Term 4
Bellringer 1:
Bellringer 2:
ìWhat do you know about product pitches? If you want important folks to listen to your ideas, how do you make that happen? What things would an investor be interested in when it comes to choosing a product to support?
Bellringer 3:
Bellringer 4
Bellringer 5:
Rocket Boys is all about the many steps it takes to achieve a goal. For Sonny and the others, each rocket is a step toward a better rocket, and each better rocket is a step toward NASA and college. Discuss the importance of incremental steps in your life. Do you believe an incremental approach is important in all walks of life, academic and otherwise? Explain. What are you doing to make your (hopefully expanding) “body of knowledge” play into your incremental improvement or future goals?
Bellringer 6:
What are some of the big choices you are faced with daily? Monthly? Yearly? Explore a major choice you’ve made recently. What were some of the different ways you could react to that choice? Why did you choose to react the way you did? What prevents us from making choices? What is Sonny’s choice following Mr. Bykovski’s death? Did he make the right decision?
Bellringer 7:
When everything goes wrong — when life seems darkest — what do you cling to? What are your certainties and how do they shape your reactions to challenges and turmoil? Where do you find hope, even in the face of hopelessness? How do you personally face challenges and what are some ways you can hopefully overcome them? What advice could you give Sonny to help him deal with the aftermath of Mr. Bykovski’s death?
Bellringer 8:
What is a big goal that you’ve set for yourself and achieved? How did that feel? Sonny and the Rocket Boys want to win the science fair, and John F. Kennedy wanted the U.S. to land on the moon. Both events happened. So what’s next? What do you do after you achieve a big goal? Is that all there is? Why?
Bellringer 9:
In Chapter 22, Big Creek High principal Mr. Turner tells Sonny, "In the queer mass of human destiny, the determining factor has always been luck." But later, Sonny writes, "There's a plan. If you are willing to fight hard enough, you can make it detour for a while, but you're still going to end up where God wants you to be." Are these quotes about human fate in conflict with each other? If not, how? If so, which do you agree with and why? Which do you see most at work in your life, if either?
Bellringer 10:
- How would you feel if you could never leave Orem, and why would you feel that way?
- How would you feel if you DID have a chance to leave Orem, but ONLY if you were a college-level athlete? Would you be out of luck? How would you react to this reality?
- How would you feel if — when you grow up — you were forced to have the same job as your dad?
- What makes a person strong?
- What keeps people from giving up in tough situations?
Bellringer 2:
ìWhat do you know about product pitches? If you want important folks to listen to your ideas, how do you make that happen? What things would an investor be interested in when it comes to choosing a product to support?
Bellringer 3:
- Everyone in a story & real life has motivations, or things that make them behave a certain way. What are Sonny’s motivations in this story? What are some of the things motivating his dad, his mom, his friends, Dorothy, and other people of Coalwood?
- What things motivate you in your life? How do your motivations create action in your life? If they aren’t creating action, why not?
Bellringer 4
- Why do humans choose to do things that are hard? MUST we do hard things? If yes, why? What happens to us — and all of humanity — if we stop doing hard things?
- Rockets were more than just rockets to Sonny, the other Rocket Boys, JFK, and America. To them, what did rockets & space symbolize?
- Text-to-you connection: What are some rockets in your life?
Bellringer 5:
Rocket Boys is all about the many steps it takes to achieve a goal. For Sonny and the others, each rocket is a step toward a better rocket, and each better rocket is a step toward NASA and college. Discuss the importance of incremental steps in your life. Do you believe an incremental approach is important in all walks of life, academic and otherwise? Explain. What are you doing to make your (hopefully expanding) “body of knowledge” play into your incremental improvement or future goals?
Bellringer 6:
What are some of the big choices you are faced with daily? Monthly? Yearly? Explore a major choice you’ve made recently. What were some of the different ways you could react to that choice? Why did you choose to react the way you did? What prevents us from making choices? What is Sonny’s choice following Mr. Bykovski’s death? Did he make the right decision?
Bellringer 7:
When everything goes wrong — when life seems darkest — what do you cling to? What are your certainties and how do they shape your reactions to challenges and turmoil? Where do you find hope, even in the face of hopelessness? How do you personally face challenges and what are some ways you can hopefully overcome them? What advice could you give Sonny to help him deal with the aftermath of Mr. Bykovski’s death?
