Mar. 19

Mar. 19

Compose an original poem. Choose any form. If you are unsure of where to start, you might try mimicking one of the authors we read over the past week and a half.

 

Speed Guy

There once was guy named Tom

A very reserved guy indeed

And also very calm

There came a day when he skied at a high speed

And tripped over a chain

When he woke up, he did not fell all right

He got up and started walking around to make sure he was sane

But when he walked slow, he went the speed of light

Tom had developed super speed

At soccer, he outran the fastest

And later became envied

Because he was the greatest

He became less shy

And when he ran, he looked like a phantom

Because his speed and reflexes for those of a fly

For this is the story of Tom

Feb. 27

Feb. 27

What are your thoughts about the ending of Romeo and Juliet? You may comment on the way the story ended or you may reflect on your first high school encounter with Shakespeare.

I actually liked the ending of Romeo and Juliet, even though it was sad, because the feud between the two families ended. It was also ironic, because of Romeo and Juliet die. At first, I thought that Romeo and Juliet will be hard to read and understand, but at the end, I started to like it. This novel, greatly improved my reading comprehension skills. Also, the I liked how Shakespeare had a twisted ending, which was not expected (situational irony). Romeo and Juliet did not really seem like a romance/tragedy play, because of the action (fights/duels), and comedy (Ex: Nurse’s sex jokes).

Feb. 13

Feb. 13

Have you ever been to see a play live (other than at Northview last week)? What did you see? Where did you see it? What are the positives and negatives of seeing a live performance in comparison with a film?

If you have never seen a live play, what do you think the major difference in atmosphere might be between a film and a play?

I have seen many plays, but have not remembered the names of them. So, I believe that the major difference in the atmosphere between a film and a play, is that in a film the atmosphere is more lively (background display wise), realistic, and also exaggerated (because of the cameras, editing…), while the atmosphere of a play, is more realistic (because there is not movie editing involved). Another big difference is that the atmosphere of a film is more emotional, while the atmosphere of a play, is less emotional.

Jan. 30

Jan. 30

What do you think of Romeo and Juliet so far? Is it what you expected? If it isn’t, how is it different? What is difficult about reading it? Overall, do you think you will like it or not?

I believe that the novel “Romeo and Juliet” isn’t the best novel, nor is the worst. I think that it is in the middle. I didn’t think that this novel would be like this, because I did not think that there would be sexual humor. I never knew that it would have a lot of inappropriate content. I thought that the difficulty of the book as ok. Some of the passages were hard to read, while some where not. Overall, I will eventually come to like to the novel “Romeo and Juliet”.

Jan. 17

Jan. 17

 

Compose a sonnet.

The Joy of Playing Soccer

For those people who say soccer is so boring

For so it is not as it always does seem

I say soccer is about the ball soaring high

And into the goal as everyone screams

 

Unlocking the love just like a keyhole

Soccer is the sport of the living joy

As the ball soars between the 2 goal poles

Filling life full of great joy like a toy

 

Soccer is the true best sport, unlike chess

Because of the great joy of scoring goals

Showing you to the path of great success

That builds your soul a new and complete whole

 

The sport of soccer is the joy of life

That gives your soul a new and grand wildlife

Nov. 28

Nov. 28

As we have been reading 1984, we have discussed ways in which the government controls us? Are there any real life examples of Newspeak?

 

There are many real life examples, in which the government controls us, just like in the novel 1984. Our society, like Winston’s society in 1984, is constantly bombarded with politics such as on the news, advertisements, posters, and other political propaganda (especially during elections). In Winston’s society the government lies about everything, to the highest extent, and so might our government. Who knows? We might be believing all of what the government says, but it might not even be true. For example, the death of Bin Laden. It was announced by the government that the US’s navy seals had found Bin Laden, and apparently had been killed in the gun fire, but pictures of his death had not been released because of some religious reason. Could it be that the government lied to us and Bin Laden is still alive? Is our government like or becoming like the government of Winston’s government of 1984?

Oct. 31.

