In-Class exercise in preparation of our final exam (this will be your background knowledge for writing an argument to convince):
WE WILL DO THIS IN-CLASS WHENEVER WE RUN OUT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE PREPARED TO HOLD THEIR PPT PRESENTATIONS.
TASK 1: Do a quickwrite (3-5 min.) as a comment to this blog entry about the PROMPT:
"Is is possible to invent a language with a whole new grammar system, which can actually be used for communication by people all over the world?"
TASK 2:
We are going to watch the following film in-class: "The Language Challenge - - Facing up to Reality."
TASK 3:
TOPIC: Take about 10 minutes to complete the following task. Work with a partner and translate the following text into English to the best of your ability:
Patro nia, kiu estas en la ĉielo, Sankta estu Via nomo.
Venu reĝeco Via. Estu volo Via, kiel en la ĉielo, tiel ankaŭ sur la tero.
Panon nian ĉiutagan donu al ni hodiaŭ.
Kaj pardonu al ni ŝuldojn niajn, kiel ni ankaŭ pardonas al niaj ŝuldantoj.
Ne konduku nin en tenton, sed liberigu nin de la malvera:
Ĉar Via estas la regado, la forto, kaj la gloro eterne.
TASK 4:
Open the following files on history and grammar, and browse the pages for some background knowledge.
PROMPT: Email me the following answers in essay format. If you don't get done in class, it will be homework for the next day of class.
1) How much would you understand if you just heard the spoken version?
2) If you understood something, what was the reason for that? If you didn't, what was the reason for that?
3) Would it take you longer or shorter to learn this language than to learn German, French, Spanish, or another languague like these? Explain.
4) Do you think it has a future? Explain.
5) Could you create something like this? If you had to, how would you proceed; whom/what would you involve, what would it be like?
LAST EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY: (Due date: Friday next week)
If you still need to make up for an unexcused missed day, or for homework/blog comments, write a 2 page essay (double-spaced) about the history and development of this language! You can use the Internet for sources, but if you do, you have to quote accordingly in correct MLA or APA format. Your handbook A Writer's Resource will tell you how to cite from the Internet.
OR:
Write a paper of the same length (2 pages double-spaced) about other languages like that!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
In-Class, April 16: PowerPoint for Movie Presentation
Today, we are going to prepare our movie presentations for the last two weeks of class. They will be in the form of a PowerPoint presentation on the smartboard.
TASK 1: Pull an index card out of the hat. They are numbered 1-20. Your number means that this is the order in which your presentations will go. Write your name on the index card, and return it to your instructor. Remember your number. You'll receive a list with all the numbers on Friday.
TASK 2: Open ppt. Your presentation must at least have NINE pages:
1) Title page (title of presentation, your name, date, and photo/picture of movie)
2) Table of contents
3) One page that contains a 1-sentence summary of your movie.
4) One page that contains the social message (can have illustration), and where you can find it in the movie (bullet-pointed list of actions/events).
5) One page that contains the negative critiques about your movie.
6) One page that contains the positive critiques about your movie.
7) One page of your convincing conclusion (whether the movie is good or bad)
8) One page showing your rating scale.
9) A "thank you" page.
REMEMBER the following rules for ppt presentations:
A) NEVER have more than five lines on one page
B) NEVER have more than six words per line
C) Use a font that's big enough (18 upwards) for all to read from far away
D) Use colors that are easy to read.
Your ppt presentation MUST include:
1) A template (you can choose from the existing ppt templates. That means that the same logo/icon/symbol is depicted on every page. You can also create a template by yourself, for example with a little picture from your movie that appears on all pages in the upper right corner, or so).
2) At least one illustration
2) At least one picture animation (moving image)
3) At least two pages with animated letters (flow in from the left or right, fall down from above, etc. Play with the technology).
4) One background image which is so brightened that one can easily read the letters in the foreground.
5) IF you use Youtube: a functioning hyperlink on your last page to the Youtube (or other Internet) file, so that you only have to click on it to show your movie. IF you use a DVD, you insert it into the smartboard computer and don't need a hyperlink.
6) a final page that says "thank you," or "thanks for your attention," or something like that. Make it look nice to conclude with.
Since we "steal" the images and animated images from the Internet, you have to HYPERLINK them to the page where they came from; otherwise, it's plagiarism. Thus, you need at least two hyperlinks. But you will not click on them; it's just for verifying your sources.
When you've held your ppt presentation, you are going to show a 1-3 minute clip from your movie. It can be a Youtube file, or a real DVD. We cannot watch VHS in our classroom.After you're done with your complete presentation, the class will vote whether they are going to see your movie, or not, based on the efficiency of your convincing argument. You will receive a movie rating sheet for that.
