Please answer the following question: Do you agree with the Progressives that the voters will make the right decision if given the chance? Why, or why not? Use specific examples to support your position. You MUST address the opposing view's arguments in addition to substantiating your own.
Natural Disaster stories: Please be prepared to share your draft with the class Wednesday. If we have a snow day we will share our stories on Monday. Don't worry if you are stuck; we will help. Your classmates may have some ideas.
For Wednescay, November 3, 2010. Begin planning your short story. I have included a template (it's after the story) to help you plan and develop your story. FIRST, read the following short story, a well known tale by Edgar Allen Poe. Notice how he builds the suspense.
The Tell-Tale Heart
TRUE!—NERVOUS—VERY, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story.
It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded—with what caution—with what foresight—with what dissimulation I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it—oh so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly—very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha! would a madman have been so wise as this, And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern cautiously—oh, so cautiously—cautiously (for the hinges creaked)—I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights—every night just at midnight—but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he has passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.
Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers—of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back—but no. His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness, (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers,) and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.
I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in bed, crying out—“Who's there?”
I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed listening;—just as I have done, night after night, hearkening to the death watches in the wall.
Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief—oh, no!—it was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise, when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself—“It is nothing but the wind in the chimney—it is only a mouse crossing the floor,” or “It is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp.” Yes, he had been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions: but he had found all in vain. All in vain; because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel—although he neither saw nor heard—to feel the presence of my head within the room.
When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little—a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it—you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily—until, at length a simple dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye.
It was open—wide, wide open—and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness—all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man's face or person: for I had directed the ray as if by instinct, precisely upon the damned spot.
And have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the sense?—now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well, too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.
But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. The old man's terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment!—do you mark me well I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me—the sound would be heard by a neighbour! The old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once—once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more.
If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.
I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye—not even his—could have detected any thing wrong. There was nothing to wash out—no stain of any kind—no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all—ha! ha!
When I had made an end of these labors, it was four o'clock—still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart,—for what had I now to fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbour during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.
I smiled,—for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search—search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.
The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct:—It continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definiteness—until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears.
No doubt I now grew very pale;—but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased—and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound—much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath—and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly—more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men—but the noise steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? I foamed—I raved—I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder—louder—louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God!—no, no! They heard!—they suspected!—they knew!—they were making a mockery of my horror!-this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! and now—again!—hark! louder! louder! louder! louder!
“Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I admit the deed!—tear up the planks! here, here!—It is the beating of his
Student: Date: Note: Areas indicated by No will need to be redone on the Graphic Organizer. 1. Expanded outline contains additional adequate details for developing a short story. Yes No 2. Expanded outline contains plot elements that can be woven into a short story. Yes No 3. Graphic Organizer shows evidence of sequencing plot events. Yes No 4. Graphic Organizer contains enough setting details. Yes No 5.Graphic Organizer contains additional character details for character 1. Yes No 6. Graphic Organizer contains additional character details for character 2. Yes No
For WED. October 28, 2010: Continue revisions on the S.S. essay for Mrs. Preston (unless I have told you that you are finished - and only one person is finished) If you made revisions during class on Monday, check your document again...I have probably suggested further revisions. See me during class on Wednesday if you need help.
Due Oct. 18
Compare the life of a sharecropper and the life of a slave. Use the guide for the five paragraph essay (below).
Here are some words that you might find useful: Contrast and Comparison: contrast, by the same token, conversely, instead, likewise, on one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, rather, similarly, yet, but, however, still, nevertheless, in contrast
Addition: also, again, as well as, besides, coupled with, furthermore, in addition, likewise, moreover, similarly
Consequence: accordingly, as a result, consequently, for this reason, for this purpose, hence, otherwise, so then, subsequently, therefore, thus, thereupon, wherefore
Generalizing: as a rule, as usual, for the most part, generally, generally speaking, ordinarily, usually
Exemplifying: chiefly, especially, for instance, in particular, markedly, namely, particularly, including, specifically, such as
Illustration: for example, for instance, for one thing, as an illustration, illustrated with, as an example, in this case
Emphasis above all, chiefly, with attention to, especially, particularly, singularly
Similarity: comparatively, coupled with, correspondingly, identically, likewise, similar, moreover, together with
Restatement: in essence, in other words, namely, that is, that is to say, in short, in brief, to put it differently
Five Paragraph Guidelines:
First paragraph:
Write a thesis statement (a sentence declaring what you believe.)___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What are the three examples / supporting arguments?