Bellringer 8:
What is a big goal that you’ve set for yourself and achieved? How did that feel? Sonny and the Rocket Boys want to win the science fair, and John F. Kennedy wanted the U.S. to land on the moon. Both events happened. So what’s next? What do you do after you achieve a big goal? Is that all there is? Why?
Bellringer 9:
In Chapter 22, Big Creek High principal Mr. Turner tells Sonny, "In the queer mass of human destiny, the determining factor has always been luck." But later, Sonny writes, "There's a plan. If you are willing to fight hard enough, you can make it detour for a while, but you're still going to end up where God wants you to be." Are these quotes about human fate in conflict with each other? If not, how? If so, which do you agree with and why? Which do you see most at work in your life, if either?
Bellringer 10:
- In the first paragraph of the book, Sonny writes, “Until I began to build and launch rockets, I didn’t know my hometown was at war with itself over its children.” What does this mean? What is the war being fought over? Did the war end when the book did? Who won (or is winning) the war?
- Kennedy & NASA were partners in fighting a different type of war (or was it a similar one?) Who were they fighting? What was the war over? Was the decision not to go back to the moon an admission of defeat in that war?
Term 3
1. Write at least half a page comparing yourself to one of the following:
2. How does a birdcage represent Jane Eyre? Explain!
3. What qualities does a person who is “fiery” have? What qualities does a person who is “icy” have? Out of the characters you’ve met in Jane Eyre, do any of them fall into either of those categories? Who could be considered fire and who could be considered ice? Defend your answer using examples from the book.
4. Answer all three questions below:
5. Is it more important for a story to have great characters or an amazing setting? Do settings shape the characters, or do characters shape the setting? If you were to change one or the other on your favorite story, which would you change? Which would have more of an impact on the story overall? Explain.
6. In Jane Eyre thus far, there are references to many things: Action/passivity, freedom vs. imprisonment, windows, fairies, paintings, gardens, carrion birds, plainness/beauty, poverty/wealth, ignorance/education, and bildungsroman. Choose one and write about it — how was it referenced and how might it be significant?
7. Choose one of these photos as your inspiration, and then write half a page telling the story of what the photobomber is thinking and how they got in that situation. Use dialogue if you'd like, or make it entirely an internal monologue.
- An instrument
- A force of nature
- An animal
- NO “I” or “me” — use your name
2. How does a birdcage represent Jane Eyre? Explain!
3. What qualities does a person who is “fiery” have? What qualities does a person who is “icy” have? Out of the characters you’ve met in Jane Eyre, do any of them fall into either of those categories? Who could be considered fire and who could be considered ice? Defend your answer using examples from the book.
4. Answer all three questions below:
- If you were passionate about something (sports, movies, art, music, theater, etc.), would you be willing to marry someone who was not? Why or why not?
- If you graduated from college and/or thought education was critically important, would you marry someone who did not agree on its importance? Why or why not?
- If you believed in strict standards or morals (either religious or personal), would you marry someone who did not hold those same standards? Why or why not?
5. Is it more important for a story to have great characters or an amazing setting? Do settings shape the characters, or do characters shape the setting? If you were to change one or the other on your favorite story, which would you change? Which would have more of an impact on the story overall? Explain.
6. In Jane Eyre thus far, there are references to many things: Action/passivity, freedom vs. imprisonment, windows, fairies, paintings, gardens, carrion birds, plainness/beauty, poverty/wealth, ignorance/education, and bildungsroman. Choose one and write about it — how was it referenced and how might it be significant?
7. Choose one of these photos as your inspiration, and then write half a page telling the story of what the photobomber is thinking and how they got in that situation. Use dialogue if you'd like, or make it entirely an internal monologue.
Term 2
Tell me about your name — where does it come from? Why was it chosen? Does it have a deeper significance than its surface meaning suggests? What is the importance of a person’s name?
What does it mean to fear something? What are some things that you are afraid of, and why? How does fear control your actions? Can fear be used to control others? How is fear "weaponized" today, or how has it been "weaponized" in the past? Would you willingly give up some freedoms in exchange for removing fear? Why or why not? How do you fight fear?
