Our Own Stories Workshop

Session Two: Autobiography - Settings

- Choose a memory

- Setting - what did it look like? Sound like? Feel like? Smell like? Who was there?

The time I had to babysit Bambi

-My sister invited me over for a while and I wound up looking after her new kitten Bambi who became mildly obsessed with me. She kept climbing up and down my legs and she was determined to eat the shoelaces on my vans. 

-It was cold outside, late in the evening (the sun was setting). Taryn's room was nice, lots of makeup and that sort of stuff. Also a lot of cat toys. 

-It was pretty quiet, other than the odd sound of cars driving past and the sound of Bam running up and down the hallway chasing her roommate's giant St. Bernard Charlie. 

-Felt pretty relaxed. Was just sitting on my sister's bed watching Netflix and playing with Bam and Charlie. Had kind of sore legs though. Tends to happen when a tiny creature repeatedly claws their way up them. 

-I don't remember exactly what it smelt like, but probably booze - my sister just got back from a holiday, during which she spent a bit of time in Russia. She brought home a lot of vodka. She has lined it up, along with some other things she brought from Estonia, Germany, Poland, Singapore etc, on her windowsill. 

-It was just me, Bambi, and Charlie. Bambi is mainly brown with black stripes down her back and forehead, a white stomach and paws, a ginger target on both of her sides and a ginger patch on her forehead. Charlie is big and very fluffy. Pretty much a giant pillow. 

Not long after my sister Taryn moved out and went flatting she got a kitten from one of her friends. She named her Bambi Melon, also known as; Bindi, Bin Girl, Rat, Cone Girl, Melon, Scrambles, Bambles, Bamble Scrambles, Bam, Bambini Mussolini, Pam, Pammers, and various other equally ridiculous names. But mostly Bambi Melon. Anyway, I was about to get a bus home after going out with my friends to the city for the afternoon when my sister asked if I wanted to come around to hers for a while. I said yes, I hadn't seen her in a few weeks, and went over. This was the first time I'd met Bambi. We talked and watched movies and that sort of thing for a while, then my dad drove around. Him and Taryn had to go do something for an hour or so and she asked if I could look after Bam as her roommates were both at work, and once again I said yes. I was wearing these black ripped skinny jeans, and Bambi was absolutely obsessed with them. I think she thought they were a scratching post or a ladder or something, because she kept climbing up and down them. She pretty much spent the entire hour doing that, and by the end my legs had tens of tiny scratches all over them. Luckily for her, she is very very cute. I suppose. 

Muralists and Painters of the 21st Century

Mural Artist - C215

C215 - real name, Christian Guemy - is a French-born muralist, and is known as one of the most talented stencil artists in the world.

This particular mural is on the side of a building in Paris. His main art focus is on creating portraits of local people. In his words, "Faces reflect the personality of a city". He often does portraits of those in the community who are often neglected by society, such as the elderly, homeless, refugees and more. I like this mural in particular because of the bright colours, the detail, and his use of Chiaroscuro modelling. Yes. I did just search that up. But doesn't it sound way cooler than shading?

Painter - Banksy

Banksy is an anonymous street artist, film director and political activist from Bristol, England. He has been doing graffiti since he was a teenager, and much like c215, uses stencil art in his graffiti, along with a some relatively dark humour which is always fun. This is one of his most famous paintings, 'Girl with Balloon' which can be found in London -

I like a lot of Banksy's work, once again due to the use of stencils, and also because of the way he keeps large sections of his artwork monochrome and adds only one or two areas with bright colours. It isn't only his more comedic art, but his other work which relays messages of social importance. The meanings behind a lot of his artwork are really deep. 

Advancements in Technology Essay

Throughout history, major technological advancements have been made. This essay will discuss how technology has changed over time, as well as how technology that was used in the past differs from the technology we use today. Technological advancements have been made in things such as architecture, literature and communication, transportation and more, all of which demonstrate how technology has changed throughout time.

