Superbowl Prediction (Due Friday, February 3rd!)

Which team will win Superbowl XLVI?  Why? Remember to support your prediction with several good reasons and use your best grammar.  If you're not a football fan, then what sports team do you follow and why?  If you don't follow a team, then what athlete do you most admire and why? 

A Letter to the Elders (Due Friday, January 27th!)

The Community in The Giver is very different from our own.  The Giver explains to Jonas that the Elders gave up color and choice when they chose Sameness.  Jonas agrees and admits, "We really have to protect people from wrong choices" (99). Imagine that you are Jonas and are writing to the Elders asking them to allow people to make more of their own decisions.  How would you argue for color, or for the chance to choose your own spouse and job?  Do your best to convince them to get rid of Sameness!

If you were the protagonist... (Due Friday, January 20th)

The protagonist is the main character who must solve or attempt to solve the story's major conflict.  At the beginning of The Giver, Jonas is apprehensive about the assignment he will be given.  In his community, elders choose jobs for each citizen by the time they turn 12.  If you were in Jonas's position, what job do you think would have been chosen for you?  Why?  Remember to write at least 5 sentences in a well-developed paragraph with a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence.

author response

William here. I was surpised that this older lady could put us in the mind of a 12 year old boy. I felt in the story that was exactly what I would do in the situation. I cant believe that its almost censored or challenged. Its a sophisticated book, but it doesnt seem like it should be censored. My favorite part is midway through the 1st chapter, when he home alone, and thinks how everything is kind of eerie.

Author Interview Response (Due Friday, January 13th)

Watch the interview above; then, write a response of at least five sentences.  Your response should include your reaction to Lois Lowry.  Did anything about her appearance surprise you?  Were you surprised by anything she said?  Are there any questions that you wish you could ask her?  What do you think The Giver will be about based on this interview?

Perfect World (Due Friday, January 6th!)

A "Utopia" is an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. The word was first used in the book Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More. During this unit, we are going to read about worlds that were created to be "perfect" but failed and ended up stripping citizens of choice, individuality, and freedom.

For this post, I want you to describe your perfect world.  In your perfect world, how would people spend their time?  What would schools be like? How would people choose their jobs? What would the government be like? What would people eat?  How would issues like poverty and inequality be addressed?  Have fun with this and be creative in coming up with a world free from problems and strife!