Blog #3: The Stranger

  Due: Tuesday, October 19 by midnight

Your blog post this week will be based on a creative response to The Stranger by Camus. You can pick from the following options or pitch a different idea to Mr. McCallum before writing. These prompts will evolve over time, so make suggestions, corrections, etc.

Your response should be at least 450 words long.

Do not do more than one of these prompts.

1. Write an important piece of an alternate ending for The Stranger considering one of these two paths:

• Meursault does not shoot the Arab.
• Meursault is found not guilty of murder.
  
  • Note: If you think there is another pivotal moment in the book that could create an excellent alternative storyline, feel free to explore that in your writing. Some examples that were suggested were Meursault's interaction with the Magistrate, his decisions surrounding his friendship with Raymond, or his choices made about his career and love life.
• It could be an actual passage from the “novel” or a detailed plot outline of key events.
• Keep an absurdist slant to the resolution you create. Your writing should reflect an understanding of The Absurd or Absurdist philosophy.

2. Meursault is intriguing, puzzling, and infuriating to those around him, but many people tend to give him the benefit of the doubt and even make excuses for his behavior. Write a detailed character description of Meursault from the perspective of Marie, Raymond, or The Magistrate. It could be from any point on the timeline in the novel or set after the events of the novel have taken place.

• Your writing can include dialogue and actual events in the novel.
• Your writing should reveal something about both the characters who are narrating and Meursault.
• Your character is free to ask questions, speculate, make assumptions, and be wrong.
• Try to stay “in character” during this writing.

3. Imagine Meursault attended BCMS or was a teacher at BCMS in the year 2021. Describe something unique to this place or this time from the perspective of Meursault that stays true to the style and the internal monologue of The Stranger.

• How would an absurdist teenager or teacher react to the world around him? How would an absurdist react to technology, school, assignments, Wal-Mart, or other things?
• Your Meursault could be male or female.
• Your writing should be in line with the ideas and philosophy presented in The Stranger.
• How would his family, bosses, girlfriend/boyfriend, and friends react to him?
• Note: You should NOT make comparisons between Meursault and any real students or teachers at BCMS. You can, however, compare his reactions with yours.

4. Which modern heroes or villains could Meursault best be compared to? You could compare him to characters in plays, movies, comic books, video games, and other novels.

• The Stranger is an incredibly influential work of literature and many modern directors and authors have studied it. It wouldn’t be surprising if many characters, both heroes and villains are modeled after Meursault.
• Have any modern heroes or villains personified absurdist philosophy?
• Back up your assertions with evidence and details.
• Remember that your audience may be unfamiliar with the work you are referencing, so provide some sort of explanation or context for the work or characters in your writing.
  
  • For example, if I were to compare Meursault with The Misfit from Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find," I would want to make sure to explain exactly who The Misfit is and what about his character reminds me of Meursault.
  • Hey, Look! Somebody did it.

Here's one interesting example of a comparison to a modern villain. Don't look at it if you don't want to be influenced.

5. Illustrate Meursault's reaction to (or relationship with) nature at crucial points in the novel.

• In your blog post, Include the passage or moment you are illustrating and explain the significance of your illustration. This is the part of your blog that demonstrates the critical thinking work behind your work of art.
• Your illustration could show positive feelings and relationships, negative feelings and relationships, or both.
• All the following criteria can be ignored if you have a better idea:
  
  • Pick a medium you'll work well with. Your options include, but are not limited to; painting, photography, drawing, online art tools, etc.
  • Your illustration does not have to be literal or realistic. You can be abstract. You should take risks.
  • Your illustration can represent feelings and emotions.
  • You could include a series of illustrations rather than a single work.

Blog #1: What is Truth?

  “Fiction is the lie that helps us understand the truth.”

― Tim O'Brien

Rough Due date: Monday, September 20
Rough Draft Minimum Words: 375

Final Due date: Friday, September 24
Rough Draft Minimum Words: 450

Remember to cite evidence from sources outside of your own opinion.  Use Tim O'Brien and other sources (both fiction and nonfiction) to help you illustrate and support your reasoning.

Use your writing from class on "How to Tell a True War Story" and your responses either in discussion or in the FlipGrid from this week to get you started.

Blog #5 - Creating Satire

Due Date: Friday, January 15 at the end of the day.

