ELA-8 Gunn Blog

There are 2 types of heroes: Selfish (Intentional) Selfless (Unintentional) Define each . Which type of heroes did Johnny and Ponyboy look up to and want to become? How do you know?

In what ways does reputation distort/change the way we view people? How does respect for oneself affect one's level or respect for others?

Do you think the teens on the east side of town receive different kinds of opportunities than the teens on the west side? Do they face different obstacles? How about in Hayward? Does where you live make a difference in the opportunities and obstacles you face? Explain your way of thinking.

Do you belong to an exclusive group of friends? How does your group of friends influence your life? How can we have exclusive groups of friends (which is natural and normal) without making others feel excluded? How might one’s circumstances affect his/her friends?

Do people naturally fall into groups that don’t get along?  Why might they do that? List some examples of groups that don’t get along.

How does being an outsider affect a person? Is one social class better than the others?  Why or why not?                                              

What is an outsider? Describe a time when you  felt like an outsider.

Just as we can learn from our past and the choices we have made, can we learn from the choices others have made? Who have you learned from?  Could you even learn from the choices characters make in a book or movie?  Explain.

Tell me a time you had to make a difficult decision.  What was the situation?  What did you choose to do?  How do you think your life would be different if you had chosen differently?  Do you ever wish you had chosen differently?  Why or Why Not?