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Welcome to Ms. J. Peterson's Class Blogging 2022!

Dear Students and Families,

I am so excited to welcome you to my 2022 classroom blogging initiative! Student blogging has an important role in our classroom because each student will function as a "scribe" and be responsible for group learning.

We have had great success with posting blogs from 2019 and look forward to seeing that success continue for many more years.

GOALS:

• To become effective global communicators.

• To have every voice speak with the same volume.

• To summarize and reflect upon each day's lesson.

• To become responsible digital citizens.

• To become creators of information.

Technical Requirements of the Blog

• One student, per class, will be responsible for blogging. Blogs will usually be checked within 7 days of posting (provided scheduling permits). (For example: Blogger #2, John Doe is in Period 5. If on September 17th it is his turn to blog, during class, his blog is due the same day, by September 17th - the night before  the NEXT class].  

• Additionally, All blogs MUST be submitted to the assigned Blog Master no later than 9 pm of your due date; to ensure they have proper time for posting. All blogs MUST be posted by the Blog Masters no later than 11 pm that night, to ensure proper timely submissions occur.

• Title of the blog at the top of the new post should include the following information, in the following order:

• Student's Assigned Blogger #, Student's full name, class period, date. 

• (For example: Blogger #2, John Doe, Period 5, 9/17/20).

• Please use the date assigned, NOT date due.

• Blog Masters take NOTE: Please make sure that the Blogger information (example: Blogger #2, John Doe, Period 5, 9/17/20) only appears in the title, and not the body of the post; to avoid redundancy. Therefore, this information should appear only 1 time.

• Blog Masters MUST LABEL their blog with either: “Freshman Lit 2022” or “Sophomores 2022”.

• Students are responsible for keeping track of when it is their time to blog by keeping track on the Blogger Sheet, which can be found via the Peterson Fresh or Sophomore Syllabus, via hyperlink.

• Students are to comment and respond to one another, including asking questions or asking for clarification.

• Blogs will be published on the world wide web, so we must practice digital citizenship and remember that our audience is GLOBAL, so our tone is FORMAL.

How to make sure your blog is formatted correctly?

• Create your blog using Google Docs and use the Share Feature to provide your document to the assigned Blog master. This usually creates the easiest method for posting a blog that is formatted the way you wanted it. 

• If you're experiencing formatting issues, which can occur when capturing pictures and such from the internet, the best way to correct the formatting issues is to avoid copying and pasting the information from the document, until you have used the Clear Formatting button on the task blogger bar (it's the last icon on the right. This feature is solely accessible for Blog Masters).

• NOTE: Please recognize that the Blog Master's job is solely to post what you provide, and not to edit what you submit in any way.

When Do I Blog?

Please refer to the Google Sheets Blog Date List.

Sample of Excellent Blogs

https://msjpetersonsstudentblog.blogspot.comadelia-ng-period-5

• https://msjpetersonsblog.blogspot.com/2021/05/blogger-23-adelia-ng-period-5-5142021.html
• https://msjpetersonsblog.blogspot.com/2021/03/blogger-8-john-lee-period-1-2262021-day.html
  
• https://msjpetersonsblog.blogspot.com/2020/12/blogger-30-sophia-zhu-period-6-day-b.html

Sample of Excellent Blogs (They had different requirements)

• https://msjpetersonsblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/blog-55-steven-mantello-period-7-6132020.html
• https://msjpetersonsblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/blog-61-caroline-seifen-period-7-6132020.html
• https://msjpetersonsblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/blog-65-sarah-vafiadis-period-9-6132020.html

What does your blog grade mean?

• MASTERY (MAX): Great work, you nailed it! You covered an amazing multimedia summary of the day's lesson (Multimedia is a form of communication that combines different content forms such as text, audio, images, animations, or video into a single interactive presentation, in contrast to traditional mass media which featured little to no interaction from users, such as printed material or audio recordings) of what happened in class using a clear, easy-to-read format. Most importantly, you absolutely included fantastic reflection which clearly draws connections to what you learned with real-life applications.
• APPROACHING (APP): Your summary got the general gist of what happened in class, but could definitely use some elaboration and perhaps provided some multimedia,  OR your formatting is not aesthetic (ex. meaning it's running off the page) OR your reflection may be basic (such as just reflecting on how it can be applied in your schooling instead of the real world). 
• DEVELOPING (DEV): You probably didn’t include a reflective aspect at all let alone multimedia or limited multimedia was included, or your summary was so minimal it was hard to have any idea what happened in class.
• NOT YET (NY): Incredibly basic/incomplete and/or the tone was rude, offensive, or inappropriate for a school, public blog.
• M: No blog written on your assignment day.

Blog Revisions and Reflections

• Blogs will receive a grade within approximately 7 days of publication based on the guidelines above.

