Final Project DONE!

Progress So Far

• So far I have three of the pages done for my scrapbook and I have ordered more prints to add to the rest of my pages. 
• In the two weeks I need to scan my scrapbook and edit the video I will be making.
• My work will benefit me by allowing me to work with the technology in a way that I will enjoy it, it will help others by giving them an idea of making a scrapbook online.

My Plan: Video Scrapbook

1. My goals are to first, finish my traditional scrapbook and apply the 2.0 by scanning it and then adding effects to it in a timeline; second, I am working on making a video scrapbook out of my home videos including important stages of my life.

2.In order to make my second goal happen I need to find a way to convert my cassettes into DVD's and then I will be able to save it on my computer and commence the cutting and editing.

3.So far I have begun my traditional scrapbook and gathered/labeled all my cassettes in their time frame. I have gotten all my pictures and sections for my scrapbook as well. This week I am going to do all the conversions of the cassettes and get 1/3 of my scrapbook finished so I am sure that everything is done on time.

4.I will present my final product by posting it on my blog as an entertainment feature and add a little to the appealing manner of the blogs.

My Plan

What I plan to do to prepare myself for the AP test:

1. Use the AP practice tests for the multiple choice section
2. Continue reviewing the Literary Terms
3. Do one of the essays and let my partners grade them to see what I could improve
4. Use the commentary to make the revisions needed and put it into practice

Macbeth Lecture Notes

Macbeth Lecture Notes

Recited Twice to: Marisol Duarte and Alexander Rea Contreras

Macbeth notes

Macbeth: Act 1 Macbeth proves himself a hero at Scot's battle. The king then decides to give Macbeth a promotion. The prophecy: The witches come across Macbeth and tell him that the king has given him a promotion (thane) and that he will later become king. They tell his friend Banquo that he will not amount to much but that his children will. Banquo seems doubtful of the witches. Macbeth ponders about it.  King Duncan=father of Malcom Duncan shares with everyone that his son Malcom will be the heir to the throne. Macbeth wonders about this because the witches said he would be king.  Ominous weather = tragedy or disaster ahead.  Since he heard of the prophecy he yearns to become king....it may be a self-fulfilling prophecy Lady Macbeth is ambitious and wants to have Macbeth seize the thrown my any means necessary.  The king will join Macbeth and his wife for dinner. Lady Macbeth says they should kill the king then.  Macbeth: thinks things over and "chickens out" and decides not to kill Duncan. His wife is angered and disappointed. She convinces Macbeth to kill the king She is somewhat Macbeth's driving force....makes him appear somewhat weak. She is kind of like his "back bone" Macbeth: Act 2 Macbeth is feeling paranoid and guilty over killing Duncan....this is unusual. One of the only Shakespeare characters to feel this way. Macbeth finally kills the king but does not fully carry out their plan. He was frightened as he killed the king.  Lady Macbeth is again frustrated with Macbeths' cowardice and finishes off the plan herself (puts the daggers in chamberlains room so it seems like they killed the king). Macduff and Lennox come to visit the king and discover him dead. Macbeth claims he killed the chamberlains because they killed the king.  Malcom feels he is not safe since his father was murdered.  Foreshadowing: weather, animals behaving strangely. Macbeth is now to be crowned king. Malcom is suspect because he has fled.  Macbeth: Act 3 Macbeth still feels extremely guilty. His wife as well Macbeth fears Banquo because he knows of the prophecy....he has hired some men to kill him.  The murderers kill Banquo but fail to kill his son Fleance. Fleance is now another threat to Macbeth...he is a potential heir to the throne. The prophecy said that Banquo's children would be king or something of that extent. During a dinner with their court, Banquo's ghost appears to Macbeth and Macbeth  talks to him and makes himself look crazy. Hecta the goddess of mischief and witchcraft tells the witches to keep Macbeth in confusion. Malcom has now sought help from King Edward.  Macbeth: Act 4 Macbeth goes to see the witches and they tell him that Macduff is a threat. Macbeth sends murderers to kill him and his family. Macduff and Malcom become allies and together want to overthrow Macbeth. Macduff now swears to take revenge on Macbeth since he has murdered his family.  Macbeth: Act 5 The English and Scottish army will now fight against each other. The English army is led by Malcom. Lady Macbeth kills herself from guilt.  Malcom's army are carrying pieces of tree to disguise the size of the army. Malcom sees this and remembers that this type of wood will mean his death. Macduff shows up with Macbeths head. Malcom is crowned king. 

