English 12B 22-23

January 19th, 2023

I sadly am still full of the flu. I will be there tomorrow. The final will be graded by then.

So today you will be doing the final paper. You should have enough evidence and research now to really have a good draft for the end of class. Please turn in the  draft to teams by 2PM at the latest. You have the class to complete it.

Friday can be a catch up for some. I’ll talk to Ms. Nelsen about possible last day shenanigans.

January 17th & 18th, 2023

So after you commit to a question and an idea from the academic articles, I’d lie for you to complete an outline. There are two you can follow:

The easy one:

literary_analysis_essay_instructions___outlineV2.1

The specific one:

Ru Final Paper

I will not be here for your prep work, but I will be back on Thursday for when you write your in class essay. Please be present on that day or turn it in during the allotted time from wherever you are, otherwise you get a 0 for the final. I don’t have time to negotiate late submissions.

January 16th, 2023

These three questions are the focus of today (45 mins)

1. The word ‘ru’ means a lullaby in Vietnamese and in French, a stream. How are these two meanings reflected in the book?

2. The American Dream plays a significant part in the narrator’s life. What does her version of it look like? Does she achieve it?

3. If this book were presented as a non-fiction book that is based on fact, would your experience reading it change? Why do you think the author chose to call it a ‘novel’?

Here is your task for the class moving forward.

Read one of these pieces as a ‘framework’ to your essay. We’ll talk about them tomorrow.

1. Refugee_Gratitude(Nguyen)
2. Refugee Narratives in Ru
3. Book Review_ Ru by Kim Th

Finish this for Thursday – your in class essay:

Ru final

January 12th, 2023

We’re going to finish the book today.

Look and discuss these questions for formal discussion tomorrow:

While we are reading, take these discussion questions into consideration:

January 9th-13th, 2023

I will hand out copies of Ru by Kim Thuy – Here is an online version: Ru – Kim Thuy This is a fast unit or a’ hidden final paper’ in a book. I have taught you about the 3 paragraph response in the last unit. The whole unit is a review or ‘summative assessment’. Here’s the outline of the final 2 weeks:

Daily reading in class. We will finish the novel in a week.

I will give you an outline of the “Thematic Focus” as I always do:

The_Vietnamese_diaspora_in_the_U_S

Take a look at these articles:

1. Refugee_Gratitude(Nguyen)
2. Refugee Narratives in Ru
3. Book Review_ Ru by Kim Th

Annotated bibliography due on **

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Rhetoric) 

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

Three close readings due as we read.

Close Reading Ru

Final in class examination ** – In class write on this question:

How does the narrator in Kim Thuy’s novel Ru explicate the refugee experience in modern day Canada? What does this say about the nature of modern day diaspora?

Obviously this is a big question, but for a five day period, you will be focused entirely on collecting data on the keywords of the question: NARRATOR /REFUGEE /CANADA /DIASPORA . This is how you should break down every question in post secondary education for data collection.

DISCUSSION AS WE READ:

While we are reading, take these discussion questions into consideration:

November 30th, 2022

Cassie’s example:

{CONTENT}

Body Paragraph & Conclusion:

Framework:

Gladwell Quote #2

Connect to Rocky I

Evidence: Pivotal Scene in the Movie

Explain the two: Philosophy of Archetypes / Underdog / Journey of Rocky throughout the film

Repeat this again X2

 

Conclusion:

{CONTENT}

November 28th & 29th, 2022

We will finish off the discussion – I would predict 20 minutes, but if it goes longer, then so be it!!

Then it’s time to workshop that introduction I had you work on over the weekend. Here is the structure again:

1. Hook / literary theory used: Archetypes
2. Quote from outside source: Malcom Gladwell Chapter – See your annotated bibliography
3. Answer the elements of the question: Relevance of archetypes / Underdog focus
4. Introduce the Movie: Rocky
5. Make a Claim: Rocky – Underdog – Societal Norms
6. Explain the claim as it relates to your literary theory: Archetypes as a whole

Get that out – share – get ready to work on the evidence paragraph that is broken down like this – the body paragraph is long, but if the intro is strong enough, the length is justified.

