Sept. 21

Wow! What a day! We did so much. We reviewed the vocabulary, handed out grade slips, discussed the next writing assignment, and started thinking about the upcoming collage that will be due. Oh, and we watched more of the "No Direction Home" video!

For homework, they should do the completing the sentence, get the grade slip signed, and start thinking about the collage.

The next writing topic is coming into focus. As Dylan is portrayed in the video, his writing was not about himself. He was not the star that had to create himself on stage. It was like he was the voice of the people. People insisted that he wrote topical protest songs. He explains that he didn't write topical songs. He wrote what he needed to write. People in the video thought that, in a sense, he channeled the energies of the American people in his songs, America’s collective unconscious. “It had taken all the elements I had ever known to make wide, sweeping statements which conveyed a feeling that was the general essence of the spirit of the times.” –Bob Dylan in the movie.

We already wrote the first part of that quote, all the elements. That was part of the “Hard Rain…” essay in where have we been, etc.. Now we will focus MORE on the what will you do now aspect of the song.

Therefore, I want to make the students become aware of the influences on them through the collage. Then, through some searching, they will respond to this question: What need’s to be written? In other words, after reflecting on everything, what needs to be said by you? It’s like when you have been with friends who are doing something wrong, but you don’t want to say something. You should say something!

The students and will be telling each other what needs to be said, just as Bob Dylan did during his time.