The early Paleolithic Era - also known as the Old Stone Age - is one of the earliest time periods with discoverable evidence of technological advancements. It was during this time period that the creation of stone tools began, as well as using fur pelts as clothing to keep warm. These were crucial advancements for mankind, and without inventions such as those made during this time, humans would not have survived. Stone tools were used by the early humans to defend themselves and to hunt, providing them with a diet with more sustenance than berries and other plants, whilst the clothes they made prevented them from freezing to death during the cold winters. Thousands and thousands of archaeological sites have been excavated, studied, and dated over the years consisting of debris from making and using stone tools, and give evidence of where and when early humans lived, as well as how they survived in certain habitats and climates. In the past, clothing was used more for practicality, whilst today it also serves the purpose of being comfortable and fashionable. Therefore, modern day clothing is not only far more practical due to a difference in materials and techniques used, but also in appearance. Today, we rarely use stone tools. Instead, our basic tools are crafted from metal, while our more technical heavy machinery is run by electricity, making completing the required tasks faster and eliminating needless physical labour. Although the general function remains relatively the same, we can see by comparing clothing and tools from the Paleotlithic era to clothing and tools today, that they have developed immensely. 

Ancient Rome is another time period in which life changing advancements were made in technology, a large number of these technological advancements being architectural. The Ancient Romans are responsible for the invention of aqueducts, dams, bridges, roads, sewers and arches. They were also the first to begin making things such as surgical tools and newspapers. Most of these things are used in modern day society, roads and bridges used to make travelling and transportation easier, and sewers used to protect water quality. The roads they made to connect their Empire serve roughly the same function as our’s do today - but not quite. The first main Roman road was the Appian Way, constructed in 312 B.C and was used as a main route for military supplies, essential to the Romans. Unlike modern day roads, the Romans began building their roads by digging trenches, which they would then fill with stones, sand, and cement. In this day and age, roads are put on or slightly elevated off the ground and used by everyone, a sizeable improvement. They are made of more reliable materials which are capable of supporting more weight, and painted lines are used to keep those travelling along them from crossing into oncoming traffic, preventing accidents. Our asphalt roads are a major advancement from the trench-like roads built in Ancient Rome, and a clear sign of how technology has changed throughout history.

The Ancient Egyptian time period was another full of new advancements and discoveries. It was during this time that a form of paper was invented, devices such as ramps and levers were created, and a form of written language was developed. Egyptian Hieroglyphics were the first written form of communication to consist of an actual alphabet, and were an improvement from prior forms of written communication such as cave art which used vague drawings and symbols. Due to the use of a proper alphabet, they were able to communicate more effectively, efficiently, and with more clarity. Today, there are around 7,100 different spoken and written languages and forty six different alphabets, most of which are comprised of letters much simpler and easier to identify than the original Egyptian Hieroglyphics, a vast development from the Ancient Egyptian times. The first known examples of hieroglyphics were found in a tomb in Abydos on bone and ivory tags, and dated back to between 3,400 and 3,200 B.C. Egyptian Hieroglyphics - in juxtaposition to modern day written languages - show an evidently clear technological advancement that has had a positive impact on our world and how we communicate.

To conclude this essay, we can clearly see that much of the technology created and used in the past during these three time periods, has since been improved drastically to serve the purpose it was made for more effectively, making our lives far easier. The examples given for each time period show how modern day technology differs to that which was developed earlier in history, and describe ways in which technology has advanced.

Creative Writing Matrix - The 6 Sentence Story

1. Your first sentence begins with ‘Once upon a time’ and introduces the main character.
2. The second sentence describes where the character lived.
3. The third sentence describes the character special talent.
4. The fourth sentence describes the characters problem.
5. The fifth sentence tells us why the character felt that way.
6. The final sentence tells how the character solved the problem

Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Jaime. She lived alone in an underground bunker in Moscow, Russia, along with her five undomesticated cats and her pet rock Jonathan. Jaime had a knack for doomsday prepping, cutting onions without crying, and taming feral animals. She was out on a stroll one evening when she received the unfortunate news that Moscow had been infected with the avian flu. Jaime feared for her life, but knew this was the moment she had been preparing for her entire life. For the next three years, Jaime would be locked up in her bunker with enough food, water, and other supplies to last the century - this is how Jaime survived the avian flu epidemic in Russia.

