Expert Project

So far I am very impressed with the results of our 'Becoming an Expert' project. For an example, check out Adora's blog. Good job citing your references, Adora. I also really love your humorous asides.

Poetry is a pastime-posted by Adora and Felisa

Poetry is...
a pastime.
Poetry is...
a summing up.
Poetry is...
a medium to vent our emotions.
Poetry is...
a potential political or religous weapon.
Poetry is...
a caricature of life.
Poetry is...
life condensed.
Poetry is...
canned life.
Poetry is...
a doorway.
Poetry is...
a paradox.
Poetry is...
a collage.
Poetry is a pantheon.
Poetry is...
monkeys crying sorrowfully above.

Link

link name
Watch Adora on Adora TV

wikipedia.org

Today's Activity

Activity: Update

Now that you are well on your way to becoming an expert on your subject, it’s your job to keep your readers updated. Take some time today to read about your subject in one of your books, or via your Google alert feed. Share your information with your readers.

First, answer the following questions:

1. What new thing have you learned regarding your topic?
2. Where did you learn it? (if website, include link)
3. What does it make you think of?
4. How does it make you feel?
5. What new questions does it raise?

Now, open a blog post, title it ‘Update’ and transcribe your answers into your post in complete sentences.

When you are done writing, use your self-editing checklist and publish. If you have time, visit your classmates’ blogs and read their posts. If you have any questions about their posts, you can leave them in the comments section.

Time Capsule

Have you ever wondered what goes on in the Czech Republic? Or are you thinking "What the heck? Where in the world is the Czech Republic?" I've got the answers to both of those questions, and quite a bit more. The Czech Republic is located in Europe, South of Germany and Poland. It used to be connected to Slovakia (which is right next to the Czech Republic), so the Czech Republic used to be called Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic's people speak Czech (of course). The Czech Republic holds many ancient castles and buildings; it is a country filled with history. Most people in the Czech republic play violin. The Czech Republic is a country filled with culture. I chose this topic because I believe that the Czech Republic is a very interesting country. I also chose to write about the Czech Republic for my topic because some of my ancestors came from the Czech Republic, and I thought it would be nice to know more about the Czech Republic.

My questions about the Czech Republic: What kind of architecture is predominant in the Czech Republic? What are some historical sites in the Czech republic? What words are hardest for Czech children to learn? What artists have come from the Czech Republic? What kind of food is in the Czech Republic? What inventions have Czech people made?

Menu
Soups
zelná polévka (sauerkraut soup)
bramborová polévka (potato soup)
česneková polévka (garlic soup)
koprová polévka or koprovka (dill soup, made from sour milk)

Side Dishes
vařené brambory (boiled potatoes)
houskové knedlíky (bread dumplings)


Desserts
borůvkové knedlíky (blueberry dumplings)

Blog Evaluation

Have you ever read a blog with borders that looked like sweaterneck designs? If so, I sympathize. The blog www.instapundit.com, a political blog, is not only fringed by these drab borders, but flashy ads matching its sensationalist tone. I was not impressed by www.instapundit.com, and I realized the importance of choosing designs and advertisements with taste.

One blog that I found particularly interesting was www.worldhistoryblog.com, about, evidently, world history. Their sky background is nicely staying in the background and not drawing attention away from the subject. The unobtrusive sky colors of blue and white also compliment the blogger's speculative tone. I liked the subject matter but I was disappointed that many posts were articles he recommended that were written by other people, instead of his own work. This blog helped me learn that displaying your own work makes your blog more unique, and that images are essential to helping readers get a good grasp on the subject matter.

Www.classic-literature.blogspot.com, a blog about classic literature, has a lack of images and is set against a plain dark blue background that emphasizes the blogger's serious tone. I felt that the blogger did not address us and I was somewhat pushed away. I thought that the blog, while focusing on interesting subject matter, was slightly boring. I knew after reading this blog that addressing your readers or their key interests directly helps "pull people in."

