Tuesday, October 14, 2008

"Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros

What does the narrator mean when she says "when you're eleven, you're really ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three and two and one," ? Use an example of something that has happened to you when you felt like you were an age different than the one yu were really were. Why did you feel that way? What do you think it means to be the age you are now? How is it different than the ages that came before it? Please use new blog rules (i.e. proofread and use specific examples) in your answer. You do not need to respond but I would like you to skim over some of your classmates responses after you respond to my post.

Monday, October 6, 2008

A Secret For Two

A theme is a general insight or idea that the author tries to communcate to the reader through the story. Often we find out what the theme is by asking ourselves what the main character in the story learns by the end. In some cases we know what the theme is because of what we as readers learn at the end. Based on this definition, what do you think the theme of the story "A Secret For Two" is? Make sure to include SPECIFIC examples from the text to support your answer. Please also check your answer for grammatical mistakes, spelling etc.

THEN, respond to an idea or observation made by one or more of your classmates in a second post. You may also choose to build on something someone else has said or contirbute another original idea that comes to you through your reading of your classmates posts.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Thank You Ma'am

Please respond to one of the following questions. Then respond to something you are seeing in other’s posts.

What do you think the boy’s home life is like? How do you know/ Why do you think that this is important to the story and why doesn’t Mrs. Jones ask him about it at dinner?

What do you think the boy learns from his encounter with Mrs. Jones? How do you know? (Note: that “nothing” is an acceptable answer as long as you provide evidence to support it).

Why is it significant that Mrs. Jones doesn’t say “but” after she tells the boy that she was young once and I wanted things she could not get?

Why do you think Mrs. Jones helps the boy? Explain why you think so.