12. BP #7 - Free Choice

We are in between units right now, so this is a perfect opportunity
for you to venture out on your own.

Consider the book you are reading right now as your subject.

What big questions do you have about it? Start your blog post with that question or questions, then proceed to investigate the thinking around it. Try to come up with an integrate question (relies on the text for its answer, but is not a locate or cycle question - the answer is not right there in the text).

Then, when you are done, try to add some visual appeal (pictures, videos etc...) to your post - make sure you document where you have borrowed from (see last week's post for sample source citation).

Have fun!

11. BP #6 - Who is the 'hero' of your book?

A couple of notes on your current blog posts: I have been reading your blogs and have a few suggestions for you as a class:

1. Consider how you organize your blog posts. You can do this through the title you select. Consider numbering each blog post to help your reader better understand what assignment you are writing about. You should also be rephrasing part of the question or assignment as your opening sentence.

2. You must punctuate your book titles properly: ITALICIZE book titles.

3. Identify the novel you are addressing by Title and Author at the start of every blog post. For example: Gravity Journal by Gail Sobat.

4. You must include a citation for your direct quotations. (Author, Title page#).

5. Be sure that you SPELL CHECK before you post your response. (Use the icon in your blog post toolbar : ABC and check mark) Mking splling errers or leevin in typos macks it hrd to reed yer wrk. it also mks it seam asthought u dnt really care abut yer wrk.

6. Some of you are behind. Get caught up! This is your homework for the weekend.

Before you go on to this week's BLOG POST assignment - go back to the previous blog posts you have completed, check each carefully and correct any errors based on the suggestions above, and based upon the suggestions of your peers.

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Last week you looked at character archetypes: Did you discover characters in any of your readings that have presented themselves as one thing and then are revealed as someone else?

They may be a shapeshifter!

Can you spot if a person is not being genuine with you?

Take the SPOT THE FAKE quiz in our 'land of links' section found in the side bar to the right.

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This week on your blog I want you to talk about the hero - or the emerging hero of your book. Use the information given to you in class about the archetypal hero as well as the vocabulary work you have done to help you select other interesting character trait adjectives that you believe are indicators of heroism.

Answer the following question: What qualities do you see in your protagonist that you consider to be (or might become) heroic in nature?

Prove it. Include an excerpt (direct quotation) from the novel to help you support your claims. Be sure to also include a proper citation.

Add a Photo. Add an image from the internet that will help your audience to understand the heroic role this character plays in your novel. This image could be a collage, of a person or a symbol. Add a brief caption explaining why you have selected it. Make sure you include the SOURCE information for the image (website) using a proper MLA style. Use the two websites in the "Land O' Links" list to help you format this correctly (MLA Guide and Easy Bib).
The proper MLA bibliographic format for citing websites is:

Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number. Name of
institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource
creation (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access.


There are a couple of samples of images and bibliographic entries below:

"The Kindness of Strangers". The Age - Business, World & Breaking News. Fairfax Media, 19 Feb. 2007. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

This image is of a person feeding another who for whatever reason cannot help himself. I think a hero is someone who recognizes a person in need and extends their hand to help.

Pollack, Cat. "Luv Is A Verb." A Journey of Love. 6 Oct. 2008. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

I believe a hero is someone who is compassionate, and then acts on that compassion to help another in some way.

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10. BP #5 - Character Archetypes

We have just gone over character archetypes in class.

You have spent time highlighting the main ideas in the descriptions, and found examples of the character archetypes in classic and contemporary texts.

This week, I want you to examine the possible character archetypes you might have found in the novels you have been reading this year.

YOUR POST THIS WEEK: Select one of the characters you have met through your reading, and identify the archetype he or she is most like. Describe how he/she exemplifies the archetypal characteristics listed on your handout.

If you find that the character you select shares some qualities of an archetypal character, but generally is very different from the definition you have been given, you may also wish to discuss how the character is atypical of the archetypal characteristics.

PROVE IT: Incorporate at least one well chosen excerpt (direct quote) from the novel to help support the ideas in your comparison. Remember to begin your post by introducing the book source and the author by title and name and properly citing this source following your direct quotation (Author, Title page).