Ms. K's English Class

Critical Thinking

We've been talking in class about critical thinking: what it is, and what it is not. In E block English we've been critically examining literature in our panel discussions. In D block English we've been discussing literature critically online: same questions, different format.

In a nutshell, critical thinkers regard problems and controversial issues as exciting challenges and base their judgments on evidence rather than personal preferences. Those who think critically are interested in other people’s ideas and are willing to read and listen attentively, even when they tend to disagree with the other person.

Here is today's task:

Letter to the Editor

In our panel discussions and our online discussions at the group blogs (The Admirals, The Transporters, and The King-Kong-ers), students in D block and E block English have been exploring the questions “Which is more powerful: the personality of an individual or the situation (environment) in which an individual finds himself? If adults (as opposed to children) had been stranded on the island in Lord of the Flies, would the situation have turned out differently? And what about the nature of prisons? How does the prison environment affect both those in authority and those who are imprisoned? All of these questions connect to one of the main themes of Lord of the Flies: man’s inhumanity to man. Here is your next journal assignment:

Monday's Assignments

Reminder for Creative Writing elective students: Field Trip Permission forms for Wednesday's trip to the park should be signed by your parents and turned in by tomorrow. First come, first serve. The forms are on the desk; the subsitute will give you one if you ask nicely. :-)

Hi, E Block English. You have two assignments today and they are found at that posts Images: Creating a Narrative and Those Who Rise Above the Situation. Both are journal entries, and both are to be typewritten.

On Wednesday, we continue the Class Panel Discussions. (Andrew:

Images: Creating a Narrative

E block English Journal assignment: Narrative Sketch of an Image

Task: Become a character in one of the images below. Create a 250-300 word, type-written narrative sketch that tells the story of this image. You could be IN the image, or simply an observer SEEING the image. Write in the first-person, present tense and remember to use strong adjectives and verbs, with an emphasis on sensory imagery. The questions you should address in your narrative are:

William Golding's Thoughts on "Lord of the Flies"

According to William Golding, the author of Lord of the Flies, 

“The theme [of Lord of the Flies] is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable. The whole book is symbolic in nature except the rescue in the end where adult life appears, dignified and capable, but in reality enmeshed in the same evil as the symbolic life of the children on the island. The officer, having interrupted a man-hunt, prepares to take the children off the island in a cruiser which will presently be hunting its enemy in the same implacable way. And who will rescue the adult and his cruiser?”

(image via photographyblog's photo of the week.

This week's discussion questions are:

Homework Questions for Milgram Discussion

Many of you have been asking if I could post the homework questions for the Milgram discussion at the blog so that you wouldn't have to re-type the questions for homework.

Your wish is my command. Check under the fold, then cut and paste. ;-)

Those Who Rise Above the Situation

English Assignment, Blocks D and E: Due February 23rd

Find a story, biography, or article about a person who has shown extraordinary courage by rising above a difficult situation. The actions of this person should show an exception to Zimbardo’s claim that "the power of a situation is stronger than the character or personality traits of those involved.” (An example might be Hugh Thompson, Jr.)

Bring the book, video/audio interview, or article to class. Be prepared to discuss your findings with your peers in both written and verbal from. Your journal assignment is:

The Effects of Authority on Obedience

"Why is it so many people obey when they feel coerced? Social psychologist Stanley Milgram researched the effect of authority on obedience. He concluded people obey either out of fear or out of a desire to appear cooperative--even when acting against their own better judgment and desires. Milgram’s classic yet controversial experiment illustrates people's reluctance to confront those who abuse power."

---Gregorio Billikopf Encina,
University of California

See assignment below the fold

The Stanford Prison Experiment

One of the themes of Lord of the Flies, according to William Golding, is "man's inhumanity to man." The big question of the week has been: why do we behave as we do?

Last week we watched the film "Quiet Rage: The Stanford Prison Experiment", which was spearheaded by Dr. Philip Zimabaro at Stanford University. The film caused us to question: Is the power of a situation stronger than the character or personality traits of those involved? To what degree do our surroundings shape who we are and how we act?

Each student in D Block English class is discussing these questions in their group blogs: The Transporters, The King-Kongers, and The Admirals. Read on for some of the questions that we will be addressing this week on the Stanford Prison Experiment.

Comments and Posting: Some Helpful Tips

The D Block English class group blogs are up and running: The Admirals, The Transporters, and The King Kong-ers. I see that most of you have made your first comments. (Extra credit goes to The Admirals, the first group blog to have all its members comment.)

Isn't commenting easy as pie? Almost easier than email, right? During next class, you will be making your first post. Until then, look under the fold for some tips on posting and commenting. These tips will help on your journey into the blogosphere. Blog on!

Sigmund Freud: The Id, Ego, and Super-Ego

Sigmund Freud (1856-1959) is known as the "Father of Psycho-analysis." This week we have been studying how his Theory of the Structual Models of Personality applies to William Golding's Lord of the Flies. This week's lectures focused on the id, the ego, and the super-ego.

How to Create an Original Screen Name

Some of us like our names, and some of us don’t.

One of unique features of spending time in cyberspace is that writers are able to chose our own screen names.

So, if you don’t like your given name, here’s your chance to pick one that you DO like. Read on for some cool tips on choosing a screen name that fits you well.

Participation: It's More Than Just Raising Your Hand

I know. I know.

Perhaps you thought that if you raised your hand a couple of times during class discussion, you'd get an A.

Read on to find out what "participation" means in Ms. K's class.

It's more than just raising your hand.

"The Crucible" Begins

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, here it is: the book jacket of the play that we're going to be reading this quarter.

First published in 1953 by Arthur Miller, this play has been performed all over the world and has been translated into many languages.

The description on the back cover of the play reads as follows:

"The place is Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, an enclave of rigid piety huddled on the edge of a wilderness. Its inhabitants believe unquestioningly in their own sanctity. But in Arthur Miller’s edgy masterpiece, that very belief will have poisonous consequences when a vengeful teenager accuses a rival of witchcraft- and then when those accusations multiply to consume the entire village.

First produced in 1953, at a time when America was convulsed by a new epidemic of witch-hunting, The Crucible brilliantly explores the threshold between individual guilt and a mass hysteria, personal spite and collective evil.  It is a play that is not only relentlessly suspenseful and vastly moving but that compels reader to fathom their hearts and consciences…”