Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Ending

Do you agree or disagree with George's actions and the outcome of the novel? What is your opinion of the ending? What evidence would you cite to defend or criticize George's actions? Use your best writing skills, and do not forget to number your responses so that it is clear that you are responding to all three questions. Also because this is a published piece, you need to pay close attention to your spelling. You will lose 10 points for even one spelling error, and your response(s) will not be published.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

The American Dream

"The American Dream! It is a part of our vocabulary and the core of who we are as a people. It has been on the lips and in the hearts of millions of Americans for generations. For many Americans, the American Dream stood for opportunity. The Dream was rooted in the belief that, in a peaceful and democratic society, citizens were free to pursue their goals, and honest effort would result in a satisfactory degree of material comfort. The idealistic notion that in America one might reasonably aspire to a better life for oneself and one's family was a powerful symbol. It spoke not merely to personal aspirations but to our aim as a society as well. It is a wonder-filled, hope-filled, inspiring call to every person and to our country as a whole, but what does it mean? What does the American Dream mean to you?"

Use complete sentences to answer the last question. You will receive credit for your THOUGHTFUL response, and you will lose ten points if you fail to spellcheck your comment.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Getting to Know the Author

As we get ready to start reading the novella Of Mice and Men, which is one of the most widely read books in the English language, it is important to have a sense of the author as well. What I would like you to do is investigate some of the links that I have included so that you get to know exactly who John Steinbeck is.

John Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, and you can find out more information about him at nobelprize.org.

The National Steinbeck Center located in Steinbeck's hometown of Salinas, California serves as another resource for learning about the author.

Finally, JohnSteinbeck.com is yet another site that honors the author and provides another glimpse into his life and works.

What I would like you to do for this post is to list three things that you did not know about the author prior to investigating the various sites. Please number your responses. Challenge yourself to truly read the information rather than simply copying and pasting (not that any of you would even consider doing so)!

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT IF YOU WANT CREDIT FOR YOUR RESPONSE, YOU NEED TO PUT YOUR FIRST INITIAL AND LAST NAME AND YOUR CLASS PERIOD BEFORE YOU START TO RESPOND. PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR FULL NAME WHEN RESPONDING.