Wrapping up To Kill a Mockingbird

As we near the end of the book, take some time to reflect on what you've read, discussed and written about these past few months.

What are some of your favorite parts and characters? What stands out in your memory as a part we read and talked about in class that you found interesting? Write a paragraph about the characters and parts of the book that you liked.

What do you think is the most important thing you've learned while reading this book? For this you can think about things we did in class, such as annotating and discussing, or the life lessons and messages that the book teaches you. Write a paragraph about what you've learned while reading this book.

Due Friday, February 10.

Poetry Out Loud

Our Poetry Out Loud competition is this Thursday! As you memorize your poem and prepare to recite, it's a good idea to get to know a little about the poet who created it. It's also a good idea to hear your poem read out loud.

For this post, research your poet and find a reading/performance of your poem on the Internet. Using Wikipedia is okay for this assignment as the goal here is just to find out some information about your poet rather than to do an in-depth research project. Find out about your poet's life: what else did/does he/she do besides write poetry? What kind of education did he/she have? What is his/her family life like? Answer these questions and remark on why you think he/she would've written the poem that you are working on for Poetry Out Loud.

For the reading or performance part of this post, watch someone else read/perform the poem. You can usually find a reading on YouTube or another website. Write about which words/lines were given emphasis and what you think the tone of the speaker's voice conveyed about the poem.

Due Wednesday, January 4.