Blog #12 - Anisa Lubonja - Period 1 - 2/27/2020

Anisa Lubonja

2/27/20

Period 1

Freshman Lit 2020

Blogger #12

Aim: How can further implementation of our poetry skills enhance our exploration and analysis of a Shakespearean Sonnet?

Do Now: With your partner, consider the the word “Summer”. What symbolic meanings or connotations are usually associated with this word? Why?

For the do now, we began by finding the connotation of the word “Summer.” Our class said it had a positive connotation and seemed to suggest happiness and relaxation. It is associated with warm weather and humidity.

Notes for the Day:

We then went on to speak about the structure of Shakespearean sonnets. These sonnets are fourteen-line poems. They are divided into three quatrains, each consisting of four lines. The sonnets end with a rhyming couplet. The first quatrain acts as an introduction. The second quatrain introduces a conflict. The couplet may resolve the conflict or change the subject.

The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Each syllable is either stressed or unstressed that is found in the pronunciation of each letter. This iambic foot has two syllables: one unstressed followed by one stressed. It can even be considered a heartbeat meter. 

It is important to pay attention to rhyme scheme, tone, diction, and figurative language in Shakespearean sonnets. Also, analyzing poetry enables you to understand it and find the meaning behind the figurative language.

Furthermore, we went on to read Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18.” We found the line scheme, which matched the ABAB CDCD EFEF GG format presented above. This poem speaks of Shakespeare’s preference of the subject over summer and its extreme, abruptly changing nature. He says that all beauty fades in the end. Summer changes abruptly and leaves quickly, however, the subject doesn’t leave the narrator. Shakespeare speaks of the poem’s longevity and everlasting theme. The poem is an extended metaphor of comparing a summer’s day to the timelessness of the beauty of the subject. 

Before class ended, the class discussed the meaning of the poem, specifically the comparisons that the speaker makes and his feelings towards summer. We discussed these as a class with a few students replying to the questions and each other. The result of this was that the class was able to understand Shakespeare’s feelings of love towards the subject of the poem. We noticed that he spoke negatively towards summer and pointed out its flaws, such as being extreme and fast-paced. This contrast established that the subject was even greater than a well-known delightful subject: summer. He used an extended metaphor, as we discovered through our class discussion. Our class analyzed the concluding couplet by saying that Shakespeare signified that the subject should be eternal, as the poem is.

Reflection of the lesson:

Today, my class and I learned about the significance of Shakespearean Sonnets. We spoke about the unique structure of his sonnets. He uses the rhyme scheme, ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, and utilizes the stressing of syllables. We analyzed Sonnet 18 and connected it to what we learned yesterday about extended metaphors. The extended metaphor in this poem was comparing the subject to a summer’s day. Summer typically has a positive connotation. Therefore, the effect of Shakespeare conveying this is to show that the subject is even more spectacular than a day in the summer. He points out the flaws in summer, saying that it changes quickly and is extreme, and compares them to the wonderful qualities of the subject. It showed his compassion for the subject. He concluded the poem with two lines that spoke of how this sonnet is timeless, as is the subject. We learned this to further our understanding of the structure of sonnets. It helped us to understand the effect of figurative language and draw conclusions. When we compose our own anthology of poems, this understanding will help us structure it and provide inspiration. To write literature, it is important to read and analyze the works of others to draw conclusions from what they have done. In essence, today, our class learned about the structure, figurative language, and the overall message of Shakespeaere’s Sonnet 18, which will help us to write our own poetry.

Further links for more information on Shakespearean Sonnets:

https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/media/literary-arts/shakespeares-sonnet-18/

http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/sonnet/18

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/shakespearean-sonnet

http://sonnet18shakespeare.weebly.com/figurative-language.html

http://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/academic/article/905417/William-Shakespeares-Sonnet-18

Blog #11 - Cailyn Kitchens - Period 1 - 2/26/2020

February 26, 2020

Cailyn Kitchens

Period 1

Freshmen Lit 2020

Aim: How are metaphors used by writers to send meaning to readers?

Do Now: Complete the following: Love is ____.

