Dystopian Literature Assignment

Purpose of the Assignment:
Blogging is an excellent way for students to practice using the internet responsibly and to be cognizant of the content they are publishing.  It is a writing format that has exploded recently and the blogoshpere is being used by all types of businesses and individuals.  This will give students another venue for discussion of topics explored during this unit, an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to use the internet responsibly and an opportunity to employ the writing/critical thinking skills they have been developing during this course.  For this assignment students will form a question, comment on the questions posed by their peers, and respond to the comments from their peers.

THIS IS YOUR FINAL, SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT - PLEASE TREAT IT AS SUCH!!!

Requirements:

1. Students will initiate a discussion by posting a question that asks their peers to think critically about the novel they read in class.  The question will focus on the area of the novel they were asked to discuss in their literature circles (character, plot, theme, literary devices or vocabulary).  The goal of this question is to provoke a thoughtful discussion - the discussion generated as a result of the question posed will be part of the assessment for this portion of the assignment.  The question should be open-ended - there should be multiple ways to answer the question - and it should require the reader to think critically about the novel.  This question should be connected to the role that each student was assigned during this unit.  If you were reading/annotating/presenting about character, then the question should be about character, etc.  Students will use the label function to assign two labels to this question: the title of their novel AND their complete first and last name.
2. Students will comment on TWO questions posed by their peers.  These comments should integrate the concepts that we have been learning in class during this unit and they should be backed with details, reasons AND - most importantly - evidence from the text.  In other words, each comment needs a direct quote (or more) taken from the text and followed by a properly formatted, MLA citation.  (HINT: use your annotations.)  These comments should directly engage the content of the previous comments - in other words, demonstrate that the writers has read the previous discussion and built on, not simply repeated, the ideas presented there.  Comments should be approximately 250 words and employ standard conventions, making them clear, concise and easy to understand.  (Students can comment on a question posed by anyone - it doesn't need to be someone from their literature circle, class or even in their pod.  In fact, students are encouraged to engage with readers they did not already discuss the text with as part of the course.)
3. Finally, students will read all of the comments on their initial question and be permitted the final word through a thoughtful response.  This response should demonstrate the writer's ability to apply the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.  It should demonstrate that they have read all comments connected with their question and the writing should employ standard conventions, making it clear, concise and easy to understand.

Timeline:
Day One: Post Question and Begin Comments - DO NOT publish your responses until you have edited them carefully.
Homework: Edit, Revise and Post Comments.  Make certain to read previous comments posted.
Day Two: Read all comments and formulate a final response.

Tips for Effective Blogging:
Here are some suggestions for being an effective blogger:

• Write engaging, thought-provoking, and intelligent posts that encourage others to respond.  Each post should have an argument, express a point of view, and indicate an openness to conversation (often by asking a question that invites reader comment).
• Respond to those who comment, to foster dialogue
• Identify people named. This is both courteous, and can let others know you’re talking about them, which can encourage discussion.  If you are responding to someone's previous comment directly, let them know and use their name.
• Express an opinion, or at least a strong angle. Give people something to talk about.
• Ask a question. Make it clear that you are open to interaction.  Think about the questions that have raised interesting discussions in your literature circles and mirror those questions here.
• Write clearly and correctly - apply English conventions that we have been learning in class.
• Respect boundaries and etiquette - be kind and courteous.