Blogs of War Unit

War Literature

Mr. Varnum, Fall 2009

 

Objective:  The class will create an anthology of weblog selections written by soldiers serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.  Each member of the class will present a selection and lead the discussion on their selection.  We will focus on these questions:

 

  1. What is the writer’s attitude (tone) toward the war, and how is it expressed in the writing?
  2. Does the tone change from the beginning of service to the end?
  3. What moral and ethical choices does war force upon those who serve in it?
  4. How does the war affect those the soldier has left behind?

 

Evaluation

  1. Each student will research one weblog and present it to the class.  The presentation should include:
    1. Information about the author including rank, role, hometown, etc.
    2. Information about where and when the author served.
    3. General description of what the author has experienced.
    4. Three weblog entries (one before or at the beginning of service, one in the middle, and one near the end) read to the class.
    5. An analysis of the author’s tone toward war.

 

  1. Students will produce a written report (2-3 pages, for rubric click here) on their research which they may use during the presentation to the class.
  2. Projects will count as three quiz grades.
  3. All projects are due on September 21, 2009.  Presentations will begin that day.

 

Resources