Creative Writing - Absurd Warnings

Gymnastics

Gymnastics
For the fast few weeks in PE, we have been doing gymnastics and learning to do different routines on each of the apparatuses. We first had a period of getting use to the equipment, and then began learning the routines. At the moment I'm working on the trampoline, the bar and the floor.

What have I done well?
I'm honestly rubbish at gymnastics but I can kind of do some of the routines on the beam, trampoline, and parallel bars. In general I think I'm doing okay. That might be generous. I'm doing better than last year.

What do I need to work on?
I think I need to work on (other than literally everything) my routine on the beam. I can do it. It's just not fun to watch. Also need to learn how to do a backwards roll.

How could I improve?
By gaining more confidence, and making my routine on the beam look less horrific :) I also want to work on making my routine more controlled by asking for feedback and learning from it.

Mythology Workshop

Mythologies Workshop - Session 1

What Countries have mythology that you can think of?

Rome, Greece, Russia, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Australia, Egypt, Scotland, Ireland, China, Japan, Phillipines (all countries have mythologies)

The Maori myth of how fire came to be vs the Greek myth -

Prometheus the Titan started a fight among the other gods over a golden pear/apple. When all the gods were distracted, Prometheus stole the fire from Hephaestus in either a hollowed pumpkin or a hollowed reed. There are a couple of slight variations of this story.

Maui extinguished everyone’s fire, and when everyone asked where the fire had gone he went to beg to Mahuika to give him more. She gave him one of his fingernails and he dropped it in a river. He continued to go back, receive her nails and then “lose” them, before deciding he would teach them how to make fire instead.

Norse myth of how fire was created/discovered.

Surtr was a fire giant with a flaming sword, and ruler of Muspellheim - “The land of fire”. Surtr killed the god of fire Freyr during Ragnarok, and set the world on fire.

Mythologies Workshop - Session 2

Folklore

Russia - The Russian Sleep Experiment - according to this story, in the 1940s took five prisoners and performed an experiment, locking them up in an airtight chamber with a special gas which would keep them awake in order to see the effects of prolonged sleep deprivation. On the 5th day, paranoia set in and they stopped talking to each other. On day 9, a couple of the prisoners began endlessly screaming, tearing apart the books they were given and attempting to smash the one-way mirrors so they could no longer be watched. On the fiteenth day, they opened up the chamber and found one prisoner torn to shreds with chunks of him stuffed in the floor drains. The other four had mutilated themselves almost beyond repair and were afraid to go to sleep, begging to stay in the chamber. They were removed and when the surgeons tried to sedate them they fought back so strongly they couldn’t. All four prisoners were completely conscious and laughing maniacally as they were sewn back together. When they tried to put them back in, one resisted and shot the head researcher and one of the remaining subjects. Another researcher shot him soon afterwards. 

Creating folklore

Jerusalem - The temple mount - 

The Temple Mount is considered a holy site in Jerusalem in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam alike. It is considered so holy and sacred that many who are a part of these religions refrain from walking directly on the mount itself. One day a man was walking through the city and came across the Temple Mount. He looked at it for a moment, but his thoughts were interrupted by a small boy. The boy warned him not to step on the mount, telling stories of how all who had done so before hadn't lived to tell the sotry. The man ignored him, and continued walking, stepping on the Temple Mount mockingly. The next day the man woke up with an excruciating pain in his stomach. The day after this, his eyes had gone bloodshot, his skin pale and cold to the touch, and the pain in his stomach now felt through his entire body. He was found lifeless in his bed by his wife and children the following day.

If History had a Twitter Page

If History had a Twitter Page

The Trojan Horse -

The Salem Witch Trials 

Henry VIII

Idioms

Idioms

 Write down the figurative meaning of the following sentences:

Literal drawings:
Hes driving me up the wall -

He gave her the eye - 

Self Directed Learning Matrix Reflection

In English we have been looking at self directed learning, and more specifically a matrix designed to assess how we manage our learning. Things that are highlighted in green are the things which I already do, and things that are highlighted in yellow are things which I want to work on. One of the things I would like to work on is setting goals based on the work I need to complete. I already sort of subconsciously do this in my head (hence why it's semi-highlighted), but I think setting official goals and/or deadlines would be more effective.

