Rose for Emily- Application questions

Useful Verbs
Solve, show, use, illustrate, construct, complete, examine, classify


Sample Question Stems
Do you know another instance where...? Could this have happened in...? Can you group by characteristics such as...? What factors would you change if...? Can you apply the method used to some experience of your own...? What questions would you ask of...? From the information given, can you develop a set of instructions about...? Would this information be useful if you had a ...?

Rose for Emily- Comprehension questions

Useful Verbs:
explain, interpret, outline, discuss, distinguish, predict, restate, translate, compare, describe


Sample Question Stems:
Can you write in your own words...? Can you write a brief outline...? What do you think could of happened next...? Who do you think...? What was the main idea...? Who was the key character...? Can you distinguish between...? What differences exist between...? Can you provide an example of what you mean...? Can you provide a definition for...?

Rose for Emily- Knowledge Questions

Useful Verbs:
tell, list, describe, relate, locate, write, find, state, name

Sample Question Stems:
What happened after...? How many...? Who was it that...? Can you name the...? Describe what happened at...? Who spoke to...? Can you tell why...? Find the meaning of...? What is...? Which is true or false...?

Indirect Characterization Activity

The plane rattles and she tightens her harness. Only 2,000 ft more until they jump. She picks at her cuticles and stares at the boy across from her. He is laughing and giving her a thumbs up. She shakes her head and chuckles along with him. Her toes tap against her foot orthotics. Her instructor shouts final tips at her and she nods her head. She isn't really listening. Together they jump. As her body falls she no longer feels the raging arthritis in her hip. She is no longer fixated on her back pains or mounting medical bills. She is free.

Of Love and Other Demons

I am about 2/3 of the way through this book by Gabriel Marquez and am really enjoying it. He has a very distinct writing style in this book. Marquez uses flowery language and writes in long, winding sentences. The following is a classic example: "She ended with a furious denunciation of Cayetano's Delaura's arrogance, his free thinking, his personal animosity toward her, and the abusiveness of his bringing food into the convent in defiance of the prohibitions of their rule." (94). I love Marquez's diction. However, (I am not sure I'm allowed to admit this as an English teacher) I tend to lose patience with such elevated diction in longer texts. This story seems to be an exception to my general boredom with excessively flowery language. Somehow Marquez's slow-rolling sentences fit the twisted plot well. The lofty words he uses make it easier for me to put myself into an 18th century South American setting. They help me to believe the story of a golden-haired girl who has been inprisoned in a convent as a result of a rabid dog's bite. They help me feel compassion for Father Cayentano Delaura as he falls in love with the girl he is sent to perform an exorcism on. Marquez's words lull me into his odd tale and keep me reading for more. This is a strange strange story. But I am eager to find out what happens in the end...

A window into North Korea

Over Chuseok break I read this graphic novel by Guy Delisle, a French Canadian who spent several months working as an animator in North Korea. Delisle's book traced his experiences and showed some of his interactions with the people and the country. I thought it was a very interesting read.


One of the things that really struck me while reading this book was how deliberately Delisle's guides and the government worked to make North Korea look like a peaceful, affluent, happy, and proud nation. There were so many examples of monuments constructed purely for foreigners' sakes, luxeries denied to the people yet allotted to tourists, areas hidden from outsider's eyes, etc. Before reading this book, I was already aware of many of the hardships that Delisle described. I was not particularly surprised by the poverty he noticed or his descriptions of the excessive honor paid to Kim Jong il. Nor was I surprised that Delisle's tone was condescending at times as he questioned North Koreans' allegiances. I can relate to this attitude--it is difficult at times to restrain some of our disbelief and try to really understand what people experience or believe. However, I appreciated that Delisle tried to restrict his judgement and show some of the more human aspects of the people in North Korea. While it is still clear that he disagrees with most of the practices of the people, Delisle strives to paint a more balanced view of the country.



I would recommend this book and would love to discuss it with anyone who has read it. Has anyone else read other books that give good insight into North Korean culture?

Directions for Independent Reading

“To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.” –Edmund Burke

Every week you should post at least 1 new entry to your blog related to your independent reading. In this entry you should state what you are reading and how far you have read in the book. Then you should write a reflection on what you are reading. This reflection should be at least 2-3 paragraphs in length. For each post, please also include an image that you feel connects to the themes, characters, or plot of your current reading. Through these posts, I want to see that you are reading carefully and that you are engaging with your book. Posts can range in format and content. However, when I look at your blog for the semester, I want to see that you are thinking critically about what you read.

You can include comments on some of the following in your posts:
-Feelings evoked by the book (try to express why you feel the way you do)
-Themes
-Character comments
-Author’s writing style
-Connections to yourself, the world, or other texts
-Quotes significant to the plot, theme, character development, etc.