Blogger #3 - Ryan Chia - Period 1 - 2/10/2021 - Day A

Aim: How can an exploration of writers’ choices, and the literary devices used, introduce

us to the concept of “voice” as it’s used in writing? 

First, my class started with the Do Now, which is listed down below. After completing

the Do Now, we had a class discussion where we categorized different parts of a text

into the “Inferences about the speaker”, “Diction”, “Syntax”, “Imagery”, and “Tone”

categories. After the first class discussion, we were separatedinto breakout rooms where we continued working on the next 3 pieces of texts together. 

Today’s Notes and Discussion

Do Now: Describe all that comes to mind when you think of pizza? Write a paragraph

describing pizza and showing your attitude toward it.

People came up with many ideas regarding their thoughts on pizza. Several of the

responses include:

The plethora of styles, types, and flavor combinations vividly paints the limitless
world of imagination. 
Like a child in a candy store, exploring pizza is an overwhelming.
Pizza is a comfort food and it definitely satisfies the consumer.
The many combinations that a pizza can become allows people to widen their palettes.
Pizza reminds me of birthday or school parties because these are common foods at these

events.
However someone chooses to top their pizza, it doesn’t matter as long as they enjoy it.

The students were really positive about their responses.

With pizza being so common around us and convenient to get,

the students knew what the others were talking about.

We were all able to relate to each others’ ideas in one way or another.

Like Ms. Peterson said, just thinking and talking about this lesson makes

you want to have pizza.

Terminology:

Diction: 

A speaker’s (or author’s) word choice. This term may also refer to the general type or

character of language used in speech or in a work of literature. Diction is typically

divided into two components: vocabulary and syntax. By vocabulary, we mean the

degree of difficulty, complexity, abstractness, formality as well as the origin of words

chosen (native or foreign, Latinate or Germanic, and so forth).

Syntax: 

Refers to the arrangement – the ordering, grouping and placement of words within a

sentence. The meaning of this term can also extend to encompass such things

as the degree of complexity

or fragmentation within these arrangements. Syntax is a component of grammar

but not a synonym for grammar. For example, the sentences, “I rode across the

meadow” and “Across the meadow I rode” exhibit different syntax but

identical vocabulary. To replace “meadow” with “sea of grass” is to alter the

vocabulary but not the syntax. To say “Rode I across the sea of grass” is to

use diction different from “I rode across the

meadow."The combination of unusual syntax and vocabulary in the first sentence as opposed to the

second is a feature that often differentiates poetic diction from that of prose.

Imagery: 

A term used to refer to: 1) the actual language

that a writer uses to convey a visual picture or representation of a sensory

experience;and 2) the use of figures of speech, often to express abstract ideas in a vivid and

innovative way.

Imagery of this second type makes use of such devices as simile, personification,and metonymy among others. Imagery is a central component of almost all imaginative

literature and is often said to be the chief element in poetry. Two major types of

imagery exist – the literal and the figurative. Literal imagery is purely descriptive while

figurative may call to mind real things that can be perceived by the senses,

but it does so as a way of describing something else- often some abstract idea

that cannot be literally or directly described.

Whether literal or figurative, however, imagery is generally intended to make

whatever the author is describing concrete in the reader’s mind, to

give it some tangible or real

existence rather than a purely intellectual one. Imagery also provides the reader with

a sense of vividness and immediacy.

Tone: 

The attitude of the author toward the reader or the subject matter of a literary work.

An author’s tone may be serious, playful, mocking, angry, commanding, apologetic

and so forth.

Class Discussion:

As a class, we read and discussed the text (shown below) for Speaker 1. We categorized

parts of the text into the different sections of the chart above.

Inferences about the speaker (IS): The speaker is probably an adult because of the maturity of their writing.

Diction (D): The speaker uses formal language. He/she uses powerful words like “aromatic”

and “fresh”.

Syntax (S): The sentences are long and complex.

Imagery (I): The speaker uses alliterations to make the words flow.

Tone (T): The speaker is clearly passionate about pizza and uses very descriptive words

to explain the feelings and enjoyment brought from eating pizza.

Breakout Rooms: 

In the breakout rooms, students were separated into groups of around 5 people and were

tasked to fill out the chart for the rest of the texts. The responses below are from the people

in my breakout room.

(IS): The speaker is probably a very young child around the age of 10 because he/she uses

very simple words to describe his attitude towards pizza.

