NTI 2018-2019: Day 1

Standards: RI 10.1; RI 10.3; RI 10.5;W 10.1

SpongeBob's incredible journey to global stardom

By Meagan Flynn, Washington Post

12/04/2018

Image 1. (From left) Sandy Cheeks, SpongeBob SquarePants, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and Patrick Starfish in Nickelodeon’s "SpongeBob SquarePants" cartoon show. Photo by: Nickelodeon

The most beloved cartoon sponge of a generation spent most of his life in a pineapple under the sea. But he was born in a marine biology institute in Dana Point, California, in 1989.

He was just Bob the Sponge then, an actual sea sponge with cool black shades and a shimmering smile. Bob the Sponge had no arms or legs. In his early days, he was only a talking blob, floating in the top corner of a comic book. He narrated the shenanigans of an intertidal pool. This is an ocean habitat home to millions of sea creatures.

"You are about to embark on a journey into one of the most incredible ecosystems on this planet, the Intertidal Zone!" Bob says in the comic's opening frame.

It was a world created by Stephen Hillenburg. He was an imaginative marine biologist equipped with a fresh college degree in marine resources and a love for film and illustration. He made the comic book while working as an instructor and staff artist at the Orange County Marine Institute in Dana Point. He wanted to teach kids about the diversity of the intertidal pools in an entertaining way.

For a time, Hillenburg's comic book creation existed only inside a pamphlet for kids. But within a decade, Hillenburg would transform it into one of the greatest TV cartoons of the new millennium. Bob the Sponge was traded for SpongeBob SquarePants. The Intertidal Zone was traded for Bikini Bottom. And millions of kids and adults alike were charmed into falling in love with a nerdy, neurotic, obnoxiously good-natured, burger-flipping sponge.

Image 2. A SpongeBob SquarePants balloon floats through Times Square during the 2010 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Photo by: Bloomberg photo by Paul Goguen.[click to expand]

Nearly two decades after "SpongeBob SquarePants" hit Nickelodeon, Hillenburg died Monday, November 26. He had ALS. His death elicited an outpouring of tributes from fans who grew up captivated by Hillenburg's zany underwater community. He was 57.

"Our condolences on the passing of Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants. Prior to 1999 when the show first aired, he worked as a science instructor at Ocean Institute, where he touched the lives of many students," the Ocean Institute said in a statement. They were formerly the Orange County Marine Institute. "Through his dynamic career he brought laughter to millions."

In many ways, "SpongeBob" is an amalgam of Hillenburg's passions and life experiences. It stretches back long before he worked at the marine institute in California. He'd always loved the ocean. He spent his childhood learning to surf and snorkel. He also watched "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau." It was his favorite TV show from the 1960s and 1970s. After graduating from high school in Anaheim, California, he spent a few summers working as a fry cook and lobster boiler. He worked at a restaurant in Maine. The experience would serve as the inspiration for Bikini Bottom's favorite fast-food restaurant, the Krusty Krab, and its owner, the avaricious Mr. Krabs.

Hillenburg started working at the Orange County Marine Institute in 1986. And soon his boss encouraged him to put his drawing skills to use with the educational comic book. In Hillenburg's "intertidal zone," Bob the Sponge stars alongside a tuxedo-wearing Rocky the Shrimp. Rocky the Shrimp is his co-host. They visit creatures such as a cranky Mr. Barnacle, a hungry lunch-hunting crab. They also visit a "beautiful sea anemone," who has a hot date with the shrimp.

"This sponge character in my 1989 comic book, along with the undersea setting of the Intertidal Zone, was the precursor to and served as my inspiration for the SpongeBob SquarePants character and animated series," Hillenberg said in 2008. "I picked the sea sponge because I wanted a funny-looking narrator/announcer and because I liked the versatility of the sponge as an animal." Hillenberg said this in a declaration during a copyright lawsuit. A California cartoonist accused Hillenburg of taking the idea of "SpongeBob" from his 1991 advertisement for a "Bob Spongee" doll. Hillenburg and Nickelodeon prevailed in the case.