Framework:

Gladwell Quote #2

Connect to Rocky I

Evidence: Pivotal Scene in the Movie

Explain the two: Philosophy of Archetypes / Underdog / Journey of Rocky throughout the film

Repeat this again X2

 

November 25th, 2022

Despite the England USA game – which is a bigger deal to me than the Canada game – we will get through a lot of things today:

• For 20 minutes, you will work on the questions so that we will have something to talk about after the Rocky fight.
• Watch the last 15 of Rocky
• Have a discussion on the movie – this is graded, so there are 2 ways you can get the mark:

A) talk in class at least three times and give basic outlines for the questions to teams by 11:59PM tonight.

B) talk minimally and give more detailed question responses based on the discussion.

C) Don’t talk at all and turn in the Questions for a solid 80% grade

D) Don’t do anything and get your 0 like a champ.

•  This for homework. It’s your intro paragraph – you’ll need it for the workshop on Monday / Tuesday:

How are archetypes relevant in popular culture and how is the underdog’s journey a reflection of these relevant societal archetypes?

Keep in mind the frame: Archetypical Theory

Introduction:

1. Hook / literary theory used: Archetypes
2. Quote from outside source: Malcom Gladwell Chapter – See your annotated bibliography
3. Answer the elements of the question: Relevance of archetypes / Underdog focus
4. Introduce the Movie: Rocky
5. Make a Claim: Rocky – Underdog – Societal Norms
6. Explain the claim as it relates to your literary theory: Archetypes as a whole

November 24th, 2022

Here is the script to Rocky.

Rocky-Um-Lutador_Rocky

Here are the questions I’d like for you to complete:

Questions_Rocky

November 22nd, 2022

Okay, lots to do.

First, let me see that you got the vocabulary down well. (Film examples)

Then take notes on this presentation (5-10 minutes long):

Rocky_Balboa_as_the_Quintessential_Human

And we will informally answer these questions:

Rocky Data Questions

Then you have everything – all the tools necessary to write a great paper. Enjoy the movie!

November 21st, 2022

First I want to teach you about film terminology and how we can apply it to film /TV shows:

Task A: Film Terminology

Find your own clip! Show your understanding!

Terminology:

Shots and Framing

Shot:  a single piece of film uninterrupted by cuts.

Establishing Shot:  often a long shot or a series of shots that sets the scene.  It is used to establish setting and to show transitions between locations.

Long Shot (LS):  a shot from some distance.  If filming a person, the full body is shown. It may show the isolation or vulnerability of the character (also called a Full Shot).

Medium Shot (MS):  the most common shot.  The camera seems to be a medium distance from the object being filmed.  A medium shot shows the person from the waist up.  The effect is to ground the story.

Close Up (CU):  the image being shot takes up at least 80 percent of the frame.

Extreme Close Up:  the image being shot is a part of a whole, such as an eye or a hand.

Two Shot:  a scene between two people shot exclusively from an angle that includes both characters more or less equally.  It is used in love scenes where interaction between the two characters is important.

Camera Angles

Eye Level:  a shot taken from a normal height; that is,  the character’s eye level. Ninety to ninety-five percent of the shots seen are eye level, because it is the most natural angle.

High Angle:  the camera is above the subject.  This usually has the effect of making the subject look smaller than normal, giving him or her the appearance of being weak, powerless, and trapped.

Low Angle:  the camera films subject from below. This usually has the effect of making the subject look larger than normal, and therefore strong, powerful, and threatening.

Camera Movements

Pan:  a stationary camera moves from side to side on a horizontal axis.

Tilt:  a stationary camera moves up or down along a vertical axis

Zoom:  a stationary camera where the lens moves to make an object seem to move closer to or further away from the camera. With this technique, moving into a character is often a personal or revealing movement, while moving away distances or separates the audience from the character.

Dolly/Tracking:  the camera is on a track that allows it to move with the action. The term also refers to any camera mounted on a car, truck, or helicopter.

Boom/Crane:  the camera is on a crane over the action.  This is used to create overhead shots.

Lighting

High Key: the scene is flooded with light, creating a bright and open-looking scene.

Low Key:  the scene is flooded with shadows and darkness, creating suspense or suspicion.

Bottom or Side Lighting: direct lighting from below or the side, which often makes the subject appear dangerous or evil.

Front or Back Lighting: soft lighting on the actor’s face or from behind gives the appearance of innocence or goodness, or a halo effect.

Editing Techniques

Cut:  most common editing technique. Two pieces of film are spliced together to “cut” to another image.

Fade:  can be to or from black or white. A fade can begin in darkness and gradually assume full brightness (fade-in) or the image may gradually get darker (fade-out).  A fade often implies that time has passed or may signify the end of a scene.

