Achilles' Anger

Why is Achilles angry? What actions has he taken so far in the story? Do you think he's justified in being angry? What is the result of his anger so far? What quotations support your ideas?

Nostos and Kleos

Where have you seen evidence of nostos (homecoming) and kleos (glory) as themes in The Iliad? What are characters' ideas about these things? How does this play out in their actions? What quotations support your ideas?

The Role of Women

What women have we met so far in The Iliad? How are they treated? How do they affect the action? Is the role of the goddesses different from that of the mortals? What quotations support your ideas?

Hector and Agamemnon

How does Hector symbolize home and family? If this contrasts with the approach of Agamemnon, what does he symbolize? What have we seen so far of these two men's characters? What quotations could you use as evidence for your ideas?

Hector and Achilles

What do we know so far about Hector and Achilles? What is Hector's reason for being in this war? Why is Achilles in this war? What are their codes of honor? What quotations could you use when discussing this topic?

Chryses as a Father

We haven't seen much of Priam yet, but we have met Chryses. What is his story in The Iliad? What is he like as a father? How does his story fit into The Iliad? How does it fit with some of the themes? What are some quotations you could use when discussing this topic?

4th/5th Hour: World Events

This week we looked at how people in other parts of the world are reacting to a historic event in the U.S. Now it's our turn to react to a world event. Do a little research on an event that is taking place outside of the U.S. Look at more than one source of information. Then, comment on that event and include links to the pages where you got the information. In your comment, please pose some key questions about the event. See the course website for grading criteria. For example:

According to globalissues.org, there is conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The reasons for the conflict are many and complex. Like many conflicts, they involve politics and competition over resources. The BBC reports that a four-year war began in 1998. A peace agreement was signed in 2002. In August of 2008, rebel forces began attacking Congolese government troops again. A cease-fire was signed in late October, but it has not stopped the violence completely. Meanwhile, United Nations peacekeeping forces are currently stationed in the area to protect civilians. Lately, they too have come under attack and now some people are calling for increased peacekeeping forces in the area (Star Tribune). Will this do the job of protecting citizens or will more peacekeeping forces be unable to do their job until the military conflict is resolved? Is it fair to make civilians wait for safety when the end of the conflict is not in sight? Is it fair to subject the peacekeeping forces to high-risk violence?

2nd Hour: World Events

This week we looked at how people in other parts of the world are reacting to a historic event in the U.S. Now it's our turn to react to a world event. Do a little research on an event that is taking place outside of the U.S. Look at more than one source of information. Then, comment on that event and include links to the pages where you got the information. In your comment, please pose some key questions about the event. See the course website for grading criteria. For example:

There is a conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to globalissues.org. The reasons for the conflict are many and complex. Like many conflicts, however, they involve politics and competition over resources. The BBC reports that a four-year war began in 1998. A peace agreement was signed in 2002. Then, in August of 2008, rebel forces began attacking Congolese government troops. A cease-fire was signed in late October, but it has not stopped the violence completely. Some United Nations peacekeeping forces are currently stationed in the area to protect civilians. Lately, they too have come under attack and now some nations are calling for increased peacekeeping forces in the area (Star Tribune). Will peacekeeping forces be unable to protect citizens until the military conflict is resolved? Is it fair to make civilians wait for safety when the end of the conflict is not in sight? Is it fair to subject the peacekeeping forces to high-risk violence?

4th/5th Hour Haiku Poetry Contest

Compose a haiku and post it in a comment. Remember that a haiku is 3 lines long. The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables, and the third line has 5 syllables. For example:

The black felt tip pen
darkens, blackens the circles.
Red badge: I voted.

Please use imagery and kigo in your haiku. We'll vote on the winner tomorrow.

2nd Hour Haiku Poetry Contest

Compose a haiku and post it in a comment. Remember that a haiku is 3 lines long. The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables, and the third line has 5 syllables. For example:

The black felt tip pen
darkens, blackens the circles.
Red badge: I voted.

Please use imagery and kigo in your haiku. We'll vote on the winner tomorrow.