To Banish or not to Banish

While Cole was banished to a remote Alaskan island as a consequence for his actions, banishment is not widely used in Canada, and it appears that banishment has never been used as a consequence for a young Canadian who has committed a crime. Think back to your earlier classroom discussions on banishment, and consider the events of Touching Spirit Bear. Then answer the following questions about the use of banishment:

1. What types of location would be suitable in Canada for banishment? What are the benefits and drawbacks of the locations which you have chosen?

2. Why do you think there has yet to be an instance of a young Canadian being banished?

3. Overall, do you think banishment for youth is a good idea? Why or why not?

Answer each question in a short paragraph (three total) and, as always, include an appropriate image.

LIfe, Death, and Change

In the novel, Cole Matthews suffers a severe near-death experience and his character goes through a dramatic change as a result. After the attack, Cole's view of himself and the world is greatly altered, but what will he do with his new way of seeing and thinking?

Your first task: In two paragraphs, provide a character description of Cole before his attack and of Cole after his experience.

For either case, you could consider: How does Cole feel about himself? How does he feel about power? How does he see the world? Who does Cole blame for his problems? How does Cole view the 'circle of life' and his place in it?

Your second task: In one paragraph, provide your opinion on why the attack happened, who was to blame, and if the attack - while horrible - was a positive thing and if it was need for Cole's change. Explain your opinions.

For all three paragraphs you need to provide supporting details from the novel. Aim for a minimum of five points taken directly from the novel.

Circle Justice

In Touching Spirit Bear, the protagonist, Cole Matthews participates in a healing form of justice known as Circle Justice. Circle Justice is a First Nations tradition that directly involves all affected parties in the justice process. The goal of Circle, or Restorative Justice is not to punish but to heal. The hope is that the offender and the victims walk away from the process better people.

As you learned in the novel, Circle Justice requires the offender to take reponsibility and show remorse for their crime. The sentenceshanded out through Circle Justice are directlt related to the crime. For example, a person who kills an animal may be required to work in an animal shelter.

Over the past few years, Circle Justice has gained recognition in non-Aboriginal communities as a legitimate form of justice. Your task today is to research cases where Circle Justice has been used. You are required to link at least one article relating to Circle Justice to your blog entry and comment on the case.

Possible Topics to Discuss in your blog entry:

1. What was the crime and who was involved? (offender & victim)

2. What was the sentence handed down?

3. How long did the process take? What was the process?

4. Was it effective?

5. Do you believe Circle Justice is effective? Why or why not?

Your blog must be a minimum of two paragraphs.

How to Post a Link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_Justice

Copy the link from the adress bar. Open a new post window and then paste it in. It's a simple as that!

Don't forget to comment on the post!

INTRODUCTION TO BLOGGING

Blogging stands for web and log (which is another word for journal). So, a blog is an online journal. Logically the name should be welogging, but, apparently, blogging is easier to say.

Over the next five weeks you will be participating in a school wide novel study of Ben Mikaelsen's Touching Spirit Bear. Since this novel study is cross-curricular, it will be incorporated in all subject areas, including computers.

You will create your own blog for this unit, and over the coming weeks you will add posts, web links, and images to your blog relating to the novel. This is a graded assignment. The formatting, links, and appearance of your blog will count towards your computer mark while post content (that's what you say) may count towards your English or Social Studies mark depending on the assignment. To view the rubric for this assignment go to the Touching Spirit Bear 9-12 folder in studentshare.

Any Questions? Then to enter the blogarrific world of blogging go to http://www.blogger.com