Animal Farm

Here is the animal farm project

The Donkey (>_<)

Poetry Out Loud is about taking a well-known poem and making it your own. When you commit a poem to memory, you let every word become a part of you. The words and images in the poem are now ingrained in your brain - connections are formed between your memory of the poem and memories of your own life experiences. This is why choosing a poem that you feel strongly about is crucial to a successful performance.

Write several paragraphs about your poem selection. Include the title and poet and discuss its meaning and its relevance to your own life. Discuss how you intend to convey the meaning of the poem with your voice, face, and gestures. Be specific and detailed in your writing - demonstrate and in-depth knowledge and passion for the poem you have chosen.

The Donkey by G.K. Chesterton
I find it difficult to convey  what I feel about this poem because all I remember is reading the poem and it meeting a few criteria.  Was semi short and looked easy to memorize.  After I began reading this poem several times I realized it has a deeper meaning.  I hope to convey the meaning when I speak in the competition so no point in ruining it now.  As I have continued to learn it is like the poem is speaking to me trying to make sure I know learn something.  But I don't know how long it will take me to understand this.  My time grows short and thus I will not be able to write the "paragraphs" but at least this much is done and I know the reciting of my poem will be good.

Poetry LAME

Mezzo Cammin

Old Ironsides

Nurture

Learning to swim

La Figlia che Piange

Mezzo Cammin is the better of these 5

I do not like Learning to Swim

Mezzo Cammin

It just makes sense to me

Evidence of understanding and Accuracy

Difficulty i don't want to memorize something hard =) also maybe presence

If you screw up its not all over yet.  Present yourself with confidence and class.  Also don't stress over reading a poem.

Stanley Andrew Jackson
Writ on the Steps of Puerto Rican Harlem
by Gregory Corso

Stanley shows confidence in his poem and adds his own flair to the poem.

 Jackson Hille
Forgetfulness
by Billy Collins

 He connects with the audience and the poem is actually funny.

 I am looking forward to listening to other peoples.  But not performing one that I choose.  This shall be a interesting assignment

 

Lobsters anyone?

Write about one thing you found interesting in our class discussions of "Lobsters." It could be an idea brought up in your discussion, the discussion you observed, or a comment made by a classmate that made you think about the poem in a different way.

If you were absent for the discussion of "Lobsters", you may write about last week's discussions of "The Knife."

Write two paragraphs: the first paragraph should describe the idea brought up in discussion and the second paragraph should describe your new perspective on or ideas about the poem as a result. Go beyond the obvious - write about an idea not everyone would think of or that shows a deeper level of understanding.
The main point that kept on coming up over and over again and i couldn't get out of my head was when someone brought up the point of what was happening to the lobsters....might happen to us.  Trippy!  I don't think it's somebody's life ambition to be taken home and cooked and then "served with a sauce of melted butter."  I mean if anyone wants to go ahead and try that go ahead but most of the U.S. doesn't support cannibalism. 

Then i started thinking just because the lobsters died didn't mean that's what would happen to us in the authors perspective.  Maybe like in Slaughter house 5 we will all be kidnapped by aliens.  Or maybe the author is just trying to show people that times are changing and with change people need to re-adapt to the situation.  Change if you will to match the environment.  Anyways that is my 2 cents.

Matt B

Slaughter House 5

How are you enjoying your outside reading book? Write a review of your book so far (if you are ahead of your group's predesignated checkpoints, don't write about anything that someone who's keeping up wouldn't know yet.)

• What do you think of the book? Be specific and thoughtful.
• Choose one literary element that you'll be required to reflect on in your creative project ( plot, theme, characters or setting) and analyze its use in the novel to this point. 
• Also, make a meaningful comparison between this novel and another novel, story or play you have read. For example, maybe both novels deal with a similar theme or have a similar setting. 
• What ideas do you have for a creative project at this point?

Write several paragraphs in response to the bulleted points above.

This book can be described as entertaining, or just plain old crazy.  It has time warps, killing, optometry lessons, and aliens.  All the characters have such a huge importance in this novel.  Without Roland Weary, Billy would never of gotten killed by the "Chicago car thief."

The play that i think would fit this book the most is The Rocky Horror Picture Show if only for, "Lets do the Time Warp."  Every time few pages there is a "Time Warp" where the main character travels in time.  Every time that happens in my head I keep hearing "Lets do the Time Warp."  Very few ideas have been tossed around in my group for the creative project.  Only one has which is the Movie.  Everyone wants to make a movie. 