Blog Eval

Blogging is about more than just creating an online journal; blogging is about communicating with other bloggers, and learning new things from the feedback you receive in your comments section. Exploring other blogs is a part of being a successful blogger. We can learn from other blogs. Which blogs do you like? Which blogs do you dislike? Why?

Activity:

Vocabulary:

Tone- the characteristic style of a piece of writing, the way somebody says something

Examples: optimistic, pessimistic, light-hearted, gloomy, casual, formal, academic, gossipy, sarcastic, warm, serious, facetious, dramatic, dry, outraged, enthusiastic,

1. Visit a blog that specializes in a specific topic.

2. Explore the blog for a few minutes. If you like it, stay a little longer.

3. Answer the questions below.

4. When you are done, continue exploring the blogs on your blog list. In your notebooks, answer the blog eval questions for each blog.

Blog Eval Sheet-

1. Name of blog:-----------------------------------------------

2. Is the blog visually appealing? ---------------------------

3. Are there many images? ----------------------------------

4. Do you like the way the blog looks?--------------------

Describe the way the blog looks:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. What is the blog’s primary topic? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. What kind of tone does the blogger use? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Labor Lecture

My hands are cracked and dry...
sweat cascades down my face like tears,
my eyes hanging low, drooping with tiredness,
and pain echoes across my eyes,
so sore and sleepy...
I have been staring, concentrating for so long
on the task not yet completed...
But completed so many times before,
completed again, and again,
the same thing
over, and over again.
Something scratches my hand
like sharp pebble,
I take no notice...
it is only a scratch. My hands are
already
cracked, dry,
wasted.
They've no use
but for work.
The same thing,
over and over again.
The hot, stuffy air brushes
my face. I inhale stiffly...
the air smells of stale sweat and pain and sadness.
I keep working....Just a few more hours.
Over, and over again.

frassy tomboy's opposite

Grgrum was a heartless giant who lived in a damp, hollow tree. He lived in Cdonslka, a place where it always rained. The rain never stopped, not even for a brief moment. It had been raining since the beginning of time. Grgrum was a giant fellow with grey, lumpy arms, and a giant, lumbering body. He always wore a crooked sneer. Maloderous drool ran down the sides of his face. Every time he spoke, speckles of spit would come flying from his mouth. Grgrum never took showers...In his whole lifetime, he had never changed his clothes once. His clothes were ragged with age, and stiff with stink. He wore blue breeches that were caked with mud and food-stains. Grgrum knew nothing, except how to kill living beings. He could not perform simple math problems, he could not tell you what the word "eye" meant. He was completely ignorant of the world around him.
Grgrum was tone deaf, and despised music. He considered the word "melody" a swear word. He hated all forms of art, especially cubism and portraits of people. Grgrum was a hateful being. He believed that animals were stupid and deserved to be killed. So Grgrum was a carnivore all his life. He was an un-humane, uncaring carnivore, ignoring all the screams of the pigs he brutally murdered.
Grgrum hardly ever talked. He usually just grunted and grumbled, with the occasional roar. He walked slowly, and was very lazy. He didn't wake up until noon, each day. He was unbelievably obese, and undeniably stinky.

The Red Pony Final Draft by Adora

The Red Pony, by John Steinbeck, is a story about growing up and learning lessons. Jody, the protagonist, is a ten-year-old boy growing up in the Salinas Valley, with an infinite number of chores to do. Obscure in school and sternly treated at home, Jody is delighted and proud when his stony father gives him a red pony named Gabilan.



A major reason Jody cares for the pony is pride. Although he makes sacrifices for the pony's health, the seemingly noble lad harbors ulterior motives. Jody boasts about the pony to earn himself prestige. He worries that, upon riding the pony, he'll injure himself. Jody does not consider Gabilan's safety and he forgets about the pony after its death.