TASK 1: Pull an index card out of the hat. They are numbered 1-20. Your number means that this is the order in which your presentations will go. Write your name on the index card, and return it to your instructor. Remember your number. You'll receive a list with all the numbers on Friday.
TASK 2: Open ppt. Your presentation must at least have NINE pages:
1) Title page (title of presentation, your name, date, and photo/picture of movie)
2) Table of contents
3) One page that contains a 1-sentence summary of your movie.
4) One page that contains the social message (can have illustration), and where you can find it in the movie (bullet-pointed list of actions/events).
5) One page that contains the negative critiques about your movie.
6) One page that contains the positive critiques about your movie.
7) One page of your convincing conclusion (whether the movie is good or bad)
8) One page showing your rating scale.
9) A "thank you" page.
REMEMBER the following rules for ppt presentations:
A) NEVER have more than five lines on one page
B) NEVER have more than six words per line
C) Use a font that's big enough (18 upwards) for all to read from far away
D) Use colors that are easy to read.
Your ppt presentation MUST include:
1) A template (you can choose from the existing ppt templates. That means that the same logo/icon/symbol is depicted on every page. You can also create a template by yourself, for example with a little picture from your movie that appears on all pages in the upper right corner, or so).
2) At least one illustration
2) At least one picture animation (moving image)
3) At least two pages with animated letters (flow in from the left or right, fall down from above, etc. Play with the technology).
4) One background image which is so brightened that one can easily read the letters in the foreground.
5) IF you use Youtube: a functioning hyperlink on your last page to the Youtube (or other Internet) file, so that you only have to click on it to show your movie. IF you use a DVD, you insert it into the smartboard computer and don't need a hyperlink.
6) a final page that says "thank you," or "thanks for your attention," or something like that. Make it look nice to conclude with.
Since we "steal" the images and animated images from the Internet, you have to HYPERLINK them to the page where they came from; otherwise, it's plagiarism. Thus, you need at least two hyperlinks. But you will not click on them; it's just for verifying your sources.
When you've held your ppt presentation, you are going to show a 1-3 minute clip from your movie. It can be a Youtube file, or a real DVD. We cannot watch VHS in our classroom.After you're done with your complete presentation, the class will vote whether they are going to see your movie, or not, based on the efficiency of your convincing argument. You will receive a movie rating sheet for that.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Movie Summaries
This is the blog thread where everyone has to post his/her movie summary and rating scale as a comment!
In-Class, April 14: Peer-Edit Session
For our peer-editing session today about the research package, fill in all the points on the peer editor's sheet, and also look for:
HOC (Higher Order Concerns; i.e., organization, format, ideas, logic, content, etc.)
and
LOC (Lower Order Concerns; i.e., grammar, spelling, punctuation, text flow, etc.).
You're allowed to write on the original paper (in a different color, please). In case you're peer-editing an electronic version instead of a paper copy, you have to insert electronic comments, and you also need to fill in the peer editor's sheet electronically, because you need to email both to your peer and in cc to me by the end of today's class.
For those who peer-edit paper copies: I'll bring a stapler. Staple your peer editor sheet at the back of the research package you've graded, and hand everything in to me. I'll give it a quick check (but only for HOC), and you'll get the packages back on Wednesday for final revision. THEY ARE DUE THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 18th, AS PAPER COPIES, COMPLETE WITH ATTACHMENT. No late papers accepted.
TASK FOR MOVIE PAPER:
When you're done peer-editing today, work on your movie. There's an additional task for the movie paper: Of course, we'll present our findings to the class in some way. Thus, in the last days of class, we're going to have some fun - you need to demonstrate your movie critique on the smartboard, showing the class a clip from YouTube or a DVD with some excerpt of your movie, and explain to them (orally) why it was a good or a bad movie, and where the SOCIAL MESSAGE is, and how effectively it is communicated. Also, each of you has to publish the MOVIE SUMMARY that you wrote at the beginning of your movie essay on the blog. Publish the summaries under the blog thread "MOVIE SUMMARIES," so that everybody can find them. Most of you have typed the summaries already, so you just need to copy and paste. Those that I've read were really good. Just remember to have NO PERSONAL EVALUATION in the summary; that comes later, in your critique. Also, publish your RATING SCALE on the blog. You can insert icons for that if you have some!!! Right before your SUMMARY, publish your scale on the blog, and say how good/bad the movie is.