Hillenburg attempted to sell the comic book to various publishers in 1989. No one was interested.

But it was no problem for Hillenburg. He decided that same year that he wanted to go back to school at the California Institute of the Arts to study experimental animation. The skills he picked up there would eventually land him a job with Nickelodeon. He worked as a storyboard artist for the children's series "Rocko's Modern Life." That's where Nickelodeon would first encounter Hillenburg's initial undersea comic book, "The Intertidal Zone."

"One of the guys saw it and said, 'This should be your own show,'" Hillenburg told the Guardian in 2016.

So Hillenburg started brainstorming. He wanted more of a tiki vibe. This was inspired by a recent visit to Tahiti and a love of Hawaii, he told the Guardian. He started drawing up a new sponge character, starting with more amorphous sea sponges who had stubby limbs and droopy faces. He then turned to the square, kitchen sink sponge. This was more in tune with the squeaky-clean, rule-following SpongeBob he would become. "I thought [it] fit perfectly the innocent, nerd image and the series theme of a character forever stuck between a boy and a man," he said in 2008.

The result was Sponge Boy, the name of the character when Hillenburg first pitched the show to Nickelodeon in 1996.

"Who is Sponge Boy?" Hillenburg wrote in his original pitch to the network in 1996. "Sponge Boy is our hero! He's a single male sponge who resides in a fully furnished, two bedroom... pineapple. He has an abnormal love for his job at 'The Krusty Krab,' a fast food restaurant. In fact, he's so proud of his Krusty Krab uniform that he never takes it off — not even when he showers. His big dream is to capture the not-so-coveted 'Employee of the Month' award. But, because of his overzealous nature and the havoc it creates, this goal constantly eludes him."

He described Squidward, SpongeBob's grumpy neighbor and co-worker at the Krusty Krab, as "the kind of guy who subscribes to Martha Stewart Living." And someone who "conducts along with his favorite Beethoven recordings." He described Plankton, the owner of the failing Chum Bucket restaurant, as "a textbook case of the Napoleon complex." Someone who "talks like Gregory Peck and with perfect diction."

Nickelodeon executives were sold on the spot. Sponge Boy, however, would become SpongeBob after Hillenburg discovered that a mop company had already copyrighted "Spongeboy" for its product.

"SpongeBob" is perhaps most loved for, above else, its naivety and slapstick humor. It revolves around SpongeBob's self-created fiascoes rather than dirty or cruel jokes. Tolerance and diversity have long been central themes. SpongeBob is eager to befriend virtually every living creature he meets (often oblivious of his intrusions). SpongeBob's optimism, Hillenburg said in his 2008 declaration, is intended to "transform the way the audience looks at things, helping them find the irony in even the dullest of life's details."

But the mission that originally led Hillenburg to the Orange County Marine Institute was never far behind either. He wanted to educate young people about ocean conservation and its beauty and all of its endless curiosities. As he told The Washington Post in 2009, just ahead of a release of a "SpongeBob SquarePants" documentary: "People have to come together and realize how important our oceans are. One thing I'm hoping will come out of the documentary is the realization that the show came from something that's precious, and that we need to appreciate it. ...Hopefully, if you watch 'SpongeBob,' you see the plankton and the crabs and starfish, and you'll want to take care of our oceans."

1. What the Text Says

Which selection from the article shows Stephen Hillenburg's MAIN opinion about the original purpose behind the creation of SpongeBob?

A "I picked the sea sponge because I wanted a funny-looking narrator/announcer and because I liked the ​ versatility of the sponge as an animal."

B "I thought [it] fit perfectly the innocent, nerd image and the series theme of a character forever stuck ​ between a boy and a man," he said in 2008.

C "Sponge Boy is our hero! He's a single male sponge who resides in a fully furnished, two bedroom... ​ pineapple."

D “Hopefully, if you watch 'SpongeBob,' you see the plankton and the crabs and starfish, and you'll want ​ to take care of our oceans."

2. What the Text Says

Read the conclusion below.