• Blogs may be revised, edited, and updated if the student would like an opportunity to improve his/her grade, however, they MUST do so within 7 days of receiving their blog grade. 

• All revised blogs must be resubmitted to the original Blog Master who posted the blog, so they can swap the revision for the previously-published blog.

• IF the student does opt for a revision, he/she MUST EMAIL ME, via by responding to the original PupilPath message that was sent, coupled with a direct link to the NEWLY UPDATED ORIGINAL published blog (after the Blog master has published the revision) to inform and notify me to check the blog again.

Blogger #22, Favor Obasohan, Period 2, 3/19/21, Day A

 AIM: How do poetic elements create a thematic effect over the course of a poem? 

Do Now: BRAINSTORM!

For the Do Now, we had to create a word web of what comes to mind when we think of the word Identity. 

The word Identity immediately made me think about my favorite video game: Detroit: Become Human and so, I created my word web around it. I started by writing the name of the game, and using the three main characters' names. We were asked to share our responses. My classmates mentioned culture, personalities, voice, memories, occupations, recognition, experiences and one that I really agreed with was when Natalie mentioned “distinguished”. Ms. Peterson mentioned fingerprints, and DNA. 

After the Do Now, we went over some Poetic Devices. Firstly, we went over the terms Cacophonous and Euphonious. These words are antonyms. Cacophonous has to do with a harsh mixture of sound. Euphonious has to do with soft pleasant sounds.

Video for Enrichment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53zWcf9zJVU&ab_channel=tarnovtm

Next, we went over Rhythm. Rhythm is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqhPp-ptoJA&ab_channel=TheSunShinesForTwo

The video described Rhythm as the “beat” of the poem.

Then, we went over Extended Metaphors. An Extended Metaphor is a metaphor that’s developed throughout the entire poem. 

Video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3nDkXKDp0Y

An Example of an Extended Metaphor would be Habitation by Margaret Atwood. Here is the poem and Ms. Peterson’s explanation: 

“Marriage is not / a house or even a tent / it is before that, and colder: / the edge of the forest, the edge

of the desert  /                     the unpainted stairs  / at the back where we squat  / outside, eating popcorn / the edge of the receding glacier / where painfully and with wonder / at having survived even

this far / we are learning to make fire”

Atwood has used extended metaphor of a habitation to explain marriage. She believes marriage is not a stable shelter, like a “house or even a tent.” She rather describes it as an unstable “edge” of the forest or desert. The poem is a description of a couple “learning to make fire,” while trying to 

survive “painfully.” This extended metaphor implies that, though marriage is tough, 

it makes a person learn new things.

In order to maximize our understanding of Extended Metaphor, we went over the functions of it. 

Extended Metaphor…

• Provides an opportunity to largely compare two things.

• It’s usually displayed in poetry to project a specific image in your mind.

• It’s more intense than a simple metaphor.

Lastly, we went over theme. Theme is the underlying meaning that the author is trying to convey. It’s not just the subject. For example, “love” wouldn’t be a theme, but something like “love conquers all” would be one. 

After we’ve went over the poetic elements, we were required to annotate the poem Identity by Julio Noboa Polanco:

Let them be as flowers

always watered, fed, guarded, admired,

but harnessed to a pot of dirt.

I’d rather be a tall, ugly weed,

5 clinging on cliffs, like an eagle

wind-wavering above high, jagged rocks.

To have broken through the surface of stone,

to live, to feel exposed to the madness

of the vast, eternal sky.

10 To be swayed by the breezes of an ancient sea,

carrying my soul, my seed,

beyond the mountains of time or into the abyss of the bizarre.

I’d rather be unseen, and if

then shunned by everyone,

15 than to be a pleasant-smelling flower,

growing in clusters in the fertile valley,

where they’re praised, handled, and plucked

by greedy human hands.

I’d rather smell of musty, green stench

20 than of sweet, fragrant lilac.

If I could stand alone, strong and free,

I’d rather be a tall, ugly weed.

We had to find out what extended metaphor was being displayed, and record our responses in the chart.

 My team said that the flower is pretty, but is restricted and refined, however, the weed is the opposite. The weed is ugly but has more freedom. The way the speaker compared the flower and weed reminded me of a word we learned in class called juxtaposing. Juxtaposing is contrasting things side by side to enhance the dramatic effect. We were required to share our responses. My classmate Ayah compared the flower to a baby, because they’re always guarded and admired. 

The next exercise we did was a TWIST (tone, word choice, imagery, style, theme) analysis of the same poem, and we added an Interpretative statement. 

This is what my team came up with. Personally, I didn’t agree with the theme we ended up coming up with. I believe the theme has to do more with freedom and being allowed to express yourself. I’d rather be pretty and confined, though. 