Your last sentence in the introductory paragraph should explain to the reader how or why your three examples are valid arguments to support your position.
Write a topic sentence for this paragraph. (State what your first example / argument is going to be.)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example / argument #1 that supports your thesis statement:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Write a topic sentence for this paragraph (State what your second example / argument is going to be.)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example / argument #2 that supports your thesis statement:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Write a topic sentence for this paragraph. (State your third example / argument.)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example / argument #3 that supports your thesis statement:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Re-state your thesis statement and CONNECT your three supporting arguments to your thesis statement, explaining (again, and briefly) why they support your position on the issue or question.
Due Oct. 8th: Revise your composition on Return to Manzanar. The best way to view the comments and the easiest way to revise is to follow these steps.
File (under the Google.doc lettering)
Download to Word
Open word document
Make changes
Copy and paste onto new google document
NAME the document: "your name_Manzanar_Rev10/6"
Share revised google.doc with me and Mr. Rose by Friday, Oct.8th
For Wednesday, write draft for me on one of the following questions. It is due on Wednesday 10/6. A final draft for Mr. Rose is due on Friday October 8, 2010. Share it with both me Mr. Rose.
1. Type a personal description in the voice of or through the eyes of one of the main characters in one of these situations:
a. Papa’s feelings, thoughts, and actions after joining his family at Manzanar from the detention center
b. Reaction of Jeanne or any family member to life at Manzanar
c. Jeanne’s awareness of prejudice at school
d. Jeanne’s insights and feelings when she returns to Manzanar in April 1972 with her husband & daughter
Final Draft due October 4, 2010
Homework for Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010
Write a five paragraph draft about the miners: below is a suggestion for organizing your notes. Check your facts!!
Introduction: write about the enormity of the event, what happened,the suffering of the miners,efforts to alleviate their misery, how they are going to try to get them out
Details or example
Detail or example
Detail or example
Conclusion: expectations for future mining disastersprecautions and quick responseLessons from this catastrophe
Your class discussion notes: CHECK FACTS
Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How
Who: 33? Miners ages twenties to sixties?
What: trapped in a mining shaft two miles beneath the surface of the earth
What happened? How and why did it collapse?
When: Aug? Sept?
How did they get discovered?
When will they get out?November? December How can they prevent this in the future?
What was the problem with getting them out?Two out of the three drill bits broke
They get food and water brought down to them as well as a mini TV
They sent down iTouches?Is there internet?
Sept 18 they sent down celebration food
Where? Chile.What city?
2 miles underground
Trapped in a mine that collapsed
Enough air to breathe
Found 2 weeks later
People sent supplies – food water clothing Ipad. They have internet down there
33 miners, ages 22-65
Near Santiago?
Supporting structures fell?
Out by November?
3 drills,drill down two miles hoping to get down without the tunnel collapsing
The miners have to shovel the dirt aside
Do they have to dig a cavern?
Late August?
Check all the facts? Prepare the final draft of the S.S. essay to share with Mrs. Preston on Wednesday, 9/29/10.
Tip: Write paragraphs 2,3,4 first and then write Paragraph1 and 5. Use the "overused words" to help you restate ideas in a different way. (see below)
Paragraph 1: Introduction (Tell the reader what you are going to say) Tell the reader: Paragraph 2: What the Northern states were like Paragraph 3: What the Southern states were like Paragraph 4: How they were similar Paragraph 5: Conclusion (Tell the reader what you have said.)
September 13th, 2010 Due Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2010
Homework for Monday, May 24, 2010 (Optional, but strongly recommended)
THE END of the year will soon be here, and that means grades. All of you are missing assignments. Honestly, since google.doc is new to me this year, and probably to all of you, I am not taking points off, BUT I do want to see them AND YOU NEED THE GRADE. MAKE SURE THAT I AM INVITED TO VIEW/EDIT your Google.docs. I will give you time on Monday to check your account (and make sure I am invited to all your documents) and to work on your graduation speech.