The character of SpongeBob was created to teach kids about important topics such as tolerance.

Which sentence from the article provides the BEST support to the statement above?

A "But, because of his overzealous nature and the havoc it creates, this goal constantly eludes him." ​ B "SpongeBob" is perhaps most loved for, above else, its naivety and slapstick humor. ​ C It revolves around SpongeBob's self-created fiascoes rather than dirty or cruel jokes. ​ D SpongeBob is eager to befriend virtually every living creature he meets (often oblivious of his ​ intrusions).

3. Central Idea

Which sentence from the article would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article?

A The most beloved cartoon sponge of a generation spent most of his life in a pineapple under the sea.

B In many ways, "SpongeBob" is an amalgam of Hillenburg's passions and life experiences.

C In Hillenburg's "intertidal zone," Bob the Sponge stars alongside a tuxedo-wearing Rocky the Shrimp.

D A California cartoonist accused Hillenburg of taking the idea of "SpongeBob" from his 1991 advertisement for a "Bob Spongee" doll.

4. Central Idea ​ Read the following sentences from the article.

1. He was just Bob the Sponge then, an actual sea sponge with cool black shades and a shimmering smile. 2. In his early days, he was only a talking blob, floating in the top corner of a comic book.

3. He started drawing up a new sponge character, starting with more amorphous sea sponges who had stubby limbs and droopy faces.

4. He then turned to the square, kitchen sink sponge.

What CENTRAL idea does this evidence support?

A SpongeBob’s appearance went through many changes before he became the character people recognize today.

B SpongeBob was first created in a marine biology institute to teach kids about intertidal pools.

C Stephen Hillenburg had a difficult time getting publishers to buy his comic book about Bob the Sponge.

D Stephen Hillenburg wanted to SpongeBob to be a fun-loving character with an innocent personality. ​

Write: This article claims that Spongebob is one of the most beloved cartoon characters of your ​ generation. Do you agree or disagree and why?

Form a claim either for or against and support this claim with 2-3 pieces of evidence. This should be a well-developed paragraph.

NTI 2018-2019: Day 2

Standards: RI 10.1; RI 10.3; RI 10.5;W 10.1

Commercial and critical darling Kendrick Lamar wins Pulitzer

By Mesfin Fekadu, Associated Press

04/20/2018

Musician and rapper Kendrick Lamar (center) won the Pulitzer Prize for music for his album "Damn." Photo by: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File

NEW YORK, New York — Kendrick Lamar won the Pulitzer Prize for music Monday, making history as the first non-classical or jazz artist to win the prestigious prize.

The revered rapper is also the most commercially successful musician to receive the award, usually reserved for critically acclaimed classical acts who don't live on the pop charts. The 30-year-old won the prize for "DAMN.," his raw and powerful Grammy-winning album. The Pulitzer board said Monday the album is "a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life." He will win $15,000.

Lamar has been lauded for his deep lyrical content, politically charged live performances and his profound mix of hip-hop, spoken word, jazz, soul, funk, poetry and African sounds. Since emerging on the music scene with the 2011 album "Section.80," he has achieved the perfect mix of commercial appeal and critical respect.

The Pulitzer board has awarded special honors to Bob Dylan, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Hank Williams, but a popular figure like Lamar has never won the prize for music. In 1997, Wynton Marsalis became the first jazz act to win the Pulitzer Prize for music.

That makes Lamar's win that much more important: His platinum-selling major-label albums including "good kid, m.A.A.d city," and "DAMN." became works of art, with Lamar writing songs about blackness, street life, police brutality, perseverance, survival and self-worth. His piercing and sharp raps helped him become the voice of the generation, and easily ascend as the leader in hip-hop and cross over to audiences outside of rap, from rock and pop to jazz. He's also been a dominator on the charts, having achieved two dozen Top 40 hits, including a No. 1 success with "Humble," and he has even collaborated with the likes of U2, Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons, Rihanna and Beyoncé.

