Lulu's English Blog

  Prompt: Today, you continued working on your "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" PowerPoint project. Think about the creation process. Which part of creating your presentation has required the most thought or creativity? What choices have you made with your information, images, or slide design to help communicate your understanding of the story? Explain. Prompt Response:  I think choosing the images and artistic components of the presentation took the most creativity. I had to really think about what images would relate to the information on the slide. I decided to use a lot of images representing trust, money, manipulation, and selfishness in the presentation to communicate my understanding of the themes of the story. Because my character, Mrs. Crater, is very selfish and manipulative, I used a lot of photos to communicate that. Summary:  Today in class we finished our presentations on “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.” Reflection:  Overall, I liked this project...

  Prompt: Today, you worked on a PowerPoint presentation based on a character from "The Life You Save May Be Your Own." Do you think creating a presentation like this helps you understand a story and its characters better than a traditional worksheet? Why or why not? Explain your answer. Prompt Response:  Creating a presentation on “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” helped me to better understand the story and characters better than a traditional worksheet. I think a presentation is more helpful than a worksheet, because a presentation requires us to not only write about the characters, but also find images that relate to them. This helps me to better picture the story and characters.  Summary:  Today in class we started a presentation on “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.” Reflection:  I liked doing this assignment because the directions leave a lot of open room for creativity and interpretation, and it also helps me to better understand the story and charact...

  Prompt: The title “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” suggests that helping or protecting another person may also benefit you. Describe a time when helping someone else taught you something, changed your perspective, or made a positive difference in your own life. Prompt Response:  A time where I helped someone else and it taught me something was when I helped my dad barbeque chicken for dinner this past summer. I helped him prepare the chicken and he taught me how to use the grill and how to cook the chicken. This made a positive difference in my life because not only did I learn how to grill chicken in a very easy and delicious way, but it also served as a bonding moment between me and my dad. Now I can use what he taught me to grill his chicken all the time, so it benefitted both of us for me to help! Summary:  Today in class we finished reading “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” and answered questions on it. Reflection:  I thought this story was kind of sad be...

  Prompt: Have you ever had a first impression of someone that later turned out to be wrong? What made you form that first impression, and what eventually changed your mind? Based on what you have read so far, what first impression do you have of Mr. Shiflet? Explain what he has said or done that has shaped your opinion of him. Prompt Response:  Someone that I had a wrong first impression of was my sophomore year AP world history teacher, Ms. Harris. My first impression was that she was going to be a strict teacher that wasn't fun and overworked her students. I had this impression because I had heard a lot about her from people who previously had her class, but after taking her class my impression of her changed. I now think she is a fun teacher who rigorously prepares students for the AP exam but still has lots of fun in her classroom. Based on what I've read of “The Life You Save May Be Your Own,” my first impression of Mr. Shiflet is suspicious. I think it's odd to come ...

  Prompt: Imagine someone could learn about you only by looking through your trash can. What three items might they find in your trash today, and what would each item reveal about your personality, habits, interests, or life right now? Prompt Response:  If someone were to look through my trashcan today, they would find a goodwill receipt, sewing thread, and scrap paper with schoolwork on it. The goodwill receipt reveals that I like to go thrifting and buy clothes a lot, and it also shows that I prefer secondhand clothes over fast fashion. The sewing thread reveals that I'm crafty and independent, and that I like to sew up holes from my thrifted clothes or sew mini plushies. The scrap paper reveals that I prioritize my education and tend to do a lot of hard math and chemistry equations for homework. All these items show that I am unique, crafty, and smart. Summary:  Today in class I wrote about 10 items that I think the character Roy from “The Rockpile” would have in his t...

  Prompt: Today, we learned about the two types of characterization: direct and indirect characterization. We then applied what we learned by analyzing characters from James Baldwin’s “The Rockpile” using the STEAL method: Speech, Thoughts, Effect on Others, Actions, and Looks. Now, apply characterization to yourself. If someone were using the STEAL method to characterize you, how would they describe you? Select all parts of STEAL and explain what they reveal about your personality. Use specific examples. For example, what do your actions reveal about you? What does the way you speak reveal? How do you affect others? What might your thoughts or appearance communicate about who you are? Write one full paragraph. Prompt Response:  For speech, I usually talk loudly, confidently, and sometimes harshly. This shows that I'm outgoing, but I can also be perceived as rude for my tone of voice. For thoughts, I often think about my personal image and how others perceive me. This shows th...

  Prompt: In "The Rockpile", John and Roy do not always receive the same treatment from the adults in their family. Have you ever felt that you or someone else in your family was treated differently from everyone else? What caused the difference, and do you think it was fair? Explain. Prompt Response:  I often feel that my older brother is treated differently than me. In my eyes, he is spoiled by my mom and never gets in trouble. My parents are much harder on me than on him, and it gets really tiring when I see them allowing him to be rude and lazy, because they would never allow that of me. I think the reason for the difference in their behavior towards him is because he is neurodivergent. To me, this is unfair, because he is a fully functioning and very smart adult, so it's unfair that they baby him when he is capable of just as much as I am.  Summary:  Today in class we finished reading and answering questions about “The Rockpile” by James Baldwin. Reflection:...

