Journal #1

1. Journal #1 Quickly answer the following questions on a sheet of paper, using the first response that comes to mind: Name the title of one poem. Name a poet. Do you read poetry? Do you write poetry? What elements must “good” poetry have? How should poems be read? Why should poetry be a part of our literature study? Where can we find poetry other than in a book?

2. Journal #2 Compare and contrast completing a puzzle with analyzing a poem.

3. Journal #3 Evaluate your mini-me. How well did you represent yourself? Are there other aspects of your personality you wish you could add?

4. Write this poem: • Line 1—an abstraction, plus a verb, plus a place. • Line 2—describes attire • Line 3—summarizes an action Journal #4 • For example: • Beauty creeps out the window • Wearing nothing but taut bare skin. • Leaving a trail of wrinkles behind her. • OR • Hunger yells in the hallway, • Draped in cymbals; • He stomps and shouts, “Hear me now!”

5. Below, you will find five lists of words. Each list pertains to one of the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Choose one word from each list and write a poem that includes all five senses. If you want to write a poem that appeals entirely to one sense, simply choose the list that corresponds (for example, the SMELL list) and use all the words on that list for your poem. Or, to really challenge yourself, try writing a single poem using all the words from all the lists. That ought to really tickle the senses! Journal #5

6. Examine the poem to the right. What do you notice about the placement of letters and punctuation? Why do you think the poet placed the letters in this way? Journal #6 l(a le af fa ll s) one l iness

7. Turn to page 20 in your vocabulary book. Complete prompt #2 under “Writing: Words in Action.” Journal #7

8. Free write! You may write about anything you wish. (See disclaimer below.) Journal #8 Disclaimer: As a teacher, I am a 24/7mandated reporter, which means I am bound by law and can be prosecuted if I do not report suspected child abuse and/or criminal activity. Please do not write anything you do not wish to be reported, even if it is fiction. Save your fictional abuse/crime stories for another venue.

9. On June 25, 2014 the New York Times reported, “In a sweeping victory for privacy rights in the digital age, the Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously ruled that the police need warrants to search the cellphones of people they arrest.” Make a claim to agree or disagree with the ruling. Offer evidence to support your claim, and consider the counter-argument. Incorporate 3 vocab words from Unit 2. Journal #9

10. What challenges did you face in completing your “Where I’m From Poem”? Be specific. List both writing challenges and technical challenges. How have you overcome those challenges? Journal #10

11. Reading Art: Exposition Journal #11

12. Browse the Wall Street Journal and find an article that interests you. Read the article. Summarize it in a solid paragraph in your journal. Journal #12

13. Browse the Wall Street Journal and find an article that interests you. Read the article. Summarize it in a solid paragraph in your journal. Add a personal reaction/opinion to your summary. Journal #13

14. Use your notes on expositions to write the elements of the exposition in “The Sniper.” Be specific. Summarize your article related to the story. Journal #14

15. Write a memoir or short-short story, in either case no more than 101 words long, about a journey. Give us the setting, at least two characters, and at least three characterizing details. Let the main character be changed by the events that unfold. Journal #15

16. Browse the Wall Street Journal and find an article that interests you. Read the article. Summarize it in a solid paragraph in your journal. Add a personal reaction/opinion to your summary. Journal #16

17. After viewing the American symbols (flag, eagle, Statue of Liberty, etc.), explain how symbols reflect and even create national identity. What values do these symbols represent about America? Journal #17

18. Part I: List and briefly describe several advertisements you have encountered recently. For example, “Zulilyads with a blue dress” could be one item on your list. Part II: Choose one ad to analyze in detail. For example, “The ad changed to a plus-size sampling of clothing after I searched Weight Watchers. I no longer wanted the dresses. They were trying to better meet my needs but overestimated my size.” Journal #18

19. Analyze the ad your brought from home or find one in the Wall Street Journal. Use your “deconstructing an ad” chart to analyze the ad. Write the answers to the 10 questions in your journal. Journal #19

20. Analyze the persuasive techniques from the ad your brought from home or found in the Wall Street Journal. Use your “Intro to Media Literacy” packet to identify and explain at least 3 techniques used in the ad. Journal #20

21. Read the Coke article in the Marketing section of the Wall Street Journal. Summarize the article and add a personal reaction/opinion. Journal #21

22. Identify the product(s) or issue(s) you are considering for your assessment. Using your Media Literacy Intro packet, identify five persuasive techniques you think you will choose to create your ad. If you plan to work with a partner, who will you work with? Journal #22

23. Browse the Wall Street Journal and find an article that interests you. Read the article. Summarize it in a solid paragraph in your journal. List three significant quotes from the article. Journal #22