(D): The speaker uses informal language because of certain words like “gooey” and “yummy”.

(S): The sentences are simple.

(I): Words and phrases that include sensory details to create images are “gooey”, “burn my tongue”,

and “eat it right up”.

(T): The speaker loves pizza as stated that he/she would eat it right away. The speaker

seems excited whenever there's pizza and doesn't seem to have a certain preference for pizza.

IS: The speaker is probably in his/her 20’s. The speaker is a vegetarian.

D: The speaker uses formal language.
S: The sentences are short and simple, but they’re also very descriptive.
I: Words and phrases that include sensory details to create images are “Gross disgusting animal

flesh”, “topped with”, and “satisfying”.

T: The speaker shows a strong dislike towards pizza that has meat. The speaker is also very picky

with the toppings that go on the pizza. The pizza has to meet very specific requirements.

IS: The speaker is in their late teens or early 20’s.
D: The speaker uses informal language. The speaker talks as if he/she is talking to a friend.

He/she uses slang like “dude” and jokes about pizza being one of the basic food groups.
S: The sentences are short and simple.
I: Words and phrases that include sensory details to create images are “covering the whole top”,

“hot steamy”, “dripping”, and “loaded with”.

T: The speaker loves pizza and enjoys all aspects of it. The speaker also likes to order it often.

Reflection

In today’s lesson, I learned about the concept of “voice” that is used in writing. Writers’ choices and the literary devices that they use are what introduces the concept of “voice”. We can divide this “voice” into Inferences about the speaker, Diction, Syntax, Imagery, and Tone. Inferences about the speaker is what we infer about the speaker’s details, like their age, status, and preferences. Diction is the speaker’s word choice. What words do they use and does it make their writing formal or informal? Syntax is whether the sentences are short, long, simple, or complex. Imagery is the usage words and phrases with sensory details that create images. Last but not least, Tone is the speaker’s attitude toward the subject. I learned this lesson in order to broaden my understanding of an author’s “voice”. An author may use many methods to convey their opinion on a certain matter. It is important to be able to point out which parts of the text contribute to that opinion and in what way it contributes. I will use what I learned in the future to better understand what an author is trying to express through their writing. I would be able to interpret the writing in the way the author had intended the readers to. It will also help me with my own writing because I will know what aspects I need to include in order to fully express myself. It can be descriptive and positive words to show my strong liking toward something, which falls into the Diction category. It can also be sensory words and phrases so that readers can picture what I’m picturing, which falls into the Imagery category.

Blogger #1 - Tuba Ahmed - Period 2 - 2/18/2021 - Day A

Blog 1 - Tuba Ahmed - Period 2 - 2/10/21 - Freshman 2021 

 

Aim: How can an exploration of writers’ choices, and the literary devices used, introduce us to the concept of “voice” as it’s used in writing? 

 

Do Now:​ ​QUICKWRITE

Describe all that comes to mind when you think of pizza? Write a paragraph describing pizza and

showing your attitude toward it.

 

In today’s do now, we were asked to describe the first things that come to mind when we think of pizza. Doing this exercise helps us determine our attitudes and takes towards pizza. Even though pizza itself is a regular food, I was surprised to hear the ways my classmates described it and how it was very different from my own paragraph. Some students had a straightforward and factual analysis on a slice of pizza, saying things like “Pizza is an italian dish, but very popular in America” which is a fact. In my paragraph I wrote “When I think of pizza, I immediately think of the flavor and smell.” This exercise showed me how different people can have different ideas when thinking about a simple topic.

 

Notes

We went over crucial key terms that would be used later on during this lesson as well. The terms being diction, syntax, imagery, and tone. Each of these words can help when trying to understand what someone is saying and allowing me as a listener or reader to make inferences. Making inferences is especially important when you have to use context clues to make a connection. 

 

Diction- word choice, is it formal or informal?

Syntax- are sentences simple or complex? Long or short? 

Imagery- are there any words or phrases that create a visual for the reader? 

Tone- how does the speaker feel about the subject?

 

With these words to keep in mind, it makes it easier to determine the opinion of the speaker. 

Class Discussion 

As a class, we analyzed speaker 1’s paragraph using this chart: 

 

Speaker

   Inferences about the speaker (What might you infer about the speaker’s age, status, preferences?)

    Diction

(What word choices does the speaker make? Formal or informal?)

  Syntax

(Are the sentences short, long, simple, complex?)