Choose a print ad or commericial. Deconstruct the ad by answering the following questions:

1. Who paid for the media?

2. Who is the targeted audience? Age group? Ethnicity?

3. What is the overall message of the advertisement?

4. In what ways is this a healthy or unhealthy example of media?

Media #1- “Careerbuilder 2011 Super Bowl Ad “Parking Lot”:

The company “Career Builder” paid for this commercial ad during the super bowl of 2011, which must have costed a fortune, but worth it.  The target audience is people looking for work. It was not for a specific age group and ethnicity. The message of the advertisement is to use career builder and you will find a job. This is a healthy example of media, because it has humor to it.

Media #2- “Media #2-“Crash the Super Bowl 2010 Finalist – House Rules”:

The Doritos Company paid for the “House Rules” advertisement. Everybody who was watching was the targeted audience, and it was not for a specific age group and ethnicity. The overall message of this advertisement is for you to go buy some Doritos and also don’t let some stranger take your Doritos. This is a healthy way of media, because it is humorous.

The Scariest Movie- Shutter Island- Oct. 17th

Oct. 17th

In the spirit of Halloween and our suspense unit, you have a couple of choices here.

1. Write your own scary short story or suspenseful short story.

2. Tell me about the scariest movie you have ever seen. What made it scary? How did the director build suspense?

The Scariest Movie- Shutter Island

 

 

The movie “Shutter Island” was creepy and a little scary, because of the suspense. It also felt like it was real life instead of a movie. The movie was very creepy, because of the insane/ scary patients in the mental hospital/jail. They would kill anyone who would get into their grasps, that’s why they are locked up mostly the whole time. The movie was confusing, because Teddy Daniels continuously had flashbacks. The movie made me feel like I was actually in there, experiencing the terror. It was like a bad dream which I could not come out of. Also the suspense made it scary. The producer,

Martin Scorsese, built the suspense by producing the movie in 1^st person (personal
prospective), which makes you feel like you are one of the patients, who is insane.

September 19th 2011

E.B. White said “Television hangs on the questionable theory that whatever happens anywhere should be sensed everywhere. If everyone is going to be able to see everything, in the long run all sights may lose whatever rarity value they once possessed, and it may well turn out that people, being able to see and hear practically everything, will be specifically interested in almost nothing.”

Respond to White’s quote. Research has found the average American watches 4 hours of television a day. Do you believe White was correct in his prediction of the effect of television? Have extraordinary sights been cheapened by TV?

 

I agree and also disagree with E.B. White’s quote. I think that it has a positive and also negative impact on our society. First, I think that E.B. White’s quote is true, because too much TV can lead to much more violence, bad language, and also maturity. Reading has much more of a better impact on a little kid’s mind more than TV. You don’t visualize the terror, violence, and bad violence, like on TV. Bad language, and violence, which can be exposed to little children, can be a bad start to the children’s childhood.

Also TV can be very good for a child. It can make the kid more creative and more imaginative, which is perfectly good for a young kid’s development. TV can make more of a picture then reading it. It is good to watch TV for 2-5 hrs a day, but if it gets like very addicting, then it can make the child go berserk. For example, The Discovery Channel is very educational and factual. It is very interesting and is also very educational.

Weekly Blog Prompts

Why is reading important in our society? What kinds of reading are the most important? Do you like to read? Why or why not?

           I think that reading is important to our society, because without reading you would not be able to do be able to survive in the world. Everything in the world, from reading signs to reading college level books, has to be read to know that you are doing. When you go to the grocery store, in order for you to know what is what, you need know to read. When you drive, you need to be able to read signs, such as a STOP sign, no left turn sign, and other signs. Without reading you would not know what would be happening in the world/country. The only way to know the news, if you don’t have a TV that allows you to watch the news, is to read the newspaper. I think that independent reading and read aloud reading are important. I think that read aloud reading is important, because it helps with pronunciation and talking skills. I kind of like reading and I kind of don’t. It all depends on the genre of the book. I like reading, because reading helps you learn new words.