Sample Blog Prompts, as collected by 803, 806 & 809

Character/Protagonist Questions: 

• Describe your protagonist.  In what ways do you relate to him or her? Be specific and explain. 
• Who influences your protagonist? Is the impact of that influence positive or negative? Do you see similar things at work in the lives of your friends and peers? Explain.
• Describe a character relationship that has evolved or changed over the course of the story.  Do you think that all relationships change over time? Why? How? Or why not? Explain.
• What kinds of things are preventing your protagonist from getting to the resolution? Why? Do you think conflict has an impact on emotions? How?
• How did your protagonist change by the end of the story? Was it for better or worse? What does this teach you about character change in the lives of real people? Yourself?

Conflict/Resolution/Theme Questions: 

• Describe both the internal and external conflicts in the story.  Do you agree with how they are being handled? Explain. Can you relate?
• Why do you think the story resolved the way it did What theme did it reveal? Did you like the ending? What does it teach the reader about life? 
• How would you rewrite the ending or a scene? Why? What would that change about the theme and what a reader would take away? 

Zooming in On Details Questions:

• Describe/quote some imagery you found that feels symbolic.  Unpack it in the context of the story and the real world.  What is symbolized?
• Quote a line from the story that really spoke to you personally.  Unpack it and describe why. 
• What were unique craft moves the author used to get you thinking? Describe/quote them and explain how they worked.  How did this author inspire you as a writer? 

Need nonfiction reading?

Here are some articles and sites to get you started for your nonfiction reading.  Also, ask your family what they tend to read online.


I love to browse around the online magazine Good:

Here is an article about hoodies in response to the death of Trayvon Martin in Florida.


Here is an article about an essay a 13 year old in Rochester wrote in response to The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass that caused quite a stir.


My favorite column they run is called People are Awesome.  Browse some of their stories about everyday heroes.

One of my favorite columnists on The New York Times is Nicholas Kristof:

Browse through his various columns that most often deal with social justice and find one that sounds interesting to you.

NPR (National Public Radio) offers both written and spoken articles.

Here is one about the rise of Young Adult Literature in movies or browse around the site to find something that interests you.

Sports writing your thing? 

Here is an article about how Ohio State beat Syracuse to head into The Final Four.  Or, browse how people analyze your favorite teams.

Prompts to help you get started on your post...

This post takes the same material that we covered earlier in the year--that I posted HERE--in question form, just in case you are having a hard time getting started on your posts each week. 

• What is the major conflict of the book? How is it resolved? What theme or message does this reveal to the reader?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the protagonist? How do they help or hinder him/her during the rising and falling action? What kind of emotional journey has your character had in the story?
• What antagonistic forces seem to be working against the protagonist? How does the protagonist deal with them? Does he/she learn anything from them?
• Have you come across a deep "loaded sentence" that requires unpacking? What does it mean?
• If the setting is significant and symbolic, describe and unpack it.  Why do you think the author created this place to tell the story?

As always, please come during zero period if you need help developing your blog posts.

Tips for elaboration in paragraph two:

• cite more than one piece of specific evidence that supports your idea
• unpack the evidence thoughtfully: word choice, emphasis, figurative or symbolic choices

Social Action Wrap Up/Nonfiction worth checking out

I have read and been inspired by a number of social action stories this week.  Here are links to read and discover on your own.  If you are moved by one, please write your next blog post in response.

Anonymous Donors Pay Off Kmart Layaways

Time Magazine names "The Protester" their Person of the Year.  Click HERE for a photo essay of 35 different protesters.  Click HERE to read the stories behind this choice.

Google just donated millions of dollars to help fight human trafficking. Read the story HERE.

Google's marketing campaign to raise awareness also includes a Slavery Footprint interactive tool for individuals to become educated on how people are contributing to modern day slavery.  Visit Slavery Footprint and check it out for yourself. 

A Letter to 804

Dear 804,

As I've been reviewing your blogs, I've noticed some improvements.  Most of you are trying to write in paragraph form, many are including interesting titles and I noticed some interesting comments.  I want you to continue to grow as writers, though, so here are some updates for you  and some examples of All-Star-Mentors...people in your class who are doing their reading response/blog work really well.  

• Most importantly, your blog needs to be about a theory you have about your book.  This is designed to build on what we covered in our very first unit.  I would now like for you to check back at this post every week and choose one of the 9 options to try out for you post.  Include the option you are trying out as a label to your post.  
• Remember, retell should only be used to give context for your ideas.  I do actually read your posts:) I can tell if you just wrote three paragraphs of retell!  
• Please, please write with an academic tone.  It can still be personal, but the work you post should represent your best self: capitalization, underlining or italicizing titles, etc.  

All Star Mentors from 804: 

Anouk did a great job about writing a post about Tina Fey's Bossypants that encourages conversation! She pulled out something that made her think deeply and wrote about it in an engaging way. 

I challenged Mark to write a blog post explaining why so many 8th graders still love the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, even though it's below your reading level.  He did a great job explaining and if you read all of his posts you can tell that he takes time to think of a thought-provoking topic.  

I am looking forward to reading posts that challenge me to look at the world in a different way or open my eyes to new insight! 

Sincerely, 

Ms. Robbins

What do I write about?

Here are some of the notes you took in our first unit that will help you find a topic to write about: 

1.   In life, conflict (and how it is dealt with) causes change in a person (for better or worse). Reading and studying characters helps us tap into the pulse of humanity.  

2. Protagonist-the main character in a literary work (not necessarily good or bad, which means you have to be a careful reader!)

3. Antagonist-the person or forces who oppose or contend with the protagonist (sometimes the antagonist can be like an inner voice or an unseen force…be a careful reader!)

.     4. Unpacking a “loaded sentence”

5. Noticing your protagonist’s journey: task, quest, loss of innocenceinterpret your protagonist’s emotional journey: 

• what positive people/events impacted him/her most?

• what negative people/events impacted him/her most?

• how is your character different now? What did he/she learn? What did the journey accomplish?

• extend your ideas to LIFE and humanity: what does this journey teach you about living

6. Noticing character patterns-archetypes

• The hero-displays courage, self sacrifice and is not perfect
•  The mentor-assists/guides the protagonist, symbolizing wisdom, knowledge, experience  
• The shadow-creates tension in story and represents the darker side of human nature  
• The shapeshifter-a character who keeps changing sides; can’t make up mind; represents uncertainty.

7. Theme: the statement about life that an author wants to share with the reader

8.  Cross-book inquiry: Make connections between your book and another you’ve read

    9. Setting-what aspects of the setting are significant and symbolic?

     10. Approach the book like an appreciation: what did you appreciate (or not appreciate) in your book?