Try any or all of them!
Extra CreditOpportunity
Read “On His Blindness.” Identify a theme (a central, unifying idea or underlying message that an author explores throughout a story) that the poet either implies or states outright about blindness, and provide details from the poem that Borges uses to help develop this theme. Length of response: 7-10 complete sentences. This extra credit assignment can be used as a replacement for a grade below 60% on a constructed response or discussion assignment. The poem is linked in the image below.
Extra Credit Opportunity #1
How does Fatima Naoot structure her poem “Blind” to express what the woman experiences before and after her sight is restored? What does the speaker discuss first? What does the speaker discuss next? How do references to the past help create tension in the poem? Is the ending uplifting to readers or disappointing and why? Explain. Length of assignment: 5-7 complete sentences. This can be used to replace any constructed response or discussion in Unit 1 or Unit 2. The poem is linked in the GIF at right.
Extra Credit Opportunity #2:
In “The Blind Seer of Ambon" by W.S. Merwin, the speaker discusses his blindness and his work.
Then, he retells his experiences in the past. At the end of the poem, he returns to discussing his work again. Why do you think Merwin has the speaker retell past experiences in the middle of the poem? What effect does that have on your view of the speaker and his commitment to his work? Length of assignment: 5-7 sentences. This can be used to replace a constructed response or discussion question in Unit 1 or Unit 2. Click the GIF at right for the link to the poem.
Extra Credit Opportunity #3:
Opportunity #4: Watch The Miracle Worker (the link is in the photo at right). Then in a 5-paragraph essay, explain how Helen's parents method of discipline was either harmful or helpful (choose a side and give 3 reasons) for their daughter. Provide examples from the movie as support. Include a counterclaim and refute it with your own evidence and beliefs. This can be used to replace the Unit 1 Argumentative Essay on Outsiders and Outcasts.
Email your answers to mgladney@ccaeducate.me