EXCITING! I put The Wilson Times on our Website! I did this so that viewers can click on links to view video clips and slideshows. Eventually, if time permits, there will be music as well. My idea is to send out the newspaper as a link which will people directly to our Website where the paper is the first page. We need Mrs. Borlo's permission, but in the meantime, you can see the paper evolve as we add articles and media. FUN!? YES. I agree.
GRADUATION SPEECHES!!! WRITE! I'LL HELP YOU FIX IT UP. LET'S IMPRESS MRS. BORLO.
FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010
PLEASE PICK A PIECE OF WRITING THAT YOU ARE PROUD OF. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SHARE IT AT THE LITERARY CAFE ON APRIL 28TH (NEXT WEDNESDAY) ALL OF YOUR DOCUMENTS SHOULD ALREADY BE ON GOOGLE.DOCS HAVE A PIECE READY FOR CLASS TOMORROW
For Monday, April 12, 2010
Finish and PROOF your piece on a memorable positive experience at Wilson.
Make sure your Pet Peeve article is ready for publication. I HAVE READ THEM ALL AND THERE ARE A LOT OF MISTAKES. FIX THEM. USE A DICTIONARY AND THESAURUS. USE CAPITALS AND APPROPRIATE PUNCTUATION, EIGHTH GRADERS!! I have made comments on the Pet Peeve pieces SINCE you worked on them in the computer lab on Wednesday. Please look at them, revise and add to them if necessary. Will you be proud to have it published on the Wiki? Your family and friends will see it. (It will be on a private school community site) I couldn't put them up on our new Wiki page because none of them were error-free!!
Read the script that we read on Wednesday and write a summary of the clip.
Think of the following when writing a summary:
PRE-WRITING: SKIM - Look at title, heading, pictures, and scan the article quickly to get an impression of the overall meaning. READ CAREFULLY & TAKE NOTES - If not a textbook, underline or highlight main ideas. Make a list of the central points.
WRITING: BE BRIEF - Focus only on main idea and most important supporting details. PARAPHRASE - Use your own words. Do not copy sentences or phrases. TOPIC SENTENCE & CLOSING SENTENCE - Sum up the article in an interesting way.
REVISING: ASK YOURSELF - Could another person understand the main idea by reading my summary? PROOFREAD - Spelling and grammar.
for Monday, Feb. 22, 2010
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97088865 Or you can read it below! This is the web address for the story we read in class. You might have to copy and paste it. Or... you can read it below. I gave your parents some tips in case you asked them for help and then I put them on this website after the story. They might help...If anybody looked at the homework page. Write a summary of the story for Monday.
When I was 18, a friend asked if I'd like a job delivering singing telegrams in Manhattan while dressed as a gorilla. It wasn't anything I ever expected to do, but I was unemployed and the gorilla mask muffled my lack of singing ability. So I took the job.
Soon after, I heard about another job, this time at the Empire State Building entertaining tourists by posing as King Kong. As one of the few applicants with prior gorilla experience, I was a shoo-in. When the summer ended and it got too cold to be on the observation deck, even while wearing a gorilla suit, another friend asked if I'd like to be a private detective. I said, "Yes, ever since I was 6."
Somewhere between the gorilla suits and getting hired to work as an actual private eye, I realized something about myself: I believe in the ridiculous.
I was raised in a traditional home where I was taught the value of hard work. I was determined to be determined. But a funny thing happened, or didn't happen. I struggled to become rich and famous, to build a successful career in Hollywood, and largely failed; I relaxed, and the ridiculous just came along.
It's not easy trusting in the ridiculous. When my friends ask what my career plans are, I sometimes feel like Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear. How can I tell them I have no plans — that I'm just waiting for the ridiculous to happen?
Now my main job is something that would have seemed ridiculous when I was in my "determined" phase: I'm a stay-at-home father to three children, and the story of one of them is particularly ridiculous. And wonderful. Ridiculously wonderful.
Five years ago, I read an article about Ethiopian children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. The idea that my wife and I would adopt a child, when we already had two kids, seemed crazy. The notion that a dying woman in Africa would gently give me her 5-year-old to raise because she could not, seemed horribly absurd. But now my wife and I are the proud parents of Clay, Grace and Nati, our beautiful 10-year-old Ethiopian-born son, who enters our kitchen singing at the top of his lungs most every morning.
The ridiculous isn't always funny — Nati's life certainly hasn't been. And the ridiculous can be hard work. As any stay-at-home parent can tell you, some days three children can feel like 100.
