GENERAL - Letter to Malcolm

By the end of Chapter 9, Malcolm is a verified mess. He's an addict. He's a criminal. Some might even say he's a monster. Imagine that you are a childhood friend of Malcolm's. Imagine that you've run into Malcolm in Boston and seen his state. Write a letter to Malcolm calling him on his nonsense. Tell him exactly what you think of him. Warn him about the direction in which he's heading. Tell him what he needs to do to get his life back into shape. Remember to use techniques that will make him actually listen, not just turn away. Be sure to sign off with your name.

GENERAL - "White Flight" and "Gentrification"

What is "white flight?" What is "gentrification?" Which was occuring in the New York Times Article? Which is happening in your neighborhood today? Is either one a good thing? Or are they both inherently racist? How?

GENERAL - MX Chapter 4 Quiz

In Chapter 4, Malcolm begins two love relationships: Laura and Sophia. Assume the persona of Malcolm and write a love letter to one of his two love interests. In this love letter, be sure to praise the recipient for her virtues, address the problems facing your relationship, and suggest a future meeting in a place and time logical for the character. Please keep your letters P.G.

GENERAL - MX Chapter 2 Quiz

Please answer one of the following prompts in a complete paragraph:

1. Why does Malcolm say he feels like a "pink poodle?" Have you ever felt that way before? Tell me about it.

2. Imagine what would have happened to Malcolm if he had followed his white friends' advice and attempted to date white women. How would it have affected Malcolm? The women he tried to date? His friends? His sister Ella?

3. In spite of enjoying his time in Roxbury, Malcolm decides that it is a good thing when he leaves. Why? Have you ever been forced to leave a place you've loved, only to later realize it was for the best? Tell me about it.

GENERAL - Oxymorons

What is an oxymoron? Use your web surfing knowledge to find out. Then, once you understand what it is, post at least one example here. Happy surfing!

GENERAL: Just a Check-in

Hey students,

What a day! Please use this blog entry as a general free-write. You may write on any subject you wish. If you're lost, you might begin just by telling me how you're doing. You might want to muse on some current events. What's going on in the world? In your life? What's going on in school? In this class? How on track are you for graduation? What are your college plans?

Or... you can feel free to talk about something else.

Happy writing,
Mr. Rolapp

CHARACTERIZATION: TGG Chapter 4 Reading Quiz

Choose either Gatsby or Wolfsheim. For each character, provide three quotes directly from the text. One quote must be something the character says about himself. One quote must be something the author says about him. One quote must be something another character in the novel says about him. After providing the quotes, sum up your chosen character in one original sentence.

DICTION: Same Story, Different Words - Part 3

Who are you? You just discovered you have a long lost relative living in Antarctica. Other than you, she is not aware that she has any living relatives anywhere in the world. Describe yourself in four sentences. In this posting, use diction that will give the truest sense of who you really are.

DICTION: Same Story, Different Words - Part 2

Who are you? You're really attracted to a certain somebody and you want him or her to go out with you. Describe yourself in four sentences. In this posting, use diction that will show what a good boyfriend or girlfriend you will make.

DICTION: Same Story, Different Words - Part 1

Who are you? You're hoping to get a job working in the mail room of a respected New York City newspaper. Describe yourself in four sentences. In this posting, use diction that will show what a good candidate you are for the workplace.

GENERAL - TGG Chapter 3 Reading Quiz

Dear Students, for today's quiz you may choose to do one of the three following prompts:

TONE - What is Fitzgerald's tone in chapter three? Reproduce three quotes directly from the text that show how the author creates this tone.

SETTING - What is the setting of chapter three of The Great Gatsby? (Remember that setting has two parts.) How does Fitzgerald use this setting to contribute the developing themes in this novel? How does it contribute to the various characterizations he paints in this chapter?

CHARACTERIZATION - How does Fitzgerald characterize Gatsby? Include at least three details about his personality and three details about his appearance. Also include three quotes from the text that show examples of Fitzgerald's characterization.

CLASS 8 - Vocabulary Experiment

Hey students,

Let's try something new! I'm going to give you a number between 1 and 20. Look up that number on this week's Vocabulary List (List 3). Make sure you fully understand the meaning of your assigned word. (If you need more explanation, do a quick web search.) Post a sentence using your assigned word to this site. You have eight minutes to complete this assignment.

Good luck,
Rolapp

CLASS 7 - Vocabulary Experiment

Hey students,

Let's try something new! I'm going to give you a number between 1 and 20. Look up that number on this week's Vocabulary List (List 3). Make sure you fully understand the meaning of your assigned word. (If you need more explanation, do a quick web search.) Post a sentence using your assigned word to this site. You have eight minutes to complete this assignment.

