Final Discussion Response

On your blog, start a discussion about one of the following topics.  Post the topic prompt, your ideas, and at least two questions for classmate response.  

You must comment on two other classmates discussion posts. 

Multiple people can choose the same topic.  

You must reply to a minimum of two of the comments on your own blog discussion topic.  

Topics: 

Be sure to cite specific evidence from the book(s) in your discussion post.  

• Another author might have used these personal experiences to write a novel. If you had been living in Cambodia during this period, would you have written of your experiences as fiction or non-fiction? Why? In drawing attention to a particular event is fiction or non-fiction the most powerful? Discuss with reference to other books you have read yourself or studied in school. (Hint:  Into the Wild!)

• This book is concerned with murder and family tragedy yet some reviewers have written of it as “life affirming”. What do they mean by this? Do you agree? Is First they killed my father a celebration of family life or a criticism of families?  

• The theme of revenge occurs throughout the book. Find at least two specific examples and cite them with page numbers.  In some of these Loung states that hatred is keeping her alive. How do you think she means this? Against whom does she wish to take revenge? 

• Write two paragraphs. In the first write a pen sketch of Loung drawn from her self-portrait in the first two chapters. In the second paragraph describe Loung as she prepares to board the plane taking her from Bangkok to America. How much time has passed since the first paragraph? How has she changed? 

*Your discussion post is due Tuesday Dec. 3 at 8am

**Your comments on two classmates posts are due Thursday Dec. 5 at 8am

***Your replies (2) to classmates comments are due Friday Dec. 6 at 8am

Reading Assignment #5 Response

Orphans

Choose one of the following questions and comment on this post.  Please reference the question in your answer so that it is obvious which one you are addressing.  

1.  In some parts of the book Loung Ung chooses to use italics to tell her story. Why does she do this? In these pages she recounts the murders of her mother and little sister Geak. The chapter ends, “Now it is all real. Now I no longer have to pretend to be an orphan.” Is this a use of irony? 

2.  What has happened to Cambodia? What is the political discussion about? 

3.  Loung, Kim and Chou find a “new family” or do they? What is a foster family? Loung uses the expression “a family of convenience”. What does she mean by this?  

**Due Monday Dec. 2

Reading Assignment #4 Response

The Family Separates

Just as in Reading Assignment #2 Response, comment on this post with your assigned answers.  You may collaborate with your partner to come up with your answer but everyone must post individually.   Please include the question number with your response. 

1. Who are the “Youns”? What are they doing?  JG, LR
2. The children’s mother turns them out of home. She says, “I don’t want you here. You are too much work for me! I want you to leave!” When this happens Loung’s blood “boils with resentment” towards her mother. Why has she acted this way? Do you think Loung’s attitude is justified? Imagine yourself in Loung’s position. How would you feel? HM, LB
3. Loung and her sister wish to join a children’s work camp. Why? What does “Met Bong” mean. At night Met Bong “educates” the children. How? What does she want the children to do? At this time how old are Loung and her sister Chou? When Met Bong tells them that the Angkar loves them and will protect them do they believe her? KH, LR
4. At a new camp site Loung Ung sees a young boy up a palm tree cutting fruit: “He smiles and waves to me, but the cleaver is still in his hand.” Is this the first time the author has noted a smile since the Khmer Rouge takeover? Is the image one of warmth and friendship or does the author wish to convey a warning? How does she do this? KH, LB
5. Who is Pol Pot? Why are children being forced into the army? What are the children being taught about their parents? JG, HM

**Due Monday Dec. 2 

Reading Assignment #3 Response: 2 Part

Words and Images

Part 1:

Choose one quote from this section of reading that you feel is particularly poignant, especially considering what the family goes through in these pages.  Post your quote on your blog, along with the page number, a brief explanation of what is happening at that point in the book, and your personal reaction/take on the quote.  

View at least two classmates quotes; choose one and comment on their post.  

Part 2:

The included photos between pages 110&111 remind us that Ung's writing is not just a story, but a true story which she and her family members lived, along with millions of Cambodians.  Which photo do you see as being most relevant to the story?  Which photo has the most impact on you and why?  Using the caption of the photo to identify it, comment on this post with your thoughts.  

**Due Tuesday Nov. 26

Reading Assignment #2 Response

Life in the Country:

Comment on this post with your assigned answers.  You may collaborate with your partner to come up with your answer but everyone must post individually.   Please include the question number with your response.  

1.    What are “base people”? What is a “Khmer”? Are Loung and her family Khmer?  LR, JG 

2.    “All remnants of past lives to be destroyed”. What does this mean? How is it carried out? KH, LB

3.     The village chief tells the people that “Bright colours only serve to corrupt your mind.” Is this true? Why might he be saying this? HM, KH

4.     The Khmer Rouge attempted to change the spoken language by banning words like Mr and Mrs, Sir and Lord, mother and father. Why did they do this? LB, LR

5.    Under the Khmer Rouge all people are equal. Or are they? How many levels of society are there in the village? Discuss. JG

**Note:  you will have to read a few pages into the next reading assignment to complete all the questions

Due Saturday Nov. 23

Reading Assignment #1 Response

Answer the following in complete sentences in a post on your blog.  Title your post "Reading Assignment #1 Response"

Before the Khmer Rouge takeover:

1.  Would you have liked to have lived in the Phnom Penh Loung describes? Why?

Under the Khmer Rouge: 

2.  Loung interprets the flight from the capital as she experienced it: “Yesterday I was
playing hopscotch with my friends. Today we are running from soldiers with guns.” What has
happened? Does Loung understand why she and her family have been forced from their
home? How does she react to the forced march?

Due Wednesday Nov. 20 (end of class)

Background Assignment: 2 Part

Part 1: Mini-Research Report

Explore the following three topics.  Choose one and research enough to write a paragraph (eight sentence minimum) informative brief.  Include the most important facts you can find on the topic. Be sure to list a full source citation after your paragraph and in-text citations for direct references and quotes.  Post your paragraph on your blog.  

Comment on this post with your topic choice.  Only two people per topic. 

- Pol Pot
- Khmer Rouge
-  The Democratic Republic of Kampuchea

10 pts Due Monday November 18th (end of class)

Part 2:  Research Response

Choose two classmates' posts to respond to (you may choose one who did the same topic as you).  Visit the website(s) they used to research their source.  Then, comment on their post with your own thoughts.

10 pts Due Tuesday November 19th (end of class)

Reading Schedule

Reading Schedule:

Each chunk is about 40 pages, so please plan accordingly for your reading success :)
The Nov. 25 Assignment is longer because it includes the ten page photo section.
Please post any questions about the schedule as a comment on this post.

Reading through p. 43 due

Monday November 18, 2013 

Reading through p.78 due

Thursday November 22, 2013 

Reading through p.143

Sunday November 25, 2013 

Reading through p. 185 due

Thursday November 28, 2013

Reading through p.238 due

Monday December 2, 2013 

author's note...

"From 1975 to 1979--through execution, starvation, disease, and forced labor--the Khmer Rouge systematically killed an estimated two million Cambodians, almost a fourth of the country's population.  

First They Killed My Father  is a story of survival:  Luong Ung's and her family's.  Though these events consitute her experience, her story mirrors that of millions of Cambodians.  

If you had been living in Cambodia during this period, this would be your story too."