Response to today's reading (Jan. 16)

Alex has become quite reflective of what he has witnessed since arriving in China.  "Things at home would seem different now. I knew, just knew that from now on there would be some kind of gap between me and the other kids." pg. 231 What kind of gap do you think Alex is referring to? How would his life be different? As you respond imagine that you are Alex. Respond as if you are now coming back to Surrey B.C. and living once again in your home, with your friends and family.  How would your life change, or would it change?  Alex was an avid historian in regards to the art of war. Do you think his thoughts around war have changed? How might they have changed?

Write a response using the above as guidance. Remember to write in full sentences, connecting your thoughts in paragraph form. Capitals, spelling and punctuation allow your reader the ability to understand what you are saying.

Response to June 4 chapter

Today's chapter is a very powerful one. It pushes us to think more deeply about human rights in countries around the world. It forces us to think, could this ever happen in Canada? Has it ever happened in Canada? We try to imagine living in a country where freedom of speech is not an option.

In this post respond to today's reading by thinking deeply about the issues Alex is facing in China. Include one deep thinking question and respond to it. Include your reflections, your assumptions, your inferences around this event. Take time to also share some of your feelings and reactions as you read this; by doing so you will strengthen the quality of your post.

Remember the givens. Do not publish without checking on complete sentences using capitals and periods and that your spelling is accurate!!!!  Take pride in what you publish as it is a reflection of what you can do.

Dec. 12 post

For today's blog I would like you to focus on a question you have but also imagine being Alex in Bejing at this moment. In your response include a question as well as a well-thought out attempt to answer your question and a deep reflection of what it would be like to be in Alex's shoes.
You also need to thoughtfully respond to one other student's post. Saying that you simply agree is not a deep response. Explaining that you too had a similar question and also wonder why things are happening as they are, is a much more thoughtful response.
Remember to edit your post before you publish.

Double Entry Journal

In this blog you are to write which "event" from today's reading you are focusing on and then state "your thinking".  It is important to either make connections and/or ask questions. When you ask a question you need to explain your thoughts and attempt to answer your question.

 For example, if my event was the placing of the Goddess of Democracy in front of the picture of Mao, my question might be "What are the student protesters trying to say to the government by facing the Goddess looking at Mao? I think that they did this because...."

I don't know the answer to my question but I can certainly make some guesses based on what I already know from the story, based on my inferences.

Every student must ask at least one question as this will drive the discussion we will have on Thursday in class.

Please remember to put capitals at the beginning of your sentences and to please add periods so you are not writing run-on sentences. Ask for help with spelling from someone at home if needed. Being able to communicate clearly is very important in our world.

Response #3

On this reply you will include one deep thinking question as well as one connection. Please specify the type of connection (t/s, t/t, t/w). Remember the givens: capitals, periods, grammar, spelling. To communicate clearly one needs to use these givens or else our message will be lost in the process.

To add depth to your connection please think about adding specific details and include any feelings/emotions associated with the connection. Produce your best thinking!

This post refers to chapters April 6 to April 14.

Connetions

Today we talked about making connections while we read. By making connections we are able to make better sense of what we read. Sometimes it is a text to self connection, sometimes a text to text connection and other times it is a text to world connection.

Please reply to this post with 2 connections you made while reading today. Explain which type of connections they are (t to s, t to t, t to w)  then go into detail explaining what part of the story you connected to and tell what your connections were. Remember to go beyond the very basic "I have been on an airplane" to something more in-depth "I connected to how Alex felt when his parents split up....."

Questions

This is your first reply for Forbidden City. Please type out at least 2 questions you had while we read the first 2 chapters. Remember to take time to communicate clearly so that spelling and punctuation matter.