Hyperboles

Hyperboles

For each of the following sentences, does it have a hyperbole or not. 

1. I’m so hungry I could eat a whole elephant! (Hyperbole/Not)
2. May is the nicest month of the year. (Hyperbole/Not)
3. Her brightly coloured dress hurt his eyes. (Hyperbole/Not)
4. The roof rose up and down to the rhythm of the music. (Hyperbole/Not)
5. I ate all of my salad for lunch.  (Hyperbole/Not)
6. The dog was so dirty it had a tomato plant growing on its back. (Hyperbole/Not)

1. Hyperbole
2. Not a hyperbole
3. Hyperbole
4. Hyperbole
5. Not a hyperbole
6. Hyperbole

The wind was strong enough to blow me off of my feet.

His head ached so much so that he thought it might blow up.

Unlike most older computers, this one worked faster than a Formula One car.

We thought we might die of laughter before the movie ended.

The pan was hot enough to melt Tungsten.

Her crying was so loud that it could be heard from New Zealand to Moscow and everywhere in between.

My groceries were so heavy, I'm lucky my arms didn't snap off.

The dog was so scary, I thought it might bite my head of.

Revision

'As straight as an arrow' - simile

'Lucky lady' - alliteration

'Boom!' - onomatopoeia

'The city was a jungle' - metaphor

Onomatopoeias

1. A plate being dropped on the floor - smash
2. A balloon being burst - pop
3. A gun being shot - bang
4. Someone eating chips - crunch
5. A light being switched on - click
6. A fierce dog - growl
7. A small bell being rung - tinkle 
8. A door opening - creek
9. A bomb exploding - boom
10. A child screaming - screech

Highlight the onomatopoeia in each of the following sentences:

1. The old engine chugged down the rickety track. 
2. The hard-hit tennis ball whistled by my ear.
3. The truck’s brakes screeched in the distance.
4. The rain beat on the metal barn roof.
5. His guitar strings twanged the sad melody. 
6. The old floor creaked as we walked slowly across it. 
7. The fire cracked and popped on a cold night. 
8. The snake hissed when I startled it.

Onomatopoeia sentences:

The door slammed as a gust of win flew through the house.

The pork crackled and sizzled as it was flipped on the barbecue.
The branch fell to the ground with a loud crack.
Jaime slurped her pathetic excuse for milo obnoxiously.
The raindrops landed on the roof with a light thud.
Leaves rustled in the trees above us as we made our way down the dimly lit path.

Personification

Personification 

In each sentence, an object or idea is personified.  Identify the object or idea that is being personified and explain which human trait or action is applied to the object or idea.

1.The wind whispered through the gloomy forest. 

What is being personified?

The wind.

What human trait or quality has it been given?

The ability to whistle.

2. The gardener lovingly added the manure to his crops believing he was making happy flowers.

What is being personified?

The flowers.

What human trait or quality has it been given?

The capability of feeling emotions, specifically happiness.

3.  As we walked through the scorching desert, the sun beat down on us.

What is being personified?

The sun.

What human trait or quality has it been given?

Beating down on people

4.  The lumberjack levelled the many trees into a clearing and his chainsaw sang its deadly song.

What is being personified?

The lumberjack's chainsaw.

What human trait or quality has it been given?

The ability to sing.

5. As Alice searched for her missing pencil, she said sarcastically, “Well, I guess it just walked off of my desk.”  She looked at her classmates accusingly.  

What is being personified?

Alice's pencil case.

What human trait or quality has it been given?

The ability to walk off a desk.

6. When Monica walked through the shoe store, each shiny pair of high heels called out to her.

What is being personified?

The high heels in the shoe store

What human trait or quality has it been given?

A voice - the ability to call out.

Personification sentences

- The flames danced around the room.

- As the clock strikes midnight, a flash of lightning bounced across the sky.

- The popcorn leapt out of the bowl the longer it was in the microwave.

- The wind howled.

- The trees swung their arms around as the wind whistled through the forest.

- The avalanche devoured everything in it's path.

