Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Mindmap Public Link.

Sorry about the whole login/view problems from the link on the last post. Here's the better, workable one:


http://www.mindmeister.com/148707754

Friday, March 23, 2012

Literature Analysis #6: To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee


Plot
-Scout and Jem live with father, Atticus, in Maycomb
-one summer, they meet Dill and plan to get Boo Radley out of his house
-the Radleys have a reputation as being scary or crazy
-when Dill leaves, Scout goes to school and hates it
-Dill comes back next summer and they talk more about Boo Radley
-on the last day of summer, they all sneak on to the Radley property in which Jem loses his pants there
-random acts of kindness start appearing and they all assume it is Boo who is doing everything; Jem tells Atticus about his pants and the gifts in the trees
-despite living in a racist community, Atticus defends a black man by the name of Tom who was accused of raping a white woman
-Jem and Scout get ridiculed about it; the black community takes them in to protect them from such harm
-Dill runs away from home right before the trial starts up
-the trial begins; the town watches over the biggest controversy in the town
-the accusers are Mayella and her father, Bob
-Atticus figures out that Mayella set up Tom and did have an affair with him; Bob covered it all up with rape to make sure Mayella didn't have guilt or shame upon her for committing such actions
-despite all the evidence (including the fact that Bob beat Mayella about the incident), the white jury convicts Tom
-Tom tries to run away from prison but gets shot and dies
-as a revenge plan for causing so much drama with his daughter, Bob harasses Jem and Scout one day walking home
-Boo Radley comes to save Jem and Scout by stabbing Bob 
-when Boo brings injured Jem back to the house, the police cover up Boo's stabbing by claiming that Bob just tripped and fell on his own knife
-Scout sees Boo as a real human being and treats him with great respect and consideration for his actions


Key Factors
-Genre: drama; suspense
-Speaker: Scout in the first person
-Tone: critical and intense throughout the trial, kid oriented overall (due to a child narrating the story)
-Theme: the difference between good and bad morals; the process of understanding right and wrong in a child's eyes
-Foreshadowing: the sad and dreary town represent Tom's tragic conviction and death; Bob's son rudeness in school represents his father's actions; the presents represent Boo's rescue and generosity
-Symbols: Mockingbirds represent a sin if killed by a human (symbol for Tom's death); the Radley house is the key point to a lot of the drama and tension throughout the story

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Socratic Seminar: Part Deux

Summary
-internet=main resource for answers to our problems
-video proved that the internet connects people everywhere
-relates to our blogs by being able to provide a resource to anyone anywhere
-good learning experience by answering questions
-internet brings people together
-learning doesn't just stop in the classroom; everything now is faster
                          
                          "We all have power to make something extraordinary."


-in classrooms, questions end once answered
-panel: open minded, not judgemental, always leaves the question wide open
-we need to be able to break habits of the embedded structure of school
                              ---> it's all a matter of free will and doing things our own way
-people who won't break the mold must deal with doing things they don't want to do because...                                                                                                                                        THAT'S LIFE.
-we can learn to love something if we try
-play teaches us how to find new approaches and help find the aspects to inspire us
-many are bound to curriculum=habitual
-most people don't understand how to learn without structure (brainwashed by the system)
-small flame of passion = success.
-epic fails happen to everyone, even the best 
-ask questions, be involved, choose optimism.


#1
Coming to terms with the last key points of the seminar, I was truly inspired by what was being said. When grades become irrelevant, we can't depend on what's acceptable by what the system has said. An "A" doesn't prove you're right or successful and an "F" doesn't say you did a bad job. After the point where grades don't matter, success will be focused on the epic fails that I learn from. Michael Jordan made this concept famous by saying, "I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." The concept of allowing myself free play will also affect me in being okay with letting go of the stress. In school, we are all so intently focused on what grade we get when it should be more go with the flow. When you have less worries later on in life, it lets you enjoy the simple things. That's what is truly important.


#2
The AP exam is the ultimate test. It doesn't just signify that you understand the material that's been crammed into your head for the last eight or so months, but it can also allow you to skip a couple college courses later on. The concepts introduced made me realize that it's okay to ask a million questions. Sometimes, curiosity needs to be implied without the care of ego weighing on your words. Mastering content is knowing it backwards and forwards with your hands tied; asking questions when in doubt despite what others may think is stupid (or not) is the biggest part of that process. When a test is of that importance, it's okay to "play" around with questions and answers.


