1. Unit One Readings
By: Tara and Sydney

2. “The Most Important Day” (Page 82)

3. This essay describes Helen Keller’s affliction with communication and how she was able surpass her disability with the help of her teacher, Mrs. Sullivan.

4. Celine: What was Keller’s purpose?

5. In the introduction of the essay on page 82 it states, “ …
In the introduction of the essay on page 82 it states, “ ….Keller states her thesis in the first paragraph and that the remaining paragraphs maintain unity by emphasizing the importance of the day her teacher arrived…”

6. Shawn: What is Keller’s thesis
Shawn: What is Keller’s thesis? What question do you think Keller is trying to answer? Does her thesis answer her question?

7. Throughout the story, Keller begins to relate objects and feelings to words. She claims “the living word awakened my soul” (84)

8. Dakota-Lee: How was the “mystery of the language” (7) revealed to Keller? What were the consequences for her of this new understanding of the nature of language?

9. Keller writes on page 83, “have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in, and the great ship, tense and anxious, groped her way toward the shore with plummet and sounding-line, and you waited with beating heart for something to happen?”

10. Lindsay: What was Keller’s state of mind before Anne Sullivan arrived to help her? To what does she compare herself? How effective is this comparison? Explain.

11. When people claim they see the ‘light’ it is usually the sign of life or understanding of knowledge.

12. Paige: Keller writes that “‘Light. Give me light
Paige: Keller writes that “‘Light! Give me light!’ was the wordless cry of her soul” (3). What was the “light” Keller longed for, and how did recieving it change her life?

13. “My Favorite Teacher” (Page 102)

14. One of the main topics of this essay is a life lesson in obtaining knowledge that goes beyond the classroom.

15. Kiana: What do you think Friedman means when he states, “The internet can make you smarter, but it can’t make you you smart” (11)?

16. One of the characteristics of a good teacher is to connect with their students on a person level by understanding their background and culture.

17. Anders: What is the author trying to portray when he talks about Hattie pushing her students on the newspaper committee to publish a controversial article about an ad exec?

18. The author is sentimental about his teacher’s passing.

19. Anna: Why does the author mention that Steinberg's classroom was number 313 at St. Louis Park High School three times?

20. The internet is one of the main resources used by students today that the author, Freidman, never had the oppertunity to use while he was in school.

21. Nicole: According to Friedman what went wrong when the “huge dot-com-internet-globalization bubble” of the 1990s burst? Do you agree?

22. “Unforgettable Miss Bessie” (page 410)

23. This story expresses the dominant impression of Miss Bessie impact on Rowan. Rowan wrote this essay wanting to recreate the same sentimental feeling for his readers about her.

24. Jade: Rowan states that Miss Bessie “taught me English, history, civics - and a lot more than I realized” (paragraph 1). Aside from the standard school subjects, what did Miss Bessie teach Rowan? What role did she play in his life?

25. One of the essential features of good narration is well - chosen detail.

26. Fatima: Throughout the essay, Rowan offers details of Miss Bessie’s physical appearance. What specific details does he give, and in what context does he give them? Do Miss Bessie’s physical characteristics match the quality of her character? Explain.

27. People are shaped by experiences background and culture that they are surrounded by.

28. Melissa: At what point in the essay does Rowan give us the details of Miss Bessie’s background? Why do you suppose he delays giving us this important information?

29. Important advice for writing well is to show rather than tell; Rowan uses dialog to show us personality rather than to tell us

30. Tatum: How does dialogue serve Rowan’s purpose?

31. Rowan states on page 412, “We didn’t dare mess with a woman who knew about the Battle of Hastings, the Magna Carta, and the Bill of Rights - and who could also play the piano.”

32. Samantha: How would you sum up the character of Miss Bessie?

33. “My Rosetta” (page 417)

34. This essay is introduced by the authors stepping out of childhood on page 418, “I was fourteen, beginning to stretch my bones after the long sleep of childhood.”

35. Maria Jose: Cofer describes herself coming out the “long sleep of childhood”, awoken by the “alarm clock” of Ravi Shankar’s music. What is meant by the metaphor of sleep and waking in this essay?

36. Many people are born into labels that they don’t feel comfortable in so they try to make a better life for themselves.

37. Sabrina: Why does Cofer fear being a “good Catholic barrio woman”
Sabrina: Why does Cofer fear being a “good Catholic barrio woman”? Explain why she rejects her future.

38. The author uses humorous comparisons to capture her unique qualities.

39. Joseph: How does Cofer show the gestures and motions of Sister Rosetta and how does this help describe and give the impression of her character?

40. Cofer recalls Sister Rosetta was anything but ‘the docile bride of Jesus’ that she had expected.

41. Elizabeth: What is Sister Rosetta’s reputation among the public school students? Do you see any connections between her and Cofer’s?

42. The gap of music between parents and children is so big that it is hard for different tastes to appeal to both generations.

43. Giovanna: What are the different opinions between Cofer and her mother over Ravi Shankar’s album. How does the music Cofer’s parents prefer compare to it?

44. Questions or Comments?