Jody immediately makes plans to showcase the pony. Jody brings a gaggle of classmates to gape at the pony without considering that Gabilan might be nervous in the extroverted atmosphere. Jody brags about Gabilan to the other boys. He displays the beloved saddle of red Moroccan leather, his pride bolstered by its beauty and showiness, although the saddle is impractical for riding.


Jody is more worried about himself than the pony. When learning that he will have the chance to ride Gabilan, he is terrified “that in the flurry of bucking Gabilan might slip and fall on him and break his [Jody's] leg or his hip. He had seen that happen to men before, how they writhed on the ground like squashed bugs.” Jody is also worried about shaming himself while riding Gabilan—“He didn't like to think what would happen if he grabbed the horn. Maybe his father and Billy Buck would never speak to him again, they would be so ashamed. The news would get about and his mother would be ashamed too. And the schoolyard--it was awful to contemplate.” Heck, have you considered Gabilan?



After a spell of sadness following Gabilan's death, Jody appears to forget completely about the red pony and focuses his attention on caring for Nellie, his father's horse. Jody is proud just thinking about this—“his shoulders swayed a little with maturity and pride.” I conclude to say that Jody enjoys Gabilan's company because it gives him Herculean glory in the schoolyard; his boasts about Gabilan display his want for attention. He considers the pony the perfect tool to execute his plans for prestige. Jody remains, in my opinion, a pride-motivated protagonist and a key figure in one of the most acclaimed works of 20th Century literature.

Today we're doing activities where we write paragraphs using vocabulary words. Mine is "catharsis."

He was an Executive of formidable disposition; he was subjected to twenty-eight conferences a week, including weekends, meeting with obsequious courtiers of the business life. It was a foggy day, thunder booming outside the skyscraper, when a disturbance was caused on the twenty-fourth floor. Rialto had to be fired, the Executive thought. This was undeniable. The same Executive, however, was later reduced to a shuddering mortal upon the church's confessional floor. It was his catharsis; he poured out the pitiful story of his hurried life and washed out the worries until he was wrung out, like a rag, at which point he dragged his feet away from the church, a wretched man, the Executive no longer.

Essay on The Red Pony by John Steinbeck- posted by Adrianna

The Red Pony, by John Steinbeck, is a fictional story documenting the life of a young boy, Jody, and his pony. Jody is a ten-year old boy who receives a beautiful red pony named Gabilan. Jody works hard caring for Gabilan. But one day, Gabilan falls seriously ill from being out in the rain for too long. Jody is terribly sadenned. Gabilan starts to get better, and he is nearly well and healthy again. But one night the wind is strong and blows the barn door wide open, and Gabilan escapes. Gabilan ascends a large, steep hill. In the morning, when Jody awakes, he notices that the barn door is ajar, and Gabilan is gone. Jody's heart beats with "panic and rage", as he races up the hill, following Gabilan's tracks. Jody sees a ring of buzzards circling lower and lower, surrounding dying Gabilan. Gabilan dies of cold and sickness before the buzzards touch him. Jody is tremendously sad.


I believe that a very large portion of the reason Jody cares for and loves Gabilan is because of pride. Jody loves Gabilan, but a lot of that love goes to Gabilan's beauty, not Gabilan himself. I think that if Gabilan were a mangy, dirty, elderly horse, Jody wouldn't care for or love Gabilan at all. In The Red Pony, there are scenes where Jody throws stones at various animals, such as his dog, and a bird. In fact, he kills the bird when he throws a stone at it. He kills the bird for no apparent reason. He slices off his head, and cuts his body to bits. He also throws a stone at his own dog. His dog, whom he calls "Doubletree Mutt", is a mangy, dirty mutt. I'm almost certain Jody wouldn't have thrown a stone at his dog if his dog were a glistening golden show dog. On another occasion, Jody set-up a mouse trap made solely for Doubletree Mutt. Doubletree Mutt stuck his nose in the trap to get the bait, and ended up with a bloody nose.


