Mr. Moshé’s Critically Thinking . . . Are You?

There are many things going on in Research 1 (sounds like a deep space probe, eh?). Here they are:

1. Daily Ponderance – You can catch up on those if you follow this link.
2. Concept Maps – Organize and expand your mind simultaneously.
   • You want to understand what this is all about? Take a look at this concept map.
   • You want to know what the assignment is for class? Take a look at this.
3. Student Blog Project – Your first assignment can be found here.
4. Students’ Personal Discussion Topics
   • Remember, this has to go through the entire writing process: ideas, ideas, ideas that become a DRAFT; that DRAFT is proofed (by someone not familiar with your writing), edited and redrafted by you. After you redraft, you must read it and ask yourself, “Is this done? Is it clearly put forth with no holes in the logic?” If there is something wrong or missing, then redraft, etc. etc. etc. Do this until you are satisfied that it is done. Then get my approval. After you get my approval . . . . Post your Discussion Question
   • Remember, your Discussion Question must follow the format for, dare I say, an FCAT (there I said it) style introduction. You must hook the reader, lead the reader to the topic, and then pop the Discussion Question on the reader. After you have taken the Discussion Question through the entire writing process and attained my approval, post it. These get posted on YOUR WEBSITES. Sweet, huh?
5. The Year of the Hangman: How did it end?
   • Remember, this has to go through the entire writing process: ideas, ideas, ideas that become a DRAFT; that DRAFT is proofed (by someone not familiar with your writing), edited and redrafted by you. After you redraft, you must read it and ask yourself, “Is this done? Is it clearly put forth with no holes in the logic?” If there is something wrong or missing, then redraft, etc. etc. etc. Do this until you are satisfied that it is done. Then get my approval. After you get my approval . . . . Post your Alternate Ending here.
   • Remember, your Alternate Ending must have or describe a basic plot structure.

THIS IS NOT A REQUIRED ASSIGNMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO ADVISE PARENTS TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS DISCUSSION AS WELL. INVITE THEM TO THE COMPUTER IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO POST TO THIS DISCUSSION, AND INCLUDE THEIR COMMENTS AS WELL, OR THEY CAN VISIT AND POST ON THEIR OWN. THEIR CHOICE. K? GREAT!

---

Hello. Thanks so much to you all for participating in the online assignments. I know that I learned a lot from the process, and I hope that you also thought it was a worthwhile experience. I would love to hear your feedback on the use of the website.Here are some questions for you to consider for feedback. Please offer an answer to as many of the questions below as possible. The more you answer of them the better, and the more thorough your answer the better. Be specific. Be clear. Be kind.

1. What did you like about the entire project? Be specific.
2. What did you not like about the entire project? Be specific.
3. If you didn’t post often – why didn’t you?
4. What did you think of the questions each week?
5. Would you like to have seen a discussion on a topic from the book that I did not pose? If ‘yes’, then – What would you like to have discussed? Be specific. Feel free to prepare a discussion question of your own (I showed you how) for posting on your own website. No, really.
6. Did you prefer one big question (like the last one for The Year of the Hangman) or would you rather have a choice from multiple questions (like we did in previous sections)?
7. Would you like more interaction authors?
8. Did you like the additional links to learn more about some of the topics and characters in the novel?
9. Would you like to do projects like this again? Why or why not?

Please post your response to the above questions (OR ANY OTHER COMMENT FOR THAT MATTER AS LONG AS IT HAS SOMEHTING TO DO WITH THIS WEBSTIE) to this discussion thread.

Mr. Moshé

Your Turn to Shine

The Great Student Blog Project!!

Now it’s your turn. As an ongoing assignment for the rest of the year, I am asking you to set up your own blog sites. We will use these virtual spaces throughout the rest of the school year.

• DAY 1 – Set up & Guardian/Parent Link Notification

Send your guardian a message that you have a blog site. Invite them to join. They do not have to join if they do not want to. They DO have to

• print the message you send them,
• sign it,
• and turn it over to you to show me they know about the website.  

A parent note telling me that they are aware that the website is up and running would be fine. The note must include, in their writing, the web address of the site. This is DUE MONDAY MAY 5, 2008

 

---

---

Day 2 and on – Post Discussion Questions

“Write” a “Post” – Go to your Key Words Lists, Concept Maps, Discussion Questions, the ones you wrote in/for class. Pull a discussion question from your written final drafts. Get my approval to post it. And post away. Post it!

STEPS TO POST

1. Click “Write”
2. Click “Write Post”
3. Type your Discussion Question in the field provided.
4. Type a Title in the field provided.
5. Click Publish when you’re ready.

---

---

Keep This in Mind

People you may never meet could visit your site, as well as your friends, family members, teachers, assistant principals, and principal may visit your site. As Woody once said, “Play Nice.” By that he meant proof read your post before you publish it. Write in an open honest inviting way no matter what the issue is. You want as many people to visit and post as possible.

How did it end?

 

I know that is what a lot of you are wondering. Here’s your chance to offer your own answer.

 

This week your comment needs to be an alternate ending to The Year of the Hangman.

 

• Tell us how you would change the ending.
• Tell us what happens to the various characters.
• What happens to George Washington?
• What happens to Creighton, Uncle Hugh, Sophie, Old Ben?
• Your ending, your way.
• ONE RULE, your ending must logically follow the train of thought and plot that led up to it. You can not write something that does not seem plausible based on what happened. It has to make sense and fit into the story.
• Have fun with this. You earned it.

