Hannah Gaff English Blog

 Hey,    Today in class we analyzed the text “The RockPile” by Jason Baldwin. We went over questions as a class then did a Jam Board to write the STEAL for the character Roy.

 Hey,     Today in class we took notes on Direct and Indirect Characterization to properly analyze the rest of the story “RockPile”. We finished the story and went over two themes that we will work with more tomorrow. 

 Hey,    Today in class we started to read the short story Rock Piles by Jason Baldwin. We made connections between our home life and the core values in the story. Restrictions were much different from when this short story was written compared to now. 

Hey,    Today in class we took our first test over the poems we have read so far in class. I got an 82! We went over the answers as a class and realized the questions that I got wrong why they were wrong.

 Hey,      In class today we had a sub and completed the “Mother to Son” Discussion Questions. Two themes I pulled from the poem was that “ Life isn’t easy, but to push through” and “Go anywhere but backwards, it’s ok to make mistakes. A time my mom motivated me was when she reminded me in middle school that other people’s opinion of me doesn’t define me and to keep my head help up high. Sorta like the poem objective which was that Life isn’t always easy but it’s important to keep going. 

 Hey,    Today in class we read “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes. The poem is comparing life to a crystal staircase. We began class with a writing prompt which was what is the best advice you have been given. For me it was I can trust you till i cant. Being able to trust someone has always been important to me and my family. The advice given in this poem was to keep going even if life is difficult it’s important to not give up. 

 Hey,    Today in class we read the poem “Refugee in America”. The message was that your rights are important when concerning citizenship. Freedom of Religion is important too me because being christian is how I define myself and how I go about my life. 

 Hey,   Today in class we read an our second poem of the unit  “I, Too” by Langston Hughes. The Statement  “I, Too” repeated in the first and last line brought me to the message that we are all Americans born into this country regardless of race. America symbolizes freedom and that’s what this poem represents that our history has changed “Tomorrow, I will be at the table”. 

 Hey,    Today in class we finished answering the questions for “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” assignment. Analyzing the poem the day before helped answer the questions. 

 Hey,    I was asked the question “What do you consider to be your roots?” I answered white american but hearing some of my classmates background made me realize that I don’t really know a lot of who I came from. My dad always says that we have german in us based on how we pronounce our last name but when my friends told me that they had Irish and Italian in them I didn’t expect that and it makes me wonder more about who I come from. We then read the poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes. Analyzing the poem and how it compares the rivers ancient as the world and the flow of human blood in human veins I got that point that there is a long history of black race and how not only have the whites, Indians , and hispanics been on this earth but so have the black race for just as long. This poem was not written just to say what Langston has known about the rivers but that the whole black race has. 

  Hey,   Today in Multicultural Lit we took our first unit one notes on African American Culture. We went over the history of AA, demographics, state population, values, beliefs , core values, stereotypes, and literacy figures.  Stereotypes such as being lazy and blaming others for their own problems are customer that I see in other races as well not only the AA and not as a whole. We will be reading our first poem by Langston Hughes tomorrow in class.