When Jody receives Gabilan, Jody brings his fellow classmates to the barn, so he can show-off Gabilan to his friends. Jody brags about Gabilan, showing-off Gabilan's new fancy red saddle. When Jody first gets Gabilan, he torments himself by thinking that the mice would have chewed away Gabilan's beautiful tail until it was thin and stringy.
Jody is very sad when Gabilan dies, but only for a day or two. From then on, he doesn't show signs of mourning. I think that Jody was mostly sad because he had lost that pride of having a dazzling, beautiful pony. I don't think that Jody ever thought he and Gabilan were ever friends. Jody thought that he owned Gabilan. I don't think Jody really loved Gabilan as a friend; as an equal.
I believe that Jody loves Gabilan mostly only because Gabilan is strong, powerful and beautiful. I don't think Jody really loves Gabilan, the horse. Having Gabilan gives Jody a sense of pride.

Essay on The Red Pony by Adora

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck is a story about growing up and learning lessons. Jody, the protagonist, is a ten-year old boy growing up in the Salinas Valley, with an infinite number of chores to do. Obscure in school and sternly treated at home, Jody is delighted and proud when his stony father gives him a red pony named Gabilan. However, Gabilan later passes away.

One of the major reasons Jody cares for the pony is because of pride. While he does appear to make many sacrifices for the pony's welfare, he boasts about the pony to earn himself prestige; he worries that, upon riding the pony, he'll injure himself, not worrying about Gabilan's safety. Jody forgets about the pony after its death, upon learning he'll have the chance to get a new horse.

Jody makes plans to show Gabilan off immediately after receiving the pony. Jody brings six boys from his school to see the pony without considering Gabilan might be nervous or inclined towards an unsociable disposition. Jody brags about Gabilan to the other boys, and proudly displays the beloved saddle of red Moroccan leather, liking the saddle because of its beauty, which boosts his pride, in direct disregard towards Billy Budd's criticisms of its showiness.

Jody is more worried about himself than the pony. When learning he'll have the chance to ride Gabilan, he becomes afraid "that in the flurry of bucking Gabilan might slip and fall on him and break his [Jody's] leg or his hip. He had seen that happen to men before, how they writhed on the ground like squashed bugs." Jody is also worried about shaming himself while riding Gabilan--"He didn't like to think what would happen if he grabbed the horn. Maybe his father and Billy Buck would never speak to him again, they would be so ashamed. The news would get about and his mother would be ashamed too. And the schoolyard--it was awful to contemplate."

After a spell of sadness after Gabilan's death, Jody appears to forget completely about the red pony and focus his attention on caring for Nellie, his father's horse, as part of a bargain with his father to earn a new horse. Jody is proud just thinking about this achievement--"his shoulders swayed a little with maturity and pride."

I conclude to say that Jody merely enjoys Gabilan's company because it gives him stature in a world built upon pride; his boasts about Gabilan display his want for attention and how he considers the pony the perfect tool to execute his plans for prestige. Jody remains, in my opinion, a pride-motivated protagonist and a key figure in one of the most acclaimed works of 20th Century literature.

Descriptive language. No Figuretive Language.

1. The ruler is straight and non-flexible. The ruler is sparkly red and blue, and has a wooden case. The ruler stretches as high as the highest sky-scraper. It was created by Sir Doofusduguduganmisterduppy.

2. The waves of the ocean splash up, icy cold, against the sandy waves of shore. Dusk has spread all over the sky. The salty smell of the sea permeates through the gloom of the rain and gray. The waves have no mercy, spilling frothy white and blue all over the golden sand. Through the fog the sea rolls on.

a conversation

Today we each created a character to match one of our vocabulary words. Adora chose 'Apollonian', Adrianna chose 'jovial', and Katie chose 'mercurial. This conversation takes place in a classroom. Katie (who modelled her mercurial character on herself) has just broken a classmate's nose because he called her fat. Her teacher, the jovial Emily Sumner, is just addressing the situation, when the superintendent, the Apollonian Hester Dickens, drops in unexpectedly.