Our class came up with many answers to this prompt. One common answer was love is blind, a phrase being said for ages. It can be interpreted as loving someone regardless of how they look, or could also mean you could love someone so much that you disregard their faults, or do anything for them. Another answer was love is trust, because in a relationship you need to have faith in the other person, and without trust a relationship will fail. One last notable answer was love is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. This answer was inspired by the famous movie Forrest Gump, when Forrest says “life is like a box a chocolate, you never know what you’re going to get.” In summation, this prompt could be answered in many ways depending on what kind of person you are and your opinion on love.

Metaphor: figure of speech that develops a comparison which is different from a simile

• i.e. we don’t use “like” or “as” to develop comparison in a metaphor
• it actually makes an implicit or hidden comparison and not an explicit one

Extended Metaphor: developed over several lines or throughout a poem

One example of an extended metaphor is a comparison of life to an hourglass. A simple metaphor would just be to say life is an hourglass. An extended metaphor would be to say life is an hourglass, running out of sand. You start by tipping it over. As the sand runs to the other side, you try to figure out your path. You never know when the sand will run out. You just know that it will. So when it does will you be ready? This is an extended metaphor because it starts out as just a simple statement, life is an hourglass, but then is explained in depth over the next sentences or lines. Extended metaphors are important, especially as we will use them in the upcoming poems for our poem anthology.

The next activity we did was read and annotate “Poetry for Everyday Life” by David Brooks in The Opinion Pages, published on April 11, 2011. The article was about the use of metaphors in our everyday life, whether we realize it or not. One notable piece of information was that “linguistic research suggesting that people use a metaphor every 10 to 25 words.” Some common metaphors we use are food metaphors and health metaphors. The reason why we use metaphors is to help to relate to things we don’t understand fully, and if we are not the most sufficient in abstract thinking, metaphors help us build on that quality.

After, we read “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickenson and answered the question “How does the author utilize the extended metaphor to express a theme or message to the reader?”

Hope is the Thing with Feathers (by Emily Dickenson)

“Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune -- without the words,

And never stops at all,

“And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

“I’ve heard it in the chilliest land,

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It never asked a crumb of me.”

Throughout the poem, is an extended metaphor comparing hope to a bird. It conveys the theme that hope is always there for you and follows you everywhere. For example, in the second stanza the poem states “And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird,” showing that nothing can destroy the bird, just like nothing can destroy hope.

We then went off with our groups to analyze two poems. The first was the poem “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes.

Mother to Son (by Langston Hughes)

       Well, son, I’ll tell you:

       Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

       It’s had tacks in it,

       And splinters,

       And boards torn up,

       And places with no carpet on the floor--

       Bare.

       But all the time

       I’se been aclimbin’ on,

       And reachin’ landin’s,

       And turnin’ corners

       And sometimes goin’ in the dark

       Where there ain’t been no light.

       So boy, don’t you turn back.

       ‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

       Don’t you fall now--

       For I’se still goin’, honey,

       I’se still climbin’

       And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

The extended metaphor here is “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” This is used to demonstrate the adversities and obstacles the mother faced in her life, and she had to persevere through them. The overall message is her telling her son that even when things get difficult and you feel like giving up, you have to keep working hard.

The second poem was “The Rose That Grew from Concrete” by Tupac Shakur.

The Rose That Grew from Concrete (by Tupac Shakur)

 Did you hear about the rose that grew

 from a crack in the concrete?

 Proving nature’s law is wrong it

 learned to walk with out having feet.

 Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,

 it learned to breathe fresh air.

 Long live the rose that grew from concrete

 when no one else ever cared

This extended metaphor was a rose growing through a crack in the concrete, with a message similar to the above poem. The rose represents hope, beauty, and life, while the concrete is a symbol of hard times. A rose growing through the concrete shows being able to find the light even in dark places, and breaking through.

We ended the lesson by discussing and comparing the two poems. In our groups, we talked about the similarity in central ideas with the poems we just read. After discussion, we wrote that both poems reveal that even in difficult times you can get through them by having hope and persevering. You can take a bad situation and make it better if you keep trying and work hard.

Summary: We use metaphors all the time without even knowing it. It helps us understand and relate to a topic better, and increases our cognitive abilities. An extended metaphor is a metaphor that is analyzed and explained throughout several lines in a poem. Some great examples of extended metaphors are in “Hope is the

Blog #10- Suyee Htun- Period 2- 2/25/2020

2/25/20

Suyee Htun

Blog #10

Period 3

Aim: By synthesizing diction, tone and characterization, how is “group polarization” and Stoner’s “Risky Shift” demonstrated in the jury room?

