Hooray 2009!
Monday
In class:
· Due: Song and Journal: Which song represents “your generation” Why? What principles or message does this song reflect? How does it connect to this week’s class? You need a line analysis and direct connections to the lyrics. Print a copy of the lyrics along with your explanation. THIS WILL COUNT IN TERM 3.
· Bring the song so we can listen to it and have group discussion
HOMEWORK:
· Due Tomorrow: BLOG JOURNAL: Respond to ONE of the photos of South Africa.
· Due Friday: Quiz: Word List #1: Group 1 and 2
Tuesday
In class:
· Due: Blog Journal
· “Fight” Songs/Revolutionary Music
· Amandla!
HOMEWORK:
§ Due tomorrow: Read/mark-up/highlight Background Information on AMANDLA!
Wednesday
In class:
· Due: Read/Mark-up: AMANDLA!
§ Amandla!
HOMEWORK:
· Due tomorrow: none
Thursday
In class:
· AMANDLA!
HOMEWORK:
· Due Tomorrow: Study for quiz: SAT Vocab: Word List #1: Group 1 and 2
Friday
In class:
· Quiz: SAT Vocab
· Amandla!
HOMEWORK:
· Due Monday: Read/Mark-up/Highlight: History of South Africa.
· Ms. Gentile’s slide show on Monday!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
SAT Vocabulary
SAT Prep: Weekly Vocabulary Quiz
Check out this website (click on this) for your weekly words. You will be held responsible for knowing each group of words for the week and retaining the information for tests.
This will help you to increase your SAT score.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Check out this website (click on this) for your weekly words. You will be held responsible for knowing each group of words for the week and retaining the information for tests.
This will help you to increase your SAT score.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Last Syllabus in 2008!
Monday:
Due: Song: Lyrics and explanation. Please bring the actual song so we can listen to it. I will set up my speakers.
Tuesday:
Holiday/End of the year Party
Don't forget to bring your treat!
Due: Song: Lyrics and explanation. Please bring the actual song so we can listen to it. I will set up my speakers.
Tuesday:
Holiday/End of the year Party
Don't forget to bring your treat!
Have a safe and wonderful vacation! Enjoy your holiday and happy 2009!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Background Info: "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"
Here is some background information on Gil Scott-Heron, the poet from class on 12/17:
As the end of the sixties approached there was an intense shift in the struggle for equality as the fight for civil rights gave way to the demand for Black Power and Gil Scott-Heron surfaced in the mainstream music of the early 70s with albums such as What's Going On and There's a Riot Going On. One of the great unheralded voices in popular music just might be the man who composed the lyrics to the electrifying song, "The Revolution Will Not be Televised" and its powerful poetic imagery along with the stunning power of his voice are timeless and chillingly relevant to any age.
With carefully crafted lyrics the songwriter creates contrasts between the irrelevance of television and the unrefined power of significant events. The words are very powerful to read but to get the full effect one has to listen to the piece. The awesome combination of soul, funk and verse made Scott-Heron one of the most intuitive political singers of the 70s and early 80s.
Born in Chicago his early years were spent between the mean streets of the Bronx and the South. His estranged father played for the Celtics and by the time he was nineteen he had published his first novel The Vulture. Essence magazine called it "a strong start for a writer with important things to say."
He admired the work of the HR poet Langston Hughes and before he left his teen years behind he published one more book and a volume of poetry. It was Scott-Heron's forceful readings near the end of the 1960's that led to the very literate, frequently militant work of performances like The Last Poets. One biographer notes that songs like "Johanessburg" recorded years before most of the public had even heard about the tragedy of South African apartheid, "combined jazzy backing tracks, Scott-Heron's authoritative talk-singing, and words that carried plenty of baggage without showing the strain. "
A volatile beat poem "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" conveyed the right tone of honest anger when it was released because Scott-Heron had tapped into the invisible revolution of lurking pop culture vultures, prepared to re package rebels into more-palatable versions. For example Allen Ginsburg and Jack Kerouac were produced for prime time TV beatniks in the persona of Maynard Grebs. From his straight-faced attacks on racism to his withering sarcasm of the Great Society and media nonsense - each line is awash with a contemptuous turn of phrase. Wrapped up in the political poetry was a new combination of social commentary and blues funk that has since become a socially relevant voice of today. While Motown records pre-packaged poor black singers from inner-city Detroit into desirable, marketable products, television had become the most effective control of the masses in history.
This was a true revolution imperceptible among the naked teens frolicking at Woodstock. The constant bombardment of media images changed the thought processes of Americans and following those images came the advertisers. Scott-Heron spoke passionately about blacks' inequality in the artistic industry and about their unrelenting invisibility within the consumer friendly repackaging. Tom Terrel writes in his linear notes for Evolution and Flashback: the Very Best of Gil Scott-Heron that his angry, rhythm-infused poetry was "avant-garde compared to what was going on in early 70s black pop." Think Stevie Wonder, James Brown.