This is your chance to write an alternate ending, be creative and good luck.

 

Maybe the author will make a comment or two about your alternate endings. You should like to proof it thoroughly before posting it. Have a friend or family member read it for errors prior to typing it into a comment.

Discussions have been closed. If you have not posted a response, you’ll have to submit a parent request for me to accept you work (1) late and (2) in your journal. 

YOU WILL BE POSTING YOUR ANSWERS TO THIS DISCUSSION TOPIC ROUND IN THE SAME AREA AS YOU DID THE LAST ROUND.

WHEN YOU GET THERE, SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN, AND POST YOUR RESPONSE. SORRY ABOUT THE CONFUSION. NEXT TIME, I WILL CREATE A NEW DISCUSSION AREA FOR A NEW DISCUSSION.

As with the last round of discussion, please adhere to the following guidelines:

FIRST, look over the various topics.

• Pick a topic from the options below (A, B, C, D, E, or F).

SECOND, when you are ready to post:

• Tell us which topic you are addressing.
• Post your response. Proofread your post before you click submit.
• Come back for discussion with others.

ADDITIONALLY? IF you want extra credit:

• Post a response to a classmates post, and/or
• Post a response to another discussion topic, and/or
• Post in the study hall for anything you need or want to help with

---

TOPIC A – “Stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.” – Anonymous. Creighton learns about many virtues, some of which are honor, loyalty, honesty, humility. This topic deals with honor and loyalty. In chapter 16, the narrator tells us:

“But now Creighton understood for the first time the truth of the matter: If loyalty really was the most worthy of virtues, then loyalty that was misplaced or misguided must be the most worthless.”

Ask yourself:

1. What did Creighton’s father stand for? How can you take the lesson of what Creighton’s father died for and use it to grow?
2. What is meant by Creighton’s realization about loyalty? How can you personally use the knowledge Creighton has gained?
3. Do you stand for something that you (probably) shouldn’t? Do you stand for anything? How do poeple see what you stand for in your actions?

There are a lot of questions in this thread. Pick one to answer. No matter which one you pick, try to talk about yourself as much as possible.

---

TOPIC B – What is courage? Throughout the first three sections of the book, Creighton struggles to come to terms with the circumstances surrounding his father’s death. After the ransacking and burning of the print shop, General Arnold speaks to Creighton about courage:

“It’s a far more difficult thing to make up your own mind about what’s right and to act accordingly – to go against the demands of duty when it’s necessary, to take another path when you feel the one you’ve been led down is wrong. That requires real courage.”

Read one or more of the following articles: then post on the topic they present:

• FBI E-Mail Refers to Presidential Order Authorizing Inhumane Interrogation Techniques from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) website.
• TORTURE AT ABU GHRAIB as presented by The New Yorker Magazine online.
• ‘They said this is America . . . if a soldier orders you to take off your clothes, you must obey.’ as presented by Gaurdian Unlimited online.
• The Guilt-Free Soldier: New Science Raises the Specter of a World Without Regret presented by The Village Voice online.

THEN post your thoughts on the topic as presented by the author. Do you agree with the author? Why or Why not?

---

TOPIC C – A free press. Enemies of the Patriots’ cause felt the need to destroy the place where The Liberty Tree newspaper was printed. In your response for discussion, please address the following questions:

• What do you think this says about the power of the press?
• Can you think of a recent example in which a newspaper became a powerful tool in waging war or impacting world politics?

---

TOPIC D – He’s a puzzle, a riddle, an enigma! A major character in this novel is Benedict Arnold – who could possibly be one of the most interesting individuals in American History. In real life he was a hero to the Patriots, and was later hated by those same soliders. Read a little about the life of Benedict Arnold at one of the websites below.Use the following links to find information on this hot topic:

• Who Served Here? offered on the U.S. History.Org page on Historic Valley Forge
• The Enigma of Benedict Arnold an archive file of EarlyAmerica.com
• General Benedict Arnold from the National Park Service archives

Then return here to post some comments in response to the following questions:

• What did Benedict Arnold stand for to the Americans?
• What did Benedict Arnold stand for to the British?

---

TOPIC E – Right is right. Creighton makes a tough decision when he helps break his uncle out of jail. Try to put yourself in Creighton’s shoes.

• Would you have made the same choice?
• What other options did Creighton have, and what did he risk in making those decisions?

---

TOPIC F – A Duel! A duel becomes a major event in this portion of the novel. One of the most famous duels in American history tragically takes the life of Alexander Hamilton.Read more about the famous Burr-Hamilton duel that took place in 1804 at one of the links below.In your comment for this post, explain why you think that Burr actually shot and killed Hamilton.

• Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr’s Duel at PBS.org
• Aaron Burr Kills Alexander Hamilton in a Duel offered by the National Park Service
• Duel at Dawn at theEyewitness to History website

---

---

NOW, go to the discussion areas, and discuss. Remember to be open-minded, honest, kind, and gentle in how you discuss with each other.

• Study Hall - Help others in their academic and/or creative pursuits.
• Period 2 Discussion Area
• Period 3 Discussion Area
• Period 4 Discussion Area
• Period 5 Discussion Area
• Period 6 Discussion Area