His music, with songs like "Alright" and "The Blacker the Berry," have become anthems in the wake of high-profile police shootings of minorities as the conversation about race relations dominates news headlines. He brought of dose of seriousness to the 2015 BET Awards, rapping on top of a police car with a large American flag waving behind him. At the 2016 Grammys, during his visual-stunning, show-stopping performance, he appeared beaten, in handcuffs, with chains around his hands and bruises on his eyes as he delivered powerful lyrics to the audience.

Lamar's musical success helped him win 12 Grammy Awards, though all three of his major-label albums have lost in the top category — album of the year. Each loss has been criticized by the music community, launching the conversation about how the Recording Academy might be out of touch. "DAMN." lost album of the year to Bruno Mars' "24K Magic" in January.

The rapper, born in Compton, California, was hand-picked by "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler to curate an album to accompany the ubiquitously successful film, giving Lamar yet again another No. 1 effort and highly praised project.

"DAMN.," released on April 14, 2017, won five Grammys, including best rap album, and the album topped several year-end lists by critics, including NPR, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, BBC News, Complex and Vulture.

Finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in music were Michael Gilbertson's "Quartet," which debuted last February at Carnegie Hall, and Ted Hearne's "Sound from the Bench," a 35-minute cantata released last March.

Du Yun, who won the music Pulitzer last year for her opera "Angel's Bone," said she was thrilled about Lamar's win. His second album "got my blood pumping and the video for 'DNA.' made me want to make the music I'm making now," she wrote in a statement. "Freedom of expression is the height of art, and Kendrick Lamar is the embodiment of that freedom."

1. Central Idea

Read the following statements.

1. Lamar's platinum-selling albums feature songs about blackness, street life, police brutality, perseverance, survival and self-worth.

2. Lamar has made history as the first non-classical or jazz artist and most commercially successful musician to win the Pulitzer Prize.

3. Lamar's album "DAMN." was released in 2017 and won five Grammys, although it lost album of the year to Bruno Mars.

4. Lamar was up against Michael Gilbertson's "Quartet" and Ted Hearne's "Sound from the Bench" for this year's Pulitzer Prize.

Which two options accurately reflect the CENTRAL ideas of the article?

A 1 and 2 ​ B 1 and 3 ​ C 2 and 4 ​ D 3 and 4 ​ 2: Central Idea

Read the following two summaries of the article.

1. Lamar recently won the Pulitzer Prize for music for his groundbreaking album "DAMN." The lyrical album, which features influences from hip-hop, spoken word, jazz, soul, funk, poetry and African sounds deserved to win the Grammy for album of the year but was overlooked due to out-of-touch opinions at the Recording Academy.

2. Lamar is the first mainstream artist to win the Pulitzer Prize for music for his album "DAMN." Lamar's songs have become an important part of modern culture as they often narrate the experiences of minorities in the United States. Lamar's win was lauded by previous Pulitzer Prize winners, like Du Yun.

Which option provides an objective, accurate summary of the article, and WHY?

A Option 1; it concisely outlines Lamar's musical influences. ​ B Option 1; it clearly explains why Lamar is popular. ​ C Option 2; it concisely highlights Lamar's greatest hits. ​ D Option 2; it clearly describes why Lamar is influential. ​

3: People, Events & Ideas

Which of the following accurately summarizes HOW former Pulitzer Prize winners feel about Lamar's win?

A Former winners are worried that genres like classical music and jazz will be overlooked in the future. ​ B Former winners are thrilled that Lamar's unique and socially conscious work is being recognized. ​ C Former winners are excited to learn that the Pulitzer Prize is accepting submissions from more genres. ​ D Former winners are confused by the different opinions of the Pulitzer board and the Recording ​ Academy.

4: People, Events & Ideas ​ Which of the following ideas did the author develop LEAST in this article about Lamar's Pulitzer Prize win?

A who won the Pulitzer Prize for music awards in the past ​ B why Lamar's music is considered important today ​ C how Lamar's performances have been groundbreaking ​ D how Lamar's childhood influenced his writing ​ Write: The Pulitzer Prize is a prestigious award only presented to the most accomplished works in the ​ art world. Is this the type of award that should be given to a pop culture/hip hop artist? ​ ​ Form a claim based on your side of this topic and support this claim with 2-3 pieces of evidence. This should be a well-developed paragraph.

