Eng: Talking About Tools

Today we did a bit of history in class, looking at the five tools totalitarian dictators use to gain and maintain control. This builds upon our work with media analysis in preparation for Animal Farm next week.

Eng.: Media Analysis

Today, after a review of Allegory and Fable, we did a media analysis exercise using the bits of persuasive media students brought in. It was collected. The questions are below.

Notice/Focus Media Analysis, Part 1

1. Make a list of at least 10 things that you notice about your advertisement or piece of media. What stands out? 5 minutes
2. Choose three things from your list. What makes these things particularly significant or interesting? Explain in detail. 5 minutes

Notice/Focus Media Analysis, Part 1

Compare notes with a partner, and add responses to the following questions to your previous notice/focus work. 10 minutes

1. What things do your media have in common? Do the media’s creators use similar techniques to get their message across? What are those techniques?
2. What are the messages of your media?
3. Who are the targets of these messages? (e.g. women, men, teens, children, etc.) How do you know? Be specific.

History: Feb. 25 & 26

Monday Feb. 25: Tapestry discussion about drug abuse.

Tuesday Feb. 26: Introductory lecture: What is Totalitarianism. Students also researched some statistical data about Russia and the break-away republics.

Eng.: Allegories and Fables

Today we started a short look at allegories and fables as a part of our run up to Orwell's Animal Farm.

Eng.: In Class Essay

Today as a culmination of our WWI unit, students wrote an essay in class on a piece of WWI poetry.

History: Feb. 14 and 15

Feb. 14: We discussed the Treaty of Versailles. Map of post WWI Europe.

Feb. 15: WWI open notes test. Packets collected.

Eng: WW1 Poetry Project, Part 2

Today we started this:

Choose a line or two from your favorite of the World War I poems your group has studied and present it artistically. Your art may be literal (i.e. an actual image or event described in the poem) or symbolic (i.e. a symbolic representation of an emotion, feeling, or idea the poem evokes). USE THE WHOLE PAPER.

Include:

• The poem title;
• The author’s name;
• The line of poetry (clearly and legibly of course);
• The correct heading information (on the back).

We will finish this tomorrow.

History: Feb. 7, 8, 11 & 12

Feb 7: Students worked on drawing a freehand map of Europe.

Feb. 8: We went to the park. Thomas blocked my shot once.

Feb. 11: I lectured about 5 important battles of WWI. Students began writing a letter from the trenches.

Feb. 12: Students graphed statistical data from WWI, and finished the letters from the trenches.

History: Feb. 5 and 6

Tues. Feb. 5: We attended an assembly about Black History/Black History Month.

Wed. Feb. 6: Students filled out the weapons matrix, watched a short segment about life in the trenches and took notes on life in the trenches.

History: Feb. 4

Today Paula Arrowsmith talked about the services available to teens at the Rape Crisis Center/Suicide Hotline.

Jan. 31 and Feb. 1

Jan. 31: Students took a quiz on WWI causes. After the quiz we watched a portion of the film "A very long engagement" to see the conditions in the trenches in WWI.

Feb. 1: Student teams created a powerpoint about a weapon from WWI.

History: Jan. 31, Feb. 1

Jan. 31: Students took a WWI causes quiz and finished the spoke diagrams.

Feb. 1: Teams of two students created powerpoints about the different weapons that were used during WWI.