Chapter X (10)


Journal Questions:

1. MISSING THINGS.
What two everyday items come up missing in this chapter? Who notices them? What possible reasons could there be for them being missing? If they were to be used for some evil purpose, how could they be?


2. BRENT'S GUILTY REVELATION.
What evidence is there that Miss Brent feels guilty for Beatrice Taylor's suicide? Describe the evidence and elaborate as to why it reveals her sense of guilt.


3. PREDICTING DISASTER.
At this point in the story, according to the nursery rhyme, how will the next victim die?  Using that line in the rhyme, take a guess as to who, what, when, where, and how it will go down.

Wednesday, 5/30/12

Chapter IX

Journal Topics 

1. STAYING INVESTED

One of the biggest challenges when reading an assigned book is staying invested in it. By invested, I mean caring about the story and being genuinely interested in what's happening to the characters.

Some people are already put off by having to read a book that they didn't choose, but go ahead and try to have an open mind about it. Then at some point they either get hooked and actually want to read the book, or they don't.  If they don't, it can make the remaining work very difficult.

Question A:  Is it easier to be successful with a book you naturally like? Why?

Question B:  Can you realistically expect to like all the books you're being assigned to read?

Question C:  If you don't like the book and lose interest, what is the possible downside for you?

Question D:  Finally, what can you do to prevent that from happening? In other words, how can you get yourself back into the zone of actually being into the book?


2. LOMBARD FESSES UP

Question E:  Lombard has been keeping a secret from the others. What is that secret?

Question F:  Why do you think Lombard "comes clean" about the nature of the invitation he received to come to the island? What does he stand to gain or lose by disclosing this information?

Tuesday 5/29/12

Chapter VIII

Journal Questions:

1. MACARTHUR AT THE BEACH. At the beach MacArthur has a very different perspective about the current situation than Vera does. How does he see their situation? Pick a line of dialogue that MacArthur speaks that captures his thoughts on what is going on. There is one particular line that is very chilling -- see if you can find it. You only need to pick one.  Why do you think he feels this way? What in his past or in his life might motivate him to have this outlook?

2.  FINDING THE THEME

A)     Copy down the definition for the literary term "Theme" in your Language Arts textbook (The Language of Literature) on page R164.

Theme is often revealed through profound, universal statements made in dialog.

Theme is best demonstrated  through the actions and consequences of the characters.

Theme more often than not focuses on the meaningful choices that characters make despite their circumstances.

B)  Based upon this definition, come up with at least four different, possible themes of our novel so far?  Focus on the overall story.

C)    Now, choose what you think is the strongest theme for And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and explain your thinking.  

     How is this theme demonstrated in character decisions, actions, or dialog?  

     For help, go back to the definition above and recheck if your four themes really can be considered to be "themes."

      Be an original thinker.  Don’t look online for “the answer.”  Instead, use your OWN thinking and perspective.

Friday 5/25/12

Chapter VII Journal Questions

1. ATTWN - The Soundtrack. Sometimes it helps to listen to "mood music" while reading to help your imagination to really feel the tone of the novel.  Is there a particular song or soundtrack that you can think of that captures the mood for you? If so, what is the title of the music and the composer/performer? Why does this song fit for you?


2. A Searching We Will Go. Why do Lombard, Armstrong, and Blore decide to search the house and the island? What do they hope to accomplish? What is their plan and what will they do if they succeed?

3. Author's use of Imagery. Read the following passage from chapter 7:

"She turned her face to Vera. There was no self-reproach, no uneasiness in those eyes. They were hard and self-righteous. Emily Brent sat on the summit of Indian Island, encased in her own armour of virtue."

Expand on what Agatha Christie is telling us about Brent in this passage. Based upon this description, how would you describe Emily Brent? What kind of person is she?

Thursday, 5/24/12

Chapter VI Journal  Topics

—MAKE-OR-BREAK RELATIONSHIPS. In a survival situation, what kinds of relationships a character forms with others may hold the key to whether they survive or die.

A.   AN ALLIANCE. Name two characters who appear to have formed an alliance. Support your idea with evidence from the text. Speculate as to why they appeared to have formed a bond.

B.   AN OPEN DISLIKING. Name two characters who appear to not like each other very much. Support your idea with evidence from the text. Speculate as to why they appeared to have a strained relationship. 

C.   A LONER. Name one character who appears to be going it alone, neither attempting to form alliances nor making any enemies. Support your idea with evidence from the text. Speculate as to why have they appeared to have chosen to avoid forming relationships with others.

Wednesday, May 24, 2012

Chapter 5 Journal Topics (do all three)

1.       1. EXPLORING MORTAL FEAR. Vera fears for her own life. What kinds of behaviors, emotions, or ways of coping do people express when they realize that they might die at any moment? How might it change people's personalities? Is it possible to face eminent death in a positive way? Would most people do so? Finally, if you knew you were in very real danger, how do you think you might react?

2. WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT MEAN? When you come across a word or a reference that is unfamiliar, how do you handle it? Be honest. What are the benefits of using this strategy? What are the consequences of using this strategy? Can you use this strategy all the time, or only sometimes? Explain your reasoning.

 

3.ATTWN MASH UP. If you were to take the And Then There Were None story template and translate it into another setting with different characters, what would the story be like? 

It could be another fictional world (like Harry Potter, Glee, or the X-Men), or maybe it could be something non-fiction (like your school, your track team, or American Idol. ) You decide.

Who would be the suspects? Where would they be isolated? How would the poem go (Ten Little Wizards?  Ten little Gleeks?) How would the story be different or the same?

This should be a fun assignment, so be creative and let your imagination run wild!

Just don't offend anyone (especially your teachers and your friends)

Describe how it would be.

5/22/12 Tuesday

Chapter IV

Journal Questions

1. Getting into their "head space." Notice how from time to time the author chooses to go into the internal world of her characters, sharing their thoughts, dreams, hallucinations, and feelings. Examine one particular incidence of this that happened in the last 4 chapters by...

a) ...naming the chapter the event occurred in and the name of the specific character

b) ...explaining where they were physically in the reality of the story world at the time (one sentence)

c) ...explaining what was going on in the character's mind:  where were they in their head?  Who or what were they thinking about?

d) ...explaining why this is an effective tool for storytelling.  Why does Agatha do this? What do we gain as readers?  How does it improve the story?  Why does she bother?

2. Reactions and Accusations. Track how each character (that's EACH character) reacts to their individual accusations of murder on the gramophone. Who takes responsibility? Who makes excuses? Who blames others? Explain each character.

3. So... Whodunnit so far? At this point you are probably already suspecting someone of being the killer. Who is your current pick? Give three intelligent, well thought out reasons why they are the most likely candidate at this time.