Good luck,
Rolapp

Assignment for October 10th

Dear Students,

Sorry! I've been pulled away today for an urgent school matter. In my absence, please do the following:

1) Search the web for colleges. You can use any search engine you want, but I recommend the "Custom Finder" provided by U.S. News Colleges (scroll down on the page to where it says "EZ Finder," then look right). You can search based on a number of criteria including location, majors, and cost of attendance.

2) Find at least three colleges that catch your attention.

3) Comment to this posting, listing the three colleges you've chosen. For each college, state the following:

- why you think this school is a good match for you.
- what are some of the potential problems with you attending this school?
- what do you have to be doing right now in order for you to attend this school?

4) For extra credit, figure out how to include hyperlinks to these colleges' main websites.

Good luck!

--Mr. Rolapp

GENERAL - Technology in the Classroom

Dear Students,

Is it just me, or have we been using the computers less and less in the last week or so? There are a couple of reasons for this:

1. We've been having internet problems! But... I think I've figured out the problem. I think that many of the ethernet cables I used to set up our classroom are bad. The good news is I have a few extra cables that I can use to replace the bad ones. The bad news is that I'm not sure which ones need help. So, please let me know if your computer is one of the funky ones.

2. I wanted to give us a head start in the reading on The Great Gatsby. But, now that we've done the first chapter together, I'm going to start assigning the readings at home. If the book is read at home, that means we can use our class time to work on the computers. Yay! But this of course means that students will actually need to do their assigned reading. Shocking! It's up to you, folks!

3. I needed ideas about how to use the computers in our classroom. Believe it or not, it's hard to come up with these ideas. While I write this post, I'm at a Technology Conference that is helping me to come up with ideas. But I could use your ideas too. If you have any good ones, why not go ahead and post them as comments here?

Thanks,
Mr. Rolapp

GENERAL - Don't Forget to Review

Dear Students,

How many of you are going back to the old posts and reading all the comments that have been added over the weeks? Did you know that I go back and comment to the posts all the time. So do other people. Ms. Reilly has been on several times. So has my mother. So have several other teachers. Are you curious what these people have said about our work? Go back and find out... and while you're there, you can add more posts too. These aren't just one-time assignments. They're places where we can think and grow together.

Enjoy,
Mr. Rolapp

CLASS 8 - The Perfect Party

Imagine the 'Perfect Party.' Where would it be? When would it be? Who would be invited? What would they wear? What kind of music would play? What kind of food would be served? What would be the mood? What would be the outcome?"

CLASS 7 - The Perfect Party

Imagine the 'Perfect Party.' Where would it be? When would it be? Who would be invited? What would they wear? What kind of music would play? What kind of food would be served? What would be the mood? What would be the outcome?"

CLASS 8 - Good Advice

My mother once told me that "it's easier to get forgiveness than permission." What is one piece of good advice that you've received from a parent (or another older relative or role model)?

CLASS 7 - Good Advice

My mother once told me that "it's easier to get forgiveness than permission." What is one piece of good advice that you've received from a parent (or another older relative or role model)?

CLASS 8 - What do you know about the Cold War?

What do you know about the "Cold War?" When do you think it took place? Who was fighting? Over what? Why was it cold? Your guesses are as good as anyone else's. Let's see what we know collectively as a class

CLASS 7 - What do you know about the Cold War?

What do you know about the "Cold War?" When do you think it took place? Who was fighting? Over what? Why was it cold? Your guesses are as good as anyone else's. Let's see what we know collectively as a class

Literary Elements Definitions (First Draft)

Please post the first draft of your literary elements definitions here. Remember, these drafts shoul be no more than a sentence or two. You can use common internet search sites for your research.

CLASS 8 - Favorite American Literature

What is your favorite piece of American Literature so far? Why do you prefer this particular piece of literature? What makes it so American?

(Remember that literature can come in many different mediums: books, stories, poems, songs, movies, television episodes...)

CLASS 7 - Favorite American Literature

What is your favorite piece of American Literature so far? Why do you prefer this particular piece of literature? What makes it so American?

(Remember that literature can come in many different mediums: books, stories, poems, songs, movies, television episodes...)

Welcome!

Welcome to Mr. Rolapp's Collaborative Class Journal.

Unlike in a traditional English class, students in Mr. Rolapp's Honors Cyber American Literature will do their journaling via this online blog. Mr. Rolapp will post a journal prompt to the main page of this site. Then, students will post their responses as "comments." Parents, teachers, and administrators, you're welcome to post too.

Remember, this is a public forum. Anything you write at this bog can be seen by the world. Therefore, you must refrain from writing anything offensive on these pages.

Happy blogging!