REFLECTION: 

In this lesson, we’ve learned about different poetic elements, and how authors use them to emphasize the point they’re trying to make. These are the basics for poems, it makes sense that we're learning the basics to prepare us for the unit on poetry. With this knowledge in mind, by looking at the poetic elements used and focusing on why the author used them there, it'll be easier to diffuse the meaning and themes of different poems that we come across. This information will be useful when we’re required to write poems, we can use this information and make our poems clearer to understand. 

REPLY TO AIM: Poetic elements help create a thematic element over the course of the poem by applying emphasis to the focus the speaker is trying to share out. Some elements, like word choice, can be impactful if the speaker chooses to use powerful choices.

Other elements, such as Extended Metaphors, intensely put an image in our head as we are reading the poem. 

Blogger #22, Favor Obasohan, Period 2, 5/7/21, Day A

 AIM: How does the episode of “The Land of the Dead” further our understanding of Odysseus as the epic hero?

DO NOW: WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION

For the Do Now, we went over our cultural/religion traditions that we use to honor the dead. Me and Mikita both didn’t have anything special we did to honor the dead. Chanikan said that in her culture they put the body in a coffin, & walked around the village with them. Ms. Peterson also shared that in Judaism, they sit on boxes and then celebrate afterwards. 

We then went over the Greeks' religious beliefs. We received information, and then watched a video for clarity: 

Death and The Underworld

• The Greeks believed that that after death, the soul went on a journey to the Underworld

• The Underworld was deep beneath the Earth and was ruled by Hades and his wife Persephone 

• In the afterlife, the soul would either receive punishment or a state of bliss depending on choices made during life

• At the end of this journey, they would be brought to three judges who would decide their fate:

• Would they go onwards to Elysium (a comfortable place where the sun always shone), or would they be punished and sent to Tartarus? 

• 
  

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VEbWU3izcE&feature=share

After learning about their beliefs, we jumped into their rituals for honoring the dead. These are the notes that Ms. Peterson provided us with: 

The Greeks held elaborate burial rituals 

• A proper burial was necessary, omission of burial rites was seen as an insult to human dignity  

• If the body was not given a proper burial according to Greek ritual, the soul would remain trapped between the worlds of the living and the underworld.

In ancient Greece the continued existence of the dead depended on their constant remembrance by the living 

• If one forgot to honor and remember the dead one was considered impious and, while this particular breach of social conduct was not punished as severely as Socrates' breach, it was certainly frowned upon severely.

Here is the “Land of the Dead” reading we read: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B2UC-VafUK7i1TJ8CxlqN6K3Q0yTRD6B/view?usp=drivesdk

Ms. Peterson also included important vocabulary in order to aid our understand of what we read: 

ignoble (adj)  - dishonorable, shameful

assuage (verb) - to calm, to mollify, to lessen

Afterwards, together with my teammates Mikita and Chanikan, we answered some questions.

1. As Odysseus prepares to meet the dead he says, “Then I addressed the blurred and breathless dead, / vowing to slaughter my best heifer (cow) for them…”  (line 555-556).  What can be inferred about ancient Greek beliefs concerning death and the afterlife from these lines?

Mikita said that we can infer that they wanted the dead to be treated in a high manner.

2. Discuss Elpenor's request to Odysseus (lines 598-608).

1. What details does he want Odysseus to remember about his burial?

2. How does this reflect the Greek ritual of death?

Elpenor wants Odysseus to remember that his burial wasn’t “right” and he was disrespected. I said this reflects the ritual of death because it shows how important it was to the Greeks that the dead passed on “correctly”.

3. How does Odysseus react to seeing Elpenor (Lines 580-585)?

1. How does he react to Anticlea (his mother) (Lines 614-619)?

2. What characteristics of Odysseus do we see displayed in this scene?

Chanikan said that we can see compassion within Odysseus here when he cries. Mikita added that this hasn't been a short journey for him, and it shows how he’s finally happy to see home.

4. Although not a god, Tiresias has been endowed with the power of prophecy. Consider the following advice Tiresias gives to Odysseus regarding the remainder of his journey home: “One narrow strait may take you through his blows: denial of yourself, restraint of your shipmates.”

1. What leadership advice is Tiresias giving to Odysseus?

2. In addition, what instructions does Tiresias give Odysseus in order to quell Poseidon’s rage?

Tiresias is telling Odysseus that he needs to not think so highly of himself, and he needs to begin to “tame his shipmates”. He tells Odysseus to give an offering to Poseidon.

Foil:

In literature, a foil is a character that shows qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of another character. The objective is to highlight the traits of the other character. The term foil, though generally being applied to a contrasting character, may also be used for any comparison that is drawn to portray a difference between two things.