But when I look at my gorilla-heavy resume, when I see all three of my kids laughing, when I think about how much less my life would have been if I had settled for what I thought I wanted, I realize I don't much care about the sensible things I once did. It's the ridiculous I love.
And I've got the gorilla suits to prove it.
Independently produced for All Things Considered by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman with John Gregory and Viki Merrick.
If you read the story, it seems superficial - this character has no direction, takes silly jobs along the way, and is a stay-at-home dad. As he sees the ridiculousness and the randomness of it all, he also decides that if one can accept the ridiculousness and randomness, one can allow the wonder and the joy to be felt as well. His crowning example is his beautiful adopted son. He came to his family in an unexpected and random way, and he had brought joy and wonder with him.
So... if the you are confused, which you very well may be, re-read the part about the adoption and think about in what ways that connects with the gorrilla suit, detective outfit etc. One answer is being willing to accept the ridiculous and random and unexpected. (I know, it's not easy) There may be others.
The main point is that along with the unexpected and random come ridiculousness, joyfulness and wonder. You support that point with examples from the story and mention important details. Check your work. e-mail me with questions. THANK YOU! Mrs. Muus
LEAD- IN ASSIGNMENT SENTENCE: (DEVON, ADAM, AND CHRIS) Write a paragraph with an engaging sentence that makes the reader really want to read the rest of the paragraph. Have it in to me by Wednesday. I apologize. It was on the 7th grade HW site, but not on the 8th grade site, so no points will be deducted for late submission. Avoid "The best day of my life was..." and "I remember when...."
History summaries
Chapters 22 and 23 are both due Wednesday January 26, The format is the following: One sentence that summarizes the entire paragraph supporting ideas concluding sentence IN YOUR OWN WORDS
Finish writing a story about the lost city of Atlantis. You are free to be write about anything you like, as long as it is appropriate for school and it is set in the lost city of Atlantis. Below are some myths about Atlantis that might spark your imagination. Don't forget about character, setting, plot, climax, conclusion and add lots of description and detail! The story does not have to be long.
For those of you who would prefer to base your story on current findings about the lost city of Atlantis, check out some websites and use that information in your story. You might find that more interesting. Again, the story doesn't have to be long, but make it a story, not a report.
PLATO It was for Greek philosopher to bring to the world the story of the lost continent of Atlantis.
His story began to unfold for him around 355 B.C. He wrote about this land called Atlantis in two of his dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, around 370 B.C. Plato said that the continent lay in the Atlantic Ocean near the Straits of Gibraltar until its destruction 10,000 years previous.
The Capitol of Atlantis
Plato described Atlantis as alternating rings of sea and land, with a palace in the center 'bull's eye'.
Plato used a series of dialogues to express his ideas. In this type of writing, the author's thoughts are explored in a series of arguments and debates between various characters in the story.
A character named Kritias tells an account of Atlantis that has been in his family for generations. According the character the story was originally told to his ancestor Solon, by a priest during Solon's visit to Egypt.
According to the dialogues, there had been a powerful empire located to the west of the "Pillars of Hercules" (what we now call the Straight of Gibraltar) on an island in the Atlantic Ocean. The nation there had been established by Poseidon, the God of the Sea. Poseidon fathered five sets of twins on the island. The firstborn, Atlas, had the continent and the surrounding ocean named for him. Poseidon divided the land into ten sections, each to be ruled by a son, or his heirs.
The capital city of Atlantis was a marvel of architecture and engineering. The city was composed of a series of concentric walls and canals. At the very center was a hill, and on top of the hill a temple to Poseidon. Inside was a gold statue of the God of the Sea showing him driving six winged horses.
About 9000 years before the time of Plato, after the people of Atlantis became corrupt and greedy, the Gods decided to destroy them. A violent earthquake shook the land, giant waves rolled over the shores, and the island sank into the sea never to be seen again.
At numerous points in the dialogues Plato's characters refer to the story of Atlantis as "genuine history" and it being within "the realm of fact." Plato also seems to put into the story a lot of detail about Atlantis that would be unnecessary if he had intended to use it only as a literary device.