Do Now: 

Anonymous response on the question “I wish we could switch teachers every semester”

• 8 people wanted different teachers to 25 people who did not want different teachers

Anonymous response on the question “I wish I didn’t have Ms.Peterson this semester”

• Everyone formed their opinion in their mind

People were asked to share out their opinion

• Most people seemed uneasy and unwilling to share their opinion

Notes:

• Why is it so difficult to be the only one who goes against the whole group? 
• If the topic is not something that u are passionate about, it is not until you are asked to share that you start to back down
• Some people are more introverted who feel uncomfortable in a place where there are extroverts sharing their opinions
• Group polarization - when people are in a group, people tend to make more extreme decisions than when they are on their own
• Video on group polarization
• What is GROUP POLARIZATION? What does GROUP POLARIZATION mean? GROUP POLARIZATION meaning
• Reading 12 Angry Men (pages 52 - end)

Reflection: 

From this lesson, I saw how it correlated to the extreme behavior of the jurors in the jury room. Some jurors, such as Juror 3 and Juror 8, had behavior that we would see as absurd and maybe even being unnaturally passionate about this trial. However, according to the theory of group polarization, being in the jury for this case made them have more of a reaction opposed to if they were to decide on their own. In addition, going back to being unable to go against a group, some jurors were unable to go against the group and followed what the rest of the jury decided, such as Juror 6. I noticed while I was reading that he doesn’t have a lot of lines because of his more introverted personality compared to Jurors 3 and 8 who have the most lines because they are more extroverted. In my opinion, Juror 6 could have voiced his opinion more and been surer on his stance had he been on his own, as per the group polarization theory. The presence of extroverted jurors could have made Juror 6 been more silent throughout the play. Furthermore, there was Juror 8 who went against the group and voted not guilty. The group polarization theory could have also played a role here where Juror 8 felt more inclined to want to talk about the trial because of the group setting. Wanting to prove a point, he could have voted not guilty and as a result, taught the jury a lesson about sending a potentially innocent person to death when there is still room for reasonable doubt. I believe this lesson would let me be more aware during group situations and be able to voice my opinion in those situations.

Blog 10- David Keyser Period 3

Aim- By synthesizing diction, tone and characterization, how is “group polarization” and stoner’s “risky shift” demonstrated in the jury room 

Do now: I wish i could switch teachers every semester true/false

• I wish i didn’t have Ms. Peterson this semester
• Everyone misses Mrs. Lane. We had had her as a teacher for the longest time; made genuine connections with her.
• A lot of people feel that it is good to move around and learn similar things with different methods to better understand the topics

Pair Share: Why is it so difficult to be the only one who goes against the whole group?

• removing yourself from the group does several things: you instantly make enemies with whoever opposes you; people with different opinions on certain topics may start to judge you based on what you stand for / believe in.
• Humans are “social creatures”, people get discouraged when they are put in a position where they are the minority 
• When the one person was coming forward as different, he was immediately shut down and murdered. He put his neck out and it got cut down 

Group Polarization: phenomenon that when placed in groups/situations people will make decisions that are more risky/extreme than when they were alone

Blog #9 - Ryan Desnick - Period 7 - 2/25/2020

February 25th, 2020

Ryan Desnick, period 7 

Sophomores 2020

Aim: By synthesizing diction, tone, and characterization, how is “group polarization” and Stoner’s “Risky Shift” demonstrated in the jury room?

We started off the lesson with a poll on Menti: “I wish we could switch teachers every semester: yes or no?” This poll (as well as the subsequent discussion about both our English class and the school at large) eventually segwayed into a conversation about group mentality and why it is so hard to break with a large consensus. Relating to “Twelve Angry Men”, the herd mentality of the jury and their willingness to take extreme solutions (like declaring the defendant guilty and dooming him to death) becomes increasingly obvious as the deliberation continues, with Juror 3 especially becoming more steadfast in his opposition as the debate continues on. After our discussion, we proceeded to read the final portion of “Twelve Angry Men”, and last but not least we took personal notes and summarized our entire lesson,

WHAT I LEARNED: Today, the focal point of the lesson and the big takeaway of this lesson was the concept of “risky shift” or “group polarization”, which is the phenomenon in which individuals may exercise caution and restraint in regard to a situation, where as groups of many people are more likely to choose more extreme, reckless, less cautious solutions to a problem.