"Katie I hope you realize that what you did today was very unkind," Ms. Sumner said, sounding unperturbed. "Don't you think you should apologize?"
"Never!" Katie screamed angrily.
"Please, why don't we have a lollipop and talk this over..." Ms. Sumner said gently.
"I'll have a lollipop!" Katie chirped, suddenly cheerful.
After a brisk knock, the superintendent, Hester Dickins, walked into the classroom.
"Hello, I'm the new school superintendent, Hester Dickins"
"Hi my name is Emily Sumner! How are you?" Ms. Sumner held her hand out warmly. "Oh yes, and this is Katie!"
"And what is Katie doing in the classroom? I note that the other children are gone."
"Licking a lollipop!" Katie interjected, and began barking like a lunatic.
"And why might you have a lollipop?" Ms. Dickins inquired calmly.
"I punched someone in the nose," Katie snapped. Ms. Dickins looked sober. "This is not permitted by code 1204 of the school charter," she said, without raising her voice.

Connotative and Denotative-posted by Adora

Negative version
__________________________
Senator Herbert Brown, a gnarled man, his hideous, wart-bedecked face clearly marked by the ravages of time, is a bossy figure. Though he enjoys coffers overflowing with gold, he retains a miserly lifestyle. With pigheaded pushes for privileges to the similarly ostentatious United Golf Club, his ideas are outrageous.

He often wavers in his morals, compromising his so-called "religious principles" for Ferraris and thousands of dollars in wasteful dinners. He promotes each one of his own ideas with babyish petulance, but meets everyone else's ideas with aggressive close-mindedness. Sen. Brown is a blight upon the nation and a miasma of corruption, and only you can stop him.

Connotative and Denotative posted by Adora

For class, we're doing a project where we're writing all-positive descriptions of politicians, though behind the positive connotations lurks the negativity. For instance--"commanding" translates to "bossy." Distinguished translates to "Old" as well as "Ugly." "Warrior" hides "bellicose", "aggressive", or "warlike".
____________________________________________________________________________________
A distinguished figure with a commanding presence, Sen. Herbert Brown enjoys a wealthy life infused with the culture that makes him much-liked among intellectual circles. He is realistic about life, making solid plans for the future during the presidential race. The wisdom he has gained over the years supports these plans.

The causes for which he crusades (fair rights for the United Golf Club, acceptance of beneficial ideals in other countries, and several others) are fueled by his youthful enthusiasm and defended by his dedication. Brown keeps strong principles, and promises to serve the country as a warrior for its moral preservation.

Laurice politely, but firmly, declined the green silk dress that her Aunt Aurora gave to her as a gift, saying that, "they put live silkworms in a giant vat of boiling water! I just cannot wear this. I'm very sorry!". Later, when Laurice returned downstairs to make bread, she thought that half a cup of her flour was gone. Laurice thought that Aunt Aurora had robbed her flour bin, but that was based on a pure guess. Laurice's husband came home from work looking depressed and tired. Laurice asked him what the matter was, but he turned away and walked into his bedroom. The next morning, when Laurice brought Nathan, her son, to school, she felt very happy.

Laurice politely, but firmly, rejected the green silk dress that her Aunt Aurora gave to her as a gift, saying that, "they put live silkworms in a giant vat of boiling water! I just cannot wear this. I'm very sorry!". Later, when Laurice returned downstairs to make bread, she thought that half a cup of her flour was gone. Laurice thought that Aunt Aurora had robbed her flour bin, but that was based on pure conjecture. Laurice's husband came home from work looking dejected and tired. Laurice asked him what the matter was, but he turned away and walked into his bedroom. The next morning, when Laurice brought Nathan, her son, to school, she felt very jovial.