Blog #3

Blog #3

Dickens has kept us entertained for 300 pages setting us up for the climactic events of Chapters 38-39. Pip, who we’ve watched struggle with his aspirations and expectations, has been dealt the metaphoric “punch in the gut” (I think we saw that one coming…) while Estella, a student of the philosophy of Dee Snider, may not take it anymore!

For this blog, we’re looking for two things:

First, tell us what realizations have occurred for each character and what the immediate ramifications of those realizations were.

Second, predict for each character how these realizations might change them. Essentially, where do Pip and Estella go from here?

Be sure to base your predictions on what we know. This blog may not necessitate a direct quote as evidence, but it still should use the text as a reference and your analysis needs to be thoroughly convincing.

Blog #2

Choose one of the following:

1. Review Part I and explain how Pip’s visits to Miss Havisham’s contribute to his developing expectations. Citing evidence from those and other chapters, identify the changes in Pip’s ambitions. Consider where he began and where he wants to be.

2. Choose one of the following characters and discuss how his/her name reveals his/her personality: Jaggers, Orlick, Pumblechook, Wopsle, Estella, or Pip. Start with reading the descriptions from the novel of each character. Additional research on the origin and etymology of the name may be helpful. Some descriptions may require some educated imagination.

Be sure to see the blog requirements for full credit for your post. Your blog should be posted no later than tomorrow evening. A comment, based on the comment descriptions provided, should be posted by Friday.

Comment Rubric

REACTION COMMENTS

These will be assessed differently. Unlike blog posts, these pieces of writing are reactionary to the original thoughts of your classmates. Most importantly, you’ll have to make a complete, relevant reactionary comment to receive credit. This type of comment does one of three things:

• The comment affirms the initial blog post or preceding comment
• The comment qualifies the initial blog post or preceding comment.
• The comment challenges the initial blog post or preceding comment.

Each comment will not be considered complete unless, like a blog post, it includes all elements of analytic writing: a claim, evidence and analysis.

If you are affirming a comment you will use evidence that supports the original claim, but is different than the evidence provided by the author of the original blog, and will strengthen your argument. If you qualify a comment, you agree with the author, but only partly. Explain to what degree an author is right or wrong by providing new evidence to support your claim. If you challenge a comment, you disagree with the author and are arguing against their claim providing evidence to support yours.

Complete, relevant blogs will be awarded credit. In order to receive an A for the response portion of the unit, you will need to submit 5 responses to different members of the class. B=4; C=3; D=2.

Other comments that don’t necessarily meet the graded requirements are welcome, but they will not be considered for credit.

Blog Rubric

ENGLISH 233

Over the course of the Great Expectations unit, you will be asked to respond to the text via both original blog posts and reactionary comments to your classmates’ thoughts. You will be graded on both types of responses. While the criteria for each are similar, they won’t be identical

ORIGINAL BLOG POSTS

Your original blog posts will be responses to characters, conflicts or plot development. You’ll be prompted for all of your blog posts and due dates will be set. Each blog post will be assessed based on the following rubric.

A	The blog post utilizes all elements of analytic writing: the claim, evidence and analysis. The claim presented is original and logical and is clearly stated. Evidence utilized is relevant and of appropriate length. Analysis is abundant and effectively connects the evidence to the claim presented. Writing is essentially clean of grammatical errors. Word choice and sentence structure are varied enough to make the post entertaining to read.
B	The blog post utilizes all elements of analytic writing: the claim, evidence and analysis. The claim is logical and mostly clear. Evidence utilized is connected to the claim, but may not be clearly connected. Analysis is relevant and connects the evidence to the claim, but may not fully prove the connection. Writing is mostly clean of grammatical errors. Word choice and sentence structure are sometimes varied.
C	The blog post may be missing one of the analytic elements. Evidence may not be entirely appropriate and analysis is not sufficient enough to effectively support the claim. Multiple grammatical errors impede the understanding of the post. Word choice and sentence structure are predictable.
D	Multiple elements of analytic writing are missing. Appropriate evidence and sufficient analysis are lacking. Multiple errors and basic word choice and sentence structure impede the understanding of the blog.
F	An incomplete or incoherent attempt at fulfilling the assignment.

You will be required to create multiple blog posts during the unit. This shouldn’t limit your creative expression, however—if you have something you need to say, blog away!

1st blog due by Sunday at 12pm!

Blog Assignment 1 Explanation

Blog Assignment

Your task over the next few weeks of reading Great Expectations is to track the development of the major characters. For the first blog, I would like you to analyze one of the following passages from the text for one character. Chose from:

Pip

“…I felt fearfully sensible of the great convenience that the Hulks were handy for me. I was clearly on my way there. I had begun by asking questions, and I was going to rob Mrs. Joe.”

Mrs. Joe

“By this time my sister was quite desperate, so she pounced on Joe, and, taking him by the two whiskers, knocked his head for a little while against the wall behind him: while I sat in the corner, looking guiltily on.”

Joe

“It were a bit lonesome then,” said Joe, “living here alone, and I got acquainted with your sister. Now, Pip;” Joe looked firmly at me, as if he knew I was not going to agree with him; “your sister is a fine figure of a woman.”

Answer the question: What do we know about the character’s personality based on this evidence?

Your entry needs to include:

· a claim or topic sentence stating directly what we know about the character

· an introduction to the evidence providing context for the quotation

· analysis (5-7) sentences explaining how the quotation supports your claim

First blogs will be checked in over the weekend. We’ll talk about responses to blogs next week.

Blog Model

Below is a sample post--a model of the kind of paragraph I want you to create fro your first blog. it begins with context, then the claim and then reference to the quote, followed by the analysis connecting the quote to the claim. I've numbered the sentences as well. Don't be afraid to make connections between the quote you choose and other parts of the novel as well. Have fun blogging!