1. 9th Grade Journals 1st Quarter

2. Journal 1-1: Challenges
Write about a time in your life when you faced a challenge. Perhaps you succeeded; perhaps you failed. Ensure your voice reflects the struggle and is appropriate based on the outcome of your struggle. Remember to use all the elements of voice (diction, imagery, details, etc.)

3. Journal 1-2: Injustice
Describe a time (or times) when you witnessed or experienced injustice because of age, gender, or ethnicity. What was your reaction? What, if anything, could have been done to prevent or change the situation?
Be sure to write about a real situation/situations from your own life or things you have witnessed in our larger culture.

4. Journal 1-3: Fortune-Teller Friday
If you were given the chance to see what your future holds, would you take it? Why or why not?

5. Journal 1-4: Empathy vs. Sympathy
Respond to the video:

6. Journal 1-5: Past Event
While To Kill A Mockingbird is clearly first person narration, there is a twist. The narrator Scout, is telling us about events that took place when she was six to nine years old, but she gives us information from the view point of an adult looking back at that time. This technique allows her to reflect on people and events in a way she could not have done as a child.
Topic: Write in the same fashion. Describe an incident that you observed or participated in some years ago and, in your description, reflect on the action now as an older, more mature person.

7. Journal 2-1
Courage VS. Fear

8. Journal 2-2: Unit 5 Story
Choose 10 of your vocabulary words from Unit 5, and write a story using them.

9. Journal 2-3: 13th Documentary
What did you think of the documentary? Do you believe it was biased, or unbiased? How does this relate to where we are in To Kill A Mockingbird? After watching this, it's obvious Harper Lee didn't write this novel for entertainment, but to comment on the America she was living in. What do you think Harper Lee's message was in writing TKAM, now that you have had a glimpse of the conditions of our country in this time?

10. Journal 2-4: Standing for the National Anthem
Please watch the following news clip on Colin Kaepernick, and then respond to the following questions:
explains-why-he-sat-during-national-anthem
Do you agree or disagree with his reasoning? Do you believe it is the right thing for him to do? Why or why not? Is this the best way for him to respond to what he says are injustices taking place? Why should, or shouldn’t we stand for the national anthem?

11. Journal 2-5: Spending a week
If you had to choose, would you spend a week as someone of the opposite sex? Someone very old? Very beautiful? Very ugly? Or severely handicapped? Which one would most intrigue you and why?

12. Journal 2-6: New Year 2017
How do you feel at the beginning of a new year? Many see it as a new beginning, purposing to accomplish new things (resolutions). Do you have any resolutions?
Reflect on 2016 for a moment. What kind of year was it for you? Now think about 2017; what kind of year do you hope this will be for you?