Minimum Words: If your satire is written, 400 or more - However, other formats besides writing may be used
Links to outside sources: Optional

Your assignment is to create an original piece of satire on a topic of your choice.

It can be written as an essay, an article, a poem, or a song. It could be performed as a piece of music or speech, it could be a video done alone or with partners. It could take the form of anything you please.

Feel free to label your post as Satire if you are worried about your audience forming the wrong impression about you. However, if you truly want to do this well and have your intended effect, you may want to avoid the label.

Share your satire on your blog in a way that makes sense to you. If your satire is a YouTube video or Google Slides presentation, be sure to embed it in your blog so people can enjoy it in its original form. 

Blog #4: Happiness and the American Dream

Due: Wednesday, December 16

Minimum Words: 550
Minimum Quotations or Paraphrases from works we've read in class: 2
Minimum Links or direct references to outside sources: 2

Your evidence from texts needs to be cited properly. Please refer to Purdue's Online Writing Lab for the way to do this correctly.

---

We all want to be happy, right? But, what happens once we get there?

Happiness is a huge topic. It's the subject of movies, books, music, and countless conversations. You think about it when you pick your friends, your hobbies, and how you relate to others.

Writing this blog prompt is difficult for me, because my friends came up with over 100 important questions about happiness,  and as we explored the ideas related to happiness, we came up with countless more questions and observations. 

So, here's what I'd like for you to do this week. Consider what we've done in class; the stories we've read, the conversations you've had, and the activities we've done. After that, come to a conclusion about the pursuit of happiness and share it here. Connect multiple sources in your writing to use as evidence to support your points.

Here are some possible themes to consider:

• The pursuit of free, easy happiness with minimal effort.
• The relationship between happiness and perfection.
• The dynamic between beauty, nature, science, and technology.
• The transcendental philosophy of the Happiness of the Journey; Happiness in Imperfection; Happiness in Location; and Happiness in Nature. 
• The American Dream and the Pursuit of Happiness. 
• The way we can truly achieve lasting happiness. 
• Other conclusions you've made about the idea of attaining happiness. 

Reference what we've done, your own thinking and experiences, and outside sources that connect to what you're thinking about.

I'll try not to ruin this one by asking too many questions.

Good luck.

 Things you can and should reference in your blog:

• "The Euphio Question" by Kurt Vonnegut
• "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Walden passages by Henry David Thoreau
• Emily Dickenson poetry
• Self Reliance by Emerson
• Our American Dream activity with magazine ads
• Articles on happiness
• The Declaration of Independence. 
• Our class discussions and your writing about happiness
• Your observation activities

Blog #3: The Stranger

 Due: Sunday, October 25 by midnight

Your blog post this week will be based on a creative response to The Stranger by Camus. You can pick from the following options or pitch a different idea to Mr. McCallum before writing. These prompts will evolve over time, so make suggestions, corrections, etc.

Your response should be at least 500 words long.

Do not do more than one of these prompts.

1. Write an important piece of an alternate ending for The Stranger considering one of these two paths:

• Meursault does not shoot the Arab.
• Meursault is found not guilty of murder.
  
  • Note: If you think there is another pivotal moment in the book that could create an excellent alternative storyline, feel free to explore that in your writing. Some examples that were suggested were Meursault's interaction with the Magistrate, his decisions surrounding his friendship with Raymond, or his choices made about his career and love life.
• It could be an actual passage from the “novel” or a detailed plot outline of key events.
• Keep an absurdist slant to the resolution you create. Your writing should reflect an understanding of The Absurd or Absurdist philosophy.

2. Meursault is intriguing, puzzling, and infuriating to those around him, but many people tend to give him the benefit of the doubt and even make excuses for his behavior. Write a detailed character description of Meursault from the perspective of Marie, Raymond, or The Magistrate. It could be from any point on the timeline in the novel or set after the events of the novel have taken place.

• Your writing can include dialogue and actual events in the novel.
• Your writing should reveal something about both the characters who are narrating and Meursault.
• Your character is free to ask questions, speculate, make assumptions, and be wrong.
• Try to stay “in character” during this writing.

3. Imagine Meursault attended BCMS or was a teacher at BCMS in the year 2018. Describe something unique to this place or this time from the perspective of Meursault that stays true to the style and the internal monologue of The Stranger.

