march 29

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Whoa.  Our last day of March together.  How did you spend the month?  Did your habits and actions get you where you wanted to go over the last four weeks?  If you could do it over again, would you do it the same way or would you change things?

-OR-

Choose your own topic.

AGENDA:
1. Mindfulness (this is up to you today; you can do it together, at the beginning of the period or whenever someone suggests it, or you can do it by yourself, anytime)
2. Journal (happy Friday; please remember to turn in)
3. Answer the questions below on paper and turn them into the sub (you're going to have to manage your time well in order to get all this done by the end of fourth period.  No late work will be accepted. Some of you will have to resist distractions, talking, etc. because the time will go faster than you think. You know who I'm talking to.  Yaxeny.  Luis.  Ricardo.  All of you. :) 

ABOUT THE MONKEY'S PAW:
Please answer the first three questions in one paragraph (3-5 sentences) each.

1. How does the setting set the tone at the beginning of "The Monkey's Paw"?
2. Before Morris (the soldier) mentions the Monkey's Paw, the White family seems happy.  What's the appeal then?  Why wish for wishes when you're already satisfied with your life?  What do you think the author wants the readers to understand about this?  Is this a theme of the story?
3. Morris (the soldier) says that the last person before him to have the Monkey's Paw wished for death.  Is this foreshadowing?  Explain.

Please answer this question in a well-organized essay.  Include your pre-write/outline/notes when you turn in your paper.

• One theme of "The Monkey's Paw" has become associated with a common saying: "Be careful what you wish for."  In the short story "The Monkey's Paw, author W.W. Jacobs uses diction, syntax, figurative language, symbolism, exposition, foreshadowing, plot twists, the supernatural, and a strong sense of tone to establish this theme.  Pick any three of these literary elements and explain how they contribute to your understanding of the central message of the story.

march 28

JOURNAL TOPIC:
What kind of hat suits you best?  Think of all the hats you've ever seen.  Look up "hats" on the internet if you like.  Which hat suits your personality, or the shape of your head, or a group, culture, or lifestyle that you admire?  Please describe your hat in detail and explain why you chose it.

AGENDA:
1. Mindfulness
2. Journal
3. Summarize the story for Ricardo
4. Finish the story
5. Study the story
6. Game the story

march 27

JOURNAL TOPIC:
In "The Monkey's Paw" we discover an artifact that is said to have the power to grant wishes.  In real life, can you think of an object that is "lucky" or believed to have some sort of magic associated with it?  Describe it and explain how it came to be associated with such beliefs.  (Note: If you can't think of something, explain why you believe such "magical thinking" is or is not effective.)

AGENDA:
1. Mindfulness
2. Journal
3. Reading (continued from yesterday)
4. Your digital identity
5. About your Big Questions
6. Our game map & calendar

POSTS:
1. What did you find when you searched for yourself online?  Is it accurate?  Does it reflect your best self?  (title: MY ONLINE ME)

2. What have you done recently about your Big Question?  Do you think of it and/or pursue it when we don't talk about it in class?  Why/why not?  (title: BQ THOUGHTS)

Use the boxes

Use the classroom

Google maps

Use the blogs

Behind the clock

Find the jokers

(Saw video)

"Want to play a game?  Accepting  will put your grade on the line.  Refusing will certainly cause you to fail.  Let's play."

Use the chairs

what the heck does THIS mean?

There's an old saying:

"Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it."

Huh?  Why would I wish for something I don't want?  Please explain this to me in a comment to this post.

please remember our agreement

march 26

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Today's topic comes with a story.  Last Friday Ms. Anderson (my former student and favorite SMJUHSD substitute teacher) dropped by just before class with some food she thought I might like.  I turned it down and asked if I could re-gift it to students.  You should have seen the smile on Ms. Anderson's face when I told her why.  Later we exchanged texts.  Mine's in blue, hers is in gray:

This is a fairly recent thing for me.  For most of my life I put away more than my fair share of burgers, steaks, chicken, ribs, eggs, fish, cheese, butter, etc.  I used to gleefully defend my way of life to my vegan and vegetarian friends.  But over time things have changed.  I've learned a lot more about the subject.  Animals grown for food are often sickly and stuffed with antibiotics.  The way they're raised has a powerfully negative impact on the environment.  They are not the best sources of nutrition, even for protein.  When my cousin had a major heart attack in December, he started eating vegan, and when he told his doctors -- the best cardiologists in San Diego -- they said, "Yup.  Us too."  That was the tipping point for me.

I watch students eat Hot Cheetos and processed meat and drink chocolate milk all day, and I wonder: Why do any of us eat what we eat?  Because it tastes good?  Because we're used to it?  Because it's cheap?  Because of our relationships with the people who make food for us?  Because we don't have enough money or enough freedom to make different choices?  Because it's the best fuel for energy or the healthiest nutrition?

AGENDA:
1. Mindfulness
2. Journal
3. Your next poll winner: "The Monkey's Paw"
4. Reflections on yesterday's experiment
5. Game design: building what we need for next week

POST:
How do we manage the choices in our lives that we can control?  Think back on the last few days: you're in charge of your mind, of how you wake up in the morning, and what you put in your face.  How do your decisions about these things help make you more powerful and successful?  (title: IT'S MY LIFE)