And the Oscar goes to...

In this class we have watched several World War II movies, with very different stories. "Casablanca" was filmed and released during the war, while "Schindler's List" and "Defiance" were filmed much more recently. What do you think of the stories they tell? Which is told most effectively? How did it achieve that? Which actors and actresses were you most moved by? If you have seen other WWII stories, please feel free to add reflections that are relevant. Finally, in the spirit of the Oscars this weekend, which of the three (or more) movies would you give the Oscar to? You can respond to this as if you are a movie reviewer or an Oscar presenter, if you'd like.

The humor in the human condition

Humor has lots of purpose, and without it, frankly, life would be pretty miserable. But what makes something funny? How do we know humor?  What do you find particularly funny? How has humor made an impact on the novels we're read this term?

Japanese-American Internment

After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and other islands in the Pacific, the US responded by passing laws that allowed the government to removed over 120,000 Japanese citizens and Japanese-American citizens from the West Coast. These detainees, also known as 'enemy aliens,' were considered potential threats to US safety and the government believed both the country and these people would be safer if separated. You have seen several video clips -- including video from Pearl Harbor and the government's explanation of the internment camps produced in the early 1940s, read and analyzed President Roosevelt's 'Day of Infamy' speech, considered the 4th and 14th Amendments, and explored the Smithsonian's 'A More Perfect Union.' Definitely take the time to explore the words and memories of the detainees, as provided in 'A More Perfect Union.' Feel free to do some research on your own: find evidence of FDR's conflicted feelings about Executive Order 9066; what did J. Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI, think about the relocation effort?

What resonates? Whose voices emerge for you? Are there 'right' answers? Where are the ironies? Be sure to create links to particular videos, images, sites, transcripts, etc (at least three) that illustrate your messages. This should be around 700-750 words.

War Stories

World War II ended almost 70 years ago, and the stories are growing more and more distant for many of us. How are you connected to it? What can you learn? Please spend time interviewing family members (parents, grandparents, great-aunts and great-uncles, etc) about their experiences during the war. Take notes, ask them to tell you their stories -- where were they? who did they live with? what was life like on a day to day basis? did anyone fight? did anyone experience discrimination? how? Ask them to elaborate and give specific detail. Even if you think you already know the stories, ASK!

Welcome to Class

Hello all --

I'm really excited about this class. The literature, you, the themes, the history, the film, the art, the people combine to create truly dynamic learning. We'll use the blog to check in, to reflect, to respond, and to provoke, and over the course of the term, many of you will create a blog post.

In this blog post, I want you to identify your goals for yourself in this class and decide on one true goal for yourself as a writer. Why is it your goal? How are you going to find success with this? How can I help? Use this blog response as a place to identify and own it. When you are finished with that, identify ONE topic you would like to explore in depth (if you are taking the class for Honors, this could be your topic...)

Video from the History Channel

Watch the following video and respond in the blog.

Recommended Resources

As we read about different places, conflicts, people, and events during World War II, you'll need to do some background research in order to understand the novel's context. Below are links to a couple of key sites:

• World Book Online
• BBC: History
• History Channel
• National Geographic News