Ms. Flagg’s Comments (group member since Sep 10, 2012)

Ms. Flagg’s comments from the 812 Discussion group.

Ponyboy thinks the rumble is a bad thing, yet he begs Darry to let him be a part of it. Why does he decide to fight? Did he make the right decision?

Your response should be structured in two paragraphs:

PARAGRAPH 1:
Why does Ponyboy decide to fight? You do not need to use RAFTAT; however, you should discuss at least two reasons that may have influenced his decision.

PARAGRAPH 2:
Was Ponyboy right to fight? Again, you do not need to use RAFTAT; however, you should discuss at least two reasons about why his decision was right or wrong.

What is your Outsiders character's most significant conflict?

Make sure you provide two examples how this conflict has affected him.

Review the class’s definitions of community . On the paper you received in class, underline the important words/phrases in each.

Which definition do you think it is best? You do NOT have to pick your own. Please write your response like your research essay's body paragraphs, meaning you need to include two reasons why you liked the definition and explain your opinion.

In order to receive full credit, you should follow the checklist below:

◊ Does my topic sentence restate and answer the question?
◊ Did I include at least two examples that support my opinion?
◊ Did I use transition words to introduce each example? (One example….)
◊ Did I provide details to better explain my examples?
◊ Did I explain how my details prove my idea?

In case you lost them, here are the definitions:

Class Definitions:

1.) A group of people that share an environment and have common interests and goals.

2.) A group of people who live and work together and interact.

3.) A group that interacts and shares an environment.

4.) A group of interacting people living in a shared environment that depend on each other and have similar interests.

5.) A group of people who communicate positively and share common interests.

6.) A group of interdependent people inhabiting the same environment and who share common interests and beliefs.

7.) A group of people who share similar goals and live in an area where they have to interact each other

What have you found most interesting/surprising about your topic so far?

- Write a topic sentence that states the topic/argument of your paper.
• Identify the most interesting thing you have learned.
• In a minimum of THREE sentences, explain why you found it so interesting.
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

Way back in September, we discussed three "understandings" that were going to be essential to comprehending and analyzing our text:

1.) We all have roles. We are born into some roles; others, we choose for ourselves.

2.) People may make assumptions about another person based on his/her roles.

3.) Some roles are more influential than in our lives than others.

Tonight, you will need to:

Paragraph 1:
Re-evaluate which role was most influential to Arnold in the text, citing a MINIMUM of two ways in which it influenced him. Does Arnold still believe in the influence of roles? Obviously, since you do not have a book, I do not expect quotes, but please refer to TWO specific incidents in the book. Do not just use examples from the beginning of the text, please.

Paragraph 2:

Do you believe that Arnold still believes in the power of roles on a person's life? Explain using at least TWO specific moments from the later sections of the book (any time after Mary gets married) to support your answer. Make sure to explain how these incidences prove your ideas.

Consider the following quote:

“If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing.”

1.) Paragraph 1: What does Arnold mean when he says this? Who might he be referring to? Why? This should be 6-8 sentences MINIMUM!

2.) Paragraph 2: Describe a moment/incident from your life that relates to this quote. This should be 6-8 sentences MINIMUM!

Today, in class, we briefly discussed what "slouching" is and why people do it. Thinking about Arnold's current "invisible" state at Reardan, why is the title of the chapter "Slouching Towards Thanksgiving"? In what way(s) is he "slouching" through life?

Make sure you follow the reading response checklist:

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Being that I don't have the book, summarize a specific incident from the text?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

Choose the quote below that you feel best represents Rowdy and Arnold. In ONE paragraph, explain how it applies to Arnold. In a SECOND paragraph, explain how it applies to Rowdy. Make sure you provide specific moments from the text and explain how they support your ideas.

“There is perhaps nothing so bad and so dangerous in life as fear.” –Jawaharal Nehru

“To lose is to learn.” –Anonymous

Reflecting on our conversation today about characterization, choose a trait that describes Arnold. Find EVIDENCE to support your idea and explain how it proves the trait.

In case you're stuck, think about our "chart" example from class and how you could write it as a paragraph.

In Sherman Alexie's realistic fiction novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the trait that best describes Arnold Spirit is hopeful. Arnold is a fourteen year-old Native American who has grown up on the poverty stricken Spokane reservation in Washington state. Arnold, unlike many people on the "rez," loves learning, even professing himself to be a "book kisser." Unfortunately, due to a lack of money and overall feeling of helplessness, the reservation schools are filled with old textbooks and negligent teachers. After a fit of disgust over receiving his mother's thirty year old text book, Arnold decides he wants to go to Reardan High School, a school that has many educational resources and opportunities that he would never get at the rez. He bravely and firmly tells his parents, "I want to go to Reardan" (45). This statement shows that he is hopeful, because instead of accepting a bleak future in which his spirit and love of learning is "killed," Arnold instead decides that he deserves better and hopes that by going to Reardan, he will achieve the bright future of which he has dreamed. Therefore, a trait that describes Arnold is hopeful.

Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

Based on today's discussion and reading, answer the following two questions.

Paragraph 1:

Which role do you think has been most influential in Arnold's life? Provide specific details from the text to support your idea.

Paragraph 2:

Which role is most influential in your life? Provide specific examples to support your idea.

Interview a parent/adult/teacher about a meaningful experience that they had in which they learned something. If they are stuck, use some of the brainstorming strategies learned in class, such as identifying a strong emotion (fear, insecurity, anger, determination, etc) and then explaining how you confronted the internal conflict.

In your response, make sure to:
-identify the speaker
-the speaker's age/setting
-his/her conflict
-how he/she handled the conflict
-what he/she learned from the experience