Blog Post 6: Personal Essay "What does it take to be a defense attorney?"

After listening to episode 7 "The Opposite of the Prosecution", consider what you've learned about what it takes to be a good defense attorney.

Cristina Gutierrez, Adnan's original defense attorney

Answer the following in complete sentences:

• What does it take to be a good defense attorney? 
• What skills, qualities, and personality features do you need to be good at Deirdre's job? 
• In what ways do you think you could do this for a living, and in which ways do you think you'd struggle? 

Post 5: An Ongoing Investigation...

At this point you may have realized...

...that as this podcast was being recorded, Sarah Koenig was in the middle of her ongoing investigation of Adnan's case. She was learning more and more information each week. This means she didn't know the ending of her story when she began. 

This is different type of storytelling than what we are used to in English class. Most authors will have a basic outline or skeleton of a story before they begin. They know the ending. Serial is different. It's like we are looking over Sarah's shoulder as she works on her research.  

At this point, I'd like you to do some of your own research. Find one piece of evidence that you think would be relevant to this investigation. Do some research outside of what is provided on the podcast website --> serialpodcast.org. Get creative. 

Example research ideas: 

• map of an area in the case
• google search of a witness and your findings
• newspaper article from a local paper like The Baltimore Sun 
• locate court documents from the original trial and see what they say 

Think outside the box. 

In the comments below, explain what your research was and how it is relevant to the case. What did you learn? Where did you find the information? 

Post 4: Crazy Meter

In Episode 2 "The Breakup" we learn more about Adnan and Hae's relationship. One of the major questions is : Did Adnan seem abnormally obsessed or crazy? The prosecution will end up saying that he was so disturbed by their breakup that he killed Hae. What do you think? Are the incidents noted in Episode 2 evidence to prove that claim?

My APEX detectives, you are all experts in high school behavior: What did you find normal behavior? What did you think was unusual, abnormal, crazy,  or even psychopathic?

Consider the following incidents:

1. Calling girlfriend "devil" 
2. Calling an ex at 12:30 am on a school night
3. Crashing girls' night
4. Having multiple girlfriends in different towns 
5. Doing a big favor for an ex 
6. Using "kill" in a conversation 
7. Not paging Hae after she went missing
8. Parents crashing the dance 
9. Mr. S finding the body 
10. Buying a fancy jacket for an ex
11. Doodling names 100+ times
12. Aiding crime without telling the police 

Rate them on a scale of 1-10 where 1 means "This is normal behavior. I know someone who would do this" to 10 "This is psychopathic behavior. I don't know anyone who would even consider this."  If you think it is somewhere in the middle (5) i.e. abnormal behavior, but not completely crazy or dangerous.

Where do these incidents rate on the Crazy Meter? 

1 Normal < -------------------------------------------------------------------> Psychopathic 10  

List the 12 incidents in your response and rate them. Choose one that you rated normal (1-3) and explain. Choose one that you rated as slightly crazy but not unheard of (4-6) and explain. Then choose one that you rated the highest on the scale (anywhere from 6-10) and explain your reasoning. Finally, answer the question: Did Adnan seem abnormally obsessed or crazy? Why? 

Post 3: Storytelling

This podcast is created by Sarah Koenig and the Serial staff. 

They have taken one question - 

Is Adnan Syed guilty of Hae Min Lee's murder? 

- and turned it into a 12 episode story. 

In your response to this post, answer the following questions. 

1. Some may argue that this story is almost like a Shakespeare play. Would you agree? 

2. How is this podcast similar or different to other stories or plays you've read or watched before? 

3. List three characteristics this story has with other dramas. 

Next, read your classmates' posts and respond to one. Your classmates have given examples of how this story is or is not similar to a drama. Give an example from the Serial that relates to your classmate's example. 

Post 2: First Impressions

Now that you've listened to the first episode of Serial Season 1, 

what do you think? 

Answer the following questions in paragraph form:

1. What is your first impression of Adnan? Is he a good guy that his "dairy cow eyes" would suggest? When you hear his voice talking with Sarah (the journalist investigating), do you think he is telling the truth?
2. What do you think of Jay? Is he being truthful? Is he lying? Why do you think this?

Post 1: What makes a good argument?

Think about an argument you've observed between two friends. Consider your favorite detective show or movie. Recall a political debate you've seen on tv. 

What makes a good argument?

How does a person win an argument?