Alliteration

Alliteration

Highlight the alliterations in each of the following sentences:

1. The sun sizzled the swimmers skin.
2. I accidently ate an awful apple.
3. Beth borrowed Barry’s books before biology. 
4. Slipping and sliding, I stumbled in the snow and slush.
5. Many mysterious men mumbled messages.
6. The gallant goat gobbled gobs of garbage greedily. 
7. The rapidly rising river rushed rampantly.

Finish these sentences with your own alliterations:

1. Red roses… ran round the rim of Ronaldo's remarkably rated resort.
2. While wandering... , Walter wound up walking through Wigram.
3. The tired traveller... took their time.

Similes and Metaphors

Similes and Metaphors

1. My bedroom was as black as a cave in the depths of the earth.
2. The classroom after school became as noisy as a gaggle of gabby geese.
3. The cat capered along the fence top like a tightrope walker on the hire wire. 
4. My anger crashed into me like waves against the shore.

1. The cloth was as black as coal
2. The wet ball was as slippery as an eel
3. My little sister is as playful as a kitten
4. The top of this table is as smooth as silk
5. I've been as busy as a bee
6. The lamb is as white as snow

1. Simile

2. Metaphor

3. Metaphor

4. Simile

5. Metaphor

6. Metaphor

7. Simile

8. Simile

Similes -

The cat ran as fast as lightning.

Her hair was as black as the night sky.

The sun shone as brightly as a beacon.

Dylan's day is going as horribly as an extended family gathering.

The turbulence threw the plane around like a toddler throwing a fit.

His voice boomed around the room with volume like an explosion

Metaphors -

He had a heart of gold.

The World is your oyster.

After this weeks events, that girl is walking on thin ice.

Jordan was writing out a list of things to do before she kicked the bucket.

Dylan was flooded with emotions.

I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.

What am I learning?

The concept of similes and metaphors as well as how they are used in sentences.

How does this work show my learning?

I have done a number of activities based around correctly using similes and metaphors, and have also come up with some of my own to show my understanding.

Black Mirror - Nosedive

Black Mirror - Nosedive Critical Literacy

24. Whose views are excluded or privileged in this text?

Throughout this episode of Black Mirror, we never see any children or many elderly people. The people who's views seem to be favoured are adults aged from their early twenties to perhaps mid forties. Are children rated in the same way adults are?

27. What view of the world is the text presenting?

This episode portrays that social media is a negative thing which we rely on more than we should, and that can destroy people's lives. It also shows that the majority of people base their opinions on people off of how they look.

11. How are adults constructed in this text?

In this visual text, adults are perceived as extremely judgemental and over critical. They base their opinions on people off of both stereotypes and how they are rated. People with lower ratings are treated no better than criminals, whereas those with higher ratings are treated like royalty, A person's rating - in a nutshell - is based on their social interactions and the popularity and aesthetic of their social media feed. People with a higher rating also tend to lack the ability to seem genuine. Everyone is scared of saying what they really mean.

What does the term 'nosedive' mean? How do you see this in the story?

The term 'nosedive' refers to going from being at the top to drastically plummeting to rock bottom. We see this throughout the episode - Lacie starts with a rating of 4.3, but by the end her score is below one and she's in a jail cell, no longer having the capability of caring about anything.

What are the positive and negative aspects of this type if rating system?

The negative aspects out-number the positive. Rating someone is brutal, especially based on their looks and social status alone. It will innevitably end in many people being judged unfairly. The only positive aspect of this sort of rating system is the fact that people instantly know other's names and certain things about them without having to ask, which saves having to go through a potentially awkward situation if you forget their name or something.

In this story, what characteristics lead to good ratings for females?

- Marrying/getting together with a rich/popular guy

- Being pretty, super fit, successful

What scenes did you find most uncomfortable/disturbing?

The entire scene where Lacie showed up looking like an absolute mess at her 'friend's' wedding and made her speech was mildly uncomfortable,, but mostly just due to second-hand embarrassment.

How realistic of a future do you think 'nosedive' is?

The obsession with social media and the concept of a rating system isn't all that unrealistic - however I feel that the things in their lives that are controlled by their rating isn't as realistic, e.g; the houses they can buy, where they can work etc.

The Pyramids of Egypt