AVID. Themes in Hunger Games

Choose one of the themes or essential questions from The Hunger Games and write one paragraph explaining how it relates to you and your life. Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist, is a typical teen. In what ways can you relate to her, even though this is a post-apocalyptic tale? 

1. Devil's Arithmetic Vocabulary

Choose ONE of your vocabulary terms for this week and look up where it has been used in a famous book, movie, play, poem, or by a famous person. Explain where your word has been used in the real world. You may also paste links to examples. Be sure to include your word's definition.

Example: resilient - adj. strong in the face of hard times; able to bounce back after great trial or suffering. Bern Williams once said, "Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit." This man was an outfielder for the NY Yankees and is a Puerto Rican musician. Although he is very different than the subject of this novel, the theme is still true: all people go through trials that prove their resilience. 

Love Letters to Strangers

After viewing the TED Talk, write your own love letter. Then post a comment with how it felt to write this anonymous letter. 

This letter writing assignment is required for AVIDears and recommended for AP and English II. 

By writing all the things we want to hear, did it empower you to look for what you deserve in relationships more? 

How would it feel to get your letter?

Here is a link to Hannah Brencher's site for more info on what do with the letters and how to write them: moreloveletters

AP. Analyzing Janie

Now that you are into Their Eyes Were Watching God, I want you to do a deep character analysis of the protagonist. 

Use these questions to guide you: 
1. What is her motivation in life? 
2. Is she typical or unusual? Explain your reasoning. 
3. Choose one quote from your dialectic journal as evidence for your analysis. 
4. In what ways is Janie a liberated woman?
5. In what ways is Janie still a slave to the AVE/EVA dichotomy as well as a second-class citizen in her society?
6. Does Janie still hold relevance as a character in today's society? Why or why not?
7. Sometimes it helps to analyze a character in juxtaposition to another character. How are Janie and Pheoby foil characters? How is Janie similar to/different from the men in her life?

1. Holocaust Facts

In anticipation of our reading The Devil's Arithmetic, I want EACH of you to post 10 new facts you never knew before about the Holocaust. 

Be sure to number your findings. 

All: Cavs for Country

Write a letter to one of the Veterans on our list. Use these prompts to help you. Make your letter look however you'd like. We will compile them and Mrs. Roberts will mail them. I will review with you how to address an envelope and set up your paper for a friendly letter. 

• What does the word "veteran" mean to you? Brainstorm a list of as many related words as you can and create a word web, More advanced writers may select ten words to use in an original poem or story.
• Work with a small group to brainstorm a list of ways you can show your appreciation to/for your nation's veterans.
• Write a thank you note to a veteran.
• Write an acrostic poem using the word "veterans." 
• Brainstorm a list of character traits that you believe a good soldier needs. Choose one or more of these and write an extended definition of it.
• How might you life be different had men and women in your country's past not been willing to fight for your freedom? 

These soldiers all have ties to Southern Lee and are bravely serving our country.

Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Jacob E. Harvey
136 Chownings Dr, Sanford, NC 27330
Pope Army Airfield, NC
He has served in the US Air Force for 7 years and is a C-130 Crew Chief (plane mechanic).  He is the spouse of Heather Harvey, an English teacher at Southern Lee.

PVT Kevin Showalter
HHC 121 INF Box #296
Schofield Barracks, HI 96857
 He has been in the US Army for 7 months and is stationed in Hawaii and his MOS is 11C, indirect fire infantryman. His mother teaches Math at Southern Lee and is a Southern Lee graduate. 
  
SPC John Bivans
 5960 Rothwell Street
A Btry, 1-79th FA, 1st Platoon
Fort Sill, OK 73503
John Bivans is the son of Mr. Bivans, history teacher.  Many students may know him from the two years he worked at Southern Lee as a substitute teacher.  He joined the army just 2 months ago and his MOS is 13F, Fire Support Specialist.  He is currently in Oklahoma.  

ET3 Benjamin Stan Cameron
1440 Cromwell Circle
Unit #82
JBPHH, HI  96860
 Stan Cameron, Petty Officer 3rd class, has been in the Navy for 2 years.  He is stationed at Pearl Harbor (Hawaii) and assigned to the USS Texas which is a Virginia class nuclear attack submarine.  He is an electronics technician.  

PVT Fuller Roberts
165th IN DBE, 1-61 IN RGT
C Co, 3 PLT “Marauders”
11901 Golden Arrow Road
Fort Jackson, SC  29207-6823
Fuller joined the National Guard of North Carolina in July.  He is completing his 3 months of army basic training at Fort Jackson, SC and will train at Fort Rucker, AL in 15P Aviation Operations Specialist- Helicopter aviation unit, until April 2013.  Fuller is a 2012 graduate of Southern Lee and is the son of Mrs. Roberts, Business teacher.

AP. Context for Zora Neale Hurston

Do a web inquiry using Shmoop and other sources (not Wikipedia) to look up the context of the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. You can use the timeline in your book as well as the foreword in order to construct a well developed paragraph explaining the subject, occasion, audience, purpose, speaker, and tone of the novel.

End your comment with a discussion question for the class about the book.

Note: This class has been compartmentalized by "people types," which we all fundamentally know is incorrect--there are no types of people--there are only people.  However, society does group people into their boxes. Also, it is impossible to deconstruct what we read if we do not pay attention to the lens of cultural bias and historical context.  The exigency for Hawthorne is going to be markedly different from Hurton's exigency because they come from two different worlds; albeit, we must realize the central humanity of all writers.  No human's experience or writing is more or less valid than another's; we have learned that human nature has not changed, even though historical and cultural contexts may. Therefore, as we embark on the SYNTHESIS unit, remember that you can use ANY sources to relate to a common theme.  You don't have to just use Puritan pieces to argue about hypocrisy or just use AA lit to argue about double-consciousness. Thoreau would also work. 

1. Oedipus Vocabulary

Choose ONE of your vocabulary terms for this week and look up where it has been used in a famous book, movie, play, poem, or by a famous person. Explain where your word has been used in the real world. You may also paste links to examples. Be sure to include your word's definition. 

Hubris

Here is an example of hubris - extreme pride or arrogance that becomes a tragic flaw if left unchecked.