What we observe in literature very often is that a foil is a secondary character who contrasts with the major character to enhance the importance of the major character. The etymology of the term foil testifies the aforementioned assertion as the word is taken from the practice of backing gems with foil (tool), so that they shine more brightly.

5. A  FOIL is a character who contrasts with another character.   How does the character of Eurylochus serve as a FOIL to Odysseus in Book X?

I said that Eurylochus is a FOIL to Odysseus because he is seen like a coward, and avoids danger while Odysseus is brave and heads on into danger.

REFLECTION: We learned about Greek practices and rituals. With this background knowledge, we were able to better understand the reading and why emphasis was placed on Elpenor not being buried correctly. We can keep this information in mind throughout The Odyssey to aid our understanding when funeral and death is brought up again. 

NEXT LESSON:

Aim: How does Odysseus' strategic leadership further characterize him as an epic hero in "The Sirens" episode of Homer's Odyssey?

Do Now: WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION

How would you define the term “flattery”? Review the “3” Morals of Aesop’s Fable, below.  

What do you believe the morals advise?

• Flattery is a dangerous weapon in the hands of the enemy.

• Flattery is not proof of admiration.

• He who listens to flattery is not wise, for it has no good purpose.

Mikita shared that Flattery is basically complimenting someone to get what you want. 

Background Information regarding Odysseus and the Sirens:

• The sirens are seductive creatures that lure sailors to their death  with their song.   

• Upon hearing the song, sailors are led to the Wandering Rocks where their ship crashes and sinks. 

• Sirens are often depicted as half-bird/half-woman (they have also been used in many modern examples as mermaid type creatures).

Odysseus and his men return to Circe’s island where they give Elpenor proper burial rites and burn his body. Before they leave, Circe gives Odysseus some important advice for the next portion of his journey. She warns him of the sirens he will encounter. With their songs, the sirens lure sailors to their destruction at the Wandering Rocks. She tells Odysseus to put beeswax in his men’s ears so that they will not hear the song. 

The Sirens sing of desire, and promise wisdom and knowledge.

 

Legend has it that no mortal has ever heard the song and lived to tell the tale, but if Odysseus insists on hearing the song himself, then he should have himself tied to the mast of the ship. 

Video provided to aid understanding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJpzse2qYlU

The Sirens reading: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d7t7Yoj6bW7TG4i62Ge6W-wMIZV1TVTV/view?usp=drivesdk

Just like previously, we answered questions regarding the reading in our teams: 

1. Why does Odysseus address his men “sore at heart”? 

Odysseus address his men “sore at heart” because they are caring people to him.

2. Why does Odysseus decide to tell his men about Circe’s forecast?

1. What does Odysseus reveal about his character by sharing this information with his men?  

2. Circe insists that Odysseus “alone should listen to their song.”  He directs his crew to “tie me up…lashed to the mast, and if I shout and beg to be untied, take more turns of the rope to muffle me.”  What leadership qualities does Odysseus demonstrate here?

3. What character traits are revealed in Odysseus’ desire to hear the Sirens’ song?  “I carved a massive cake of beeswax into bits / and rolled them in my hands until they softened … Going forward / I carried the wax down the line, and laid it / thick on their ears..”

4. Consider this action along with their successful escape and assess the leadership qualities revealed by Odysseus. 

Odysseus decides to tell his men about the forecast because his men messed up previously. This shows that Odysseus is growing as he is beginning to trust his men. Here, Odysseus displayed that he won’t bring down his men with him, and he is okay with sacrificing himself. In Odysseus' desire to hear the Sirens song, we can see that he is brave in a stubborn way. 

3. Read the “Siren’s Song ” on the next slide.  Analyze the strategy sirens use to lure the men. What are they appealing to; in an effort to lure the men in?

1. How do the sirens use flattery to lure the soldiers?  

2. What examples would appeal to the crew and to the epic hero?

The Sirens use flattery to lure in the soldiers by complimenting and honoring them. An example that would appeal to the Crew and Odysseus is “Argos’ old soldiery on Troy Beach teeming”

4. What does an analysis of the Siren Song suggest about the idea of  human flattery?

1. Why are we, as humans, susceptible to a figurative “Siren’s Call?”

2. How can the sirens represent both desire and distraction?

Humans are susceptible to “Siren’s Call” because humans love compliments and to be praised. The sirens represent both desire and distraction because they give you want you want (desire), which leads you off course (distraction). 

REFLECTION: We learned about flattery, Odysseus’ “battle” with the Sirens, and how he displayed good leadership qualities. We learned all this because we are beginning to see Odysseus changing and growing. We can use this information to be aware and to not appeal to flattery so easily.

REPLY TO AIM: Odysseus’ strategic leadership further characterizes him as an epic hero because he didn’t think twice about sacrificing himself over his men. He learned from his mistakes and began to trust his men and tell them him his plans.