In "Timaeus," Plato described Atlantis as a prosperous nation out to expand its domain: "Now in this island of Atlantis there was a great and wonderful empire which had rule over the whole island and several others, and over parts of the continent," he wrote, "and, furthermore, the men of Atlantis had subjected the parts of Libya within the columns of Heracles as far as Egypt, and of Europe as far as Tyrrhenia."
Plato goes on to tell how the Atlanteans made a grave mistake by seeking to conquer Greece. They could not withstand the Greeks' military might, and following their defeat, a natural disaster sealed their fate. "Timaeus" continues: "But afterwards there occurred violent earthquakes and floods; and in a single day and night of misfortune all your warlike men in a body sank into the earth, and the island of Atlantis in like manner disappeared in the depths of the sea."Interestingly, Plato tells a more metaphysical version of the Atlantis story in "Critias." There he describes the lost continent as the kingdom of Poseidon, the god of the sea. This Atlantis was a noble, sophisticated society that reigned in peace for centuries, until its people became complacent and greedy. Angered by their fall from grace, Zeus chose to punish them by destroying Atlantis.By Plato's account, Poseidon, god of the sea, sired five pairs of male twins with mortal women. Poseidon appointed the eldest of these sons, Atlas the Titan, ruler of his beautiful island domain. Atlas became the personification of the mountains or pillars that held up the sky. Plato described Atlantis as a vast island-continent west of the Mediterranean, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. The Greek word Atlantis means the island of Atlas, just as the word Atlantic means the ocean of Atlas.
Atlas
By Egyptian record, Keftiu was destroyed by the seas in an apocalypse. It seems likely Solon carried legends of Keftiu to Greece, where he passed it to his son and grandson.
Plato recorded and embellished the story from Solon's grandson Critias the Younger. As in many ancient writings, history and myth were indistinguishably intermixed. Plato probably translated "the land of the pillars which held the sky" (Keftiu) into the land of the titan Atlas (who held the sky). Comparison of ancient Egyptian records of Keftiu identifies a number of similarities to Plato's Atlantis. It seems likely that Plato's Atlantis was a retelling (and renaming) of Egypt's Keftiu.
When Plato identified the location of the land he named Atlantis, he placed it to the west-in the Atlantic Ocean. In reality, Egyptian legend placed Keftiu west of Egypt, not necessarily west of the Mediterranean. In describing Atlantis as an island (or continent) in the Atlantic Ocean, we suspect Plato was merely wrong in his interpretation of the Egyptian legend he was retelling.
Yet Plato preserved enough detail about the land of Atlantis that its identification now seems very likely, and rather less mysterious than many new-age advocates would like. It is likely that Atlantis was the land of the Minoan culture, namely ancient Crete and Thera. If this hypothesis is correct, Plato never realized that the land of Atlantis was already familiar to him. Let's have a look at the evidence which suggests that Minoan Crete and surrounding islands bear a striking resemblance to what Plato described as Atlantis.
Archaeological records show that the Minoan culture spread its dominion throughout the nearby islands of the Aegean, very roughly from 3000 years BC to about 1400 years BC. Crete, now part of Greece, was the capital for the Minoan people an advanced civilization with language, commercial shipping, complex architecture, ritual and games.
It seems very likely that related islands (e.g. Santorini/Thera) may have been part of the same culture. The Minoans were peaceful: very little evidence of military activity was found in their ruins. A 4-storied palace at Knossos, Crete, was said to be the capitol of the Minoan culture. Correspondence of Minoan cultural artifacts with aspects of the Atlantis legend make the identity of the two seem virtually certain. Perhaps the most unusual of these is the Minoan bull fighting.
By Egyptian legend, the inhabitants of Keftiu would engage in ritualistic bull fighting, with unarmed Minoan bullfighters wrestling and jumping over uninjured bulls.
Due: December 16: Write a paragraph with an engaging sentence that makes the reader really want to read the rest of the paragraph. If you haven't put it up on Google.docs yet, MAKE SURE it is by Friday! We all want a relaxed break.
Final Wobbly Essay Due Dec. 14! I loved your topics!
Essay Due Monday, Dec. 7, 2009
Read the following true story. We've talked about why being a "wobbly" can be good. Choose a topic that you are "wobbly" about. (Check with me if you are not sure if it is appropriate for this assignment. [email protected]) This might mean that you can see the merits and problems of both sides of the issue. We've done this in class.
