Do You Know Where You Come From?

Hello students. Do you know where you come from? This question may seem straight forward, but it is actually quite complex. My hope is that by the end of this semester each one of my students will feel this way as well.

Welcome to the first post of this blog for our English 9 class at Science Skills Center High School. This blog will not only act as a supplement to class discussions, it will be a model for students' own blogs and act as a space for students to create and develop their research projects using their own unique perspectives.

Over the course of the year, we will be reading works by writers who explore the following questions: What makes a person who they are? Is it what one wears? Is it how much money or how little money one has? Is it what other people think about a person? Is it only what one feels about onself? Is it one's tradition? Is it one's family? Or is it where you are from? These are some of the questions raised in the following works that we will be reading this school year: The House on Mango Street, The Joy Luck Club, A Raisin in the Sun, Persepolis. We will also read poetry by Langston Hughes and short stories by women writers. My hope is that by using this blog, you will be able to give voice to what you think makes you who you are, thus becoming part of this discussion about identity. In other words, you will be adding your voice to the mix.

Assignment #1:
First, each of you will create your own blog. Watch the youtube video and follow the step by step directions. Within a few minutes, your blog will be up on the world wide web for everyone to see.



Good luck.

Assignment #2
Respond to each item below.
1. Define the word legacy. (you can go to www.dictionary.com to find the definition)
2. Why is Mrs. Ann Cooper called the 'wisest of the wise"?
3. Why are the stories of the elders in the oral history project so important? Why can't we find stories about people like Mrs. Ann Cooper in magazines like Time, Ebony, etc.?
4. What is your generation addicted to according to one of the speakers in this youtube video?
5. What are oral histories? Why are they so important expecially for your generation?
6. Do you agree with the following statement: "Mrs. Cooper is an ordinary person. Each of us have a Mrs. Ann Cooper in our lives waiting to tell their story. Unfortunately, our generation no longer sits down and listens to the stories the elders have to tell? If so, why? If not, why not?
7. Does anyone you know remind you of Mrs. Ann Cooper? Or who in your life has a story to tell? Would you do an oral history of that person?

Here is the video. Press the play button in the navigation bar to start watching the video. Be sure to answer the questions after you watch the video.