WHY?: We learned about “group polarization” today because it helped us students delve into the psychology behind the juror’s actions in “Twelve Angry Men”. By understanding why the jurors did what they did and why they seemed to just go along with whatever the consensus was, we can better understand the tension and the story at large.

HOW WILL I USE THIS?: I will most likely use this information that I learned today the next time I am forced to solve a problem with a group of my peers. By knowing that we would be more likely to take a riskier solution just by human psychology and the “risky shift” effect, I could be more careful in how I approach group problems to try to minimize this effect.

Blog #10 - Karen Khvan - Period 1 - 2/25/2020

Karen Khvan                                                                               2/25/2020

Period 1                                                                                   Blogger # 11

 Freshmen Literature 2020

Aim: How has poetic expression evolved in the 21st century?

Do Now: For the do now, we had to discuss with our group whether or not technology and the 21st century are ruining literature. There were many different viewpoints around the teams. Some people said that it was not damaging the literature, but actually helping it, since more people are now gaining access through it and you can discuss it with people all around the world. However, there were also people who said that it is ruining literature, since all of the technology is providing distractions (social media, etc.) which steers us away from literature.

Rupi Kaur: A writer who got famous off of Instagram for writing short poems, and wrote the book milk and honey.

• The class also discovered that there is poetry everywhere, from instagram to song lyrics to twitter.

Epic Poetry: a genre of classical poetry; a long narrative poem that is usually about heroic deeds and events that are significant to the culture of the poet. 

         Ex: The Odyssey of Homer

Micro poetry: A genre of poetic verse including tweetku (also known as twihaiku, twaiku, or twitter poetry); describes poems of minimal characters in length or design 

        EX: Milk and Honey 

Summary: These two different forms of poetry are forms of literature because they are ways for an author to express themselves and their ideas through their writing, and it will be useful to us students when we make our own poetry books.

Blog #10 - Irene Ghobriel - Period 9 - 2/25/2020

February 25, 2020

Irene Ghobriel

Period 9

Sophomores 2020

For today, the lesson was introduced by a prompt on Mentimeter, which asked a poll along the lines of, “would you like to switch teachers after every semester?” A majority of the class had answered no, and many of the students seemed to agree with the notion that rather than change teachers, we would rather have our old teacher, Mrs. Lane, back. Then, another question followed which stated along the lines of “Would you rather have other English teachers instead of Mrs. Peterson?” After this was presented, hardly anyone would respond out fear of disrespecting and insulting a superior who had control of our grades. This segued into our lesson on group polarization, which is the incidence where groups are more inclined to make “riskier” decisions; however the individual is more inclined to be cautious. Ms. Peterson then presented a video going into further detail about group polarization, and then we began reading 12 Angry Men from page 53 to a few pages before the very end. In the final sections of the book, the jury decides to go over more details of the trial, such as how the victim was stabbed to death and how witnesses could have testified against the minor if they did not have a clear view as to what happened. As this occurs, more and more of the men become sways towards “not guilty,” while others, such as Juror 3 and Juror 10, are adamant about their perceptions.

What did I learn? I learned about how groups behave in real life situations. In the concept of group polarization, the support and backing of others prompts more challenging decisions. In other words, it is easy to gain confidence about an insecure choice if others have done the same as you and see eye-to-eye.

Why did I learn it? The “phenomenon” of group polarization explains how people in a group can be swayed by the decisions of others. If an individual strays his/her opinion from the norm, he/she may be too fearful to express his/her ideas. However, if others seem to show the same attitude, it creates a sense of safety for that individual, and thus has no shame in showing his/her beliefs. In this case, group polarization demonstrates why this trend occurs. 

How will I use what I learned? Today’s lesson can be applied to 12 Angry Men, where 12 jurors are trying to come to a consensus about an inner-city teenager who is put on trial for the murder of his father. Jurors such as 3 and 10 seem to be narrow-minded and are set on declaring the boy guilty, but Juror 8 and others are more willing to analyze the information presented at the court, which eventually work in the boy’s favor. So, as Juror 8 calls into question the credibility and accuracy of the witness’ testimonies, new information, such as seeing without glasses, the time it takes to run down the stairs, and the movement of the el train, surfaces which render their words unusable, and soon enough, the majority sees the boy as innocent. In the play, the “risk” of calling into question has allowed other jurors to view the trial from another perspective, and reach a new decision. 

