Writing Prompts

Making connections between what you read and your own life experiences is one important way to call upon and build background knowledge, or prior knowledge, about a topic. The journal prompts associated with each reading selection are designed to give you an opportunity to extend your experience with the topic of the article, and to think more about how it applies to your own life. You may use these prompts to get started, but the purpose of your journal is to write freely. If you find yourself going off in another direction than that indicated by the questions, that's fine. Any connections you can make with the reading topics will be valuable.

Reading One: What Is on the Web?

1. What kinds of experiences have you had using the World Wide Web? Has it provided a source of entertainment, education, or frustration for you? Write about your experiences. Describe the first time you ever explored the Web, your initial impressions, and any questions you have about it. Would you say that your experiences have been mostly positive, or mostly negative? What would you like to see happen with the Web in the future?

If you are not a big user of the Web, explain why it isn't a good resource for you. Lack of time? Difficult access to a computer that can reach the Web? Frustration in finding the information you want? What would you need in order to use the Web more?

Reading Two: The Yellow Ribbon

1. Have you ever had an experience similar to Vingo's? Have you ever had a chance to start over, or been offered forgiveness after making a mistake? Have you ever been the one on the other end, like Vingo's wife, and offered someone a second chance? Describe how either of these situations has affected your life.

2. Near the end of the story, the people on the bus reacted strongly to what they saw outside.

"...all of a sudden all of the young people were up out of their seats, screaming and shouting and crying, doing small dances, shaking clenched fists in triumph and exaltation."

Why do you think the students on the bus became so involved in Vingo's story? What would you have felt if you had been there with them on that day?

Reading Three: A Whale of a Survival Problem

1. In this piece, the author uses many specific comparisons to show the gigantic size of the blue whale. Which of the comparisons was most effective in giving you a good idea of the whale's size? What comparisons can you make to objects around you to understand this concept further? Can you use a car, a bus, your home, or a specific length of distance to measure out how big this is? Why do you think the authors chose to emphasize the size of the whale for this passage?