I Have a Dream...

August 28, 1963...

Fifty years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave what could be considered his most famous speech to a crowd gathered in Washington, DC. He spoke of his vision for his family, his country, and the world.

"...I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by their character."

You may view his speech below.  

If you cannot view the video, you may read the text of his speech here. "I Have a Dream" 

Your assignment will be to create your own speech about your dreams.  Dr. King's speech includes many rhetorical devices including metaphors, repetition, theme words, allusions, and specific examples.  You will draft a speech that includes all of the rhetorical devices that Dr. King included in his speech.  Your speech must be at least 4 paragraphs.  Once you have posted your speech, you will need to read and comment on two other postings.

 Your comments must be constructive.  You may not attack the views or dreams of your classmates.  As a learning community of scholars, we can have a discussion in which we have differing views, but we will be positive and respectful.  You may ask for clarification on points raised in postings, or you can share how your dreams are similar.

Comments that are rude, disrespectful, or offensive may be removed.  Anonymous postings are not permitted.

The Chocolate War - What Would Jerry Do? 7th Period

Pretend you are Jerry. How would you handle the same situation? Write a well developed response using the same format as yesterday. You must respond to three classmates today.

Your assignment is to respond to the above prompt.  You must write a well developed paragraph consisting of at least 10 sentences.  Please make sure that you use correct grammar, proper punctuation, and common sense in your response.  Once you write your response, you must respond to at least three classmates.  Make sure that you include your first name and last initial in your posting and that you tell which classmate you are responding to.  If your posting is deemed to be inappropriate, it will be removed, and you will not receive credit.   

The Chocolate War - what would you do?

Pretend you are Jerry. How would you handle the same situation? Write a well developed response using the same format as yesterday. You must respond to three classmates today.

The Chocolate War - Courage in the Face of Adversity - Seventh Period

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”
                                                                                      --Ambrose Redmoon

In The Chocolate War, Jerry is given an assignment by the Vigils, the not-so-secret society at his school.  Although he is given a choice to accept the assignment, he is not really able to refuse.  Or is he?  Can Jerry refuse to do the assignment given to him?  In your experiences as a high school student, can students refuse to do things when told by a group?  Is peer pressure so great that students feel that they have no other choice?  Jerry is not selling chocolates because the Vigils told him not to.  Is negative peer pressure such a big issue for students?


 Your assignment is to respond to the above prompt.  You must write a well developed paragraph consisting of at least 10 sentences.  Please make sure that you use correct grammar, proper punctuation, and common sense in your response.  Once you write your response, you must respond to at least two classmates.  Make sure that you include your first name and last initial in your posting and that you tell which classmate you are responding to.  If your posting is deemed to be inappropriate, it will be removed, and you will not receive credit.  

The Chocolate War - Courage in the Face of Adversity

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”
                                                                                      --Ambrose Redmoon

In The Chocolate War, Jerry is given an assignment by the Vigils, the not-so-secret society at his school.  Although he is given a choice to accept the assignment, he is not really able to refuse.  Or is he?  Can Jerry refuse to do the assignment given to him?  In your experiences as a high school student, can students refuse to do things when told by a group?  Is peer pressure so great that students feel that they have no other choice?  Jerry is not selling chocolates because the Vigils told him not to.  Is negative peer pressure such a big issue for students?
 Your assignment is to respond to the above prompt.  You must write a well developed paragraph consisting of at least 10 sentences.  Please make sure that you use correct grammar, proper punctuation, and common sense in your response.  Once you write your response, you must respond to at least two classmates.  Make sure that you include your first name and last initial in your posting and that you tell which classmate you are responding to.  If your posting is deemed to be inappropriate, it will be removed, and you will not receive credit. 

Intellectual Freedom

"Intellectual freedom can exist only where two essential conditions are met: first, that all individuals have the right to hold any belief on any subject and to convey their ideas in any form they deem appropriate, and second, that society makes an equal commitment to the right of unrestricted access to information and ideas regardless of the communication medium used, the content of work, and the viewpoints of both the author and the receiver of information."

Intellectual Freedom Manual, 7th edition

Almost since the first book was published, there were people saying that the content was inappropriate for certain audiences.  Children's books have been banned as have books normally taught as part of courses in schools across the country.  Is this right?  Necessary?  Permissible? 

• Does intellectual freedom exist in our society?  
• Should it exist?  
• Does anyone have the right to restrict what we read?  Write?  Draw? 
• When did it become okay for someone else to tell you that you cannot read something that is of interest to you.  
• As a student, should you be able to read what you want?

Your assignment is to post your thoughts on the questions posed above.  You will need to fully explain your answers in two well written paragraphs.  Each paragraph must be at least 5 sentences.  You will also need to respond to at least two of your classmates.  If you do not follow the rules regarding blog posting, your post will be removed, and you will not receive credit for this assignment. 

All work must be completed by Tuesday, October 18, 2011 by 5:00 PM.  

A Prayer for Owen Meany - Who is the book really about?

As you you have read the novel, you have probably wondered if the book is about Owen or John.  This is your chance to decide and prove if the main character is Owen or is it his best friend John.  Which boy is the main character/protagonist of the novel?  You MUST cite specific examples from the book to prove your point.  You MUST write at least 3 paragraphs proving your point.  You MUST write using correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, etc.  If you do not follow the guidelines, you will not receive credit.  This is not the place for you to make silly comments to your classmates; if you do, they will be removed, and you will not receive credit. 

This is due by the end of the class period today.  Once you are finished, you must respond to two classmates.