HOUSE OF SCORPION HOMEWORK AND GRADING

HOUSE OF SCORPION:
The following assignments will make up your grade for this novel:

1. Lit Circles Discussions; individual and group scores. The lowest two scores will be dropped. 20% of grade
2. Individual paper assigned Wed1/21, due 1/27. 20% of grade
3. Group project assigned 1/24, due and presented to class 2/3 and 2/4. 20% of grade
4. Essay paper assigned 1/27 and due 2/4. 40% of grade

You may check your progress for each assignment in mygradebook.com. Choose Lit Skills House of Scorpion as the class. The classword is Frickhouseofscorpion and the password is your first initial and first four letters of your last name.

HOUSE OF SCORPION INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT DUE 1/27/2009

Choose ONE of the following:

1. My Clone: Write and draw a picture of what you would do if you had a clone.

2. RAFT

ROLE: Give advice

AUDIENCE:Matt

FORMAT: Advice column in newspaper (Like Dear Abby)

TOPIC: Choose one:

· What Matt should do about the accusation that he killed Furball.

· What Matt should do after embarrassing Maria at the party by kissing her.

· What Matt should do after Maria left for school

3. TEXT to WORLD connection essay about US border crossing problems in Texas. (Ask teacher for article to read).

HOUSE OF SCORPION ESSAY DUE 2/11/2009

Choose one of the following topics to research and write a 2-3 page essay paper about. Links to related websites that may help you with your research are given for some of the topics.

1. Define Dystopias and Utopias. Give examples of each. Why do we have novels about dystopias? Are they something that could really happen? Do you think the world is heading towards being a dystopia?

The Giver is an example of a novel that is a Utopia. House of Scorpion is an example that is a Dystopia. Can you think of other examples of books you have read for each category?

2. Explain the basics to the science of cloning, what cloning is, How Cloning Works, the future of human cloning, and the ethics of cloning.

3. Explore the Ethical dilemmas of human cloning from the political, scientific, and religious point of view.

4. The country of Opium is dependent on eejits (clone labor) for their success. Compare and contrast examples in human history of groups of people in power taking advantage of "different" people for their own success or for the success of their country to El Patron and his use of eejits for his success.


5. As a clone, Matt is treated as inhuman by most people. Is a clone, created in a lab and born from a cow still a human, or something different? How much of a person's personality is genetic, and how much is environmental?


6. Why is the decision made not to "blunt" Matt's intellignece? Eduardo wonders if he has done Matt a favor and if he will "thank him for it later." Was Matt's life easier or more difficult because his intelligence was left intact? Would Matt have thaniked Eduardo? Why do they blunt the intelligence of all of the other clone?