HOC (Higher Order Concerns; i.e., organization, format, ideas, logic, content, etc.)
and
LOC (Lower Order Concerns; i.e., grammar, spelling, punctuation, text flow, etc.).
You're allowed to write on the original paper (in a different color, please). In case you're peer-editing an electronic version instead of a paper copy, you have to insert electronic comments, and you also need to fill in the peer editor's sheet electronically, because you need to email both to your peer and in cc to me by the end of today's class.
For those who peer-edit paper copies: I'll bring a stapler. Staple your peer editor sheet at the back of the research package you've graded, and hand everything in to me. I'll give it a quick check (but only for HOC), and you'll get the packages back on Wednesday for final revision. THEY ARE DUE THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 18th, AS PAPER COPIES, COMPLETE WITH ATTACHMENT. No late papers accepted.
TASK FOR MOVIE PAPER:
When you're done peer-editing today, work on your movie. There's an additional task for the movie paper: Of course, we'll present our findings to the class in some way. Thus, in the last days of class, we're going to have some fun - you need to demonstrate your movie critique on the smartboard, showing the class a clip from YouTube or a DVD with some excerpt of your movie, and explain to them (orally) why it was a good or a bad movie, and where the SOCIAL MESSAGE is, and how effectively it is communicated. Also, each of you has to publish the MOVIE SUMMARY that you wrote at the beginning of your movie essay on the blog. Publish the summaries under the blog thread "MOVIE SUMMARIES," so that everybody can find them. Most of you have typed the summaries already, so you just need to copy and paste. Those that I've read were really good. Just remember to have NO PERSONAL EVALUATION in the summary; that comes later, in your critique. Also, publish your RATING SCALE on the blog. You can insert icons for that if you have some!!! Right before your SUMMARY, publish your scale on the blog, and say how good/bad the movie is.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
In-Class, April 11 + Homework for April 14
On Friday, April 11, we're having a workshop in which we finish up our research essay.
You need to bring all your components, either on a memory stick / CD, or in an email to yourself:
- your points 1-9
- your points 6 + 12 (Lit Review of what other research said about your topic, and Annotated Bibliography)
- your three graphs
- your printed-out pdf file of the SurveyMonkey results
We are going to fuse everything in one big document. If you have any questions, you are allowed to ask peers during this workshop session, or ask me as I'm walking around. By the end of Friday's class, the documents should be completely finished.
You will have the weekend to repair minor surface errors, to get a better flow, and to do some other polishing.
On Monday, I'm going to collect your research projects as they are. REMEMBER, there are no rewrites for unit 3 and unit 4. I will just check whether you have all the components, and tell you when I see a basic error. I won't check spelling mistakes.
You'll get them back on Wednesday, and on FRIDAY, APRIL 18, the final RESEARCH ESSAYS are DUE!!!
On Monday in class, we are going to work on our MOVIE REVIEWS, so bring all you've written before, and any data you have collected (such as reviews by other people, links, etc.).
You need to bring all your components, either on a memory stick / CD, or in an email to yourself:
- your points 1-9
- your points 6 + 12 (Lit Review of what other research said about your topic, and Annotated Bibliography)
- your three graphs
- your printed-out pdf file of the SurveyMonkey results
We are going to fuse everything in one big document. If you have any questions, you are allowed to ask peers during this workshop session, or ask me as I'm walking around. By the end of Friday's class, the documents should be completely finished.
You will have the weekend to repair minor surface errors, to get a better flow, and to do some other polishing.
On Monday, I'm going to collect your research projects as they are. REMEMBER, there are no rewrites for unit 3 and unit 4. I will just check whether you have all the components, and tell you when I see a basic error. I won't check spelling mistakes.
You'll get them back on Wednesday, and on FRIDAY, APRIL 18, the final RESEARCH ESSAYS are DUE!!!
On Monday in class, we are going to work on our MOVIE REVIEWS, so bring all you've written before, and any data you have collected (such as reviews by other people, links, etc.).
Sunday, April 6, 2008
In-Class, April 7: Movie Critique (Unit 3 Paper)
In-Class work for Monday, April 7th:
Today, we’ll put off our surveys, because we are waiting for our results to come in on Wednesday (and I have to proofread your research essay components in the meantime).
Therefore, we are beginning with our short unit 3, which will deal with a movie of your choice that contains a SOCIAL MESSAGE.
Your TASK will be to write an argument to convince: You are creating a movie critique, and you have to either convince your audience to see this wonderful movie, or not to watch it, because it is not worth while.