     Imagery

(What words and phrases include sensory details to create images?)

     Tone

(What can you conclude about the speaker’s attitude toward the subject?)

 

"Eating pizza is rather like embarking on a transcontinental excursion. You embark on the journey without being quite certain of what you will encounter. A well-made pizza contains the aromatic essence of fresh basil, oregano, and garlic that beckons invitingly. Once you bite into a perfectly sliced piece of pizza, your taste buds awaken and celebrate. When properly prepared, pizza is an extraordinary culinary creation."

 

After reading the paragraph above, the class was able to quickly make inferences regarding how the speaker felt towards pizza and what type of person was giving their opinion. We used a specific chart with all the terms that we discussed before, to help us organize our thoughts and make a conclusion about this speaker. After scanning for Diction, syntax, imagery, tone, and inferences of the speaker, we were finally able to make a judgment. We could see that this speaker was using complex sentences with Mature and formal words for description, Which gave us the idea that this speaker may have been older and more educated on a topic like this. Along with that, the speaker used phrases such as “your taste buds awaken and celebrate“ to help paint a picture in the minds of the readers. It was easy to see that the tone had a very positive connotation to it, and was highly praising the taste and quality of pizza. 

 

Breakout Rooms

After doing the first speaker with the entire class, we were split into breakout rooms with our own groups to analyze the next few speakers and their paragraphs. 

 

Speaker 2: ‘It’s yummy. I like it when the cheese is really gooey. My mom makes it for dinner on the weekends. When it’s too hot, I have to wait for it to cool. Mom says if I don’t wait I will burn my tongue. I like the way pizza smells. When I smell pizza cooking it always makes me want to eat it right up!’

• Me and my teammates determined that this statement was written by a child or someone younger than us. The sentences were simple, informal, and plain, which made this paragraph very straightforward. There is some imagery being presented, such as when the speaker says that their mother makes it for them, and how they have to wait before they burn their tongue. However, this imagery was not as advanced as the previous speaker’s descriptions. The tone of this speaker was casual yet maintaining a positive attitude.

 

Speaker 3: ‘As long as not one speck of gross disgusting animal flesh comes anywhere near my pizza, I can eat it. I prefer pizza with mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach. Goat cheese is especially nice too. A thin whole-wheat crust topped with imported cheese and organic vegetables makes a satisfying meal.’

• Me and my teammates were immediately able to see that the person who had written the statement is definitely an older person. to us it was obvious, since their preferences were so specific, especially regarding the type of cheese and crust that they like. They’re speaking informally, almost as if they were speaking to a friend. These sentences are quite simple since her point comes off easily. However her tone sounds quite demanding, maybe even aggressive especially when referring to the animal meat as disgusting. there is some imagery when she’s describing how she likes her pizza by adding specific details, which helps the reader visualize the type of pizza she would want to eat.

 

Speaker 4: ‘Pizza is, like, one of the basic food groups, right? I mean, dude, who doesn’t eat pizza? Me and my friends order it like every day. We usually get pepperoni, and it’s great when they are, like, covering the whole top! Dude, hot steamy pizza dripping with cheese and loaded with pepperoni is awesome’

• My group concluded that this person had to have been a teenager or at least someone around our age. Using words like dude and like very often is a common habit that people around our age, such as myself, have. The speaker is informal, or as Valerie referred to them as being playful. The overall tone is playful and carefree. This person sees pizza as some type of recreational treat. The imagery is obvious where they start describing how the pizza is hot and steaming, and how they order it when out with friends. These sentences are complex but do not have much structure to them. It is safe to say that this speaker enjoys eating pizza, and they express this in a casual way. 

 

Reflection 

The main take away that I got from this lesson was that with the help of diction, syntax, imagery, tone, and inferences, it makes it easier to develop conclusions and put together context clues as a reader. Each of these key terms that we had discussed during the lesson, all played a vital role in helping us understand what type of speaker was giving their opinion on the pizza, and what type of picture was painted for the reader. Pizza is only a simple concept, but it had many takeaways from it, and many different meanings for different people. By listening to how each speaker had described what pizza means to them, we were able to determine how old and what type of attitude this person had. By being able to put together contact clues this can help me analyze many other texts and also help me outside the classroom. In many real world situations, I would have to be able to determine the tone of someone speaking to me and make inferences about how they feel towards a certain topic. with doing this, I would be able to establish better connections with the people around me and even be able to adapt to all types of situations and surroundings.