Instructions for Today

Hey everyone! Your instructions for today: watch the YouTube video and post to today's questions. If you have time, go back to the posts from last class. Reread and then make additional comments.

Remember to follow all the behavior expectations that we talked about earlier!! Have a great day :)

Make Your Predictions

Now that you've started the second act of the play, how do you think it's going to end? What's going to happen to George, Emily and the rest of the main characters?

After Watching the Video...

Why do you think Thornton Wilder wrote a play instead of just a regular novel? What about a play makes it more accessible and interesting to an audience?

For Your Viewing Pleasure...

For your viewing pleasure - here's a YouTube video of a student production of Our Town. This is the conversation between George and Emily in the first act. You'll need your headphones on to enjoy it.

Question #5

How would you describe the relationship between George and Emily?

Question #4

Usually, a stage manager is someone who works behind the scenes to make sure everything goes okay with a play. Why is the Stage Manager an actual character? What important role does he serve

Question #3

Why do you think the play's author, Thornton Wilder, chose to have there be no scenery on stage?

Question #2

Who do you think is the most interesting character so far? What makes them unique?

Question #1

How does the town of Grover's Corners compare to your hometown? In what ways is it similar? What kind of people seem to live there?

I almost forgot...

When you add your comments, make sure that they are well-developed. Each comment should be at least three or four sentences long and with lots of details. A one line response isn't going to get many points :)

Okay, it's time to get serious...

Now that we've had a little fun with blogging, let's get serious for a bit. I'm going to add a series of posts that will ask you to think about and respond to the first act of Our Town. There are five potential questions for you to consider - but you only need to complete 3 of them for your assignment. If you'd like to comment on all of the questions though, feel free!

A few things to remember:

1. Make sure you read the question carefully!
2. Write your response in good, complete sentences with proper grammar, spelling and punctuation.
3. Give lots of examples from the play to support your answer.
4. Remember, if you think that someone has already had a really good point and you'd like to expand upon it, go ahead. You should can respond not only to my question, but also to the posts of your classmates.

Want to keep practicing?

Question #2 - What is your favorite food of all time?

It's Time to Comment!

Do you think you know how to comment? Let's try it out. Please comment to this post and answer the following question - What was the highlight of your Thanksgiving break?

Let's Get Started...

To give you a chance to practice the art of blogging, let's get started! In order to participate, you'll need to read the discussion question and then click the comment button to add your response.

In the text box that says "Leave Your Comments", you'll type your comment (obviously!). Underneath it, there are three options for choosing your identity - you should always pick the Other tab.

Once you click on the small circle in front of Other, two new boxes will pop up beneath it. There's a box for your name and your web page. You should sign each post with your FIRST NAME ONLY. In order to maintain your privacy, you should never put your last name, nor any other personal information about yourself - even in a safe space like this blog. You should leave the web page box empty.

Any comments that you make are not only posted to this blog, but also emailed to me to verify that they are appropriate. Obviously, using this blog is a privilege and any misuse will result in immediate consequences. Basically - this is really cool so don't do something dumb that ruins it!!

Are you ready to begin?

Welcome to Blogging!

Welcome to blogging! A blog is a "web log" where you can post your thoughts and ideas on the web. Other people can make comments and discuss your ideas. For this class, I'll be posting discussion questions that I'd like for you to discuss. You should not only answer my questions, but also feel free to comment on other people's posts.

There are a few rules - you must be polite and act appropriately in this learning environment. Please make certain that you don't violate the school's internet usage agreement, and that you act responsibly. Just like if we were discussing these questions in class, I won't tolerate any insults or rude remarks. Everyone is free to share their opinion in a supportive atmosphere.