CP ENGLISH & COMPOSITION I JOURNAL

JOURNAL #2 – 9/19/2012

Use the following sentences as the beginning of a short story:

Eve stared down at the egg in her hand. There was no other choice: she had to call F.B.I headquarters. Your story can be either funny or

serious.

Journal #3 – 9/20/2012

“A Boy Named Sue” – Johnny CashAs we listen to the song, label all the elements of plot

from the song. 1. Exposition a. Setting b. Characters c. Conflict2. Rising Action a. Event 1 b. Event 2 c. Event 33. Climax4. Falling Action5. Resolution

Journal #4 – 9/24/2012

What is the most memorable part of “The Interlopers?

Please explain it in detail and why it is memorable.

Journal #5 – 9/25/2012

Write a newspaper article detailing the aftermath of the story from the view of a village reporter. Remember that you will have no idea the men had reconciled.

Journal #6 – 9/28/2012

What is your most prized possession? How did you acquire it? What

circumstances might force you to give it up? Would you be willing to give it up

for another person?

Journal #7 – 10/1/2012

What was the best gift that you have ever given? Who received the gift? Why was

it the best?

Journal #8 – 10/2/2012

Read the following details taken from today’s short story “Checkouts” and predict where

and when you think the story takes place and any thoughts you have about the characters.

1. You’ll love this house, they said. You’ll be lonely at first, they admitted, but you’re so nice you’ll make friends fast.

2. Then one day the bag boy dropped her jar of mayonnaise and that is how she fell in love.

Journal #9 – 10/3/2012

Have your parents ever told you “You better not take that tone with me!”

What did they mean? What tone were they referring

to?

Journal #10 – 10/4/2012

Revenge is a popular theme in literature from all time periods, including present

day. Think about some movies, television shows, books, or plays where the protagonist is driven by a need for revenge and list them. What types of activities generally warrant revenge? Does revenge always work out? What

are some alternatives to taking revenge?

Journal #11 – 10/8/2012

Do you believe that lying is ever appropriate? Is there

are certain type of situation where lying is

acceptable? Describe some situations where lying may be acceptable. Does lying

ever work out?

Journal #11 – 10/9/2012

In Guy de Mauspassant’s short story “The Necklace,” Mme.

Loisel’s superficiality creates a decade of hardship for not just

herself, but her husband as well. Consider her husband’s actions

after she loses the necklace. Describe his actions. Explain whether you would you have

reacted similarly or differently to her husband. Why?

Journal #13 – 10/10/2012

Intertextuality is the shaping of texts' meanings by other texts. It can include

an author’s borrowing and transformation of a prior text or to a reader’s referencing of one text in

reading another. Last night’s reading of “Cinderella” was an example of this.

Can you think of other examples where books or movies have borrowed ideas or

situations from another text?

Journal #14 – 10/11/2012

Out of the five short stories that we’ve read, which story was your favorite? Why is it your favorite? What element of story interested

you the most?

Journal #15 – 10/15/2012

Using five vocabulary words, write a paragraph describing

your weekend.

Journal #16 – 10/22/2012

How do you think television, movies, and Internet have impacted our imagination?

What do you think you would spend your time doing / imagining if you

had no access to TV, movies, or a computer?

Journal #17 – 10/23/2012

What does it mean to grow up? How do you know when you have

grown up?

Write at least a paragraph in response.

Journal #18 – 10/24/2012

The Radley house is both enticing and frightening for

the children. Describe a childhood fear or mystery

you recall.

Journal #19 – 11/1/2012

Using 5 examples of imagery, write a

paragraph describing the past four days.

Chapter 4

Name two things the children find in the knothole of the oak

tree.

Describe the new game the kids start to play.

Journal #20 – 11/2/2012

Using three vocabulary words, respond to the following

question: Atticus tells Scout “you never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in

it.” What does he mean? Is he right?

Journal #21 – 11/7/2012

Using three vocabulary words, respond to the following

question: If your house were to catch fire and you could

carry out one armload, what would you choose to take and

why?