FEATS OF WISDOM!® #11

FEATS OF WISDOM!® #2

FEATS OF WISDOM!® #4

FEATS OF WISDOM!® #5

The Color Purple REMIXED

Mind Map: The Color Purple

Literature Analysis: The Color Purple

The Color Purple by Alice Walker
 
1.) Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read.
 In the novel, a black woman named Celie tells her life story consisting of: rape, abuse, submissiveness, weakness/strength, etc. Since she was a younger girl Celie had been sexually abused by her step-father whom she believed was her biological father. She gave birth to two children which were stolen by her Alphonso(step-father) and sold to two missionaries Corrine and Samuel. Celie was then given to marry to Mr._____ whom continues with the beatings such as his son attempted with his wife Sophia (but Sophia was physically stronger and didn't allow it). Mr.____ falls in  love with Shug as does Celie, who gets Shug to live with them as "protection" from Mr._____'s abuse. Shug is a free soul who enjoys the company of younger men so on numerous accounts breaks both of their hearts. Shug and Celie have a secret intimate relationship, and Shug is able to solve the mystery of Nettie's (Celie's sister) disappearance which eventually reunites them. In the end, Alphonso dies, Celie is reunited with her sister and children, and Shug finds a new partner.

2.) Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
 The theme of the novel is standing up for what you believe in.

3.)Describe the author's tone.  Include three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

 The author's tone was serious and overpowering, such as the characters which were not willing to stand down at others' demands.

• When Sophia stands up for herself from the mayor and his wife she demonstrates her own self -power that she feels. After being asked by the mayor's wife if she will work as their maid, Sophia answers with a s defiant "Hell No," encouraging her overpowering ways against commands.
• In the first letter that Celie writes she sets a serious tone, explaining about how she was raped by her step-father. She describes everything that occurred to her, giving the reader a more serious mood/tone. 
• When Squeak tries to free Sophia from prison and is contrarily raped by one of the warden's  the tone is both serious and overpowering. The warden overpowers defenseless Squeak and rapes her setting a seriousness to the words from Celie.

4.) Describe five literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the theme and/or your sense of the tone.  Include three excerpts that will help your reader understand each one. 

• Diction: The words that were used by the characters set a time period and helped me, as the reader, understand the racial tension and submission. "Soon he stop. He say one night in bed, Well, us done help Nettie all we can. Now she got to go."
• Syntax: The way that Celie spoke described what kind of background she came from giving the literary work more understanding of the content. 
• Symbolism: The quilts that  the woman of the novel make, represent the power that women have when they are brought to other women as a union. When they are set together they are able to overcome many fears and obstacles.
• Imagery: In the novel, Celie experiences many hardships which she vividly describes in her letters. Such was the case of her rape, "First he put his thing up against my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab hold my titties. Then he push his thing inside my pussy."
• Indirect Characterization: Sophia's action were a great example of what a strong, determined woman she was. She defended herself and didn't let the men run her over with their actions and words.

Notes:

• The internet helps us understand the world as a whole, helping us view others' characteristics.
• To change the world: starts with asking questions
• wisdom-technology-opportuinties combine
• Listening and speaking helps drop some knowledge

The Key Concepts of  "The Serious Need for Play"
1. Social, cognitive, and emotional development are influenced by a kid's playtime as a child.
2. Imaginative and rambunctious (free Play) is the most essential type.
3. If they do not play as kids, they may grow to be anxious and/or maladjusted adults.

-The murderers had 2 common things:  were from abusive families and didn't play as kids
-Creativity challenges the brain more than being a part of a structured game.
-Learn to be friendly and share in order to keep their playmates
-Lack of play= Social Impediment
-Play promotes neural development
-Relieves stress and builds social Skills
-Makes kids smarter

-When you create a question you think back and make connections to many other possibilities. The horizon is so broad that one question may need to the next and help  you learn many new things along the way.