Dissolve:  a kind of fade in which one image is slowly replaced by another.  It can create a connection between images.

Wipe:  a new image wipes off the previous image.  A wipe is more fluid than a cut and quicker than a dissolve.

Flashback:  cut or dissolve to action that happened in the past.

Shot-Reverse-Shot:  a shot of one subject, then another, then back to the first.  It is often used for conversation or reaction shots.

Cross Cutting:  cut into action that is happening simultaneously.  This technique is also called parallel editing.  It can create tension or suspense and can form a connection between scenes.

Eye-Line Match:  cut to an object, then to a person. This technique shows what a person seems to be looking at and can reveal a character’s thoughts.

Sound

Diegetic:  sound that could logically be heard by the characters in the film.

Non-Diegetic:  sound that cannot be heard by the characters but is designed for audience reaction only.  An example might be ominous music for foreshadowing.

Rocky_Balboa_as_the_Quintessential_Human

This is how we will lead today. I will give you a lecture on how archetypes are in Rocky I and then I will show you

November 18th, 2022

Just in case we have time:

Rocky_Balboa_as_the_Quintessential_Human

I will post all the PPT’s by chapter on Monday.

November 16th, 2022

Get into your groups and figure out how to explicate in the simplest terms these questions.  We have showtime on Thursday / Friday (if needed). I’ll take notes on your presentation and then post the notes on this blog so that everyone has a brief summary of the Gladwell book.

Give a brief summary – give some visual flair and…

Remember the questions:

1. Who and/or what are the Davids?
2. Why are those David more powerful than others presume?
3. Who are the Goliaths?
4. Why are those Goliath not as powerful as they seem?

And give evidence:

QUOTATION	SIGNIFICANCE
1.
2.
3.

November 15th, 2022

This class will be split into two independent parts.

The first part is getting the annotated bibliography completed. I will be there for you if you need help. It is due tonight at 11:59PM. I have opened up a teams file for your submission.

The second part is to get into your groups and figure out how to explicate in the simplest terms these questions. You will also have tomorrow to complete this assignment and we have showtime on Thursday / Friday (if needed). I’ll take notes on your presentation and then post the notes on this blog so that everyone has a brief summary of the Gladwell book.

Friday I will be giving a lecture on how Rocky is the ultimate underdog. This is basically the answer to your literary analysis question, so take good notes!

Monday: Rocky Begins!

November 14th, 2022

A:  We will go over a brief model example for your annotated bibliographies that are due Wednesday.

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Rhetoric)

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

 

B: Underdogs Presentation:

You can make a PowerPoint (or any media) that shows visual representation of your chapter.

You can even just present what you know without using anything but your charming selves. I wouldn’t recommend this though.

Make sure to answer these following questions regarding your chapter.

1. Who and/or what are the Davids?
2. Why are those David more powerful than others presume?
3. Who are the Goliaths?
4. Why are those Goliath not as powerful as they seem?

And give evidence:

QUOTATION	SIGNIFICANCE
1.
2.
3.

The presentation should be 5 minutes (give or take). As a group, this should be easy. Minor letter grade.

November 10th, 2022

Now that you have read the chapter, you can work on an annotated bibliography on this. Remember that the focus is on the underdogs of society – the promise and pitfalls of this archetype and why we are drawn to the archetype in the first place.

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

 

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

 

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

 

Part 2 (Rhetoric) YOU KNOW THIS NOW!

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

 

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

 

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

 

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

 

2.This article was helpful to me because….

 

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

November 9th, 2022

You are now going to be put into groups of 3. Each will tackle (Individually today) the chapter. You will be doing an annotated bibliography on it tomorrow. Remember those?

• Chapter One – Basketball /  Aleks, Shayan,  Justin

 

• Chapter Two – Class sizes Luc / Arthur

 

• Chapter Three – Selecting a university
• Teeraphat Ryan ali Parham

 

• Chapter Four – Dyslexia

Alicia / anabelle/  cassie

• Chapter Five – Childhood trauma

abby/ kirill / Daiya

• Chapter Six – The Civil Rights Movement

Kyle / dennis

• Chapter Seven – Authority figures

Brandon/ Jolin / carter

• Chapter Eight – Crime and punishment

sarah /maia / Amy

• Chapter Nine – Nazis and the French resistance

Egor / Nate / Maliya / Matthew

November 8th, 2022

Here is the PDF to David and Goliath by Malcom Gladwell.

