Thursday, March 5, 2020

Blog #13 - Lucy Kwan - Period 3 - 03/05/2020

Thursday, March 5, 2020
Lucy Kwan
Sophomores 2020 Period 3
Blog #13

Aim: How does knowledge of the attributes of the novel lead to the creation of an original fable project with visual and oral presentation?

Do Now: Why do you believe students often become fearful when projects/presentations are assigned?

In my opinion, a project or presentation is usually a larger commitment than a normal assignment, so they would be graded more strictly. A fear of scrutiny and desire for perfection may contribute to feelings of apprehension among students when assigned a more heavily weighted assignment. In addition, projects and presentations usually require more work with a higher possibility for unsatisfactory returns.

We then shared our opinions to the class. According to everyone else, some people feel uncomfortable talking in front of other people. Additionally, when given extra time, some people are prone to leaving it to the last minute, but compared to a test, there might be a higher pressure to not procrastinate However, some believe that with projects/presentations, you are able to individualize and take more liberties.

Review of Allegories
As a continuation of yesterday's lesson, we reviewed allegories. An allegory is a form of extended metaphor, a story with two meanings (A literal and symbolic meaning) They usually have moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters personify abstract ideas like charity, greed, and envy. These traits continue throughout the entire text.
- Example: Lord of the Flies- Simon as the religious character

Animal Farm as an allegory:
Animal farm represents the History of Russia from 1917-1943. Animalism is communism and the characters are historical Russian figures. Almost everything in the story symbolizes something from Russia in that period, even the buildings.

Recognizing Fables Worksheet:
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We were given these four shortened versions of Aesop's fables to analyze. The following were answers from my group.
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The actual morals were:
1) When people cannot get what they want, they often pretend they do not want it after all
2) People often refuse to take a chance for a big gain
3) Foolish people often fall for flatter
4) People often exaggerate their own importance

Project Selection:
Each team went up to the teacher's desk to select a number, starting from lowest to highest. We picked numbers for when we will present. 

Fable Visual Project:
Then, we went over the guidelines for our project. Our task is to choose one of the given morals then create an original fable. Ms. Peterson's advice is to read through the list and choose a moral that resonates with you. The ones highlighted in yellow are former choices, but the limitation has been removed. In addition, we are to create a physical representation along with the written version of our fable.

We are allowed to use the makerspace on two days, but as always, we have some limitations. When in the makerspace, we are not allowed to waste time, we must be realistic about expectations, and we must respect other peoples' works. By Tuesday, we need to know what materials we need.

In addition, Ms. Peterson has provided us with a worksheet to use to plan our fable. Using what we have learned from past lessons, we are to use the sheet to choose our characters, plot, conflict, themes, morals, etc. The outline is due on Monday, when we will proofread our outlines with our groups.

Reflection:
Today, I learned that allegories are extended metaphors in the form of stories with two meanings. Common traits of an allegory include moral, social, political, or religious themes, simple characters that represent abstract ideas, and the persistence of such traits throughout the whole story. For example, Simon in the Lord of the Flies would be the representative of religion among the boys. Animal Farm is an allegory on Russia from 1917-1943. Moving forward, the acquisition of this knowledge will help us better understand the hidden themes and meanings once we begin to read Animal Farm. Personally, I will try to spot other allegories in the media I consume, since I find it interesting to see how people can incorporate their opinions and worldviews within their works. 

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