9th Grade Cohort B - Vonnegut "College Essay about Harrison Bergeron"

Notes from "Socialism, Communism & Harrison Bergeron" by Zainab Khawaja:

*These are YOUR notes from the Jigsaw we did last week*

Group 1:
Part 1 of the article will focus on themes/allusions in the story
Part 2 of the article will focus on 2 responses to the story: 1) The common view, that "HB" is a satire on the basic principles of communism, and 2) Vonnegut is a leftist, therefore his story is a satire on the fears of the American public.

Group 2:
HG Men - a satire on the FBI (G-men) during the Cold War, who "hunted" suspected commies
"Diana Moon" is an allusion to the Greek Goddess "Diana" (the goddess of the hunt), who was notably ruthless
Harrison = Thor (Norse god of Thunder, really powerful)

Group 3:
Vonnegut's view: noone should be "handicapped" just because they are talented
Freedom can be taken away easily by changes to the law
"Normal" = "sub-normal" in the story
People took "equality" literally in the story

Group 4:
The story is a perverted view on the "American Dream"; in the story, competition to succeed has been taken out of society.
Harrison represents a threat to "equality" - he is talented and competitive
Harrison tries to overthrow a totalitarian government by CREATING a totalitarian government, which represents inherent flaw with human power and corruption

Group 5:
TV has a big influence on society
Many fear(ed) that TV causes attention deficit issues (Hazel's character)
TV makes us desensitized and emotionless
Common view: "This is a satire on the Soviets!"

Group 6:
2 views - Vonnegut makes fun of "commies" OR Vonnegut is making fun of OUR misconception of what true "equality" looks like

Group 7:
Vonnegut was a Leftist (Democrat); he frequently satirizes the Right wing
Vonnegut believed in a "plentiful living for all"
Believing that Vonnegut is making fun of "commies" and "Soviets" is a belief that goes against his political beliefs.

Group 8:
Vonnegut was making a satire on how the US thought communism would destroy all things American
He wasn't directly pointing at Americans; he was masking the irony
He uses the "floating kiss" scene to highlight the impossibilities present in his story - to show he was writing satirically


Granted, there are many things we didn't cover in our notes, these are some good ones that y'all created from your Jigsaw groups. Good job =)
-J

10th Grade English HSPE Prep - Persuasive Essays

Here's the notes for the persuasive thesis:

Also, here's a rough outline of the essay structure (we'll study more in-depth soon):
I. Intro + Thesis
II. X argument paragraph (include why X arg has validity, but why it is ultimately not your position)
III. Z1 Argument
IV. Z2 Argument
V. Conclusion (re-state thesis and cover main general points)

Good luck on the HSPE tomorrow!

Best,
J

To Everyone

It's been a really impressive semester so far! First semester was definitely not without its worries and stresses (*coughGRADEBOOKcough*), but I'm glad to see we're all pulling it together and moving right along.

I apologize if it has taken me longer than usual to return work. Wrapping my head around all these new changes has required some extra eyes and ears on our parts as teachers, and my turnaround time for assignments has been sluggish. While it's no excuse, I wanted you all to know I'm aware of the issue =).

Lastly, at the very bottom of the blog (right above the lovely picture of the ruptured dock) you will find links to all the Prezis we've been doing as a class. This should save you some hunting time =)

Peace, y'all. Happy Sunday!
-J

9th Grade English - Cohort B - Harrison Bergeron

Hey Gang!

Above you'll see a snapshot of the notes we took on Friday - we studied how "Harrison Bergeron" impacts the 3 different types of environments we've been discussing (Natural, Human-Made, and Techno-vironments).

At this point, you all should have enough information in your memory banks to get started on that "Letter to Ms. Young," which we will have work-time for this week!

HW: Keep writing!!

9th Grade English - Cohort A - Anthem

Hey gang,

We didn't have much time to get to discuss the book on Friday because of the split, but we managed some worthwhile notes!

We're starting the discussion of Patriarchy in Anthem, as well as some allusions to the Greek Mythology we studied earlier this year. Keep your eyes peeled!

HW: Cornell Notes for Ch. 5-6 (5-10 notes per chapter)

See you Monday!

9th Grade Cohort B - Vonnegut "Harrison Bergeron"

Prezi Link for Vonnegut Presentation

Hey Gang,

So today we started unpacking the 3 main discussion questions (the ones that help you with the essay). Not going to lie, the questions are very difficult, but I was very impressed with the discussions we had. We only got to finish Q1 today: How does Vonnegut use satire in the story; what is he satirizing, and why?

Here's the notes:

Vonnegut uses "equality" as the satirical device - Yes, it would seem that he is making fun of the basic Communist premise that "sameness" is achievable in all aspects of society, but he is also satirizing the inequality present in American society (even though our Constitution guarantees that all citizens are viewed as "equal" at birth, as they are endowed with equal rights by the Creator).

- "Sameness" in the "eyes of God and the Law" is a good thing, we discussed, as it guarantees people equal treatment, rights and protections.

- "Sameness" in life, however, is bad because people are diverse and unique, and we all deserve to be able to pursue our own goals and happiness (within the structure of the law).

Sameness = the PRIMARY CONFLICT in the story, and it is the satirical device.

We discussed that the satire is very evident even in the first lines of the story:
"The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else... All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution" (7).

Also, the conflict is introduced - "Some things about living still weren't quite right, though. April, for instance, still drove people crazy by not being spring-time" (7) - which starts to introduce the idea of "natural inequality." April IS a spring month, but it is the coldest spring month, and it is not always pleasant like May, for instance. He was making a rhetorical pun that the inequality of the Spring months still drove people bonkers.