Read the introduction only.

David and Goliath – Malcolm Gladwell

After reading the Introduction as a class, you should be able to answer the following questions that we will discuss formally:

1. What does Gladwell mean by “giants”?

Anything that causes to body to react in a way that is not positive. Giants = problem / situation / circums

1. In what ways was David an underdog?

Significantly smaller than goliath / no experience – first time in fight.

1. In the Bible, what happens between David and Goliath?

Small can overcome big when one is with god / Ego – as vice not virtue / small humans can take over big worldly temptations

1. What is the common explanation of what happened between David and Goliath?

Small beat big

1. What is Gladwell’s original explanation of what happened between David and Goliath?

When ordinary people confront giants – tumor  – had blindness – david had advantage

November 7th, 2022

Task 2: Characterization

You are to find a clip from a movie, TV show or animation and show me the different  character archetypes you find. Use the archetype PDF as an example and use the vocabulary that describes the archetype. The PDF is below:

Twelve_Character_Archetypes

This is a completion mark.

1. look on youtube for a favorite movie / tv show / MV / Animation
2. Look for all the character archetypes
3. Explain these characters and their significance in the clip in a quick informal paragraph.
4. Turn in at the end of class to teams – after we present some.

November 4th, 2022

Let’s finish this lecture. I promise it won’t be long.

Archetypes Notes for Outline 1

I will have you do two tasks over the next two days – pre assessment before the non-fiction piece and annotated bibliography. :

Task 1: Self Evaluation “My Archetype”

Take the Myer’s Briggs style test. Tell me what your archetype is – what this means to you and whether it is an accurate categorization of who you are as an individual. It is argued that all humans fall into 16 categories.

https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

Task 2: Characterization

You are to find a clip from a movie, TV show or animation and show me the different  character archetypes you find. Use the archetype PDF as an example and use the vocabulary that describes the archetype. The PDF is below:

Twelve_Character_Archetypes

November 3rd, 2022

Welcome back, me.

We are starting a new unit today and I’m excited to say it’s a world premiere, tailored to this class.

Here is an overview of the entire thing:

Underdogs & Archetypes Introduction

Intro:

Snack Attack:

How are these characters familiar?

How are these characters overcoming stereotypes?

What kind of story is this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38y_1EWIE9I&ab_channel=EduardoVerastegui

Now let me explain what these questions connect to with a very visually unappealing  PPT – take notes as this will be revisited many times throughout the unit:

Archetypes Notes for Outline 1

October 7th, 2022

Memoir is due tonight. Did you talk to Purdy yet?

October 6th, 2022

I’ll get to the other half of class today – I’m excited at some student’s work so far. I also have a mini assignment tomorrow, but we can come up with a vote of you needing extra time on Friday for memoirs or not. The class is yours! I’ll adapt to you!

1. What ideas are you brainstorming (Emerging)
2. What your outline looks like (Proficient)
3. Your rough draft (Extending)
4. Your good draft (Hyper-extension)

October 5th 2022

Keep up with this package.

Your Own Memoir

I will be meeting with you all individually to talk about either one of three things depending upon where you are. This will be a ‘tutor’ setting. No lecture!

I’ll try and use BC new curriculum language.

1. What ideas are you brainstorming (Emerging)
2. What your outline looks like (Proficient)
3. Your rough draft (Extending)
4. Your good draft (Hyper-extension)

October 4th, 2022

So I mentioned ‘speed dating for memoir non-fiction’ yesterday.

Here are the options for 2 raw timed 15 minute writes that you’ll share with another person expanding on the theme exercise yesterday:

1. Write something you can’t deny.
2. Write what got left behind.
3. Write something you wrote or did that you no longer understand.
4. Write apologizing for something you didn’t do.
5. Write about a physical characteristic you are proud to have inherited or passed on.
6. Write what you had to have.
7. Write of humiliating exposure.
8. Write about a time when you felt compassion unexpectedly.
9. Write what you have too much of.
10. Write about when you knew you were in trouble.

Add one of these themes to your free write afterwards:

Literary Themes List

This is the package for the entire memoir unit for the rest of the week – think of it as a Mr. Baker style one on one tutor project to make your individual creative writing style gain more dynamic:

Your Own Memoir

October 3rd, 2022

This week is dedicated to your own memoir, and to tie all of these elements from the past 2 weeks together. First, let’s finish off this quote business once and for all. The following are all of the quotes we’ve done for class. Since this has been a multi day assignment, all you need to do is turn in what you have with a final paragraph answering the following question:

What common theme threads these quotes together? 

