Brave New Sophomores: Quotation Hunt!

Hi sweet sophomores!

Tonight, you're going to revisit Brave New World, looking for a short excerpt (no more than 3 sentences) that strikes you as being intriguing, haunting, and/or well-written.

For your response, type the quotation at the beginning (citing the page number afterwards in parentheses!). Then analyze the following: 1.) What literary devices have been employed in the quotation, and what does their use help emphasize? 2.) How does the quotation serve a larger purpose in the scheme of the novel? Think about theme, characterization, mood...

We will be chatting about this more at length tomorrow in groups, but it would behoove you to think of YOUR answer to this in advance of our discussions. :) And always remember to USE YOUR OWN BRAIN on this. Referencing shmoop or spark notes or whatever other "study aid" sites you might gravitate towards is only helpful up to a point. At some point, you're going to have to think for yourself. It's better for you to train yourself to do so sooner rather than later!

Remember, you have until TUESDAY at 8pm to respond to this prompt.

See you all tomorrow, and be sure to bring your copy of Brave New World with you to class!

Happy hunting, friends!

Why Brave New World?

SUBMISSIONS FOR THIS BLOG POST WILL BE OPEN UNTIL SATURDAY AT 10AM. I'm giving you a little extra time on this one because 1.) I was late posting it and 2.) I really want you to think it through and give it your best shot! :)

Hello there, diligent students! :) Welcome to day two of your foray into blog participation. As I’ve said, I intend for this blog to be a space for you to participate in web-based discussions relevant to what we have discussed or will discuss in class. I know some of you may be more timid in class but still have thought-provoking, sophisticated ideas that deserve acknowledgement. You can dazzle us with your deep thoughts here. And as you have hopefully surmised, participation is a significant part of this class.

Today’s prompt is a little tougher than the previous one. I want you to ponder the following questions: Why do you think BNW was the novel assigned to sophomore-level honors students over the summer? What about the book, in your view, makes it a worthwhile novel for a student of your caliber (honors-level)?

Some of you may believe that the book was impenetrable drivel. Try not to focus on that; instead, I am interested in reading your conjectures about how reading this book could make you a stronger reader, writer, and thinker. Because even the books we dislike strongly strengthen our brains, do they not? At the very least, they help us discern what types of literature we enjoy, despise, or merely tolerate. In that, there is value.

Should reading and writing always be easy and painless? I would answer that question with a resounding "no." If we believe that it should, then by extension we are no better than the brainwashed citizens of the World State in BNW. So much is made of triumph over adversity in the physical realm--athletes powering through pain or difficult training regimens to become the best of the best. Why can't we apply that same logic to reading and writing?

Of course, there may be some of you who found BNW to be completely accessible and fascinating, though I suspect you are in the minority. Your perspective is most welcome here as well!

As always, remember to check and re-check for spelling and grammar problems in your writing and to be certain that you have answered ALL PORTIONS OF THE PROMPT in as sophisticated a fashion as possible. I look forward to reading your responses!

And just a side note: please bear with me as I attempt to learn all of your names/faces...it should happen sooner rather than later. :)

Welcome to English 2 Honors, IncreDIBBLEs!

READ THIS ENTIRE POST!

Hello, teen geniuses!

Welcome to Ms. D's blog, where you will ponder and write upon many challenging and scintillating topics for the year to come. This is a safe space for you to feel that your voice is being heard--even if you are reticent to speak up much in class. You will earn participation points for every post you submit here--as long as it is of honors quality and is thus approved by yours truly. :)

What do I mean "of honors quality"? Thanks for asking! It means that your comment...

1. answers the question (prompt) that has been asked with both depth and detail (a good response is often comprised of multiple paragraphs, each paragraph usually at least five sentences in length)
2. is free of grammatical or spelling errors (I am very picky here)
3. demonstrates sophisticated, mature thinking and writing
4. does not veer off-topic
5. does not in any way put down another classmate (though taking issue with another classmate's ideas is acceptable, as long as it is done in a respectful fashion)

Remember to make sure you have logged in appropriately when you comment, because if I can't attribute your comment to you, you will not earn credit. Furthermore, please know that I approve these as quickly as I can, but I am only human. I do not usually get around to approving comments posted after 10pm until the following morning. If your comment does not appear immediately after you've posted it, wait an hour and check back...though if you posted after 10pm, you will need to check back in the morning. If your comment is not posted by 8am the following morning, that means that there was a problem with your comment and that you should see me for details. ***Clicking "submit" nine times will only annoy me, because I will receive NINE SEPARATE EMAILS ALERTING ME THAT YOU HAVE COMMENTED. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that that is NO BUENO. Clicking "submit" once is enough.***

Also, if you are ever concerned about privacy or feel like you'd rather not have your post broadcast for everyone in class to see, you can always email it to me at my school email address. :)

In light of all of this, I now invite you all to write your very first comment of the school year on Ms. D's English Nerd Blog! This is a very exciting moment. :) Here is what I'd like you to ponder and pontificate upon: 

What does it mean to be an honors student in English? Are you up for the challenge? How and why do you know you are ready, willing, and able to perform as needed in English 2 Honors?

YOUR RESPONSE IS DUE BY THURSDAY AT 8PM. YOU MAY SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE ANY TIME BEFORE THEN, BUT I WILL NOT POST ANY RESPONSES UNTIL AFTER 5PM ON THURSDAY.

Quick note: this will likely be the easiest prompt you will see on the blog this year. I thought I'd be nice and give you guys a personally reflective prompt for your first participation opportunity. :)

Also, as I noted at the beginning of this post, make sure you always read my entire post. I will often embed key pieces of information--even studying advice for tests and rare extra credit opportunities--in the last third of my posts, where many would least expect it. In other words, you should never go tl;dr on me. So for those of you who did get this far, if you end your comment with "My name is [insert name], and I will never forget to be awesome," you will earn double credit for this participation opportunity. Following directions is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT in this class and in life, teen geniuses.

I'm truly excited to get to know each and every one of you this year! And just in case you need a little inspiration...

MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!