Remixing the Remix

Photo Collage Maker

Photo Collage Maker

Remixing the Textbook

 Sonnet 89: by Pablo Neruda
When I die, I wish your hands upon my eyes:
I want the light and the wheat of your beloved hands
to pass once more their cool touch over me:
to sense the softness that changed my fate.

I want you to live while I, asleep, await you.
I want your ears to go on hearing the wind.
I want you to smell the sea's aroma we loved so together,
and to go on walking the sands we walked.

I want what I love to go on living.
And you, whom I loved and sung above all else,
for all that, flourish again, my flower,

to reach for everything my love demands of you,
so that my shadow is passed through your hair,
so that all can know the reason for my song.

1. Dramatic Situation:

• A man who is deeply in love; in his thoughts about death and what he wants after death takes him.

2.  Structure:

• blank verse, four lines in the first two stanzas and three lines in the last two stanzas.

3. Theme:

• The desire of wanting something better for someone else than you wish upon yourself; true love.  

4. Grammar and Meaning:

• The man in speaking in the poem lists out his desires for the woman he loves. She is what he looks forward to for all of eternity (even after death).  

5. Images and Figures of Speech:

• He speaks of the softness of the woman that he so much longs to have pierce his body again.
• Metaphor: "my flower" he has completely pictured the woman of his dreams as perfect as a flower.

6. Important Words:

• All of his diction was understandable however two of his more influential words were: flourish and aroma; adding to the imagery as well as developing his theme.

7. Tone:

• Peaceful, melancholic 

 8.Literary Devices/Techniques:

• Metaphor
• Anaphora (I want..)

9. Prosody:

• The writing style had a relaxed tone which had no rhyme to the poem. It was more of a way to free ideas/thoughts that had been harvested in their minds.

She Walks in Beauty: by Lord Byron
 

She walks in beauty, like the night

   Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that’s best of dark and bright

   Meet in her aspect and her eyes;

Thus mellowed to that tender light

   Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

   Had half impaired the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress,

   Or softly lightens o’er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express,

   How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,

   So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

   But tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with all below,

   A heart whose love is innocent!

 

1. Dramatic Situation: 

• A man who is blinded by innocent love; England

2. Structure:

• Rhymed Stanza, alliteration

3. Theme:

• Love can cause a man to go blind especially if the innocent loved one is so sweet and pure.

4. Grammar and Meaning:

• Uses many descriptions to make the image of the woman and separates his thoughts using commas.
• He is basically building the character of the beautiful woman through descriptive words.

5. Images and Figures of Speech:

• The last stanza is what puts together most of the physical characteristics of the woman.
•  "Soft..tender...pure.."

6. Important Words:

• Many adjectives used to describe the scenery and woman.

7. Tone:

• Calm, peaceful

8. Literary Devices/ Techniques:

• Simile
• Personification
• Metaphor

9. Prosody: 

• The rhyming scheme was abab

Sonnet 69: by Pablo Neruda
 Perhaps not being is being, but without you,
without your setting out to cut the noon
like a blue flower, without your walking
later on across the bricks and the fog,

without that light you carry in your hand,
which maybe others will not see turned to gold,
that maybe no one even knew was growing
like the red origin of the rose,

without your being, in the end, without your coming
excitedly, abruptly, to know my life . . .
gust of rosebushes, wheat of the wind,

and since then, I am because you are.
and since then you are, I am, we are,
And through love I and you and we will be.

1. Dramatic Situation:

• A man talking about how his life was changed by the one decision that the girl made; to be with him. 

2.Structure:

•  blank verse, first two stanzas with four lines, last two stanzas with three lines.

3. Theme:

• One small action can cause many reactions and long-lasting effects.

4. Grammar and Meaning:

• The meaning of the poem is to emphasize how prominent careless actions can truly be.

5. Images and Figures of Speech:

•  The light she carries in her hand that turns to gold.