You can turn in what you have after you’ve finished. 30 -45 minutes should do it. Don’t be worried about grades too much for this one – I just want to see how you reacted to the quotes.

Here are the quotes all collected together in order you received them. Refer to your previous entries for help:

1. “Is it possible, in the final analysis, for one human being to achieve perfect understanding of another?
We can invest enormous time and energy in serious efforts to know another person, but in the end, how close can we come to that person’s essence? We convince ourselves that we know the other person well, but do we really know anything important about anyone?”― Haruki Murakami, The Wind Up Bird Chronicle

2. “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”― Marilyn Monroe

3. “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”― Elie Wiesel

4. “You do not write your life with words…You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.” ― Patrick Ness

5. And did you get what /you wanted from this life, even so? /I did./ And what did you want? / To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.” ― Raymond Carver

After that, I have a theme exercise for you to complete. It will go into tomorrow.

September 29th, 2022

And did you get what /you wanted from this life, even so? /I did./ And what did you want? / To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.” ― Raymond Carver

Yesterday’s Orwell story didn’t go to the perfect plan I imagined, but that’s okay. This is the first time I’m doing this unit for a grade 12 class, so I think that there will be some rough edges.

Today will be the final model example of a memoir.

This will be a handout on Monday – you will commit to a structure or ‘mode of writing’ that will help you on your design of a personal memoir. This, along with the paraphrased quotes should be enough to get you started.

The ones you have been exposed to in the class so far:

Murakami:

Philosophical musings on the mundane – the structure is action / reflection / reaction.

Orwell:

1. The people that make the setting you choose (A club, a town, a sport, a hobby)
2. Dialogue through storytelling (The Arabian Nights Story within a story method)
3. Second person ‘You’ connective piece to a common theme (Not recommended as I find this method annoying).

Carver:

The influence of others as a deflection on your own life and growth as an individual

Today, for the Carver piece, I would like for you to complete two questions along with the 5 quotes. The questions are on the back of the handout. They are for discussion only. I will rewrite them here:

1. What are some possible reasons Carver’s mother stayed on with her husband despite all of his shortcomings? In what way does time and place shape a family’s identity?
2. As writers know, the more specific details they provide to support their ideas, the more universal the message becomes. What then are the universal messages that this essay might be delivering regarding fathers and sons? Husbands and wives? Mothers and sons? Family dynamics in general?

September 28th, 2022

“You do not write your life with words…You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.”
― Patrick Ness

Orwell: Down and Out in Paris and London

1. Find five poignant quotes from the piece.
2. paraphrase them
3. share your paraphrased sentences. They’re all going in your final memoir toolbox.

Here is a document to keep all of your paraphrased ideas in one place:

Paraphrasing Ideas Worksheet

September 27th, 2022

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
― Elie Wiesel

We will finish off the Murakami piece. Task:

1. Find five poignant quotes from the piece.
2. paraphrase them (After I give you the handout on paraphrasing).
3. share your paraphrased sentences. They’re all going in your final memoir toolbox.

If we have time, we will start on Orwell’s memoir. Same thing.

September 26th, 2022

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
― Marilyn Monroe

Memoir non-fiction: A 9 day unit on the art of stealing (paraphrasing)

End result (snapshot):

1. Three quick annotations on the following pieces:

-What I Talk about When I Talk About Running (Murakami)

-Down and Out in Paris and London (Orwell)

-My Father’s Life (Carver)

2. Understanding memoir fiction

3. Your own Memoir –  finding theme through memory.

Overview: The Art of the Steal Memoir Non-Fiction

a_definitions_of__memoir_1

September 22nd, 2022

“Is it possible, in the final analysis, for one human being to achieve perfect understanding of another?
We can invest enormous time and energy in serious efforts to know another person, but in the end, how close can we come to that person’s essence? We convince ourselves that we know the other person well, but do we really know anything important about anyone?”

― Haruki Murakami, The Wind Up Bird Chronicle

It was very lovely to meet all of you yesterday. Let’s read the rest of this piece together – with help from some students.

Loss of the Creature

You will be answering these questions (written as sentence stems):

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

MODEL EXAMPLES:

 1.Percy, W., “Loss of the Creature”, Message in the Bottle, Picador, 2000.  

