Blog 24: Chapter 6: Torey's Lyrics

In chapter six, Torey shares some of the lyrics from his band on pages 66-68. Choose two of these lyrics and explain what their significance is for Torey's life. Then, finish the song that Torey started--use any details about Torey's characterization or life in South Jersey to help you. Attempt to develop ten-fifteen lines for the song, and be sure to include a title. The song can be serious, silly, a rap, etc., as long as the lyrics are school appropriate and demonstrate aspects of Torey's characterization.

Be prepared to share the band's new jam!!

"So as long as I live in this here town

Where there ain't nothing to do but fool around"

The significance is that in his town it is really small and there isn't anything to do so they have to create their own entertainment and sometimes it was to make fun of Christopher Creed.

The only place to go is the Wawa

Even then it gets boring

We need to make our own entertainment

Which sometimes gets us in big trouble

The school is so small

That you know everyone and everything

And there ain't no where to go round here but down

Might as well make that funny-soundin sound

It's called the blues.

Even round here it's called the blues.

Blog 24: Chapter 1 in the Body of Christopher Creed

Complete the questions below, for your respective class period, based on your reading of chapter one in The Body of Christopher Creed last night. Be sure to include as much detail from the story as possible and your opinion, if asked. Do not be shy in including a quotation! One-two paragraph writing requirement.

Period 1:

How is Torey familiar with Christopher Creed? What does it mean when Torey says, "People can love their lies, tell their own lies, believe their own lies until hell pays a visit"? Explain the quotation in terms of what Torey shares in chapter one.

Torey is familiar with Christopher Creed because, "when a kid sits behind you everyday since kindegarden...". He's known him basically his whole life. He means that they can believe their own lies but soon they will regret it once the truth comes out.

Blog 23: Issues in our American Society

Choose TWO of the four New York Times: Upfront magazine articles to read: "Should I take a job promoting cigarettes?", "Driven to Distraction", "Is your lunch causing Global Warming?', or "Locked away forever?" All of the articles introduce controversial subjects highly debated in our current American society and provide data to support the argument being made.

After reading two of the articles, write a one-paragraph response to each. Consider the following questions for each editorial [your commentary need not be in this order]:

-How does the author of the news article support a specific position on the issue? Provide an example of this slanted perspective.

-What is your personal opinion on the subject under debate? Why do you support/ refute the article's points? [ex. Cigarettes- Why would you take the job/ not take the job?; Locked away- How old do you think an individual needs to be to tell right from wrong?; Global warming- What does your diet mostly consist of?; Distraction- Who do you know that texts while driving?]

-What statistics/ collected data/ pictures/ etc. does the author choose to make his/ her point(s) in the editorial? How are they effective?

The author of the news article driven to distraction was clearly against texting and driving. He shows scenerios where people have been killed and injured because of it. I support the author with that texting and driving is wrong. You can't drive properly when your eyes are focused on your phone and not the road. It is not a big deal to wait a little bit and text the person back after you are done driving. Statistics they show are it is just as unsafe as drinking and driving. also 2,600 estimated annual traffic death cause by cellphone distractions. 97% of Americans who support laws that prohibit texting while driving. 17 number of states that have banned texting while driving.

Th author of Should I take a Job Promoting Cigarettes tells the person to not take the job. I agree with this. if you know something is morally wrong then you should not promote it. The more help they get with promoting, the more cigarettes they sell, and the more people will die. A statistic they use is that more than 400,000 deaths in the U.s are due to smoking.

Blog 22: the "Birds" and the bees

Neither Momma nor Vivian ever discussed the facts of life with Ms. Angelou, leaving her with questions she is afraid to ask. The result of this is that Ms. Angelou conducts her own research and draws her own faulty conclusions. This is a dangerous thing to do, as Ms. Angelou becomes confused and disillusioned about intimacy, and ends up pregnant.

There are a lot of "what if" questions that can be drawn from this chapter. With a partner or by yourself, consider the following questions, and write your own opinions about them. CHOOSE AT LEAST FIVE QUESTIONS TO ANSWER. As a class, we will then review these questions and discuss the answers.

-Would Ms. Angelou have experimented with sex on her own if she hadn't been raped as a child?

-What is the likelihood of Ms. Angelou becoming pregnant if Momma or Vivian had discussed the subject with her earlier?

-What if Momma and Vivian both gave Ms. Angelou information about sex? How would their versions differ? How would each version affect Ms. Angelou? Whose advice would she absorb more readily?

-What if Ms. Angelou had never been sexually abused? Could her pregnancy have happened anyway? Why or why not?

-What if Bailey were still around for Ms. Angelou to confide? Would he have told her anything about this subject? Would it have made a difference to Ms. Angelou?

-What if Ms. Angelou was living in Stamps when she became pregnant? How would Momma have handled the pregnancy?

-Ms. Angelou hid her pregnancy until after she graduated, so that she would have an opportunity to advance in life. Would Ms. Angelou's future have looked different if she was living in Stamps? What could she expect from life then?

-What qualities has Ms. Angelou developed as she matures that will help her raise a child alone?

-What would happen to the baby's father if Ms. Angelou's uncles knew?

-What would happen to him if the setting was Stamps and our main character was white?

Challenge: Can you develop one or two "what if" questions based on your reading of the story? Give it a try! [2 ex. credit points]

1.Would Ms. Angelou have experimented with sex on her own if she hadn't been raped as a child?

Yes, because that is nature.

2. What is the likelihood of Ms. Angelou becoming pregnant if Momma or Vivian had discussed the subject with her earlier?

She probably would have thought more about it and not gotten pregnant.

3. What if Ms. Angelou had never been sexually abused? Could her pregnancy have happened anyway? Why or why not?

Yes, because she still could have had unprotected sex even if she didn't get raped.

4. What if Bailey were still around for Ms. Angelou to confide? Would he have told her anything about this subject? Would it have made a difference to Ms. Angelou?

Yes because he could have given her advice and she would think more about the subject.

5. What if Ms. Angelou was living in Stamps when she became pregnant? How would Momma have handled the pregnancy?

Momma would not have been happy because she wasn't married and was still young.