Journal 1 What are your academic goals this year? How can you reach these goals? Tie your answer into our discussion on “The Woodcarver”.

Journal 2 Journal about a suspenseful book, t.v. show, or movie. What made it suspenseful?

Journal 3 If you could go to any country in the world, where would you go? What would you do there?

Journal 4 What do these songs say about female gender roles in our society? After reading “Girl,” can you relate to the daughter? In what ways can you relate? In what ways can you not relate?

Journal 5 All of us at one time or another, have felt that the grass is greener on the other side- or in other words, that someone else’s life is better than our own. We believe that having what someone else has will make us happy until we experience the unexpected negative results of envy. Jot down your feelings about envy. Have you ever seen or felt its negative effects?

Journal 6 What was the last thing you cared about that you misplaced? Write about what happened, with as many sentences as possible in the active voice (“I forgot my cell. I looked under the couch”) Rewrite this description in the passive voice-whereby no one does anything (“My cell was forgotten. Lint was the only thing the couch had to offer.”)

Journal 7 If you could travel into the future when would you go and what would you find there?

Journal 8 You are a superhero. What powers do you have and how do you use them?

Journal 9 What kind of conflict did you identify from a T.V. show or movie this weekend? Explain the plot. Was this type of conflict used effectively? Why or why not? If you had to write a script for a T.V. show and your boss demanded an element of conflict- what type would you use in your story and why?

Journal 10 Have you ever wanted to get revenge for something? Why or why not? What could cause a person to want revenge? Is revenge ever effective?

Journal 11 Create a paragraph that tells a story/provides a description of what is happening in this painting. After writing this paragraph, rewrite it by “cracking open” the sentences. Focus on providing detail, effective diction, and imagery.

Journal 12 What do you think it would be like to grow up in the 1950’s?

Journal 13 What do you think the “American Dream” is? Do you think it has changed?

Journal 14 After reading Act 1, Scene 1: Choose one of the characters that has a challenge or problem you can identify with. Who is the character and what is the problem? What do you see as the possible outcomes or solutions to these problems?

Journal 15 As we move towards Act III of Raisin in the Sun, various power struggles emerge within the family. What do you think makes a person powerful? What do you think makes a person powerless?

Journal 16 Now that you’ve analyzed each character from Raisin in the Sun: If you could have dinner with one of the characters, who would it be and why? What would you order? What would you talk about? Would you invite anyone else along?

Journal 17 What would you do if you suddenly fell heir to $100,000? We’ve seen how the Younger family has handled receiving the insurance check. What would you do if you suddenly fell heir to $100,000?

Journal 18 Think of and describe any and all the ways in which a disagreement or issue could be solved in a productive, effective, and peaceful manner.

Journal 19 Is money really the “root of all evil?” If you agree, explain why. If you disagree, explain how the expression became so well known. Another saying claims that “every man has his price.” Do you agree? What does it mean?

Journal 20 Each of the main characters in A Raisin in the Sun is introduced to you with certain dreams, plans, and expectations. These main characters must come to terms with the difference between their dreams and the reality of the world around them. How do the main characters navigate the journey from dreams to reality--What kind of course do they follow, and how are they changed for their journey?

Journal 21 Imagine the Raisin character you chose yesterday at a very different age than their age in the play. (Walter as a child, Travis at 50, etc.) Describe a day in the their life at this different age.

Journal 22 What do young adults and children look for in their role models? How do parents and other adults in their communities affect young adults' identities?

Journal 23 TKAM Ch. 1-3: Why do so many people make up, read, or view gruesome and frightening stories? Give examples of horror stories that have been popular. Why do so many people like these tales? Why do they frighten us even though we know they aren’t true?

Journal 24 What things in life do you feel are out of your control? Why? What things in life do you feel you do have control over? Do you think you’re successful in controlling these things?

Journal 25 Why do people make fun of those who are different? Why is this tendency stronger in children than in adults? What are ways we can combat these tendencies?

Journal 26 What have you had to forgive yourself for? What have you had to forgive others for?

Journal 27 (Mon 10/6) Start a story with the line “When I confronted him, he denied he’d ever said it.” At the end of your story, tell me what point of view you wrote it in.

Journal 28 FREEWRITE

Journal 31 Jem, Scout, and Dill make up a lot of games to play during the summer. What were some of your favorite games growing up? Why?

Journal 32 Describe a time or situation where you did not expect the outcome- things happened very differently than you thought they would