• How would an absurdist teenager or teacher react to the world around him? How would an absurdist react to technology, school, assignments, Wal-Mart, or other things?
• Your Meursault could be male or female.
• Your writing should be in line with the ideas and philosophy presented in The Stranger.
• How would his family, bosses, girlfriend/boyfriend, and friends react to him?
• Note: You should NOT make comparisons between Meursault and any real students or teachers at BCMS. You can, however, compare his reactions with yours.

4. Which modern heroes or villains could Meursault best be compared to? You could compare him to characters in plays, movies, comic books, video games, and other novels.

• The Stranger is an incredibly influential work of literature and many modern directors and authors have studied it. It wouldn’t be surprising if many characters, both heroes and villains are modeled after Meursault.
• Have any modern heroes or villains personified absurdist philosophy?
• Back up your assertions with evidence and details.
• Remember that your audience may be unfamiliar with the work you are referencing, so provide some sort of explanation or context for the work or characters in your writing.
  
  • For example, if I were to compare Meursault with The Misfit from Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find," I would want to make sure to explain exactly who The Misfit is and what about his character reminds me of Meursault.
  • Hey, Look! Somebody did it.

Here's one interesting example of a comparison to a modern villain. Don't look at it if you don't want to be influenced.

5. Illustrate Meursault's reaction to (or relationship with) nature at crucial points in the novel.

• In your blog post, Include the passage or moment you are illustrating and explain the significance of your illustration. This is the part of your blog that demonstrates the critical thinking work behind your work of art.
• Your illustration could show positive feelings and relationships, negative feelings and relationships, or both.
• All the following criteria can be ignored if you have a better idea:
  
  • Pick a medium you'll work well with. Your options include, but are not limited to; painting, photography, drawing, online art tools, etc.
  • Your illustration does not have to be literal or realistic. You can be abstract. You should take risks.
  • Your illustration can represent feelings and emotions.
  • You could include a series of illustrations rather than a single work.

Blog #2: Your life as a reader

 Due: Tuesday, October 6, by the end of the day.

Word Count: 300
Required: Include a link to your autobiography or, if you are able, embed it in your post using HTML.

Here's a video about how to embed a Google Slideshow into a blog post.

Introduction

Over the past two weeks, you've thought a lot about your development as a reader, not just as a young adult, but also as a small child. You've considered your parents' involvement in your reading life as well as some of the most positive and negative experiences you've had with literature. Just as importantly, you've come to see something about the reading lives of the people around you - your teachers, your parents, and your peers.

Questions to Consider

You may answer any, all, or none of the following questions and prompts. Do not treat these questions as a quiz. If you're answering more than one question, focus on blending multiple prompts into a seamless response.

The best responses will bring in links to outside sources, including videos, cartoons, photographs, and articles.

• What conclusions can you come to about yourself as a reader?


• What role did reading or story play in your life as a young child and what effect (if any) do you think it had on your development as a reader?


• What do your positive and negative experiences with reading have in common?


• If you were to create a program that would encourage people to read for enjoyment and personal growth for their entire lives, what would you do?


• Why do you think people stop reading or fall "out of love" with reading as they get older?


• What did you learn about your classmates' reading journeys? Can you come to any tentative conclusions based on your observations?


• What do you think you'll discover in your research on reading?


• How can reading be social?


• What have you noticed about the books you dislike? What have you noticed about the books you really like?


• What single book or story can you attribute with the key moment in your development as a reader?

Samples of Student Work:

• Prezi
• Glogster
• TimeToast
• Google Presentation

Remember, these examples are of work done last year and represent only one possible way of completing the assignment. This is not the only way to do it. In fact, these are products of the first time this assignment was done and your project can be different and better than these models. 

Blog #1 - What is Truth?

 “Fiction is the lie that helps us understand the truth.”

― Tim O'Brien

Rough Due date: Friday, September 18
Rough Draft Minimum Words: 375

Final Due date: Friday, September 25
Rough Draft Minimum Words: 475

Remember to cite evidence from sources outside of your own opinion.  Use Tim O'Brien and other sources (both fiction and nonfiction) to help you illustrate and support your reasoning.

Use your writing from class on "How to Tell a True War Story" and your responses either in discussion or in the FlipGrid from this week to get you started.