NTI 2018-2019: Day 3

Standards: RL 10.1; RL 10.4; W 10.9

Hayes Davis is a writer whose first book of poetry “Let Our Eyes Linger,” explores themes of family. In the following poem from the book, a speaker describes visiting their grandmother at a nursing home.

All answers should be in complete sentences.

1. As you read, annotate for how the speaker describes the grandmother’s illness.

Nursing Home by Hayes Davis

Mommy De recognizes my diploma. Her smile reaches her eyes, she parts her lips, and mumbles a string of words her mind has tried to sort into a sentence—she’s almost as happy about my degree as she was when I walked in the room. I think of the day my mother received her Master’s from Penn, and I’m glad that my grandmother could speak her joy clearly then. As pleased as I am that she can spill messy, jubilant recognition ]when I come to visit, I feel a little guilty that mom has to call herself “Bethy,” to answer the inevitable “Who are you,” coax a smile of semi-memory. The fact that Mommy De recalls my face, if not my name makes me uneasy when I think of my uncle Conrad who is never “Henry,” “brother,” or another alias used to mask the disease, just a man with a beard who never stays for as long as he has driven to visit. Even my aunt Annette, who shares that name with her mother, lives in the same city and visits more often than me is never someone Mommy De knows on sight. I put my diploma away, produce graduation pictures hesitantly, reluctant to identify three children to their mother.

“Nursing Home” from Let Our Eyes Linger by Hayes Davis. Copyright © 2016 by Hayes Davis.

2. In the context of the text, what makes a family? How are the relationships of the speaker’s family impacted by Mommy De’s memory loss? Has a family member of yours ever struggled with illness? How did it affect you and your family?

3. In your experience, what does it mean to grow up? How do you think the speaker in the poem manages the memory loss his grandmother is experiencing? In what ways have you had to grow up in your relationship with friends and family members? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer. Be specific and thorough.

4. What is the TONE of this poem?

5. WRITE: How do you know? What builds this tone? In a well-developed paragraph, write your ​ answer. Start with a claim about what the tone is. Next, prove that tone builds through the text. Cite specific evidence to back up your answer.

NTI 2018-2019: Day 4

Standards: RL 10.7; RL 10.9; W10.2/10.

Below are two different depictions, one old, one modern, of Antigone with her brother, Polyneices. Look at both images and answer the questions that follow.

What do you see? Concrete and literal items.

What do you think when you look at this? What inferences can you make about this moment?

What do you feel when you look at this? Why is this image important? What is the point of this image and presentation of this image?

What do you see? Concrete and literal items.

What do you think when you look at this? What inferences can you make about this moment?

What do you feel when you look at this? Why is this image important? What is the point of this image and presentation of this image?

Write: Bringing this together: Final Question over BOTH images: Compare and contrast these ​ images. In what ways are these images the same to you? In what ways are these images different? How are these images conveying the story of Antigone? Why is that important?

NTI 2018-2019: Day 5

Standards: RL 10.10

1. Read your independent reading book for AT LEAST 20 minutes.

2. Next, write AT LEAST a half page response to ONE of the following prompts. Use appropriate paragraphing and be sure to identify the title and the author of your book in your response.

● What type of reader would enjoy this book and why?

● If the book were set 50 years in the future or the past, how would the conflict

change?

● If you could be related to a character, who would it be and why?

● If you could step into the book, what’s the first thing you would do?

● If you were making this book into a movie, what part(s) would you cut out or

change? Why?

● What questions in this book would you like answered?

● Do any of the characters remind you of friends, family members, or classmates?

Explain.

● Which character would you like to be in this book? Why?

● What would you and your favorite character talk about in a conversation? Begin

the conversation. ● What is the most important sentence/paragraph/passage in this book? The most

important event or feeling? Explain.