  Prompt: In “The Rockpile,” the children know that the rockpile is dangerous and that they are supposed to stay away from it, but curiosity still draws them toward it. Think about a time when curiosity or temptation caused you to ignore a warning or rule. What happened, and what did you learn from the experience? Prompt Response:  A time when curiosity has caused me to ignore a rule is during school when my phone buzzes, and I want to check what the notification is. We have a no phone policy at school, but sometimes the temptation gets the best of me and I check my phone. Usually nothing happens, but sometimes teachers get upset. I have learned to follow the rules to avoid upsetting teachers and getting my phone taken. Summary:  Today in class we read “The Rockpile” by James Baldwin. Reflection:  I thought this story was interesting and an enjoyable read, but it also got uncomfortable at some points when there were conflicts between the father and the rest of the fa...

  Prompt: September 11 changed many aspects of American life, even though your generation was born afterward. Think about a major event that has happened during your own lifetime, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or another event that affected your community or the country. How do you think your experience with that event helps you understand what it might have been like for Americans to experience the uncertainty and change following 9/11? Explain the connection Prompt Response:  A major event that has happened during my lifetime is the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic started when I was in fourth grade, and it affected the way I experienced the end of elementary school and the beginning of middle school. Not only did it affect my schooling, but it also affected my social life, which became limited to social media. This was the harsh reality for all Americans, as everyone was required to quarantine and stay home. My experience with the pandemic helped me to understand what the ch...

  Prompt: Emily struggles with letting go of people throughout her life, and the ending reveals the extreme length she went to in order to keep Homer with her. Why do you think some people have such a difficult time accepting loss or change? Connect Emily’s actions to your own observations or experiences with people struggling to let go. Prompt Response:  I think some people have a difficult time accepting loss and change because it's something that's out of their control, and for some people it can be very unfamiliar to not be in control of their life. When someone is connected to something deeply, losing it can be very hard to accept. This connects to Emily's actions because she could not accept her father's death and her rejection from Homer. Miss Emily struggled with change and lived in the past, which is something that people do in real life when they cannot accept change.  Summary:  I wasn't present in class today, but I independently continued to read and ans...

  Prompt: In Part I of A Rose for Emily, Emily’s house stands out from the community and reflects both her past and the changes happening around her. Think about a house, building, or place that holds special memories for you. What does that place look like, what memories do you connect with it, and what does it represent to you? Prompt Response:  A place that holds special memories for me is my old elementary school in Idaho. I moved to Idaho with my dad in 2016 and experienced my first two years of grade school at Rimrock Elementary. It was a new experience for me in a place where I knew no one. I quickly made friends and fit into the community there. I hold lots of special memories, especially with my past friends and teachers there who made an impact on my life. Later in eighth grade, I learned to drive in that parking lot. Rimrock Elementary has served as a special place for me throughout my life, representing new possibilities, relationships, and learning.  Summary:...

  Prompt: In “Because I could not stop for Death,” Emily Dickinson presents life as a journey that eventually comes to an end. What experiences in your life have reminded you that time moves quickly? How have those experiences affected the way you value your time? Prompt Response:  An experience in my life that reminds me of how fast time moves is my highschool experience. I feel like since my freshman year, time has been going by so fast and it's hard to believe I'm already a junior. I often feel like I'm running short on time and not doing enough with my life because of how fast everything feels. As I get older, I have less free time. This experience has affected the way I value my time now because I make sure to stay on top of my work because it piles up quickly, and I especially value all of my free time because it's so limited. Summary:  Today in class we read and analyzed “Because I could not stop for Death,” by Emily Dickinon. Reflection:  Reading “Because I c...

  Prompt: In “Missing Your People,” Tracy Brower explains the importance of belonging. Describe a time when you felt like you truly belonged. What created that feeling? Prompt Response:  A time where I felt like I truly belonged was in Jazz band last school year. After football season ends, Dr. Fairchild, the band director at Lakeside, starts up the Jazz band. Our school's Jazz band is my favorite group because it's such a small circle of students who are all motivated and love to create music. I feel like I belong in our Jazz band because we all share a love for our instruments and jazz. I am very excited for the Jazz band to start again this school year! Summary:  Today in class we read Missing Your People by Tracy Brower and answered questions about it on commonlit.  Reflection:  Reading about a sense of belonging and how important it is to my mental health made me realize how vital it is to have special connections in my life. It made me grateful for the goo...

  Prompt: Write about a fear you have overcome Prompt Response:  A fear I have overcome is my fear of public presentation. I used to be very scared to go up in front of the class and speak, or play my instrument in front of a large audience of people, but after taking AP Seminar and multiple band courses, I have gotten used to public presentations. I had to present a lot last school year in AP Seminar, as well as play many solos in the band, so I got used to standing out in public settings. I still get nervous from time to time, but it isn't scary anymore. For example, I have a short solo in the marching band's halftime show this year, and in the past I would've been too scared to play in front of a stadium full of people, but now I like it! I find public presentations to be exciting now because it gives me the opportunity to show my skills and knowledge.