Dow Now 2/4/08 - 2/15/08

2/4/08
Focus Question: How prepared are you for college?
I am somewhat prepared for college. I have the top three college I want to go to. I also signed up for collegeboard.com. However I feel like I need to find out more about financing, majors and scholarships.

2/5/08
DN: Write a paragraph on how you think technology should be integrated in an English class. What things would you like to do using technology?
I think technology should be integrated in an English class by what we are doing in this class. Using a blog page to write down our work. I would like to use technology to do projects.

2/7/08
Do Now: Explain in one paragraph what have you’ve been taught about slavery in social studies. How can slave narratives be a form of protest literature?
I have been taught that slavery had been going on ever since Columbus. The first slaves were actually the natives people. Then the white people went to Africa and brought African slaves when there was not many native slaves left due to the fact that they were dying. In America the north and south states had slavery. Then the northern states stop slavery in the north but the south still wanted slavery. The north and the south fought a civil war due to slavery. The north won the civil war and slavery then ended. Slave narrative can be a form of protest literature because it shows people that maybe don’t know what was going on during slavery just how it was and those people may want to help them and fight against slavery.

2/15/08
Do now: Select one of the literary works discussed and analyzed in class and give reasons why this work can be considered the best work that represents protest literature.
I think the “Dulce et Decorum est” can be considered the best work that represents protest literature because it shows how in the last line of the poem its says that the saying “It is sweet to die for one country” is a lie.

Wikivocabulary: Ambush (Tim O'Brien)

Task: Define all the words given after the reading.

1. Peril (n)- exposure to the risk of being injured, destroyed, or lost
2. Gape (v)- to stare with open mouth, as in wonder
3. Ammunition (n)- the material fired, scattered, dropped, pr detonated from any weapon as bombs or rackets, and esp. shot, shrapnel, bullets, or shells fired by guns.
4. Repellent (n)- something that repels, as a substance that keeps away insects
5. Platoon (n)- a military unit consisting of two or more squads or sections and a headquarters
6. My Khe (n)- place in Vietnam

Wikivocabulary for Dulce et Decorum est (Wilfred Owen)

Task: Define the vocabulary words given after the reading

1.Trudge (vb)- to walk, esp. laboriously or wearily: to trudge up a long flight of steps
2.Fatique (n)- Weariness from bodily or mental exertion; a cause of weariness; slow ordeal;
3.Exertion: the fatigue of driving for many hours
4.Floundering (vb): to make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance
5.Ecstasy: an overpowering emotion or exaltation; a state of sudden, intense feeling
6.Writhing (vb)- to twist the body about, or squirm, as in pain, violent effort, etc
7.Cud (n)- the portion of food that a ruminant returns from the first stomach to the mouth to show a second time
8.Vile (adj)- repulsive or disgusting, as to the senses or feelings: a vile odor
9.Zest- Hearty enjoyment
10.Ardent (adj)- having, expressive of, or characterized by intense feelings; passionate; fervent: and ardent vow; ardent love. Intense devotion

Comprehension question for Olaudah Equiano story

Task: Answer the following questions for Olaudah Equinano story

Comprehension Check Questions
For what crimes were slaves punished? And what was the punishment?
Some of the crimes the slaves were punished for was for preferring death over slavery, and trying to get food to survive. Their punishment was getting beaten with sticks and whips and being starved.

Critical Thinking Questions
Interpret: Why does Equiano blame the illness aboard the ship on the “improvident avarice” of the traders?
Equiano blames the illness aboard the ship on the improvident avarice of the traders because the traders would not care for the slaves. They would not give them food and kept them in tight places without much air for them to breathe.

Support from the text
How can you tell that Equiano has a great zest for life despite his assertion that he wanted to die?
Equiano has a great zest of life despite his assertion that he wanted to die because he would be curious about quadrant the traders would use and he was curious about how the whites were riding on the horses.

Infer
What does this passage reveal about the author?
This passage reveal that the author is very curious and his curiously helped his decision of not killing himself.

Draw conclusion
Explain what a variety of languages indicates about the slave trade.
The variety of languages indicates that the slaves were taking from different parts of Africa and the world.

Thematic Focus:
When one culture dominates another, what troubles might society face? When one culture dominates another society might have to face discrimination, war, hate groups, and losing their culture.

Wiki-element (Olaudah Equiano)

Task: Identify the following elements in Equiano’s narrative. Give definitions of each literary element and identify them in the text.

Literary Elements
1 Identify Genre
2 Symbolism
3 Imagery
4 Plot: sequence of events
5 Characters
6 Setting
7 Conflicts (internal/external)
8 Point of View
Answer
1. Genre- name given to variety of literary types. The genre of the Equiano's work is autobiography/ slave narrative.
2.Symbolism- represents something greater/ beyond itself. The ship was symbolic because it meant misery for the slaves.
3.Imagery- words used to give reader a visual image. There was when it said "The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us"
4.Plot- sequence of events. There was plot when the slave was caught trying to jumping off the ship and then was beaten with sticks and whips.
5.Characters- a person or thing represented in a drama, story, etc. Some characters in Equiano's work are himself, the other slaves, the traders, and the buyers.
6.Setting- time, place, location of a story. The setting of the story is during the middle passage, on a ship.
7. Conflict (internal/external)-problem in narrative either with oneself, nature or society. In Equiano's work he had both internal and external conflict. He had internal because he was trying to decide whether he should kill himself or not and he had external because he was trying to survive the abuse of the traders.
8.Point of View- perspective that the story is told. Equiano's story was told in first point of view because he is the one telling his story.

Wiki-cabulary (Olaudah Equiano)

Task: Find the appropriate definition of the words given at the end of the passage.

1.Loathsome (adj.): arousing intense dislike and disgust
2.Pestilential (adj) likely to cause disease
3.Copious: (adj) plentiful; abundant
4.Improvident (adj) shortsighted; failing to provide for the future
5.Avarice (n) greed for riches
6.Apprehensions (n) feeling of anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen; taking of a criminal into custody, the power or ability to grasp the importance, significance or meaning of something
7.Procured (v) to obtain something, especially by effort, to provide somebody for prostitution
8.Dejected (adj) feeling or showing sadness and lack of hope, especially because of disappointment
9.Accursed (adj) enduring the effects of a curse; horrible or hateful
10.Quadrant (n) a 90 degree arc representing one fourth of the circumference of a circle. The area bounded by a quadrant and the two perpendicular lines that connect it to the center of the circle.
11.Kindred (adj) close to somebody or something else because of similar qualities or interests. Related to somebody by blood. (n) closeness to somebody not related to you by blood based, e.g. on similarity of character or interest. Relationship by blood, or less strictly by marriage

Who am I

Task: For the quote given answer the who are you question.

"I am nobody, who are you?
- Emily Dickinson
I am a human who is a daughter, grand-daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, niece, and friend. I believe myslef as a smart young woman though sometimes I may not make the best decisions and it may not seem like I am. I make wrongs as well as rights. I am caring and kint to thouse who deserve me to be as well as those that don't. I can reach anything I want to if I se my mind to doing so, yet sometimes I'm lazy. I am my own indicidual.

Interpretation of DH Lawrence quote

Task: Inteperte the qoute written by DH Lawerence

"I never saw a wild thing feel sorry for itslef. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itslef."
- DH Lawrence
I think this quote means that only humans feel sorry for themselves. Animals living in the wild seem strong because they don't feel sorry for themselves if something bad happens to them while humans fell sorry for themselves when something happens to them.