6. Important Words:

• colloquial speech

7. Tone:

• gratitude

8. Literary Devices/ Techniques:

• Personification
• simile
• metaphor 

9. Prosody:  

•  No rhyme

Dr. Tony Williams' Gresham College lecture on A Tale of Two Cities

• presents the idea of self-sacrifice
• Lucie represents an old love of Dickens (Ellen) and possesses characteristics of hers. 
• London was a "labyrinth/maze" he made the setting like that to demonstrate the dark side of London.
• 
  

My Big Question: What Will Happen After Humanity Vanishes

My Big Question -
Works Cited -

A Tale of Two Cities: 12 Literary Techniques

1. Apostrophe: In the novel death is directly addressed just like when Lorry is talking to the ghost in his dreams.
2.Antithesis: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." The whole first paragraph of the novel is comparing the points of views that are seen throughout the world. In this case it was a comparison between London and Paris.
3.Setting: With the descriptions of the settings there is a place to set up the conflicts and to bring out the comparison between the two cities.The setting also helps develop the theme.
4. Theme: The theme of re-birth is being perceived through the context of the book considering that all the differences that are shown in a revolution are set aside to try and mend things in the end.
5. Diction: The words that Dickens uses make the story more difficult to understand because he chose a style of writing that is somewhat foreign to me; not at all modern everyday English.
6. Syntax: The sentence structure backs up the time period that is used in the novel, making some of the sentences seem like they were written out of place.
7. Symbolism: The farmer and Woodman are representations of death and fate.
8. Anaphora: "It was.." from the first paragraph in the book, the author was stressing what types of settings were going to be used in the novel. In his introduction the differences between both cities were subtly pointed out.
9. Tone: dark and gloomy. It demonstrated the bad political and spiritual state that the two cities were going through.
10. Genre: Historical Fiction- The French Revolution is being analyzed and seen through eyes that were witness of the chaos in both London and Paris.
11. Dialect: "There ain't" "d'ye mind me?" The characters have specific dialects that make the reading more difficult because of the shortened words they use.
12.Metaphor: The wine casket that breaks represents the war that was going to break out and the wine represented the blood that would be spilled.

Question/Answer: A Tale of Two Cities

1. Which two cities are being compared/contrasted throughout the novel?

Paris(setting in France) and London(setting in England)

2.How is Religion(Christianity) demonstrated as important in the book?
Some of the cruel punishments that were described for not kneeling down to the monks that were fifty or sixty yards away, such as: having his hands cut off, his tongue torn out with pincers, and his body burned alive.

3. Why is the messenger being conflicted during his journey of delivering the message to the Banking-house near the Temple Bar?
He is aware that there may be some money in some of the mail that he carries and he has a desire for it, but at the same time he is confused by the message that was sent to him that talked about death.

4.Why is Mr. Lorry (the passenger) being treated with so much delicacy at the hotel he stayed in?
The workers know that he has traveled a long distance to get a message to an important bank.

5. Who is Miss Manette?

She was a girl that was taken to England by Mr. Lorry (trustee) after she was left as an orphan when both her parents died.

6. What has Mr. Lorry convinced himself of Miss Manette's situation?

He insists that everything he did, for the child and with his father was because of business.

7. Who was the ghost that Mr. Lorry had been dreaming about?

Mr. Manette, who was found after many years of being pronounced dead.

8. What is Mr. Lorry planning on doing?

He wants to go back to France and take Miss Manette so that he can recognize the body and that she could give some hope of bringing him back to life.

9. Why didn't Mrs. Manette tell her daughter that her father wasn't dead, just not known of?

She didn't want her daughter to suffer at the thought that her dad may be out somewhere still alive and in pain.

10. What was the last detail that Mr Lorry told Miss Manette?

That her father was found but with a different name.

A Tale of Two Cities pp.1-10

In the first chapter, the characters are being introduced but not named. They are being overlooked because this is a section where most of the setting and actions are explained to give a better understanding of what genre this novel took place in. England and France seem to be the two central settings and they are both analyzed to show the similarities and differences between the two. England is filled with poor thieves that are committing dangerous acts of violence in order to gain what they need. Nothing is safe there because there is no order or conduct being enforced. In France the Christian pastors are important to the society therefor, if they are "disrespected" at any point they are cruelly punished. This setting is of prosperous and wealthy standings.

Since the thieves in England have a habit of stealing other people's mail, there is a passenger that is on his way to deliver some sort of mail to someone.  Protection for their own sakes is what they most want, and they would never want to displease anyone with the power to get them killed, so they avoid making any stops at all even when the horses are tired.