You will be allowed to use powerful language that appeals to the corresponding audience (e.g., teenagers), but it should be publishable in a movie magazine.
In your critique, you have to analyze the arguments the movie director has made – with what kind of scenes did he/she evoke feelings (pathos) in his audience, what were his/her tricks to create funny/shocking/sad scenes, how did he/she manipulate the audience (for example, to believe something wrong, e.g. in a thriller where everybody thinks the murderer was somebody else). Did the filmmaker make forensic arguments, such as mentioning a past historical event? You need to state how well the filmmaker developed his arguments, and how effective the movie overall was.
Thus, your task is to say HOW the filmmaker created his effects, not WHAT he did (focus on the efficiency of his arguments/art, not on the mere content on the film!). So far, we’ve analyzed RHETORIC, but a film contains much more than just words (images, light effects, sound effects, color effects (just think of the pink dress of the little Jewish girl in Schindler’s List, a black-and-white movie), flashbacks, dream scenes, surrealism, time travels, etc. etc.) All these are "arguments."
To finally evaluate the movie, you have to invent your own rating scale! You can paste icons in your paper for that. Look at the three links below to see other movie critiques.... you can assign “rotten tomatoes,” for example, or stars, or a dice (six points are very good, one point is bad), or anything interesting you can come up with. At the beginning or the end of your critique you have to mention how many points out of the highest possible number your film would get; and of course, you have to state why.
Today, we’ll begin with the preliminary steps:
1.
Look at the sample links for movie critiques (you can also google other examples):
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/
http://www.filmcritic.com/
http://www.metacritic.com/
2.
Make up your mind which movie you want to talk about. It can be any topic that has a SOCIAL MESSAGE (body image, terrorism, war, racism, gender issues, gang life, ...). When you've selected your movie, publish a very short comment on THIS blog in which you say which movie you've selected, and whether you're going to write a pro or a con critique about it.
3.
Write a short summary about this movie, so that a person who has not seen it yet will know what it deals with. The summary should be FREE of any personal evaluation; JUST FACTS! (argument to inform) The summary should not be longer than 200 words.
4.
Search the Internet for critiques of your selected movie. Find out what other people have said about it. Then, make up your mind whether you want to write a positive or a negative critique about your movie.
• If you write a POSITIVE critique, select three NEGATIVE critiques by other credible sources (published newspaper/magazine criticism). If you cite from personal blogs, you need to find the corresponding MLA quotations in A Writer’s Resource.). CITE from those three sources, using correct MLA style for online quotations, and write why you contradict those statements.
• If you write a NEGATIVE critique, select three POSITIVE critiques by other credible sources ((published newspaper/magazine criticism). If you cite from personal blogs, you need to find the corresponding MLA quotations in A Writer’s Resource.). CITE from those three sources, using correct MLA style for online quotations, and write why you contradict those statements.
5.
Invent your rating scale, and rate your movie accordingly.
Overview:
Components of Unit Essay 3:
1. Title (should be a title that could appear in a movie magazine)
2. Paste a picture of a scene in your movie (found on the Internet) as attention catcher
3. Short summary in your own words (about 200 words) of a movie with a social message (neutral; no personal evaluation yet)
4. Three statement of the opposite opinion, with correct in-text MLA citations
5. Your contradiction of these three statements
6. Your analysis of why the film was effective/ineffective
7. Application of your rating scale (you can insert icons)
8. Short conclusion with recommendation
9. Works Cited page with correct MLA citations of your three opposite opinions (can be blogs, online movie magazines, or printed movie magazines)
Requirements: 2-3 pages, 12 font, double-spaced. The critique must be CONVINCING!!! Use the right language that would appeal to your reader (google sample critiques). Your language can be modern, and include colloquialisms, but should still have some standard so it could be published in a movie magazine.
Today, we’ll put off our surveys, because we are waiting for our results to come in on Wednesday (and I have to proofread your research essay components in the meantime).
Therefore, we are beginning with our short unit 3, which will deal with a movie of your choice that contains a SOCIAL MESSAGE.
Your TASK will be to write an argument to convince: You are creating a movie critique, and you have to either convince your audience to see this wonderful movie, or not to watch it, because it is not worth while.
You will be allowed to use powerful language that appeals to the corresponding audience (e.g., teenagers), but it should be publishable in a movie magazine.
In your critique, you have to analyze the arguments the movie director has made – with what kind of scenes did he/she evoke feelings (pathos) in his audience, what were his/her tricks to create funny/shocking/sad scenes, how did he/she manipulate the audience (for example, to believe something wrong, e.g. in a thriller where everybody thinks the murderer was somebody else). Did the filmmaker make forensic arguments, such as mentioning a past historical event? You need to state how well the filmmaker developed his arguments, and how effective the movie overall was.
