Student Journal Prompts Mr. Kelley—English 11—Semester 2

“This Is Water” 1/27 & 1/30 Write out your thoughts In response to David Foster Wallace’s speech in the “this is water” video. Be thorough and thoughtful in your response to at least one idea you found meaningful/thought provoking.

Journal Prompts 2/02 & 2/03 I. If it is so clear that we should be open-minded, respecting the opinions of others, why is it so hard for us to live this way? Why do we see so much judgment of people with different points of view? II. What struck you most about what Brene Brown had to say? Write out your main response/thoughts.

Journal Prompts 2/06 & 2/07 I. Brene Brown says that one of the primary ways we "numb vulnerability" is that "we make the uncertain certain" and respond to disagreements with a mentality that simply says, "I'm right; you're wrong. Shut up." She expresses this as a problem that just shuts down discourse, but right and wrong seem so clear to us so often. Looking back to the parable about the blind men and the elephant, explain how 2 (or more) sides of an argument can each be right.

Journal Prompts 2/06 & 2/07 II. What are your thoughts about the Coca-Cola Super bowl Commercial? What did you think of this ad? Give (at least) a short paragraph explaining any meaningful response(s) you had. III. What was your response to the Ethan sacks article? Give (at least) a short paragraph explaining any meaningful response(s) you had.

Journal Prompts 2/10 & 2/13 I. Brainstorm: What do you know/think about stereotypes/stereotyping? Explain your thoughts—using examples if necessary II. Respond to Theodore Dalrymple’s article, “Types of stereotypes.” What stood out as important to you and why?

Journal Prompts 2/24 & 2/27 Respond to Bryan Stevenson’s “We Need to Talk about an injustice” Explain what you found most interesting, meaningful, questionable, etc…

Journal Prompts 3/06 & 3/07 Explain how the movie Black or White connects to themes (readings, talks, vocabulary, discussions) from class so far this quarter. Where do you see some of the important statements or ideas from class playing out in the characters and situations in the movie?

Journal Prompts 3/15 & 3/16 What reasons/motives did the white girl have for not cashing Griffin’s traveler's check? (Think of as many as you can) Are any of these reasons legitimate? (Explain why or why not if none of them are.)

English 11 Journal 8 Pgs. 46-48 Can our education in this class help us to understand how the Pearl River County Grand Jury debacle of the Mack Parker kidnap-lynch murder case could happen? 1. Why is the word “nigger” offensive?

English 11 Journal 8 Jesus’ words from the book of Matthew, Chapter 5, verses 21-22: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” Here Jesus is quoted as saying that calling someone a fool is essentially the same as murder, which we see to be really extreme and crazy. BUT…where is the wisdom in this? 2. How is telling someone they are a fool the same as murdering them? (HINT: Consider the difference between “You are a fool!” and “You’re acting like a fool!”)

English 11 Journal 8 3. How can this conversation explain how the white Grand Jury (from the newspaper article on pages 46- 47) could allow the lynch mob to (literally) get away with murder? (Make connections to statements from the book—pages 46-48—in your discussion)

English 11 Journal 8 Inference Time: If white people “put [black people] low, and then blame [them] for being down there” (Griffin 39), this cycle still begins with white people justifying the dehumanization of blacks. Soo…. 4. Where/when/how did the feeling of white superiority begin? How did it ever get started? (Use any and all connection you can make—what you already know from history, other reading, movies, educated guesses…)

English 11 Journal Prompts 4/03 & 4/04 4/06 for 4B What similarities can you find that connect C.P. ellis and Tewhan Butler? Why do you suppose butler says, “if I wasn’t doing wrong, then there was no way I could be right”? What is the main lesson butler has learned that he wants people to understand?

Journal Prompts 4/07 & 4/10 4b has not done this Share something with me that you believe connects with ideas we have been discussing in class. Give a brief explanation of how it connects It can be a music video, a YouTuber rant, a poem (could be one you write/have written), a picture (can be one you draw/have drawn), anything at all, as long as it is short.

Fahrenheit 451 Journal #1 Watch the video “Everything’s amazing, and nobody’s happy” on the Journals page of my website, then answer the following: 1. Explain how Louis CK’s statement about today fits the story of Fahrenheit 451. 2. Is this an accurate criticism of our culture? Explain your thoughts.

Fahrenheit 451 Journal #2 Watch the video “Louis CK Hates Cell Phones” on the Journals page of my website, then answer the following: 1. Explain how Louis CK’s statement about cell phones fits the story of Fahrenheit 451. 2. What lesson(s) do you see for us in their combined statements? Explain your thoughts.