TKAM Blog Post #1: Chapters 1-7

Prompt 1:

In the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Dill said, “We’re asking him real politely to come out sometimes, and tell what he does in there - we said we wouldn’t hurt him and we’d buy him an ice cream.” “You all’ve gone crazy, he’ll kill us!” Dill said, “It’s my idea. I figure if he’d come out and sit a spell with us he might feel better.”. This shows that Dill doesn't feel that Boo is a "malevolent phantom" (8), and also shows Dill's determination to find the good in people. In addition, in chapter 7, Jem said, "When I went back for my breeches—they were all in a tangle when I was gettin' out of 'em, I couldn't get 'em loose. When I went back—" Jem took a deep breath. "When I went back, they were folded across the fence. . . like they were expectin' me." This also alludes to the fact that Boo Radley isn't a mean person, as there is no one else that would be able to sow up his pants. The presents left in the knot-hole also alludes to the fact that Boo Radley wants to befriend the Jem and Scout. A clear thematic idea shown in the book is that "We only fear what we don't understand" (Dan Brown) which is the case in this story, as Jem and Scout don't understand or really know who Boo Radley is, and therefore fears him.

Q1 Formative Assesment Reflection

FORMATIVE LANGUAGE REFLECTION
Everything went well except for the fact that I used "still" twice in a sentence, which made it repetitive. I could also try to incorporate more things into the sentences. One goal I would have would be to use all the types of compound sentences, not just 2.

FORMATIVE SPEAKING AND LISTENING REFLECTION
Everything for this went well, except that next time I should invite people into the conversation, and ask a question to do with the book. Two goals that I would set for the next speaking and listening conversation would be to invite people into the conversation, and also ask a question to do with the book.

FORMATIVE READING REFLECTION
I think that most of the reading inferences were good, except for one where I didn't find the right text evidence for one of the statements I made. I could elaborate a bit more on some of the inferences I made, and add more text integration techniques. The theme statement was also effective, but I could have added one or two more words to it.

I think the most challenging part of the discussion was digging deeper into the topic as everyone was only scratching at the surface of the story/theme. Our group eventually managed to dig deeper, which was a good thing. One thing I will do differently in the next discussion would be to ask more questions, and also increase the amount of text evidence that I talk about. The best thing that I observed during the discussion was that the reason George asked Lennie if he got in trouble to go back to the brush (where they were when George asked Lennie) was because (symbolically), if they were to go back there, they could continue from where they left off like nothing happened in the farm they were about to go to. 

Belief Systems

Human belief systems are something many people believe in, and they can come in many forms - religious, philosophical, or even just the idea of something. One value I believe in would be trustworthiness and loyalty, because without that it is hard to function in society. For example, if you are under pressure with an assignment or a project, and you needed a bit of help, if your friend was loyal or trustworthy, then it would be much more helpful. Family is also one thing that requires trust and loyalty. If this does not happen in a family, it could collapse.  I don't really have an artefact or symbol that shows my value or belief, as I am not religious, and I can't really represent what I value in just a simple object. Mostly, my values and beliefs have come from how I have grown up and the environment I have been exposed to.