In Praise of the Wobblies
By Ted Gup
For years I really didn't know what I believed. I always seemed to stand in the no-man's land between opposing arguments, yearning to be won over by one side or the other, but finding instead degrees of merit in both.
I remember some 35 years ago, sitting at a table with the editor of The Washington Post and a half dozen Harvard kids. We were all finalists for a Post internship and the editor was there to winnow our numbers down. He asked each of us what we thought about the hot issues of the day -- Vietnam, Nixon, the demonstrations. The Harvard kids were dazzling. They knew exactly where they stood. Me, I just stumbled on every issue, sounding so muddled. I was sure I had forever lost my shot at the Post. Why, I wondered, could I not see as clearly as those around me?
When the lunch was over and everyone rose to leave, the editor put his hand on my arm and asked me to stay. We talked again about the war and how it was dividing the country. A month later he wrote me a rejection letter. He said I was too young for the job but he liked my attitude. He told me that he "hunched I had a hell of a future" and to keep bugging him. I did.
Seven years later he hired me.
But that first letter, now framed in my office, had already given me an invaluable license. It had let me know that it was OK to be perplexed, to be torn by issues, to look at the world and not feel inadequate because it would not sort itself out cleanly. In the company of the confident, I had always envied their certainty. I imagined myself like some tiny sailboat, aimlessly tacking in whatever wind prevailed at the moment.
But in time, I came to accept, even embrace, what I called "my confusion," and to recognize it as a friend and ally, no apologies needed. I preferred to listen rather than to speak; to inquire, not crusade. As a noncombatant, I was welcomed at the tables of even bitterly divided foes. I came to recognize that I had my own compass and my own convictions and if, at times, they took me in circles, at least they expanded outward. I had no wish for converts -- where would I lead them?
An editor and mentor at the Post once told me I was "Wobbly." I asked who else was in that category and drew comfort from its quirky ranks. They were good people all -- open-minded, inquisitive, and yes, confused. We shared a common creed. Our articles of faith all ended with a question mark. I wouldn't want a whole newsroom, hospital, platoon or -- God forbid -- a nation of us. But in periods of crisis, when passions are high and certainty runs rabid, it's good to have a few of us on hand. In such times, I believe it falls to us Wobblies to try and hold the shrinking common ground.
Homework for November 9th, 2009 I am not out to torture you. E-mail me if you need an extra day or two to complete an assignment. I have children, I once was a child, and understand that homework can sometimes be overwhelming. However, e-mail me: [email protected] There are TWO parts to the homework: Look for homework/classwork in your folders or on your computer AND respond to the essay we started to read in class. Due: Wednesday, Nov. 11th
Look for any of the following missing assignments that I have informed you are not in your WW envelope:
Civil War paragraph Proof marks sentences 5 P Personal Essay first draft 5 P personal Essay final draft Special Person Essay Anthony Burns Essay Topic paragraph
If you don't have them or have not done them, talk to me or e-mail me and we'll set a date for you to submit them to me.
PART TWO
AND...Please write a five paragraph essay in response to the following essay: write about three things about her philosophy that you agree with.
BE COOL TO THE PIZZA DUDE
Sarah Adams - Port Orchard, Washington
As heard on NPR’s All Things Considered, May 16, 2005
We know them. We depend on them. We call them out on cold, rainy nights. Now, NPR listener Sarah Adams tells us why her life philosophy is built around being cool to the pizza delivery dude.
If I have one operating philosophy about life it is this: “Be cool to the pizza delivery dude; it’s good luck.” Four principles guide the pizza dude philosophy.
Principle 1: Coolness to the pizza delivery dude is a practice in humility and forgiveness. I let him cut me off in traffic, let him safely hit the exit ramp from the left lane, let him forget to use his blinker without extending any of my digits out the window or towards my horn because there should be one moment in my harried life when a car may encroach or cut off or pass and I let it go. Sometimes when I have become so certain of my ownership of my lane, daring anyone to challenge me, the pizza dude speeds by me in his rusted Chevette. His pizza light atop his car glowing like a beacon reminds me to check myself as I flow through the world. After all, the dude is delivering pizza to young and old, families and singletons, gays and straights, blacks, whites and browns, rich and poor, vegetarians and meat lovers alike. As he journeys, I give safe passage, practice restraint, show courtesy, and contain my anger.
