good-bye and good luck!

Thanks for all of your hard work and dedication this past semester. I hope you got the grades you expected and deserved. Good luck with your future studies and please keep in touch! :)

final journal

OK, last thing: tell me what you thought of writing journals on this blog. Was it a positive experience for you? Why? Why not? Do you think you've learned anything from writing this way?

Write write write and have a great break! :)

journal #8

During World War II, Bessie and Sadie grow a Victory Garden. Visit the link and learn more about Victory Gardens. Think about life during a war.

What do you think life would be like during wartime? What would you do? What would you not be able to do? What would change about your life?

Write write write and then post post post!

journal #7

Hello, again!

Here's the next journal topic:

Sadie and Bessie meet many people who become famous. They describe their relationships with these people and we can read how these people influenced the ladies' lives. Have you ever met a famous person? Who? When? If you could meet a famous person, who would you like to meet and why?

You know what to do...

journal #6

In the Harlem-town section of the book, Bessie and Sadie tell many stories about what life was life for them as young adults - they tell about their college days, the friends they made and people they met, and the incidents they had as black women in a white world.
At one point in chapter 18, Sadie says that she had to decide if she was going to change the world or just change herself. Have you ever had this feeling? What would you change about yourself if you could? What about the world - how would you change the world?

Sit for a few moments and think about the prompt. Now write write write and then post your comments.

skimming and scanning

Now let's practice the two strategies you read about on the worksheet in class today:

Choose one of the strategies (skimming or scanning) and try it out. Read through chapter 15 using the strategy you choose and take notes on the information you find just by using the strategy.

Bring your notes to class.

Now use this blog - what did you think of using the strategy? Was it helpful? Why or why not? Post your comments here!

journal #5

Hello, guys!

OK, think about this: imagine that someone comes along and picks you up and carries you far away from where you are right now. You travel for some time, and then suddenly whoever has been carrying you, drops you down in the middle of a new world. In this new world, everyone is blue, and when you look at yourself in the shop windows, you see that your skin is bright green. All of the blue people react to you because your color is different from theirs. How do they react? What do you do when they react to you?

Take about 5 minutes to read and re-read the prompt. Take another few minutes to think. Now write write write until your fingers hurt! :))))

response to your journals

Thanks very much, everyone, for your thoughts!

I've used this assignment of "free-form" journaling in many classes before - it has almost become a standard element of my teaching. With every new group of students, I worry at the beginning that not everyone in the class will understand or appreciate the journal project - some classes catch on quickly and really enjoy sharing their thoughts this way, but others feel shy and confused and don't know what to say. I can see that you are most definitely in the first category!

I'm writing to encourage you to continue responding in such an open, thoughtful way and not to be put off by prompts that may seem less interesting than others - after all, it is not possible for you to have equal amounts of ideas about everything.

Keep writing - and reading, of course!