April 29

In the Sparknotes summary of the last part of "The Hearth and the Salamander," we read:
Beatty explains that after all houses were fireproofed, the firemen’s job changed from its old purpose of preventing fires to its new mission of burning the books that could allow one person to excel intellectually, spiritually, and practically over others and so make everyone else feel inferior. Montag asks how someone like Clarisse could exist, and Beatty says the firemen have been keeping an eye on her family because they worked against the schools’ system of homogenization.

One of the criticisms of the educational system in the United States and the U.K. is that schools homogenize the students who are taught in them. 
homogenize: to make uniform or similar; to blend and make similar, especially by reducting one element and blending with the other substance
Example sentence: It is nice to attend a school where the students feel like they can dress in their own, unique way rather than becoming homogenized.

Watch the following video on our public educational system. I think that you'll really like it
(Wow, something in my English class that I'll actually like?!!)
Changing Education Paradigms by Sir Kenneth Robinson
paradigm: model or pattern
Example sentence: There is a new paradigm for education: we now feel that different things are important because we now value different things

Writing assignment (2 pages handwritten)
Citing three examples from the Changing Education Paradigms video, explain why Clarisse and her family don't fit into the world of the novel Fahrenheit 451.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
Remember, Clarisse is very different from most people in the book. Most people are like Mildred (Guy Montag's wife), who anesthetizes herself with sleeping pills and sits in front of the TV like a zombie. Clarisse puzzles her psychologists. She says, "They want to know what I do with all my time. I tell them that sometimes I just sit and think"(20).
                                                                    

April 25

HOMEWORK:
Read to page 65 (finish the chapter The Hearth and the Salamander)
It's a good book! Just be patient and you'll start to get into it.

For students who have missed class, here's what we've been doing the last two days. You need to hand in the two journals.

GET OUT PAPER AND PENCIL. WE WILL START WHEN THE BELL RINGS

Journal: One of the most popular adolescent fiction writers, John Green, has said that 
"technology has pulverized our nature." Although virtually all of you love technology, I think that you can probably come up with an example of a technology that lowers your quality of life. For your journal, I'd like you to:
1. Give an example of a technology that lowers your quality of life  AND
2. Explain why it lowers your quality of life
You will need to write two paragraphs for this.

Watch John Green YouTube on Fahrenheit 451
HOMEWORK:
If you didn't turn in your homework yesterday, hand it in today. 10 points.

IF you didn't see Mr. Weiner's talk today, here it is on YouTube. Your assignment is to watch it and answer the three questions above. Yes, I know, this is a lot of homework. It is vitally important, however.
Alter Weiner Holocaust Presentation

Read Fahrenheit 451 to page 45. Remember, you might want to read the Sparknotes summary first if you're having a tough time. Don't, however, read past the summary of the chapter
The Hearth and the Salamander. Here's the summary:
The Hearth and the Salamander, part 1
The Hearth and the Salamander, part 2
The Hearth and the  Salamander, part 3
The Hearth and the  Salamander, part 4
The Hearth and the  Salamander, part 5

April 24

GET OUT PAPER AND PENCIL. WE WILL START WHEN THE BELL RINGS

Journal: One of the most popular adolescent fiction writers, John Green, has said that 
"technology has pulverized our nature." Although virtually all of you love technology, I think that you can probably come up with an example of a technology that lowers your quality of life. For your journal, I'd like you to:
1. Give an example of a technology that lowers your quality of life  AND
2. Explain why it lowers your quality of life
You will need to write two paragraphs for this.

Watch John Green YouTube on Fahrenheit 451
HOMEWORK:
If you didn't turn in your homework yesterday, hand it in today. 10 points.

IF you didn't see Mr. Weiner's talk today, here it is on YouTube. Your assignment is to watch it and answer the three questions above. Yes, I know, this is a lot of homework. It is vitally important, however.
Alter Weiner Holocaust Presentation

Read Fahrenheit 451 to page 45. Remember, you might want to read the Sparknotes summary first if you're having a tough time. Don't, however, read past the summary of the chapter
The Hearth and the Salamander. Here's the summary:
The Hearth and the Salamander, part 1
The Hearth and the Salamander, part 2
The Hearth and the  Salamander, part 3
The Hearth and the  Salamander, part 4
The Hearth and the  Salamander, part 5

Holocaust Survivor Assembly

GET OUT PAPER AND PENCIL. WE WILL START WHEN THE BELL RINGS

I hope you thoroughly enjoyed the assembly today.