Principle 2: Coolness to the pizza delivery dude is a practice in empathy. Let’s face it: We’ve all taken jobs just to have a job because some money is better than none. I’ve held an assortment of these jobs and was grateful for the paycheck that meant I didn’t have to share my Cheerios with my cats. In the big pizza wheel of life, sometimes you’re the hot bubbly cheese and sometimes you’re the burnt crust. It’s good to remember the fickle spinning of that wheel.
Principle 3: Coolness to the pizza delivery dude is a practice in honor and it reminds me to honor honest work. Let me tell you something about these dudes: They never took over a company and, as CEO, artificially inflated the value of the stock and cashed out their own shares, bringing the company to the brink of bankruptcy, resulting in 20,000 people losing their jobs while the CEO builds a home the size of a luxury hotel. Rather, the dudes sleep the sleep of the just.
Principle 4: Coolness to the pizza delivery dude is a practice in equality. My measurement as a human being, my worth, is the pride I take in performing my job — any job — and the respect with which I treat others. I am the equal of the world not because of the car I drive, the size of the TV I own, the weight I can bench press, or the calculus equations I can solve. I am the equal to all I meet because of the kindness in my heart. And it all starts here — with the pizza delivery dude.
Tip him well, friends and brethren, for that which you bestow freely and willingly will bring you all the happy luck that a grateful universe knows how to return.
Sarah Adams has held a number of jobs in her life, including telemarketer, factory worker, hotel clerk and flower shop cashier, but she has never delivered pizzas. Born in Connecticut and raised in Wisconsin, Adams now lives in Washington where she is an English Professor at Olympic Community College.
Homework: Wednesday, 11/04/09 Due: Monday, 11/09/09 Answer this question: Burns is indeed a "humane, gentle man." In what ways are his attitudes toward his oppressors exemplary? Is he too forgiving? Why or why not? How do you think you would have reacted to slavery and to the humiliation and trials that Burns experiences?
Please write a five paragraph essay answering the question above. You can use the forgiveness example as one of the three examples. Don't forget to explain why or why not. You will have to think of two other examples on your own. "Exemplary" means 'serving as a desirable model, or the best of its kind." Use the last part of the question (How do you think you would have reacted to slavery and to the humiliation and trials that Burns experiences?) as the concluding paragraph.
By now, you should know the format for the five paragraph essay. If not, examples are in your notebook under the writing workshop tab. you may e-mail if you are stuck. You care about your grades right now, Eighth graders! Do a good job. Read it aloud and PROOF IT!
If you haven't submitted an assignment on Google.doc, please do so ASAP so that I can comment on it. Here are the steps:
find the Word document on the computer and open it. go to "Edit" in Word and click on "select all" under the Edit menu, click on "copy"
open your Google.doc account and log in under the "Google" on the upper left hand corner you will see "create new"and "upload" click on "create new" click on "documents" - you will see a blank page make sure the cursor is at the top of the page and go to "edit" menu and click "paste." You are done!
If I don't have it on Google.doc, it won't get graded, so e-mail me if you have trouble. Also, Mrs. Varga can help you.
Also note: (especially Evan W.) if you wrote a Halloween story by hand, give it to me on Wednesday. It will count as extra credit.
Monday, October 26 Due: October 28, 2009 HANDWRITE a response to your penpal. If your penpal didn't respond, please start with "Dear Friend" or Dear Penpal. Bring it into class on Wednesday. Below is the address of the movie clip we watched in class (11 minutes). If it doesn't work, google Sue Ryder Cares and look for her 2004 video.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR GOOGLE DOCS (not for this assignment)
Get on the wilson home page
Click to current families
Click on teacher pages
Click on Mrs. Varga's teacher page
Click on Student Resources
Click on 8th grade Apps and log in
Click on "upload" (below Google icon)and copy and paste your Word document onto Google docs. If your document is already on Google.docs, make revisions if needed
Save and click on Share (make sure I am on your invited list: [email protected]
THANK YOU!
Parents: "Cloud Computing" is like having a big server in the sky ("the cloud".) Documents are stored in the "cloud" which give key people access to the most current document. For example, when the children are working on their research project, Mr. Rose, Ms. Preston, the student, and myself all have access to the same and current document. If you would like to view it, ask your child to put your e-mail address on their share list. This creates an efficient and collaborative way for the various teachers and students to work together.