#3
The last three points made from this specific socratic seminar as well as the content we researched last night were huge on the inspiration meter: ask questions, be involved, choose optimism. In order to be wise, you must be one to question everything. You need to know that you may not like the answers you find and you must be able to ask things a hundred times over until you fully understand what you need to know. It's inspiring to see people that keep trying to find an answer because their determination is what sets them apart from the rest of the crowd. Getting involved is the second part of developing what your answer to life is. Hands on learning (like free play) can develop better skills for the future. Choosing optimism may not always be easy. In fact, it's the last thing I personally think towards because I don't want to be disappointed in the answer. But not getting what you want proves that it means so much more to keep hunting for what may be right or wrong. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel is the only way to keep on going when the going gets rough.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Socratic Seminar Notes: Part One

1. Video
-www.droppingknowledge.org
-Every issue or problem is brought up with someone asking a question (Why..? How..? If..?)
-Thousands of answers are given, but no one really knows where to start
-Only way to find real solutions is to stop all business and come together to solve the issues at hand
-September 9, 2006-Berlin: Table of Free Voices took place
-Table of Free Voices: a panel of guests from all around the world answer 100 questions submitted by thousands of random people from all around the world 
-Each question is divided into 8 separate themes of global importance
                               1) reinventing economics
                               2) conscious recognition
                               3) politics of violence
                               4) understanding power
                               5) the human footprint
                               6) the new global frontier
                               7) innovation acceleration
                               8) a perceiving eye
-this panel provides universal answers by combining the access with modern technology
-mission: gather multiple viewpoints and to celebrate cultural understanding and diversity
-all answers are on the internet on a Copyleft, which means it is there for society's use
-anyone can use and work with the answers from the website as a source of information


2. Article
-childhood play is important to the development of emotional state, cognition skills, and social skills
-"free play" is rambunctious and unorganized, but is also the most effective form of child learning
-kids who do NOT have free play time may grow up to be more anxious or deadbeat
"free play" allows children to cope with stress and anxiety better later on in the future
-when games has a set of designated rules, kids can not be carefree in their imagination
-"free play" opens up a child's mind to experiment with certain social situations and ideas from the imagination
-kids with "free play" have a more creative perspective on problem solving
-"free play" shows the kids what is acceptable and unacceptable in their surrounding environments
-play promotes better emotional reactions and social learning
-play makes kids anxiety levels decrease quicker than rule oriented games or specified activities
-play encourages intelligence levels in language and overall learning
-many people fear unsupervised play causes physical harm; without the experience of "free play", many kids don't develop good problem solving skills or emotional strength


3. Poem
-learning in a set environment teaches skills
-free play and games without rules don't have exact plans; the kid can develop more creative ideas and responses to certain situations
-play gives a child a new perspective from what teaching or telling a child could


4. Zen
-when asking questions, it strikes curiosity in the mind and brain
-curiosity leads to different ideas and viewpoints to consider for the individual depending on their opinion and insight
-asking questions can lead to multiple understandings, not just one right answer
-being curious can open up one's mind to other questions or information

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Remixing Poetry.


The Soldier by Rupert Brooke

If I should die, think only this of me:
   That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England.  There shall be
   In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
   Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
   Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
   A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
     Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
   And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
     In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

Random Facts
-Brooke died of dysentery and/or blood poisoning from WWI
-Winston Churchill used his death and work as a reason to recruit more soldiers for England
-known as an idealistic war sonnet
-about the experience in WWI
-used by Nixon during Apollo 11




Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen




Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare


Professor Snape (or in the real world, Alan Rickman) reads the famous poem, Sonnet 130:



Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Textbook Remix.

Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen


1. Dramatic situation-the speaker is a third person point of view, watching over the event take place
2. Structure-It has two stanzas; the first has a rhyme scheme of abab while the second goes abba for the most part. 
3. Theme-The theme of the poem is the solemn and melancholy moments of the loss over a soldier. It also talks about the tragedy of this death due to the war.
4. Grammar-grammar seems to be proper with usages of punctuation.
5. Figures of Speech-"their flowers the tenderness of patient minds..." "Die as cattle"
6. Important words-"cattle", "holy glimmers of goodbyes"
7. Tone-The tone is very sad and melancholy due to the sadness in the loss of a young soldier.
8. Literary Devices-imagery, metaphors, similes, etc.
9. Prodosy-The prodosy of the poem tells the depressing story but laying out the setting of the situation with certain images and feelings.


The Soldier by Rupert Brooke


1. Dramatic situation-First person point of view; the narrator is a soldier in World War I, pledging his allegiance to his homeland of England.
2. Structure-Two stanzas; the first has an abab rhyme scheme. The second one has a rhyme scheme like abcabc. 
3. Theme-No matter the outcome, live or die, this soldier's heart will always beat for England and how the country will prevail and keep true to its own ways.
4. Grammar-grammar is all correct. Multiple uses of punctuation.
5. Figures of Speech-"some corner of a foreign field that is forever England"
6. Important words-"Her sights and sounds", "under an English heaven"
7. Tone-very brave and heartfelt for the country's pride.
8. Literary Devices-Personification, metaphors, etc.
9. Prodosy-this poem is a reflection for the honor and respect this soldier has for his country and its survival. It demonstrates great pride in serving his country throughout the flow of his allegiance.


Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare


1. Dramatic Situation-first person point of view about his lover
2. Structure-being a sonnet, it consists of 14 lines with the abab rhyme scheme. It is also written in iambic pentameter, Shakespeare's specialty
3. Theme-this sonnet is a parody of the typical love poem; it talks about the worst things of a woman but goes on to say the flaws are the best part of her
4. Grammar-the poem is written in old English and because of iambic pentameter, the grammar is different than proper
5. Figures of Speech-the whole poem basically shows off different figures of speech
6. Important words-"And yet, by heaven...false compare"
7. Tone-curt and point black; harsh at some points; completely honest
8. Literary devices-imagery, similes, metaphors, personification, etc.
9. Prodosy-the whole poem is pretty insulting to the subject by saying the negative things about her but the conclusion results in his true feelings of love for her.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Mixin' It Up

We had a lot to cover last week. From the end of Dickens to the beginning of poetry and iambic pentameter, class has shifted into AP high gear. In order to "remix" this curriculum, I've put together a few resources in order to briefly summarize what we've really been up to.


To rewind back to the beginning of our Dickens unit, this video is a cute little biography about the famous author, cartoons and all.





The other half of the week we focused on the structure of a sonnet and its specific qualities including iambic pentameter. The idea of iambic pentameter doesn't sound too easy but when broken down, it's all about the rhythm and the beat, for the most part. This video teaches the basics to those who don't understand it altogether:





We lastly discussed the difficulty of writing a sonnet. Some people are creative writers; therefore, sonnets come easily to them. For others, you have to think of it like a song and give it a melody or flow to follow. This video is a Shakespeare sonnet in song form, making it easier to understand the tone and flow of the poem:





That's all for "Mixin' It Up"!

Friday, March 2, 2012

LA#5: Of Mice and Men Briefing.

Prompt: 


1982-In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Choose a
work of literary merit that confronts the reader or audience with a scene or
scenes of violence. In a well-organized essay, explain how the scene or scenes
contribute to the meaning of the complete work. Avoid plot summary.



Paragraph Briefing: 


Even the smallest acts of violence can bring forth hidden emotions and underlying meaning to any story line. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, violence is the source of foreshadowing towards the conclusion of the novella. Every character is affected by these triggers and ultimately kills a little piece of their lives. Lennie, the main cause of the violence, doesn't mean to do anything bad, but ends up doing more damage than he believes is possible for him. These small moments of violence all demonstrate how harmful the harmless can really be and how little of power it takes to put people to the ground. 

Literature Analysis #5.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck


1. Two friends, George and Lennie, travel together from farm to farm in order to find work. George takes care of Lennie, who has some sort of mental disability. They come across a farm in California where they are planning to work after getting chased away from their last job. They get hired and meet the staff: Candy, who is an old-time employee with an elderly dog, and Curley, the boss's strict, mean son. Curley is also newly married to a girl who flirts around with all the employees behind Curley's back, making him constantly jealous and angry with her. In order to avoid trouble, George tells Lennie to keep his distance from the woman and if he gets into any kind of trouble, he should run off to their secret hideaway just to keep safe. George and Lennie go on to meet Slim, a respected mule-driver, and Carlson, a ranch hand. We later find out how George and Lennie got chased away from their last job; Lennie was accused of rape after constantly stroking a woman's dress. In the meantime, Carlson keeps pushing for Candy to kill his old bag of a dog to the point where Candy actually gives in and lets Carlson shoot him. George and Lennie continue to try to keep their plans of owning some land a secret until Candy finds out and wants in. With a bit of consideration, they allow Candy to join them on their pipe dream. At the same time, Curley is going mad over the fact that he can never keep track of his wife and takes out his frustration on Lennie. George then tells Lennie to fight back and he ends up crushing Curley's hand. The next day, Lennie meets Crooks, an African American employee, and they strike up a friendship. The day after, Curley's wife comes to talk to Lennie about how disappointing her life has been since marrying Curley. She ends up letting Lennie touch her hair and when she tells him to stop, he panics and ends up breaking her neck, killing her. Lennie then flees to the secret hideaway while the men find out about the murder of Curley's wife. When George comes to find and console Lennie, he begins to talk about the dream farm as he shoots Lennie in the back of the head. George is left distraught and emotional; the other men don't understand why he feels so horrible and leave him in confusion.


2. The main theme of the novel is the fraternal bond of two men and how important a male friendship can be. This message ties into their dream of owning a farm due to the fact that this dream keeps them together until George realizes the fact that in reality, it may never happen for them. Despite George killing Lennie in the end, he still feels a tight bond to Lennie and realizes the tragic end to their brotherhood.


3. The tone of the novel is very sentimental and at the most important moments, slightly tragic. The mood it portrays gives a feeling of compassion for these two optimistic dreamers who lack a sense of reality. 


-"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place....With us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us."
-"'I don't know why. Maybe ever'body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.'"
-"Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land." 


4. Lit Techniques


Simile
-"At about ten o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows, and in and out of the beam flies shot like rushing stars."

Diction
-"We could live offa the fatta the lan'."

Imagery
"Evening of a hot day started the little wind to moving among the leaves. The shade climbed up the hills toward the top. On the sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray, sculptured stones."

Foreshadowing
-"I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn't ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog." 

Symbolism
-"'Well,' said George, 'we'll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we'll just say the hell with goin' to work, and we'll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an' listen to the rain comin' down on the roof...'"