I want you to share some of the things you learned, so answer the following questions on a sheet of paper to hand in at the end of the period:
1. What did you  learn about the Holocaust that you didn't know before? (1 paragraph, 3-7 sentences)
2. What similarities (list 3) did you see between the stories in the book Night and his experiences?
         3 sentences minimum
3. When you are older,  you will be able to tell people, maybe even your own children, that you met a survivor of the Holocaust. No one from the next generation will ever have that privilege.  Write 2-4 sentences telling me what you will tell them. (What you have to say will most likely deal with a message people should learn, a message that will help them be better people).
HOMEWORK:
IF you didn't see Mr. Weiner's talk today, here it is on YouTube. Your assignment is to watch it and answer the three questions above. Yes, I know, this is a lot of homework. It is vitally important, however.
Alter Weiner Holocaust Presentation

Read Fahrenheit 451 to page 45. Remember, you might want to read the Sparknotes summary first if you're having a tough time. Don't, however, read past the summary of the chapter
The Hearth and the Salamander. Here's the summary:
The Hearth and the Salamander, part 1
The Hearth and the Salamander, part 2
The Hearth and the  Salamander, part 3
The Hearth and the  Salamander, part 4
The Hearth and the  Salamander, part 5

If you're having a tough time understanding parts of our novel, read the following summary before you read the actual book: Fahrenheit 451



Fahrenheit 451 vocabulary for Tuesday's quiz
"pratfall-Guy Montag"

Today's journal writing question:

Do you speak up for your rights, or do you tend to sit back and accept things that you think are unfair or wrong?
Guy Montag deals with a similar question in the novel Fahrenheit 451. He has to choose whether or not to sit back and lead a meaningless life or to fight for his rights and change his circumstances. 
Write one strong paragraph. Be sure to cite an example. 

• Introductory sentence, stating your point (topic sentence). Feel free to write two sentences
• Example (two sentences or more) MANY OF YOU FORGET TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE
• Discuss the point that you'd like to make with this example (two sentences)
• Concluding sentence

**********************************
Yesterday's journal question:
Censorship--We'll be discussing this during the next four weeks. Think about what things should be allowed by free speech, and which ones shouldn't.

Today's journal question:

Some people feel that freedom of speech and free thought can lead to problems. They would argue that lyrics in songs, TV, books, and movies should be censored from time to time for the good of society. Do you agree? 

Should lyrics in songs, TV, books, and movies be censored from time to time?

Write one strong paragraph. Be sure to cite an example. 

• Introductory sentence, stating your point (topic sentence). Feel free to write two sentences
• Example (two sentences or more)
• Discuss the point that you'd like to make with this example (two sentences)
• Concluding sentence

S    Share what you wrote with your neighbor

?    Three people share with class

      Reading for today and tonight:

Finish page 30

Potential Essential Questions

·         Do you let your world control you, or do you control your world?

·         Has technology gone too far?

·         What is the value of books/free thought?

·         What are the potential dangers of censorship?

April 15

Read "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings"--Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"Seeing is believing"
    From your experience, is this an accurate statement?
    Write 1/3 page explaining your answer
 
         Have your perceptions ever misled you?
         Here are two examples to consider:
             If you see someone in the hall and they smile at you, do you
                 believe that they like you?
             OR Do you believe in ghosts?

After you finish reading the story, answer this question:

"Why don't the characters in this story believe that the old man is something special?"
Write 1/3 page.

Hand in your 1/3 page on seeing is believing with your answer to this question

Check out Fahrenheit 451




 

April 10

Today you will just do one thing:
1. Take the vocabulary quiz

Vocabulary quiz

1. luminescent  =  ____________________________________________
2. cower          =  ____________________________________________
3. cacophony   =  ____________________________________________
4. abyss           =  ____________________________________________
5. feign           =  ____________________________________________