Dust of Snow - Robert Frost - Poster
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Prompt: As the first semester comes to an end, take time to reflect on your learning and growth in this course. In a well-developed response, explain what you enjoyed most about the class, identify the project or assignment you found most engaging, and discuss which aspect of the course you connected with the most (such as poetry, fiction, writing, or discussion). Finally, reflect on one area where you feel you need additional support or improvement as we move into the spring semester.
Prompt Response: I learned a lot throughout the 1st semester. My favorite topic has been poems; I feel that they're engaging and keep my attention. In most classes, I'm not usually the one to answer questions; rather, in this class, it's different. In American lit, I feel that there is typically more than one right answer to the question, which keeps me thinking and helps me get creative. My favorite assignments were the ones that required drawing and finding deeper meaning in different poems; it kept me intrigued. I do still feel that I need to work more on personal writing, in preparation for writing my college essay. I feel that I have gained a lot of knowledge in this semester, constantly being challenged while still being on top of my work. Summary: We finished our last two blog posts for the semester. Reflection: none
Prompt: Many holidays center around traditions. Describe one tradition that is important to you or your family and explain why it still matters (or why it no longer does).
Prompt Response: A holiday tradition that I love that my family and I partake in every year is Secret Santa. We do a Secret Santa with my whole family every year. I love this tradition because it always somehow brings everyone closer. It helps everyone bond, especially when you get picked to get a gift for a family member you're not close with. It's a fun experience, and everyone always ends up with funny gifts. This ties in gift giving, but also family, which is the best part about Christmas. We do our secret Santa on Christmas Eve night, right after our night church service. Summary: We completed our last two blog posts for the year. Reflection: The blog post question made me excited for the break.
Prompt: How have the holidays changed as you have grown older? Compare your experiences of the holidays during childhood with how you experience them now, focusing on shifts in perspective, responsibilities, or emotional meaning.
Prompt Response: Adjusting to the idea that Santa wasn't real was difficult for me, knowing it meant I was growing up. Although finding out made me feel like Christmas was a lie, it made me focus on gifting during Christmas rather than just receiving. My perspective on Santa being fake changed when I realized I could continue the Christmas traditions with my brother, by hiding the elf and helping in believe in the Christmas magic just like I did. This made me realize there are more ways to experience the gifts of Christmas rather than just receiving gifts. This helped me grow as a person and made Christmas time more meaningful and magical. Summary: In class, we completed our vocabulary exercises for lesson 6 and wrote down our new words. Reflection: I gained a better understanding of the vocabulary words by writing sentences with the vocabulary words in them.
Prompt: Write about something that you can't stop thinking about.
Prompt Response: I can't stop thinking about my ACT. I've taken it before, but I'm taking it for a second time this weekend. I have not studied yet for the ACT I'm taking on Saturday, which stresses me out. I didn't meet my goal on my last test, so I'm hoping for a better score this time. Since my score on the ACT is a main determining factor in whether I get into a good college, I'm very stressed. I did take a class every Saturday for a few weeks at Edison Prep, so I'm definitely somewhat prepared, but I'm still scared. Hopefully, after this weekend, I will finally be able to get it off my mind.
Prompt: Reflection
This mask helped me dive deeper into my morals and things in my life that make me who I am.
Prompt: Write about the best gift you have received.
Prompt Response: The best gift I have ever received is my dog, Maple. It was my third-grade Valentine's Day, and I had just gotten home from guitar practice. I knew my parents had been interested in getting a dog, but I didn't actually think it would happen. When I walked in the door, my brother came out with a little puppy in his arms. I was in complete disbelief. I refused to believe it was real at first; I thought she was a stuffed animal. As soon as I realized she was real, I frantically started screaming and jumping with excitement. This was the best present I could ever ask for. I love Maple more than anything; she's the cutest, sweetest dog. Summary: I wasn't in class. Reflection: I wasn't in class.
Prompt: After watching the short film Identity, write a blog post reflecting on how the masks in the film represent the pressure to fit in and the struggle to discover who you really are. Choose one moment from the film that stood out to you and explain why. Then, connect the film’s message to Langston Hughes’ poem “I, Too” and to the mask you are creating in class. What part of your identity do you want your mask to reveal?
Prompt Response: The mask in the film represents trying to fit in to society and their standards by how everyone had simple masks on, mostly without designs to show that it is expected that everyone is to act and look the same. This makes it hard for the characters to express their true selves when they can just hide behind a mask and fit in with the crowd. A moment that stood out to me in the film is when there was a group of girls wearing yellow masks next to a sign saying "this is what beauty looks like". It stood out to me because it is similar to high school, considering people who are considered conventionally pretty think they're above their peers. The film relates the the poem "I too" at the end of the film when the girl takes off her mask and leaves the school building, showing that just because she's different doesn't mean she's any less of a person. I want my mask to reveal my personality and favorite things that make me me. Summary: We w...
Prompt: In “We Real Cool,” the speakers make choices that seem exciting, bold, and rebellious, even though those choices lead to consequences. Write about a moment in your own life when you followed what looked cool or fun, only to realize afterwards that it wasn’t the smart or responsible path. What influenced your decision, and how did your perspective change later?
Prompt Response: When I first got my license, I thought it would be "cool" to drive my friends around, even though I didn't have my six months. With the windows down and my friends screaming to loud music, it led me to get distracted easily. Even though nothing happened, something could have. As an inexperienced driver, it was very inconsiderate and dangerous to put myself, my friends, and other cars on the road in that position. Thinking about the consequences and the risk of getting into trouble made me second-guess my decision. After that day, I decided to follow the rules and only drive my immediate family until my sixth months of having my license. Summary: In class, we read the poem "We Real Cool." We then made a circle chart analyzing each line of the poem. Reflection: I really liked this activity because it really made me have to think and dive into the deeper meanings of the poem.
Prompt: In “I, Too,” the speaker expresses pride in his identity and his rightful place in America. Reflect on your own life: What aspect of your cultural identity are you most proud of, and why?
Prompt Response: Considering I'm white, I really don't have any culture. But if I were to think, I would consider my family's Christmas traditions a part of my culture. Around Christmas time, as a family, we decorate the Christmas tree and the house. I feel like this tradition lets us bond and feel more together, considering we don't do much as a family because of my brother's baseball. We also drive around drinking my mom's fresh, homemade hot chocolate while admiring the Christmas lights. Although these traditions are cliché, I look forward to them every year as they bring my family closer. Summary: In class today, we read a poem about what it is to be considered an American. After that, we started working on our cultural identity masks. Reflection: I learned about other students' cultural traditions that I didn't know about.
Prompt: Discuss something meaningful or memorable you experienced over the break, or reflect on what you felt most thankful for during that time.
Prompt Response: What I felt most thankful for over this break was my friends. Over the break, I hung out with my friends every day, and it made me realize how not everyone has the opportunity to do that if they have trouble in social environments and when making friends. I had meaningful conversations with all my friends, and it makes me sad for people who don't get to experience those moments. I am constantly surrounded by people who love and care for me, and the fact that some people aren't makes me very sad because I know how that feels. I love all my friends, and I can't wait to continue making memories with them. Summary: In class today, we wrote down our new vocabulary and practiced it. Reflection: I learned new vocabulary words and how to use them in a sentence.