Monday, September 29, 2014

All Boys, All Blogged: September 29, 2014

Focus: Is it good to have dreams, even if we don't achieve them?

1. Warming up: Considering your own dreams...

Describe a few genuine dreams you have for yourself within the next ten years.  College? Career? House? Family? Sports? Hobbies?

What would it specifically take between now and then for you to achieve those dreams? In other words, list the steps that need to happen in order to make those dreams come true.

What specific obstacles might stand in the way of achieving those dreams?

If you never achieve those dreams, is it still good to have those dreams?  Explain your thinking.  


2. Reading together Langston Hughes's "'Dreams"

Thinking about diction: Which verbs are the most powerful ones?  What are their connotations?

Thinking about figurative language: What does Hughes compare dreams to?  How are dreams like these things?

Thinking about theme: How might Hughes respond to our focus question of the day?

Thinking about synthesis: Would Steinbeck agree with Hughes?


3. Analyzing Mary Oliver's and Robert Burns's poems in small groups

4. Synthesizing the poets' ideas about dreams with Steinbeck's:

Both Steinbeck and _____________ (poet of your choice) agree that dreams ________________, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are ______________________ while __________________ (poet) suggests that dreams are __________________.

HW: 
1. Read the overview of the summary-response essay and the list of possible topics, linked HERE.

2. Start a Google doc called "___________ (your last name) Summary Response", and put that doc in your Of Mice and Men folder so that it's shared with me.

3. Copy and paste the topic you've chosen directly into the document and spend ten minutes brainstorming ideas about what you might write about.

4. Independent reading.

27 comments:

  1. Both Steinbeck and Mary Oliver agree that dreams are nice, but Steinbeck thinks dreams are good while Oliver suggests dreams are nice at first, but then later become sad and depressing if not achieved. Oliver sees them as a burden later in life.

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  2. Both Steinbeck and Hughes agree that dreams are in our everyday lives, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are a good thing to have even if they will never be achieved, while Hughes suggests that dreams are something that need to be achieved or else they are worth nothing.

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  3. Both Steinbeck and Burns agree that dreams are a good thing to aim at but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are not possible to achieve while Burns thinks its possible but you need some luck or blessing to achieve them.

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  4. Both Steinbeck and Oliver agree that dreams are important, but not always achievable, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams only point one way, while Oliver suggests that dreams can point a multitude of directions.

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  5. Both Steinbeck and Oliver agree that dreams are something that every one wants to accomplish, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are unreachable while Oliver suggests that dreams are achievable if you try hard enough.

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  6. Both Steinbeck and Robert Burns agree that dreams are always in the way of one living, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are short lived and pointless while Robert Burns suggests that dreams can easily be rebuilt and born again,

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  7. Both Steinbeck and Mary Oliver think that dreams are motivational, but Steinbeck thinks dreams are sometimes good but sometimes bad while Mary Oliver suggests that dreams are something that could make you setback.

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  8. Both Steinbeck and Hughes agree that dreams can give way to new light, But Steinbeck thinks that dreams are something that just goes away. While Hughes suggests that dreams are something that festers, sags, and explodes.

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  9. Both Steinbeck and Robert Burns agree that dreams are necessary but Steinbeck thinks dreams are good while Robert Burns thinks dreams are bad.

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  10. Both Steinbeck and Hughes agree that dreams hard to achieve, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are almost impossible while Hughes thinks they are kind of possible which suggests that dreams are decided if you make them happen.

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  11. Both Steinbeck and Mary Oliver agree that dreams are tough, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are not successful, while Mary Oliver suggests that dreams have some hope of success.

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  12. Both Steinbeck and Robert Burns agree that dreams are what keep you going, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams will be destroyed sometimes while Burns suggests that dreams are "of mice and me" and he likens people to mice because we all have dreams, yet in different styles.

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  13. Both Steinbeck and Langston Hughes agree that dreams is an essential piece needed in life, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are essential in a positive way while Hughes suggests that dreams are negative in your life.

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  14. Both Steinbeck and Hughes agree that dreams are important aspects of life that help people struggle on, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams shouldn't be followed because they will always be crushed while Hughes suggests through his poem that everyone is different and should follow their dreams to find out what their dreams become, and to find whether his poem is positive or negative.

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  15. Both Steinbeck and Hughes (poet of your choice) agree that dreams not likly to come true, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are always happy while Hughes (poet) suggests that dreams are all bad.

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  16. Both Steinbeck and Mary Oliver agree that dreams are most likely not going to happen, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are good thing to have while Oliver suggests their not.

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  17. Both Steinbeck and Mary Oliver agree that dreams never leaves your thoughts, but Steinbeck thinks dreams are able to come back while Mary Oliver suggest dreams are just going to sit there and dry up.

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  18. Both Steinbeck and Robert Burns agree that dreams can change and go from their original course, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are not achievable while Robert Burns suggests that dreams are achievable but hard to fulfill.

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  19. Both Steinbeck and Oliver agree that dreams good goals, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are unreachable while Oliver suggests that dreams are ....

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  20. Both Steinbeck and Hughes agree that dreams can be bad and give false hope, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are more of a thing to comfort us while Hughes suggests that dreams are something that can fester in your head if it is not accompleshed.

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  21. Both Steinbeck and Hughes agree that dreams are everywhere and everybody has one, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are good no matter what while Hughes suggests that dreams are good only if they can be reached.

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  22. Both Steinbeck and Hughes agree that everyone has dreams and some can let you down, but Steinbeck thinks dreams are there to have something as motivation, while Hughes believes that dreams can make people crazy if not completed.

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  23. Both Steinbeck and Mary Oliver agree that you never stop think about you dreams. Steinbeck believes that dreams never leave you. You may think about other things but you still have those same dreams you had for a long time. Mary Oliver says that your dreams are always in you head and they never go anywhere they stay in the same place.

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  24. Both Steinbeck and Hughes agree that everybody has a dream, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are good to have, while Hughes suggests that all dreams are never reached and that you will always fall short.

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  25. Both Steinbeck and Mary Oliver agree that dreams are hard to achieve, but Steinbeck thinks that dreams are not successful, while Mary Oliver suggests that dreams can come true.

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  26. Both Steinbeck and Hughes agree that every dream should be pursued quickly lest they never come true, but Steinbeck thinks that deferred dreams can be destroyed easily do to being fragile and live people broken, while Hughes suggests that deferred dreams are good because it allows people to grow and achieve those dreams.

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  27. Both Steinbeck and Hughes agree that that dreams should be the thriving goal in the everyday life, Steinbeck believes that dreams are still significant even if not achieved, while Hughes's believe is they are worthless if not accomplished.

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