JOURNALS

Keep these in your notebooks!

Day 1
What do you think it means to be an American?
What are some defining characteristics?
What does America represent to you?
What are some typical American values?

Rules: Maintain respect!

Day 2: 8/31 & 9/1
What are some misconceptions that people have
about your generation?
What do people assume about your generation that you
think is incorrect?
Why do they make these assumptions?
Day 3: 9/5 & 9/6
Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?
Whether you believe in God or in fate, do you think that
the events that have happened in your life have
happened for some purpose? Why or why not?
Day 4: 9/7 & 9/8
Are you a glass half-empty individual or a glass
half-full individual?
Do you ever try to be more optimistic? What do you do
to try and become more optimistic and hopeful?
Can optimism ever be a bad thing? If yes, how? If no,
why?
Day 5: 9/11 & 9/12
What would you risk your life for?
Is there a job, a passion, a person that you would be
willing to risk your safety or even your life for? Think
about it. If you would, what is it that would lead you to
do this and why? If not, why not? Do you think that
something could come up in the future that would lead
you to change your mind?
Day 6: 9/13 & 9/14
Is American society too competitive?
In looking at the activity we did at the end of last class,
we saw that the Spanish, French, and English competed
to conquer the Americas. We could say that this began a
legacy of competition. Many people feel that American
society is too competitive. Do you agree? If so, is this a
good thing or a bad thing? Use specific reasons and
examples to support your answer.
Day 7: 9/15 & 9/18
Creative Write: If I led a settlement
In the previous class period, we looked at how John
Smith became the savior of Jamestown. He did so by
delegating responsibilities and leading the people.
Pretend to be a leader of your town (real or fictional).
What rules would you set in place? What are some
necessary skills you need to have? How would your town
operate? What government would you create? The list
goes on and on
Day 8: 9/19 & 9/20
Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63iho5TEZoo
This video points out that Bradford came to the Americas in
order to pass on his religious beliefs and English culture to
his children. From what weve read and heard about the
struggles of the early settlers, what do you think were some
of the things that challenged his religious beliefs? How do
you think these things challenged him?
Thinking about your own beliefs, religious or not, have you
ever been challenged? What are some situations or
experiences that have caused you to question your beliefs?
Did you walk away still believing what you did previously, or
did your beliefs change?
Day 9: 9/21 & 9/22
William Bradford Quote Reflection:
Respond and reflect on this quote from William
Bradford: All great and honorable actions are
accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be
enterprised [completed] and overcome with answerable
courage.
Do you agree or disagree? Why? Can you think of an
example that reflects this statement?
Day 10: 9/25 & 9/26
Write about a conflict youve had with someone. This
could be with a friend, family member, co-worker,
boss, etc.
Give a brief description of the conflict.
Describe both sides (yours and theirs) of the conflict.
How did the conflict resolve, if it did.
TURN IN OPENERS 1-10!!!!!
Day 11: 9/27 & 9/28
Think of a time when you were caught doing
something you were strictly forbidden to do.
Maybe it was recent, maybe it was when you were a
little kid.
What did you do to get yourself out of trouble? Or did
you just face the consequences?
Day 12: 9/29 & 10/2
Describe a situation when you got carried away in a
crowd and did something you would not have done
had you been alone. Sometimes we act differently
when were around others.
The action could have been good, bad, or just out of
character for you.
Day 13: 10/3 & 10/4
What is something that you see in society today that
either:
1. Triggers you (causes you anger or frustration)
specifically-gets you frustrated?
2. OR seems to trigger (cause anger and frustration)
many others?
Why do you think this thing causes such a violent
reaction?
Day 14: 10/9 & 10/10
What is a crucible? Look it up.
Make some predictions about what the significance of
this will be. How might this connect to the play? Make
predictions based upon what you know so far.
Day 15: 10/11 & 10/12
Character Assessment
Pick a character that weve met so far. Tell me your initial
reactions to this character. What do you think of him or
her?
What do you think will be the outcome for that
character? (Make a prediction)
PUT EVERYTHING AWAY EXCEPT FOR A PENCIL
Day 16: 10/13 & 10/16
What do you think of when you hear the word
sinner?
Is this a word you grew up hearing? Does it bear any
significance to you? Why or why not?
What about the word hypocrite? What do you think of
hypocrites? Have you ever been one?
Day 17: 10/17 & 10/18
Devil Discussion: Act 1 (pg. 475-478)
What is Millers perspective on the devil as described in pg. 475-
478? What historical background does Miller cite in support of his