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How was Vonnegut making fun of the fears of Communism in the US?
- In the US, people are guaranteed equal treatment and protection by law. But, as we have discussed HEAVILY in class, society is still incredibly segregated even to this day. When Vonnegut published this story in 1961, society was even more segregated than it is now, however (the Civil Rights Act hadn't yet been passed). We discussed that the US society is often segregated by Race, Religion, Gender, and Economic status (though we didn't touch on the heavy segregation based on Sexual Orientation). So, for Vonnegut, a Democratic thinker, the US had a little something to learn about the idea of "equality."

We started discussing George and Hazel Bergeron:
- George is smart and strong, so he is forced to wear handicaps (ear radio + heavy bags of birdshot). Question from the class: Wouldn't that wind up making him stronger??? Afterall, we lift heavy objects to 'bulk up' at the gym.

- Hazel does not wear handicaps because she is of perfectly "normal" intelligence - she cannot think for longer than "short bursts" (7). Hazel represents the "norm"; she is the lowest common denominator. She can't remember her son's brutal killing, and at times she is even jealous of George's handicaps.

Thus, instead of raising society's "norms," the government "dumbed-down" the expectations for society and normalcy.

Vonnegut's opinion: The only way "sameness" can ever be fully achieved is by reducing standards. People are inherently stronger/weaker in different ways due to how they adapt to the world - it's what makes us HUMAN.

10th Grade - AQWF - Tuesday, 3/6/2012

Hey Gang,

Today, I handed out a HSPE (High School Proficiency Exam) packet with 3-4 example reading questions. We covered the first two questions in class, and we discussed good test taking behavior:

For multiple choice questions:
- narrow down your selections to TWO possible answers. One is the CORRECT answer (because it has evidence to support it in the text) and one is the near-correct answer (logically it would seem right, but it either has little evidence, or it does not apply to the logic of the reading)
- go back to the selection and search for evidence to support your answers

For short-answer questions:
- ALWAYS fill in the available writing space. ALWAYS, no exceptions!
- Use quotes from the story to support your answer - try to write a mini CBECW paragraph.
- Do not write with slang - stay professional!


HW: Study the packets - we're taking a 2-day hiatus from the novel to discuss things about the test.

9th Grade Cohort A - Ayn Rand + Anthem (Mon, 3/5/2012)

Hey gang!

Today, we went over the Chapter 1 reading log questions (and TURNED THEM IN!!)
- if you have not yet turned these in, please do-so

After we went over the questions, we got started on a fun little assignment: Each person is making an 8-frame comic that illustrates 2 main scenes in the first 4 chapters (each chapter gets two comic frames).

On the back of each frame, please write WHAT the scene is, as well as WHY the scene is important for either Equality or the Plot movement in the novel.

This is your HW - Also, don't forget to study for the Reading Quiz on Wednesday!!!

10th Grade - AQWF - Monday, 3/5/2012

Hey Gang!

Today, I handed out the newest writing assignment - the Penmanship Enterprise. In this essay, you are to assume the identity of one of the main characters in AQWF, and write home in their "voice." Here is the language:

It is safe to say that none of our favorite characters would choose to battle in the trenches over having a nice, home-cooked meal with their families. However, since our characters are stuck in the death-and-disease-ridden trenches that line the Western Front of Germany and France, they cannot do anything but hope for the best and try to avoid Death’s grasp. Therefore, you are to adopt the persona of one of four characters – Kemmerich, Kat, Paul or Muller – and write a letter through the voice of the character to someone that may be waiting at home for you. In your letter, you are to:

1. Include a “Dear _____” at the beginning, and a “Sincerely, ­Your character“ at the end of the letter. Afterall, this is a letter! (1 point)
2. First paragraph – Describe at least three events that the character has witnessed thus far in the book. Use your Character Tracking Sheet to locate and help explain these events (do not include page #s). After each event you are to include your character’s feelings about the event.
3. Second paragraph – Include at least two predictions that the character has for the future of himself and his men. Ask yourself, “What does your character expect to happen in the near future?”
4. Third paragraph – Explain your character’s feelings about the war so far – what does he like/hate; who are his best friends and what does he think about them; how has your character experienced the themes of the book (authority, dehumanization, fraternity)?
5. Grammar and Punctuation – You can make no more than 3 grammatical errors in each paragraph; that means that you can make 9 errors total before I deduct points!!

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Before we get a full start on this assignment, however, we wrapped up our Ch 1-6 studies by making a 6-frame comic, using events from chapters 4-6 that represent each of the 3 themes we're studying. Each theme gets 2 comic frames, so you need to find 2 scenes that depict each theme.

On the back of each comic frame, please write a short explanation about WHAT the scene is, and HOW it depicts the theme you selected.

Most people still needed about 15 minutes to finish, so we will do that tomorrow in class.

HW: Keep reading!! Ch 7-End reading logs will be issued tomorrow!

10th Grade - Cohort B - Kurt Vonnegut "Harrison Bergeron" (Thurs. 3/1/2012

Hey gang!

Today we started studying Kurt Vonnegut - my favorite author! We're reading "Harrison Bergeron," a strange story about a communist dystopia. While some might read the story as a satire on communism, others interpret it as a satire on our nation's misunderstanding of the word "equality."

As a WWII, ex-Prisoner of War, veteran, Vonnegut's philosophical beliefs are fairly anti-war, anti-bigotry, pro-equality, pro-social welfare. We're going to study how his philosophical beliefs manifest themselves into his writing.

Click the Prezi link to see the presentation

HW: Read "Harrison Bergeron" and start looking at the essay prompt