Pi clearly survives his ordeal, but how do you think that is possible? Faith? Miracles? Luck? Faith? Intelligence? Hope? What allows survivors — Pi and real-life survivors — to carry on? Are miracles real things? When we see (or don't see) miracles, is that because we're looking for them (or not)?
What do you think about the idea of following the crowd? Is it always a good/bad thing? Explain and give examples. Pi is not a follower, but the Puritans are. Which side do you usually fall on? What motivates a person to follow the crowd, and how can people (you, maybe) harness that power for good or bad?
Of the 7 options Pi comes up with for dealing with Richard Parker, which, in reality, do you think you'd choose? According to Pi, what is life's only true opponent, and how can you defend yourself against it? (Chp. 56.) Do you agree with him? Why or why not? Share your thoughts about that passage.
What is "grit"? If you don't know, look it up! (Not dirt.) To survive his situation, Pi will need grit. To challenge the village, John Proctor will need grit too. Studies suggest that the rising generations (that's you guys!) lack grit. Do you agree? Why or why not? If they do, what can we/you do about it? If they don't, how can they change perceptions? How can one develop the ability to cope with hard things, to empathize, and to build?
How would you define the word "honor"? Is it a concept you believe in? Why or why not? How far would you be willing to go for honor?
– "Better to die 10,000 deaths than wound my honor" - Joseph Addison
– "He who has lost honor can lose nothing more" - Publilius Syrus
– "One-hundred years cannot repair a moment's loss of honor" – Proverb
Some questions about chapters 90-91:
Crucible: A situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new.
Why did the author choose to call his story The Crucible? In what way are the events of the story a crucible for Abigail? John Proctor? Elizabeth? The accused? The accusers? Has Pi experienced a crucible? Have you? Has the “creation of something new” been for the better or worse? Is it always one or the other?
What does it mean to fear something? What are some things that you are afraid of, and why? How does fear control your actions? Can fear be used to control others? How is fear "weaponized" today, or how has it been "weaponized" in the past? Would you willingly give up some freedoms in exchange for removing fear? Why or why not? How do you fight fear?
Pi clearly survives his ordeal, but how do you think that is possible? Faith? Miracles? Luck? Faith? Intelligence? Hope? What allows survivors — Pi and real-life survivors — to carry on? Are miracles real things? When we see (or don't see) miracles, is that because we're looking for them (or not)?
What do you think about the idea of following the crowd? Is it always a good/bad thing? Explain and give examples. Pi is not a follower, but the Puritans are. Which side do you usually fall on? What motivates a person to follow the crowd, and how can people (you, maybe) harness that power for good or bad?
Of the 7 options Pi comes up with for dealing with Richard Parker, which, in reality, do you think you'd choose? According to Pi, what is life's only true opponent, and how can you defend yourself against it? (Chp. 56.) Do you agree with him? Why or why not? Share your thoughts about that passage.
What is "grit"? If you don't know, look it up! (Not dirt.) To survive his situation, Pi will need grit. To challenge the village, John Proctor will need grit too. Studies suggest that the rising generations (that's you guys!) lack grit. Do you agree? Why or why not? If they do, what can we/you do about it? If they don't, how can they change perceptions? How can one develop the ability to cope with hard things, to empathize, and to build?
How would you define the word "honor"? Is it a concept you believe in? Why or why not? How far would you be willing to go for honor?
– "Better to die 10,000 deaths than wound my honor" - Joseph Addison
– "He who has lost honor can lose nothing more" - Publilius Syrus
– "One-hundred years cannot repair a moment's loss of honor" – Proverb
Some questions about chapters 90-91:
- Has Pi lost his mind? Give evidence
- Is Pi actually talking to someone? If so, who is it? Is it Richard Parker? Is it a new character? Is that someone himself?
- Why could the blindness be significant to the entire exchange?
- What did you think of these crazy chapters? Did any of it really happen?
Crucible: A situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new.
Why did the author choose to call his story The Crucible? In what way are the events of the story a crucible for Abigail? John Proctor? Elizabeth? The accused? The accusers? Has Pi experienced a crucible? Have you? Has the “creation of something new” been for the better or worse? Is it always one or the other?
