Assignment #3 - Edgar Allan Poe - due 11/24 by 7am

Solve the mystery…

After the death of Poe’s wife Virginia in 1847, Poe was deeply saddened.  Poe continued to work, but suffered from poor health and financial issues.  On September 27, 1849, Poe was supposedly on his way to Philadelphia. On October 3rd, Poe was found in great distress in Baltimore.  He was taken to Washington College Hospital and later died on October 7th.  Poe’s last words were, “Lord, help my poor soul.”  Poe’s cause of death was said to be “congestion of the brain,” although his actual cause of death has been the topic of much speculation.

Visit the website below to read the published theories surrounding Poe’s death.  Choose a theory you believe to be the cause of Poe’s death and comment on how Poe died and the evidence you read to support that theory. Comments should be at least 4-6 sentences in length.  

http://www.poemuseum.org/students-mystery.php

Assignment #2 - due 9/14 by 7 am

If at first you don’t succeed…

Watch the video “A few people that overcame diversity” at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8nsS6mU5J8. Then using Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s poem, “Solitude,” discuss how one line from the poem relates to two of the stories on the video. Be sure to state the line and explain your answer in 3-5 sentences.  

Link to the poem "Solitude"http://poemhunter.com/poem/solitude/

Assignment #1 - due 8/28 @ 7am

Overcoming Adversity

Read Erica’s, Dominick’s, and Austin’s stories in the article titled, “Fox Valley high school students overcome adversity to earn diplomas” at the following link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-high-school-grads-st-0524-20150523-story.html  After reading about their three different challenges, and thinking about the different types of challenges you have read in both the blogging articles and the Ted talk about Amy Purdy, what is a common theme you have seen in the way people deal with challenges faced? Explain in 3-5 sentences.

Seeing Life's Greatness Despite the Challenges

Read the article, “Boys swimming: Blind student Alan Brint competes for Highland Park” at the following link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/highschool/ct-spt-0302-prep-blind-swimmer-alan-brint-20150301-story.html   After reading about Alan’s challenge, respond to the following questions in 2-4 sentences: How did Alan overcome the challenge of navigating in life without his vision? How can you apply his determination to your own life?

Are you ready to blog?

Welcome to blogging!  I am looking forward to our discussions this year and am eager to get us started.  As you log in and create your profiles, I want to remind you how important safety will be for all of us.  Keep your profile clear - only complete what is necessary, and please do not include a real picture of yourself. Are you ready to enter a new culture - the blogging culture?
I can't wait for us to learn how to have academic conversations and comment on posts.  Check out what these 3rd graders have learned about commenting.