Blog #8: Mindy Chin: Period 7: 2/24/20

Monday, February 24, 2020

2/24/20 

Mindy Chin 

Blog #8

Period 7 Sophomores 2020 

Aim: By analyzing the tone and diction of the dialogue, how can we assess the effect of “reasonable doubt” in the jury room? 

Do Now: (Pair Share) Reviewing Act II of Twelve Angry Men

Lesson Recall: How is prejudice affecting decision-making in the jury room? Cite evidence for your assertion! 

• Prejudice impels us to pose preconceived notions of the world we live in. In one particular situation, juror 8's prejudice clouds his judgement and meddles his mind of true facts. Thereby, the perspectives of jurors are influenced by the subtle biases of past and present experiences.

Example: Jury 3 had a bad experience with his son, making the defendant believe the murderer 

killed his son 

• Even though we might not understand how our experiences shape our perspectives, subliminally they affect our perceptions without us knowing. 

Example: We can compare this to Ms. Peterson’s foster daughter: → growing up in Mossy Park (slums, low income neighborhoods), she was conditioned to think fireworks were gunshots → defines the prejudices we have when opportunities are concerned

• Juries are supposed to be diversified, composed of different races 

If we put people against the jury of our peers, or people from low socio-economic backgrounds against the rich, we recognize that our perceptions are shaped by the experiences we’ve had in the past 

“Slumboy - race other than Caucasian” 

Reasonable Doubt: 

• Reasonable doubt is a standard of proof used in criminal trials. When a criminal defendant is prosecuted, the prosecutor must prove the defendant's guilt Beyond a Reasonable Doubt. This is typically used in criminal proceedings under the due process clause of the 5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution 

 “If there is a reasonable doubt I don’t see it” (Juror 4, 47). 

“Hung Jury” 

• A jury that cannot meet a unanimous vote: even when the trial is over, the jury will continue to debate outside the court; when no verdict is established, another trial is created 

 “I tell you what, maybe we are a hung jury. It happens sometimes” (Juror 12, 47).

We then proceeded to read Act 3 (Pages 44-52) 

What causes disparity when defining “reasonable”? 

The term reasonable is especially subjective - one person’s idea of reasonable is different from another person’s idea of reasonable (similar to our discussion of equality) When describing the idea of being “reasonable”, a lot of prejudices come into account, making it hard to find a common ground. It is a vaguely defined word, and up to each and everyone’s interpretation.

Cluster Work:

Team 2: What is the tone of Juror 3 as the discussion on reasonable doubt ensues? 

-Reluctant, uncompromising, extremely opinionated → he is undoubtedly intolerant of any opinion other than his own (stubborn)

    → Juror 3 is last to be convinced and only changes his mind once he realizes he is only projecting his feelings 

about his own son onto the defendant

Reflection: 

One important thing I learned today was jury terminology and its application to Twelve Angry Men. Two specific phrases: “reasonable doubt”, which is the legal standard of proof required to validate a criminal conviction and “hung jury”, which is when a jury cannot meet a unanimous vote, stood out to me as jargon applicable to the setting of the book. I learned these terms so I could better assimilate with these ideas when they were mentioned in the text. Without having a pre-discussion, for instance, I would have never understood when Juror 12 introduced the idea of a“hung jury”, as noted “I tell you what, maybe we are a hung jury. It happens sometimes” (Juror 12, 47).  I was also enlightened that the experiences that we have had as humans, both past and present, shape our perceptions today, subliminally and without our control. One particular example would be juror 3, who is obstinate about changing his verdict until he realizes that he is only projecting his feelings about his son onto the defendant. 

By applying the vernacular I learned in class to the book, I can better understand the the holistic end of the book and pick out specific nuances of each juror. Thereby, I can more effectively analyze the personalities of each character and why that character may have that particular viewpoint. In the real world, I will try to see the whole picture instead of honing in on one perspective, as my interpretation is biased and shaped by past experiences. 

Additional Resources: 

• https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-prejudice-2795476
• https://www.brudviklaw.com/blog/2016/04/proof-beyond-a-resonable-doubt-what-does-that-mean.shtml