Term 1
Bellringer 1:
How would you define the phrase, "The American Dream"? What do you think it means? What do you think it entails? Why do you think people believe(d) in it? Do you think it exists today? What does your "American Dream" look like? Explain!
Bellringer 2:
Francie is all of the Rommelys and all of the Nolans... who are you? (Hint: Read pgs. 71-72 if you need more of an explanations)
Bellringer 3:
What is the significance of the tree that is growing in Brooklyn? What do you know about the tree? What do you think the tree represents? It is mentioned in Chp. 1 & Chp. 10 — why? How is the tree a symbol and what does it symbolize?
Bellringer 4:
What does the word "hope" mean to you? Is it important to have hope? Why? Are there characters in "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" who have hope or don't? How does it affect them? During bad times, like the Great Depression, or in your own life, what types of things can, or could, keep people going?
Bellringer 5:
What do you think of graphic novels? Explain!
Bellringer 6:
Life-changing moments can hit at any time. Lennie and George's life-changing moment happens in the first chapter of the book. Francie's life-changing moment came when she lied about the pumpkin pie. Have you experienced any life-changing moments, and how have they changed you for better or for worse?
Bellringer 7:
Think of the statement, "Sometimes you have to hurt the people that you love in order to do the right thing." Do you think this is true? Can you think of examples from your own life or literature that proves or disproves this statement? Explain.
Bellringer 8:
What kind of friend are you? Explain. If 10 is the best and 1 is the worst, rank yourself as a friend in the areas of honesty, loyalty, and trustworthiness. Why did you pick those numbers? How would your friends rank you, and why? How would you rank Lennie and George as friends, and why?
Bellringer 9:
How would you define a "father"? What do they look like? What types of behaviors mighty they exhibit? And most importantly — was Johnny Nolan a good father? Give evidence to support your answer.
Bellringer 10:
"Romeo and Juliet" is the classic example of a tragedy. Both Johnny's story and "Of Mice and Men" could be considered tragedies too. What IS a tragedy? What makes a story "tragic"? Are stories tragic because of character choices or other outside factors, or does tragedy truly just happen because of the fault that lies "in our stars"?
How would you define the phrase, "The American Dream"? What do you think it means? What do you think it entails? Why do you think people believe(d) in it? Do you think it exists today? What does your "American Dream" look like? Explain!
Bellringer 2:
Francie is all of the Rommelys and all of the Nolans... who are you? (Hint: Read pgs. 71-72 if you need more of an explanations)
Bellringer 3:
What is the significance of the tree that is growing in Brooklyn? What do you know about the tree? What do you think the tree represents? It is mentioned in Chp. 1 & Chp. 10 — why? How is the tree a symbol and what does it symbolize?
Bellringer 4:
What does the word "hope" mean to you? Is it important to have hope? Why? Are there characters in "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" who have hope or don't? How does it affect them? During bad times, like the Great Depression, or in your own life, what types of things can, or could, keep people going?
Bellringer 5:
What do you think of graphic novels? Explain!
Bellringer 6:
Life-changing moments can hit at any time. Lennie and George's life-changing moment happens in the first chapter of the book. Francie's life-changing moment came when she lied about the pumpkin pie. Have you experienced any life-changing moments, and how have they changed you for better or for worse?
Bellringer 7:
Think of the statement, "Sometimes you have to hurt the people that you love in order to do the right thing." Do you think this is true? Can you think of examples from your own life or literature that proves or disproves this statement? Explain.
Bellringer 8:
What kind of friend are you? Explain. If 10 is the best and 1 is the worst, rank yourself as a friend in the areas of honesty, loyalty, and trustworthiness. Why did you pick those numbers? How would your friends rank you, and why? How would you rank Lennie and George as friends, and why?
Bellringer 9:
How would you define a "father"? What do they look like? What types of behaviors mighty they exhibit? And most importantly — was Johnny Nolan a good father? Give evidence to support your answer.
Bellringer 10:
"Romeo and Juliet" is the classic example of a tragedy. Both Johnny's story and "Of Mice and Men" could be considered tragedies too. What IS a tragedy? What makes a story "tragic"? Are stories tragic because of character choices or other outside factors, or does tragedy truly just happen because of the fault that lies "in our stars"?