Literature Analysis: Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Like Water for Chocolate- Literature Analysis -

A Tale of Two Cities: Title Meaning

In the novel A Tale of Two Cities, the author Charles Dickens uses two specific cities (Paris and London) as a comparative. He tries to demonstrate the daily life living in England, while comparing it to the times that were occurring in France during the French Revolution. He didn't state it outwardly because it could've caused a riot about a possible revolution in England. He is a blunt man who titles his novels about the central character or point of his stories, so it was natural for him to point out "two cities" since he was unable to bluntly state the central point of his story without getting in trouble.

Me I Am

Jack Prelutsky

Me I Am !

I am the only Me I Am
Who qualifies as me,
no Me I AM has been before,
and none will ever be
No other Me I Am can feel
the feelings I’ ve within,
no other Me I Am can fit
precisely in my skin
There is no other Me I Am
who thinks the thoughts I do,
the world contains one Me I Am
this earth shall ever see,
that Me I Am I always am
is no one else but Me!


I think that this poem is easy to like because it shows that each person is their own self. It makes everyone seem special and like the most important person.  There will never ever be another ME in this world because no one will ever be ME.

The Open Question

The most influential characters are mainly displayed through the protagonists and/or antagonists of the novels, such as Esperanza was in the novel The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Esperanza's character was designed to impact the reader either in a very positive manner or an extremely negative way. Personally, her character inspired me and forced me to be compassionate and concerned for her actions throughout the book. I was sensitive towards that character, mostly because of the way she was presented by the author to the audience. Sandra Cisneros used the techniques such as setting and tone to her advantage in convincing the readers of the character's admirable traits.

Esperanza's character was a confused, lost, innocent girl that was only trying to find her place in such a big world. Her actions spoke of desire and determination to become something greater than what the rest expected of her. She put in the most effort to not blend in with the normality in her neighborhood and instead stand out in the crowd. Esperanza was a likeable character because of the perseverance she had, even when she lived horrible situations that could mentally and emotionally destroy any average person. One of the hideous crimes that her character lived through was sexual assault, which only boosted my level of sympathy towards her. She managed to put that behind and continue on with her goal of leaving Mango Street showing her courage as a person.

Cisneros immediately received sympathy for Esperanza after describing the setting that she so much disliked.  All the sulking, depression, bad memories, pessimism was centered around Mango Street. The meaning of her lack of existence and the pain endured by Esperanza had been shaped and revolved around the street which she refused to call her home. I felt a need to protect this character from her own home because she despised it so much. I was drawn to this character by her background that came along with a story of sadness. I was impelled to know more about her because she had been through such a scarring beginning and even that didn't affect her kindness and tenacity.

Just as the setting was able to gain my attention in a positive manner, the tone did as well. The tones varied throughout the book as Esperanza described many of her past experiences. She was disappointed, hostile, fearful, etc. as her life got worse. Her mood changes described a true person, one that's not just a character in a book. I was able to connect with her character on a personal level and it interested me to see how even characters in a book have such conflicts troubling their minds.

The House on Mango Street contained such a realistic, eye-opening character that endured abuse and humiliation, yet she had the strength to carry on with her life. Her character was my favorite throughout the novel because she never thought of giving up only of pushing forward. She wanted to be successful and never achieved that goal. However, her story continued past the end of the novel because she ended still believing in herself.

Big Question Abstract

Topic: What will happen to the world after all humanity is gone?

Life on Earth after humanity is gone has been questioned for many years, starting from the beginning of time. Some researchers state that after human extinction proof of our existence will be preserved within our buildings/structures. Within time our technological advances will be diminished, however some specific geographical feature will still be intact, such as Mt. Rushmore. Monuments and sculptures are believed to be the longest lasting artifacts left of the human race. I think that it’s important to be able to recognize the possibility of humanity’s extinction and try to cope with some ways of helping our memories last longer. Many people look into their future, without ever making extinction as one of their future’s options. With this study humanity may be able to invest more time and effort in producing something that may last more than a lifetime, and which can withstand any type of mass destruction to carry on with the past. While researching this topic I will look into the myths that people have produced throughout the years based on their religion and beliefs and then I will compare it to scientific studies from the professionals that have put time and research in figuring things out. Comparing those two views and understanding the background well, I think will allow me to grasp the concept better.