Reading Check – Chapter 8

1. What happens in chapter eight that rarely happens in Alabama?

2. Why does Atticus drag the children out of bed in the middle of the night?

3. Who drapes the blanket around the narrator?

Journal #22 – 11/8/2012

Using two vocabulary words, respond to the following question: Scout and Jem suffered through Christmas

at their relatives—are the holiday traditions at your house sometimes more than you can take? Or if your home does not have holiday traditions, what is your experience with others who do not understand your family’s choices.

Journal #23 – 11/9/2012

Using two vocabulary words, write a paragraph responding to the following question: Jem

and Scout take some grief over their father’s defense of

Tom Robinson. What principles has your family verbally or

actively upheld?

11/12/2012

Clear your desks for a reading check.

The reading check will be on chapters 9, 10 and

11 in To Kill A Mockingbird.

Journal #24 – 11/13/2012

Using two vocabulary words, answer the following question:

Filled with spiteful vengeance, Jem destroys Mrs. Dubose’s garden. Tell about a situation in your life when you reacted with revenge in your

heart.

Courage – the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger,

pain, etc without fear

Journal #25 – 11/14/2012

Using two vocabulary words, answer the following question: Scout has some difficulty

understanding Jem as he grows. Why is a four-year age difference more significant now for Jem and Scout that it was before? Describe a time in your life when age difference became more or less of a problem.

Journal #26 – 11/19/2012

Scout and Jem visit Calpurnia’s church. How

would you feel if you were the visitor under those

circumstances? Describe a time when you were an

outsider.

Journal # 27 - 11/26/2012

How was your Thanksgiving? Describe

your Thanksgiving in detail using five

examples of imagery.

Journal # 28 – 11/27/2012

Analyze the following quote from TKAM: “So it took an eight-year-old child to

bring 'em to their senses.... That proves something - that a gang of wild

animals can be stopped, simply because they're still human. Hmp, maybe we need a police force of

children” (Lee 157).

Who said the quote and why is it significant?

11/28/2012

Take ten minutes to finish your open-ended question from yesterday.

Your responses will be collected.

12/3/12

Take five minutes to review your study guides and

notes for the TKAM Quiz on chapters 16- 20. Use this

time wisely!

Journal #29 – 12/4/12

Atticus catches the Ewells in a terrible lie. Have you ever caught a liar or been caught lying yourself? How

did you feel? How did others involved feel? Is it ever okay to lie? When?

Journal #30 – 12/5/12

Atticus differentiates between the law and social

code. Explain the difference between the two. Which of these two

set of principles of behavior is more important? Why?

12/6/12

You have 5 minutes to review for your vocabulary

quiz – Unit 5

Use this time wisely!!

Journal #31 – 12/7/12

Jem’s Confidence in Tom Robinson’s acquittal reflects his naïve belief in the judgment of

the jury. Jem’s confidence in their integrity is shattered when the jury convicts an

obviously “innocent” man. Describe a time you remember feeling disillusionment

because your youthful perceptions were shattered.

Journal #32 – 12/10/12

Imagine what it would be like to be sentenced to die for a crime.

How would a prisoner on death row think and act? What effects, if any, would a death

sentence have on the defendant’s attorney? Jury? Family?

Journal #33 – 12/11/12

Consider the New York Times article, “Black? White? Asian? More Americans Are Choosing All of the Above” as you answer the writing

prompt:

What is your race and ethnicity? How do you identify yourself and why? Is your

background a source of pride, confusion, discomfort or something else? How do others

react to your perceived and expressed identity? What does your family tree look

like?

Journal # 33 – 12 / 12 / 12

Scout’s teacher exhibits profound hypocrisy. Describe

someone you know who engages in such behavior.

How do you and others react to this behavior? What are the

impacts?

Journal # 35 – 12/14/2012

Speculate why many people feel prejudice against

whole groups of people. Is it an expression of unity with one’s own group? A sign of security?

A result of actual bad experiences? An automatic acceptance of old attitudes?

Journal #36 – 12/17/2012

List some important realizations that a child must make before

becoming an adult. (Example: Life isn’t fair.) Which of these facts of life are most difficult to accept? Which are the most important to

accept? Why?