family problems, do we?

From laughing during long dinners and road trips across the country

I am from a place where thinking, feeling, loving and pain coexist

From complexities that at the same time confuse me, make me who I am.

Of Mice and Men

At the end of the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George makes the painful choice to kill his best friend Lennie. From what you know about Lennie and George, their dreams for the future, and the tragedy resulting from Lennie's inability to control his own strength; is George justified in killing Lennie? Write a paragraph explaining your opinion complete with evidence from the text to support your claim and deep commentary or analysis of your evidence and opinions.

Be sure to introduce and blend your quote evidence so that your readers understand the context of each quote.