Thus, your task is to say HOW the filmmaker created his effects, not WHAT he did (focus on the efficiency of his arguments/art, not on the mere content on the film!). So far, we’ve analyzed RHETORIC, but a film contains much more than just words (images, light effects, sound effects, color effects (just think of the pink dress of the little Jewish girl in Schindler’s List, a black-and-white movie), flashbacks, dream scenes, surrealism, time travels, etc. etc.) All these are "arguments."
To finally evaluate the movie, you have to invent your own rating scale! You can paste icons in your paper for that. Look at the three links below to see other movie critiques.... you can assign “rotten tomatoes,” for example, or stars, or a dice (six points are very good, one point is bad), or anything interesting you can come up with. At the beginning or the end of your critique you have to mention how many points out of the highest possible number your film would get; and of course, you have to state why.
Today, we’ll begin with the preliminary steps:
1.
Look at the sample links for movie critiques (you can also google other examples):
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/
http://www.filmcritic.com/
http://www.metacritic.com/
2.
Make up your mind which movie you want to talk about. It can be any topic that has a SOCIAL MESSAGE (body image, terrorism, war, racism, gender issues, gang life, ...). When you've selected your movie, publish a very short comment on THIS blog in which you say which movie you've selected, and whether you're going to write a pro or a con critique about it.
3.
Write a short summary about this movie, so that a person who has not seen it yet will know what it deals with. The summary should be FREE of any personal evaluation; JUST FACTS! (argument to inform) The summary should not be longer than 200 words.
4.
Search the Internet for critiques of your selected movie. Find out what other people have said about it. Then, make up your mind whether you want to write a positive or a negative critique about your movie.
• If you write a POSITIVE critique, select three NEGATIVE critiques by other credible sources (published newspaper/magazine criticism). If you cite from personal blogs, you need to find the corresponding MLA quotations in A Writer’s Resource.). CITE from those three sources, using correct MLA style for online quotations, and write why you contradict those statements.
• If you write a NEGATIVE critique, select three POSITIVE critiques by other credible sources ((published newspaper/magazine criticism). If you cite from personal blogs, you need to find the corresponding MLA quotations in A Writer’s Resource.). CITE from those three sources, using correct MLA style for online quotations, and write why you contradict those statements.
5.
Invent your rating scale, and rate your movie accordingly.
Overview:
Components of Unit Essay 3:
1. Title (should be a title that could appear in a movie magazine)
2. Paste a picture of a scene in your movie (found on the Internet) as attention catcher
3. Short summary in your own words (about 200 words) of a movie with a social message (neutral; no personal evaluation yet)
4. Three statement of the opposite opinion, with correct in-text MLA citations
5. Your contradiction of these three statements
6. Your analysis of why the film was effective/ineffective
7. Application of your rating scale (you can insert icons)
8. Short conclusion with recommendation
9. Works Cited page with correct MLA citations of your three opposite opinions (can be blogs, online movie magazines, or printed movie magazines)
Requirements: 2-3 pages, 12 font, double-spaced. The critique must be CONVINCING!!! Use the right language that would appeal to your reader (google sample critiques). Your language can be modern, and include colloquialisms, but should still have some standard so it could be published in a movie magazine.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Gay and Lesbian Rights Survey
Survey Topic: Acceptance of Gay and Lesbian in society.
Group Members: Bettie Tannahill, Brittany Denney, Allyson Scrutchens, and Sara Smith.
Audience:18+; We are assuming that our audience is totally pro or con with the anticipation to find the correlation between generation and pro or con.
Purpose:The difference in what society thinks of the generation gap.
Anticipated Outcome:We would like to understand the views of people who are for and against gay and lesbian rights and their reasons for having these views.
Statement of Need:Our survey is important because it will show different views with different generation gaps.
Articles Read:"Confessions of a Heterosexual" and "Degrees of Discomfort"
Group Members: Bettie Tannahill, Brittany Denney, Allyson Scrutchens, and Sara Smith.
Audience:18+; We are assuming that our audience is totally pro or con with the anticipation to find the correlation between generation and pro or con.
Purpose:The difference in what society thinks of the generation gap.
Anticipated Outcome:We would like to understand the views of people who are for and against gay and lesbian rights and their reasons for having these views.
Statement of Need:Our survey is important because it will show different views with different generation gaps.
Articles Read:"Confessions of a Heterosexual" and "Degrees of Discomfort"
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