Themes -.^

This week we will be concluding our study of To Kill a Mockingbird, with focus on discussing themes in the novel and how the other literary elements we've covered contribute to the development of meaning in the novel. Think beyond our class discussion on theme, characterization, plot, conflict and setting and their contribution to the development of symbolism and motif to consider, "what does To Kill a Mockingbird mean to me?"

Whenever you read a novel, you experience it in two ways. First, there is the way the author intended. If you're a careful and critical reader, you'll notice how the aforementioned literary elements work together to send important messages about life to the reader. Second, there is your own personal experience with the novel. You bring your prior knowledge and your life experiences with you as you read - for example, someone who has lived in Alabama or has a lawyer for a parent will have a unique perspective on the setting or characters. Even if you're pretty unfamiliar with the south or the United States legal system, you undoubtedly had moments in the novel that stood out to you due to your own life experiences and your take on the novel is unique.

Think about your own personal reading experience with To Kill a Mockingbird. How did the novel speak to you as an individual? Think about what the novel means to you - go beyond ideas discussed in class and describe your unique perspective on the meaning of the novel. In other words, extend the theme to your own life. What lessons have you learned from the novel? What does To Kill a Mockingbird mean to you? Write several detailed, insightful paragraphs.

Feel free to write with the intent to entertain, however, your post should reflect your ability to read the novel critically and carefully.

This novel had some interesting effects on me.  I began reading this novel out of the sake just to get into honors English.  As i continued with the assignment I would read and try to find excuses so I could continue reading instead of having to do any written work.  As I finished up the book I decided the summer assignment should be finished.  So i worked on it and found myself going back to the book to reread some parts.

I experienced some different situations then other people when they read this book.  My mom is a lawyer and I am constantly informed of her cases as she needs to vent occasionally.  I learned quite a bit of stuff over the years.  One of the main things is that someone is innocent until proven guilty.  In the case of To Kill a Mockingbird that was not so. The citizens seemed focused on Tom Robinson being guilty. 

Boo Radley

Think about how Boo Radley functions in To Kill a Mockingbird as more than just another character. Boo Radley, the mystery surrounding him, and his heroism at the end of the novel help Scout to understand many important life lessons. He is instrumental in Scout's development from childhood to adolescence.

Who or what is your Boo Radley?

What from your own life can you compare to Scout's experiences with and about Boo Radley? Think about someone or something that was instrumental in your development from childhood to adolescence. Ideally this should be something that you initially did not understand, were scared or intimidated by, or that was mysterious to you. Take some time and think metaphorically instead of literally. For example, do not write about a spooky house in your neighborhood that you eventually discovered was normal, etc.

Write several paragraphs in which you explain your experience and how it relates to Scout's experiences with Boo Radley. Your experience does not have to align perfectly with To Kill a Mockingbird. It should, however, reflect original thought and the ability to extend your knowledge of the novel to make connections with your own experiences.

I do not remember much of my childhood.  What I can remember was going to read and feeling like i was in a whole different world.  I did not understand why my life was not like the life's of the people who I read about.  I was confused until i started to understand about genres.  Then I realized that the reason my life was not like the life's of the people in Fiction novels was because it was not real.  Then i started to get hit by the reality that anything i have dreamed up will never happen.

Scout went with a whole different process of growing up then anyone in my generation.  She was able to escape life through acting.  I escaped life through reading.  She did not understand that one person until she was saved by him.  In a way i was saved by facing reality early on.  Scouts learning and mine are different but in some ways related.  In the end we all realize that people are not all good or evil, white or black but a mix.  People are who they are made to be, their individual selves in their own way.

Bloggin from my phone

First assignment =(

"Your first assignment is to write an introduction to your blog. Write about yourself as a reader and writer. What type of English student are you? What will someone who follows your blog expect to see? How will you enlighten the on-line world with your reaction to the literature studied in class? Remember, English is reading, writing, and communication. Attempt to answer the question: what is the meaning of English class? Why is English a four-year requirement for college bound students? How will excelling in English help you become a successful person, both personally and academically?"

As an English student I can be many things.  English to me means grammar, I really hate grammar.  People who follow my blog I expect to be extremely bored, but they might be entertained by the gadget Failblog.  I will probably not enlighten the online world with any reaction through studying the novels that are assigned to us.  The meaning of English is a way through people can convey they're emothions through writing.  The person reading what someone writes can be astounded by the depth of a person created out of pure emotions.  English is a requirement for students going to college mainly because without out decent English/grammar any paper, resume, or job application you write will look like crap.  Excelling in English will improve anything envolving paperwork that could further my life through jobs or colleges.  English can be many things but the most important is how it convey's emotion through writing. imo (in my opinion)