Wednesday, March 19, 2014

The "Macbeths" of Our Current World

Macbeth is an ambitious general who gives up his morals and his conscience in order to become the King of Scotland. He commits crimes and lies to others in order to get what he wants. In the end, he becomes a tyrant, losing all sense of feeling and doing anything he can to maintain his blood-stained power. 

Provide an example of people today who exhibit similar behaviors and have similar ambitions as Macbeth (doesn't necessarily have to be murder).

In your response, you must
1) describe the person's or persons' situation(s)
2) intention behind person's or persons' actions
3) how his / her / their situation is like Macbeth's
4) critique these actions: Why do you think people are driven to such a state of mind? Do you think we've become a society of similar people (ambitious, power-hungry, competitive)?


Please put your name and your period at the end of the post.

You will receive...
...a 10/10 for a post that demonstrates effort, originality, and depth of thought.
...a 8/10 for a post that demonstrates mediocre effort, some originality, and some deeper explanation.
...a 6/10 for writing something that relates to the prompt, but appears to have been completed last minute.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Opportunity

Please answer the following hypothetical question in an organized paragraph:

If you were offered a leadership position (e.g. CEO, president, supervisor, etc.) that you really desired, but you didn't have the credentials or the skills to adequately do the job, would you take the offer?

In your paragraph, provide specific reasons that support your opinion. Please thoroughly elaborate on the points you make.

Please put your name and your period at the end of the post.


Monday, January 20, 2014

A Conversation about Cheating

In an efficient and organized paragraph, please answer the following questions from your personal perspective:

What constitutes cheating (What would you consider cheating and what would you not consider cheating)? Do you think it is necessary to cheat in the modern world? What are the consequences when a culture of cheating is formed in society?

Make sure you have a clear topic sentence. Please support your argument with specific examples.

Consider the following website: http://www.cheatingculture.com/

Please put your name and your period at the end of the post.

You will receive...
...a 10/10 for a post that demonstrates effort, originality, and depth of thought.
...a 8/10 for a post that demonstrates mediocre effort, some originality, and some deeper explanation.
...a 6/10 for writing something that relates to the prompt, but appears to have been completed last minute.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Surveillance

Read the following New York Times article, "How Surveillance Changes Behavior: A Restaurant Workers Case Study" by Steve Lohr.

Link:
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/26/how-surveillance-changes-behavior-a-restaurant-workers-case-study/?_r=0

Then, respond to the following prompt in an organized paragraph. Make sure you have a clear topic sentence; support it with specific examples and deep commentary.

Prompt: In your opinion, can surveillance really help change unethical behavior? Consider the short-term and long-term effects.

Please put your name and your period at the end of the post.

You will receive...
...a 10/10 for a post that demonstrates effort, originality, and depth of thought.
...a 8/10 for a post that demonstrates mediocre effort, some originality, and some deeper explanation.
...a 6/10 for writing something that relates to the prompt, but appears to have been completed last minute.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Orwell's 1984 Anticipation Discussion

After completing the Anticipation Guide for George Orwell's 1984, pick one statement on which to elaborate in an organized post. Explain your reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with the statement, and support those reasons with specific real world examples.

Make sure that you have a clear topic sentence for your paragraph. Please write down your name and period at the end of the post.

You will receive...
...a 10/10 for a post that demonstrates effort, originality, and depth of thought.
...a 8/10 for a post that demonstrates mediocre effort, some originality, and some deeper explanation.
...a 6/10 for writing something that relates to the prompt, but appears to have been completed last minute.




Welcome to the English IIA Blog!

Hi English IIA Students,

Welcome to your online discussion forum! Periodically, I will be posting discussion questions on this page as a class assignment. You will have a certain number of days to write a post that responds to the question(s). Instructions will be given in class and posted on this site.

A few decrees:
1. Respect all voices in the community. This is a virtual "safe space" for discussion.
2. There will be no put-downs or offensive comments allowed in this space.
3. Think for yourself. Form your own opinions. Don't steal someone else's ideas although you may use other people's comments for inspiration.

Inappropriate blogging will result in loss of points, student-teacher conference, or administrative action.

Happy blogging!

Ms. Kung