ideas? (pg. 476)
How does Miller draw a comparison between the use of the devil
as a spiritual threat and the fight against Communism in
America in the 1950s? (pg. 477)
What is the larger point that Miller is making about diabolism
in society? What is diabolism? (Throughout the section)
Day 17: 10/17 & 10/18
Devil Discussion: Act 1 (pg. 475-478)
What is Millers perspective on the devil as described in
pg. 475-478? How does he argue the devil is used?
How does he compare the use of the devil and the use of
communism?
What is the main message of Jonathan Edwards sermon
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God?
Day 18: 10/19 & 10/20
Act 1 Character Narrative
Write a journal entry from the point of view of any ONE of
the following characters, describing what happened today
as the first Salem women were named witches.
Tituba Abigail Betty
Parris Hale
Question: Why do you think there is a sudden change
in Abigail? Why do you think she is so willing to
confess?
Day 19: 10/23 & 10/24
The Proctors Relationship
Using the dialogue and the stage directions from the
text, describe the relationship between Elizabeth and
John from the beginning of Act 2.
Use claim, data, warrant!
Day 20: 10/25 & 10/26
Describe the nature of these womens accusations:
All are accused of witchcraft, but why?
Rebecca Nurse
Martha Corey
Sarah Good
Sarah Osburn
Elizabeth Proctor
Day 21: 10/30 & 10/31
What does the phrase youre either for us or against
us mean?
Do you believe this statement to be true?
Where do we see this in The Crucible? *Act 3
Day 22/23: 11/1 & 11/8
Character Types
Refresher: A dynamic character is one that changes over
the course of the text, a static character is one that
pretty much stays the same throughout the text, and a
foil character is one that is used to directly contrast
another character.
Find at least one character from The Crucible that could
fit into each of these three types and explain why.
Day 22/23: 11/5 & 11/6 (B Day)
Summarize Act 3!!!
Create a timeline summary in review for your test
Thenstudy your vocabulary!
Day 24: 11/9 &11/10
Describe a time when you had to accept defeat.
Have you ever had to accept that you were not going to
get your way?
Have you ever had to admit that you were wrong? How
did this make you feel? What was the outcome?
Day 25: 11/13 & 11/14
End of the Play Reflection
If you were the author, what would you have done
differently? (if anything at all). If you wouldnt change
anything, why?
Was the ending satisfying? What kind of statement does
it make about Millers view of justice in his world, during
the 1950s?
SKIP JOURNAL
Take out materials for The Crucible
We are going to start class by studying some of the
quotes from the play. Continue to take note of the
quotes youre not sure of and the ones that I draw your
attention to.
Day 26: 11/27 & 11/28
Self-Reflection:
What is something that youre proud of/felt good about
that youve done in this class with The Crucible?
What is an area where you could improve?
What is your goal for the rest of the semester?
Day 27: 11/30 & 12/1
Which of the three appeals do you find the most
persuasive?
Do you tend to respond to ethos (appeal to credibility),
pathos (appeal to emotion), or logos (appeal to logic)
more often?
Another way of thinking about this is: Do you tend to
listen to your heart more or follow your head?
 Day 28: 12/4 & 12/5
Identify Ethos, Pathos, and/or Logos & Explain
"I have pledged myself and my colleagues in the cabinet to a continuous encouragement
of initiative, responsibility and energy in serving the public interest. Let every public
servant know, whether his post is high or low, that a man's rank and reputation in this
Administration will be determined by the size of the job he does, and not by the size of
his staff, his office or his budget. Let it be clear that this Administration recognizes the
value of dissent and daring -- that we greet healthy controversy as the hallmark of
healthy change. Let the public service be a proud and lively career. And let every man
and woman who works in any area of our national government, in any branch, at any
level, be able to say with pride and with honor in future years: 'I served the United States
Government in that hour of our nation's need.'"
John F. Kennedy State of the Union Message, January 30, 1961
 Day 29: 12/6 & 12/7
Identify Ethos, Pathos, and/or Logos & Explain
When I am the nominee, I will offer a clear choice. John McCain won't
be able to say that I ever supported this war in Iraq, because I
opposed it from the beginning. Senator McCain said the other day
that we might be mired for a hundred years in Iraq, which is reason
enough to not give him four years in the White House. If we had
chosen a different path, the right path, we could have finished the job
in Afghanistan, and put more resources into the fight against bin
Laden; and instead of spending hundreds of billions of dollars in
Baghdad, we could have put that money into our schools and
hospitals, our road and bridges and that's what the American people
need us to do right now.
Barack Obama Potomac Primary Night Speech February 12, 2008