The main idea of this article is the factor of expectations, one cannot truly experience something to its full extent with prior expectations. It gives examples such as family’s trip to the Grand Canyon, could a tourist’s experience really compare to the explorer’s who discovered it in the first place? When you see something, do you “see it for what it is” (p.47) or are you just looking at it. The author attempts to persuade the reader that perception “may be recovered by leaving the beaten track” (p.48); as well as using visual elements and stories to explain why one’s perception needs to be recovered in the first place. Does an individual only care for an experience if its validated, or if it levels up with “the “it” of their dreams” (p.53). Is it really possible to escape our consciousness, is that the only way we could truly live fulfilling experiences? This is a question I repeatedly asked, this article supports my ideas of how others are desperate for validation and approval. How most “unique” experiences were only lived to tell the tale, but while this article helped me call out others flaws, I did not expect for it to render so relatable to myself as well. One day, the day I finally get to see the attraction that I have been wanting to for so long, how could I properly “see” it? This article is fascinating, it will very often pop into my mind, but I have heavy doubt that it will affect the way I live my life. I will still take photos, tour popular places, brag about my so-called “unique” experiences. Although this article did contain enlightening lessons, it has far too many liberating rules for my way of living life.  

2. Percy, W., “Loss of the Creature”, Message in the Bottle, Picador, 2000.  

The idea of this article is that we should try to have authentic experiences. If we go to Paris for example, most people will hit all the popular tourist spots. The Eiffel tower, the louvre, etc. But you are not experiencing Paris, you are only experiencing what society wants you to experience. An authentic experience would be exploring the side streets, going to night clubs, stepping off the beaten path so to speak. But the author also says that we should not be conscious of the experience as it’s happening, since that would make it not authentic. At that point you’re conscious of you experiencing the experience rather than the experience itself. So, you should seek out authentic experiences, but you shouldn’t be conscious while within said authentic experiences. This seems contradictory at first, but on further thought I can pull away a simple message from this. You should go off the beaten path to do things that are different and unique and enjoy whatever comes your way. The author also brings up that a lot of people try to validate their experiences as authentic. If they find something unique, they want to know for sure that it’s unique. I think this isn’t the case for most people and if it is, it shouldn’t be. If that experience brought you happiness, who cares if it’s “the real thing”. Your happiness shouldn’t have to be justified by societal norms of what’s truly authentic. There is something to be said about looking for the authentic experience. If you’re in a different country, it’s probably a good idea to try and immerse yourself in their culture, but you shouldn’t obsess over it. Back to my example with Paris: if you’ve managed to go to the outskirts of town into a small bar where everyone’s a local speaking French, and you see something from your home country, that shouldn’t make you think that the experience is in any way less enjoyable. What I’m trying to say is, do everything in moderation; try to have authentic experiences, but don’t obsess over having the perfect experience.  

September 21th , 2022

Welcome to Mr. Purdy’s side of things. Don’t worry, Ms. Nelsen will be back in a few weeks!

I have to shove a bunch of things in here. For a few of you that have had me before, it will be review. I will keep in the narrative mindset, but will be switching things to nonfiction / academic ideas.  First, I want to show you how to save academic material in your head.

This is called Annotated Bibliographies. Listen to this lecture. Always ask questions. I have already forgotten your names, so… the more you talk, the more the student name will solidify in my head.

Here is the lecture:

Annotated Bibliography 2022

The written piece that we will be discussing is in the following PDF:

Loss of the Creature

You will be answering these questions (written as sentence stems):

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

Also, I would like to introduce you to a journal assignment that we will do (only when I’m here). I’m a big fan of quotes. This is also a way to get you more in the ‘English Literature’ mindset.

“A truth once seen by a single mind ends up by imposing itself on the totality of human consciousness.”
― Anonymous, The Arabian Nights

Write about this for about 10 minutes. This is the guide for ‘journal writing’:

Quote Journal Grade 12 V2

 

Moving forward, we will look at three memoirs, then we will complete your own ‘memoir’ piece after picking apart these works. I apologize for the lack of gender representation in this mini-unit, but these three male authors transcend the popular ideal of education and critical theory of the moment.

George Orwell (Down and out in Paris and London)

Raymond Carver (My Father’s Life)

Murakami Haruki (What I talk about when I talk about running)

What is descriptive writing? – Wanna write like these guys? That’s the unit.