R&J: Act 2 Journal

Choose one of the following to write about in Blogger.  Make sure you answer the question(s) completely.  Write in complete sentences.  Before you begin your journal, please write the number of the one you choose.

1.  Romeo’s best friend Mercutio is lively, funny, and witty, while Romeo is melancholy and thoughtful.  Write about a friend who is different who you, but who you like because of those differences.  Why is it fun to be around this person?

2.  In the balcony scene, Juliet claims that her and Romeo’s love is “too rash, too unadvised, too sudden”  What does she mean by this?  Is love more stable when it takes time and effort to develop?  What happens when love moves too quickly?  Do you agree with Juliet?  Explain your thoughts.

3.  Friar Laurence advises both Romeo and Juliet in this play.  Everyone needs someone to talk to at one time or another.  Is there someone in your life who you can always go to for help?  Who is this person and how does he or she help you?  Tell about a time you sought advice from this person.  Did you follow the advice?  What happened?

4.  Romeo and Juliet marry without their parents’ knowledge.  Do you think this is a good idea?  How would your family be affected if you or one of your siblings did this?  Do you think keeping secrets like this lead to positive or negative results?  Why?

R&J: Act 1 Journal

Choose one of the following to write about in Blogger.  Make sure you answer the question(s) completely.  Write in complete sentences.  Before you begin your journal, please write the number of the one you choose.

1.  Lord & Lady Capulet are concerned that their daughter hasn’t yet married.  They choose Paris because he is a noble, wealthy gentleman.  If your parents chose a mate for you, what qualities would they look for?  Explain.

2.  The names Benvolio and Mercutio actually mean benevolent (kind-hearted) and impulsive.  How do the meanings of their names reflect their personalities?  Give examples.  Do you think Shakespeare gave them these names on purpose?  Why?  Write about the history behind your name.  Who named you?  What does your name mean?  If you could choose a different name, what would it be and why?

3.  Define romantic love.  How is it different from love of family? friends? pets?  What do you think is the perfect age to fall in love?  Why?

4.  When Romeo first sees Juliet, he asks himself, “Did my heart love till now?”  Just moments earlier he had claimed to love Roseline.  What is the difference between love and infatuation?  Explain your thoughts.

5.  In the beginning of the play, Verona witnesses a huge brawl between the Montagues and Capulets.  Knowing how violence upsets the citizens of Verona, Prince Escalus claims that anyone seen fighting within the city walls will be put to death.  Violence often has a lasting effect on those who witness it.  Describe a violent incident you have seen (and yes, it can be from tv, news, or movies).  How did it affect you, and how were you able to deal with the aftermath?

R&J Prep Articles: A Reflection

Articles:  A Reflection

Think about the article you read as well as the articles your peers discussed with you.  Write a reflection discussing how the information you've gained from what you read and what you learned from your peers will be of value to you in your life.

Dropout Articles: a self-reflection

Dropout Articles: a self-reflection

Why do you think the dropout rate is so high? Reflect. What might schools do to lower the dropout rate? Pick one (or more) statistic from this article and reflect.

Writing Prompt on Revenge: "The Cask of Amontillado"

We will begin reading Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" next week.  To prepare for the story you will be writing about (insert dark music here) REVENGE.

Choose one of the quotations below.  Write about what you think it means, make a connection to the quotation, and discuss if you agree or disagree with the statement and why.  Again, make sure you are putting thought into your writing.  

QUOTATIONS TO CHOOSE FROM...

"Don't get mad, get even."  ~Robert F. Kennedy

"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind."  ~Mahatma Ghandi

"The best revenge is not to become like the one who wronged you."  ~Marcus Aurelius

"The Sniper"

Pre-reading Blog

What causes people to become enemies?  Why is peace so difficult to achieve?  

Goal Setting

“You need a plan to build a house. To build a life, it is even more important to have a plan or goal.” – Zig Ziglar

So why should I set goals?  

1)  Goals give you something to aim for.  Basically it's like you are involved in archery.  You know that you want to get a bullseye on the target.  Setting goals gives you a purpose for doing things.

2)  Goals builds motivation, confidence, desire, and persistence.  If we want to hit that bullseye, we will continue to practice until we can get it.  Once we get closer to the center, our confidence builds as does our desire.

3)  Goals provide the roadmap to success.  This map  guides us from where we are today to where we want to be later.  

We will be writing SMART goals today.
S - SPECIFIC (example: yes, get in shape is a goal but you need to be more specific - join a gym and will work 
        out for at least 30 minutes three times a week.)
M - MEASURABLE (in other words how will I know I've accomplished the goal?)
A - ATTAINABLE (think about who can help you or what you specifically will need to do to attain it.)
R - REALISTIC (you must be willing to do this and know that you are able to dedicate yourself to it.)
T - TIMELY (when do you want to have the goal achieved by?  It needs to be in a timely manner.)

Think about this class.  What are two goals you have for this class?  Remember to be specific; I don't want "to pass the class."  This is a weak goal.  Dig deep into what worries you may have.  Use these to guide you in your goal setting.  Complete the chart for each goal.

Mrs. DeVore's Goal for English
1.  My goal is to read at least 10 minutes each day to increase my knowledge and share my enthusiasm with others.  Obviously the time is set at a minimum of 10 minutes which is an obvious measurement, but I can also measure this by the conversations I have with my colleagues as well as my students.  I hope to join the teacher book club that will begin sometime this school year which will allow me to grow in professional reading.  These teachers will help push me to think about other ideas with teaching and helping students.  Though I feel this goal could be difficult on nights where I have multiple essays, blogs, and projects to grade, I know that it is a betterment to myself so it is worthy.  I will try this for one semester.