Friday, December 19, 2014

Economics Project

Economics Project
Create a poster or PowerPoint presentation that includes both textual information and visuals about one of the following topics:
·         Labor unions
·         Communism and/or The Cold War
·         Social security
·         Affordable Care Act
·         The stock market
·         The Great Depression
·         Welfare (you may choose one specific entitlement program if you like)
·         Corporations/corporate taxes
·         Payroll tax
·         Income tax
·         The IRS
·         NAFTA
·         Student loans
·         Minimum wage
·         Farm subsidies
·         Trade sanctions
·         Job of accountant or financial planner

For your topics, discuss the following:
·         The history of and/or current controversy around
·         Your opinion & why you feel the way you do


**If you have a different economics-related topic that you would like to do, please let your teacher know!

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Poetry Devices

1. Complete the poetry analysis worksheet to learn how poets use some of the poetic devices that you have defined. 

2. Review some major forms of figurative language by completing 15-20 examples on the worksheet.

3. Colors can give your poems some symbolic significance through the different connotations that we associate with colors.  Examine the chart below that outlines some color symbolism.  Read some poems that use color symbolism. Respond to two of the poems.  Identify the title and author and describe briefly what effect the poet’s use of color had on the poem.

4.Write at least ten lines of poetry (this can be one or more poems, but there must be at least ten lines of poetry total) that use at least two colors to convey symbolic meaning and tone.  Please note, you can also play with different words for the same color (for example: red, scarlet, vermilion, crimson, rusty, cherry, burgundy and ruby may all carry different connotations).  Your ten lines of poetry should also incorporate at least two examples of figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification, and/or hyperboles.)  


Color Symbolism Chart
Excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate.
Pink symbolizes love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance and calm.
Beige and ivory symbolize unification. Ivory symbolizes quiet and pleasantness. Beige symbolizes calm and simplicity.
Joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard and friendship.
Peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite suppressant.
Turquoise symbolizes calm. Teal symbolizes sophistication. Aquamarine symbolizes water. Lighter turquoise has a feminine appeal.
Royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance, mourning.
Lavender symbolizes femininity, grace and elegance.
Energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of attention.
Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor.
Earth, stability, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, simplicity, and comfort.
Security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid, conservative, practical, old age, sadness, boring. Silver symbolizes calm.
Reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical.
Power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, unhappiness, depth, style, evil, sadness, remorse, anger, anonymity, underground, good technical color, mourning, death (Western cultures).

Thursday, December 11, 2014

English A Midterm Essay Prompt

Compare/Contrast Essay        ___/40

In literary terms, what is a tragedy? What is a tragic hero? Define these terms and discuss how both Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Miller’s Death of a Salesman fit within the tragedy genre and how Macbeth as a character and Willy Loman both fulfill the tragic hero archetype.

Refer to the rubric for planning ideas/directions:
·        Paragraph #1: Name which literary works, authors, and characters you are going to discuss.  Define tragedy and tragic hero. (5 points)
·        Paragraph #2: Discuss Macbeth in Macbeth.  Discuss how the play is a tragedy and Macbeth is a tragic hero. Give at least four specific reasons for your definition. (10 points)
·        Paragraph #3: Discuss Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman.  Discuss how the play is a tragedy and Willy is a tragic hero. Give at least four specific reasons for your definition. (10 points)
·        Paragraph #4: Give and overview of how the stories of Macbeth and Willy Loman are similar and different.  Discuss what the authors’ purposes were for both characters—what point(s) are Shakespeare and Miller making about human nature by writing about tragic heroes? (10 points)
·        **5 points for overall readability (organization and editing)

Somatoform, Factitious, Dissociative, & Schizophrenic Disorders

Before reading, watch:
1. Schizophrenia

After:
1. Dissociative Identity Disorder (9 min)
2. Somatoform Disorders (6 min)
3. Factitious Disorders (3 min)
4. Schizophrenia (5 min)

Monday, December 8, 2014

Realistic Fiction & Intro to Poetry

  1. Revise your story according to the notes your teacher gave you.  Make sure to type it up (double-spaced).
  2. Edit your story with your teacher.
  3. Complete the activity More Root Words.
  4. Complete this worksheet about major poetic devices. 
  5. Complete the poetry analysis worksheet to learn how poets use some of these devices. (4 points)
  6. Alliteration Tongue Twisters:  Write an original alliteration tongue twister that incorporates at least seven alliterations with the same initial sound and (at least somewhat) makes sense.
  • Remember, alliteration is when two or more words share the same initial sound
    • Ex. “Down and Dirty”
  • When you string a bunch of alliteration together, you get a tongue twister.
    • Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

    7.  Write a limerick, a five line poem that follows the rhyme scheme A A B B A, in which the “A” lines are eight or nine syllables and the “B” lines are six syllables.  See three different examples below:  

    There once was a gray poodle named Spark.       (A= "ark," 9 syllables long)
     Quite talkative, he so liked to bark.                     (A= "ark," 9 syllables long)
     Sometimes running he found                             (B= "ound," 6 syllables long)
     His feet all off the ground                                 (B= "ound," 6 syllables long)
     Especially on "walks" in the park.                      (A= "ark," 9 syllables long)

    There once was a girl who loved rhyme;   (8 syllables)
     She felt her writing was sublime.             (8 syllables)
     Indeed quite a poet,                                 (6 syllables)
     Though some didn't know it,                    (6 syllables)
     She'd be rich if each paid a dime.              (8 syllables)

    There was a mean clown in the circus.
     For fun he would push us and jerk us.
     He would hit us with pies
     That left cream in our eyes.
     His act never once failed to irk us.

    Tuesday, December 2, 2014

    Fables, Fairy Tales, Tall Tales, & Myths

    Use the worksheet to complete the activities:



    1.    Read the stories: "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "The Lion and the Mouse." For each of the stories, find and record: the characters, the setting, and the theme. Then, explain which genre these stories are and why you think so.


    2.    Find a fairy tale to read/study.  Read it, and complete this Fairy Tale Analysis worksheet to analyze the story.


    3. Remember, tall tales are stories written from someone’s imagination.  The story can be funny or silly.  They are filled with exaggerations, similes, metaphors, and lots of descriptive language.  It is always told as if it were true, even though the listeners know that the story could never really happen. Some of the characters were real heroes and heroines whose stories got exaggerated a lot, others were characters such as cowboys, railroad workers, loggers, sea captains, and firefighters.  Tall tales told information that really happened at the time and combined it with a wild tale full of fantasy.Read/listen/watch  the following tall tales: Paul Bunyon  and  John Henry.  As you read/listen/watch, make a 2-column list.  One column should list the realistic/historical aspects of the story, and the other column should list the exaggerated portions of the story.  Try to include at least 3 items in each column for each story.




    4. Remember, myths are are among the oldest stories ever told.  They are present in all cultures and often explain some aspect of nature or human existence. Read, listen to, and/or watch 2 of the following myths: The Raven Story, Prometheus, Izangi and Izanami, and Genesis 3.  Record the following information for each myth: title, cultural/geographic region, what it explains the creation of, characters, cultural values, and setting.


    Monday, December 1, 2014

    Great Gatsby Chapter 3

    Nick goes to a party at Gatsby's house and finally meets the "Great" Jay Gatsby in chapter 3 and Nick gets to know Jordan Baker a little better as well. Listen to the audio version here or at 10:41 here.