Online Writer's Notebook

After viewing Law and Order 's "Nurture," consider the strengths and the failings of the adults in Wendy Sylvester's life: Peggy Sylvester (her natural mother) Beatrice Hines (her foster mother) Arnette Fenady (the poetry teacher).   Who do you think should be granted custody of Wendy?  Should Wendy return to the foster care system for new placement?  Why or why not (given what the episode suggested about this system)?

Of the two media ideals that we've seen so far, of which family would you most want to be a part?  Why so?  [ Discuss particular behaviors and practices here! ] How does this family compare to your own?  Are you attracted by the similarity to what you know or to the difference?  How would your life be different if you joined the Huxtable or Cleaver clan?

1. What personality traits emerge for each of the Cleaver family members--Ward (the father), June (the mother), Wally (the older brother), and Theodore (Beaver, our main character)?  Assess each person and indicate what each does to show these traits throughout the episode. 2. A family dynamic refers to an estimation of how the various family members interact with one another.  Describe the family dynamic here--does this family behave with love towards one another?  Are they respectful?  Are there some members of the family less involved than others?  What do you notice?  Answer with specifics from the episode to verify your interpretations. 3. Who has the power in this family?  (Is it the father?  Is it both parents?  Does one of the kids actually dictate what happens?)  How does this come through in the episode?  Be specific! NOTE:   If you need to view sections of the episode again, a link to it can be found under the "About" tab on Google Classroom.

What is the popular concept of the ideal American family? What do the members of the family look like and act like?  Who is included?  Where to they live?  How do they live?   Why is this the kind of family that fits this concept?  How has this idea formed in your head? Consider your own family:  how does real life compare to the image you've just described?

Why are we doing this?  To develop fluency in your writing To increase idea generation To develop the use of specific examples in your writing To explore fully the concepts that are dealt with in our units and readings The prompt questions are a place to START --they are not where you end.  EXPLORE the topics in full, letting one idea take you to the next.  Speculate, consider, and reconsider--do not offer brief answers to the questions and think you're done--it's not a question-and-answer interrogation session.  It is thinking around a topic , but doing so in writing. Don't stop and edit your thoughts --just keep going and allow one train of thought to connect to another; you may be surprised at the genius that emerges... JUST WRITE!  This is informal writing, so sentence structure, organization, and surface errors are not of concern. This journal is an extension of you, so feel free to design it with your own special touches; you have full creative licen