You should be finishing The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez in the next few weeks. As you reflect on the book, think about some of the themes that have emerged in the Icarus stories (you should have read at least two of the stories from Icarus Tales before you respond here).
Where do you see a theme from one or more of the Icarus stories reflected in this The Book of Unknown Americans? You can focus on the major plots and characters or on one of the shorter narratives found throughout the novel. In your response, describe the theme from Icarus and how it appears in the novel. Here are some other questions you might consider:
Have fun with the response and explore all the crazy ways these two very different texts connect. This is a very abstract prompt and lots of people need to talk through their ideas to process. Don't hesitate to reach out to your teacher to talk about it. Make sure to respond to at least one other student. This blog response is due May 24th
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In the last year, there has been a large increase in instances of Anti-Asian and Anti-Asian American racism and hate crimes.
If you are an Asian or Asian American student, please know that your teachers stand by you. If you need to talk or if you need support, reach out to your teacher, counselor or another trusted adult. This blog assignment is meant to be supportive for you as much as it is educational, but if you find it triggering or difficult, please skip this one. For those who are not Asian or Asian American, consider your responsibilities to be an ally to your peers and to disrupt harmful speech and actions. All students, read the article (one of the author's is a Roosevelt teacher!). In the article, you will see a list of resources that are linked. Explore/read/watch at least one resource. Then, respond below. In your response, do the following:
Finally, reply to at least one other student. Responses are due by May 3rd. Use the weeks before and after Spring Break to make sure you are caught up with your other honors assignments and that you are on top of your regular class work. This is also a great time to start the book you checked out for honors, The Book of Unknown Americans. This will give you a head start on next quarter.
There will be a new blog on April 12th. Black History Month, may be over, but we have a responsibility to continue to engage with Black voices and issues of race. This blog will help you continue to carry the conversation.
Follow the link below. Spend some time scanning several articles. Pick one that you find interesting or important. In your response, summarize the article and respond to it. Share your reaction, your thoughts, and/or how your personal experiences relate to the article. Then, reply to at least one other student Responses are due March 15 Writer, Kristina Wong offers a wonderful perspective to consider when thinking about Black excellence and activism: "Today, many non-black people reap the benefits from Black activists who died for the right to be treated equally – although there is still a long road ahead, especially in terms of equal work opportunities. Despite successes, the struggle is far from over as people of colour continue to navigate life with a target on our backs." In the spirit of this quotation, take some time to educate yourself about a black activist or a black scientist, scholar, artist, musician, or politician that you don't know much about. (Your person does not need to be an "activist who died for the right to be treated equally," but it should be a black person of consequence). Search up the person online, check out a book, and/or engage other people in conversation. In your response, tell us a bit about the person. Then, discuss how that person's excellence benefits everyone, not just the black community. Finally, comment on at least one other student's response by sharing another way their person's work and legacy benefits everyone. Please respond and reply by March 1st. Note: This blog prompt was inspired by John Lynch's Senior Inquiry action research project. If you don't know who to write about, here are some suggestions
There will not be any more blogs for the rest of the month. Use this time to make sure you've responded to all the old blogs, finished the final draft of your essay, and that you have completed all your classwork.
There will be a new blog of February 1. Note: You have extra time for this blog. Try to do step 1 before break, so you can spend a week or more thinking about the videos before you write a response.
Take some time to learn about mindfulness. follow these steps:
Due January 11th. Read "The Secrets of Sleep" by Jerome Groopman. The author summarizes a book on the science and history of sleep, focusing on how culture, need and technology have affected the way humans sleep. In the last ten years, we've seen shifts in culture and technology that may be as significant as electricity and industrialization (both mentioned in the article). Technology has changed how, when, and where we can work and communicate; it has changed our culture and the amount of time we have to spend doing chores and daily tasks. The article helps us understand how shifts like these might change the way we sleep by explaining how similar shifts have changed our sleep in the past. Using the above paragraph as a reference point, write a response that explains how sleep might be different in 2020 and how it might change in the future. Reference trends from the article to justify your predictions of the future. Don't forget to respond to at least one other student. When responding to other students, try supporting or refuting their predictions by referencing the article as well. (This article was written in 2017. Since the lock-down earlier this year, the way our lives are structured has changed a lot. It is likely that stay-at-home orders have changed the way you sleep as much as factors mentioned in the article. Working and schooling from home may even change the way you understand your relationship with sleep. Feel free to explore these concepts in your response as well.) Your response and reply are due on Monday, December 7th (this gives you two weeks and allows you to take the week of Nov 23rd if you want) This post comes out on election day. We may know the results soon after, or we may not know for a few weeks. Either way, this will be a historic month. Instead of asking you to read an article, we are asking you to pay attention to the larger political world, to your community and to yourself. Use this blog as a chance to share your feels, reflections or observations. Your response will be most effective if you try to focus and expand on one thing instead of listing random thoughts.
Please respond to this prompt and to at least one other student. You are also welcome to come back and post as many times as you want. Please consider coming back and responding to someone who has replied to you. Keep the discussion going. You can take this prompt in any direction you want, but if you need more guidance pick one prompt below.
Finally, please remember this subject can be triggering for some. Please be kind and mindful. You can disagree with ideas, policies, or candidates, but please don't attack other students posting here. Please don't say anything that may offend peers or their families. Hate speech is never tolerated. All posts due November 16th. And don't forget to get your characterization essay turned in by Nov 9th Read the article "How to be Awesome" (linked below) and respond to the prompt below:
In this article, Nick Riggle provides a detailed definition of what it means to be awesome and offers examples and suggestions. In your response, paraphrase his definition of awesomeness. Then, use his guidelines to explain one way in which you, someone you know, or a figure in politics or pop culture is or was awesome. Also, respond to at least one other student's comment. You can agree, disagree (well, don't disagree if someone is saying they are awesome... that would be really mean), or expand upon their comment. Again, make sure to refer to Riggle's definition and examples of awesomeness. This blog is due November 2nd |
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