Scott-Heron confronted widespread fallacies of black America by accusing the white admen of stealing "black" catchphrases like "Right on, Tiger" and "power to the people" for their marketing schemes. He also criticized the American people for unconsciously tolerating the reality that corporate America sponsored the appeal of popular culture. He pointed out that a corporate controlled network television could not embrace the waves of social, cultural and political change. His verses warned of a looming "social apocalypse borne of centuries of injustice and pent-up frustrations that can no longer be dulled, contained, or diminished by the drugs of capitalism."
Scott-Heron proclaimed that the revolution would be in the gutters and on the streets. His verses are directed at black, white and corporate America and it was a call to action. While the news was being broadcast by the biased television stations into the comforts of suburbia, the armchair politicos were blissfully unaware of the deteriorating inner-city conditions of the early 1970s.
Today Gil Scott-Heron remains a towering figure in black popular music. With a Master's degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins his forceful, no-nonsense street poetry motivated a legion of intelligent rappers while his engaging songwriting skills placed him square in the R&B charts later in his career.
By merging Afro-American social politics with jazz and rhythm and blues Scott-Heron forged the missing link between the beat poets and jazzbos of the 50's and 60's and the rap--hip hop artists of the 90's. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised sparked its own revolt inspiring minorities to utilize the powerful rap medium as their forum for widespread political discussions and within a decade, Scott-Heron's rhythm poetry had melded into the popular culture through groups such as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Silent for nearly ten years after the release Re-Ron, the proto-rapper revisited the recording music industry in the mid-'90s with a memo for the gangstas who had followed in his footsteps. His 1994 album Spirits began with Message to the Messengers and it was aimed squarely at the rappers whose sway, positive or negative, held deep meaning for the children of the 1990s. He urged them to take accountability in their art and in their community.
Sources:
For a full text of lyric please visit: http://www.msu.edu/~miazgama/TheRevolutionWillNotBeTelevized.htm
Gill Scott Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised:http://www.globaldarkness.com/articles/gill_scott_heron_revolution_willnotbe_televised.htm
Gil Scott-Heron:http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/profiles/scottherongil.shtml
"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (Gil Scott-Heron) © 1971, 1988 Bienstock Publishing Company (ASCAP)
The Revolution Will Be No Re-Run, Brother - The Revolution Will Be Live:www.exquisitedeadguy.50megs.com/revolutionpaper.html
As the end of the sixties approached there was an intense shift in the struggle for equality as the fight for civil rights gave way to the demand for Black Power and Gil Scott-Heron surfaced in the mainstream music of the early 70s with albums such as What's Going On and There's a Riot Going On. One of the great unheralded voices in popular music just might be the man who composed the lyrics to the electrifying song, "The Revolution Will Not be Televised" and its powerful poetic imagery along with the stunning power of his voice are timeless and chillingly relevant to any age.
With carefully crafted lyrics the songwriter creates contrasts between the irrelevance of television and the unrefined power of significant events. The words are very powerful to read but to get the full effect one has to listen to the piece. The awesome combination of soul, funk and verse made Scott-Heron one of the most intuitive political singers of the 70s and early 80s.
Born in Chicago his early years were spent between the mean streets of the Bronx and the South. His estranged father played for the Celtics and by the time he was nineteen he had published his first novel The Vulture. Essence magazine called it "a strong start for a writer with important things to say."
He admired the work of the HR poet Langston Hughes and before he left his teen years behind he published one more book and a volume of poetry. It was Scott-Heron's forceful readings near the end of the 1960's that led to the very literate, frequently militant work of performances like The Last Poets. One biographer notes that songs like "Johanessburg" recorded years before most of the public had even heard about the tragedy of South African apartheid, "combined jazzy backing tracks, Scott-Heron's authoritative talk-singing, and words that carried plenty of baggage without showing the strain. "
A volatile beat poem "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" conveyed the right tone of honest anger when it was released because Scott-Heron had tapped into the invisible revolution of lurking pop culture vultures, prepared to re package rebels into more-palatable versions. For example Allen Ginsburg and Jack Kerouac were produced for prime time TV beatniks in the persona of Maynard Grebs. From his straight-faced attacks on racism to his withering sarcasm of the Great Society and media nonsense - each line is awash with a contemptuous turn of phrase. Wrapped up in the political poetry was a new combination of social commentary and blues funk that has since become a socially relevant voice of today. While Motown records pre-packaged poor black singers from inner-city Detroit into desirable, marketable products, television had become the most effective control of the masses in history.
This was a true revolution imperceptible among the naked teens frolicking at Woodstock. The constant bombardment of media images changed the thought processes of Americans and following those images came the advertisers. Scott-Heron spoke passionately about blacks' inequality in the artistic industry and about their unrelenting invisibility within the consumer friendly repackaging. Tom Terrel writes in his linear notes for Evolution and Flashback: the Very Best of Gil Scott-Heron that his angry, rhythm-infused poetry was "avant-garde compared to what was going on in early 70s black pop." Think Stevie Wonder, James Brown.
Scott-Heron confronted widespread fallacies of black America by accusing the white admen of stealing "black" catchphrases like "Right on, Tiger" and "power to the people" for their marketing schemes. He also criticized the American people for unconsciously tolerating the reality that corporate America sponsored the appeal of popular culture. He pointed out that a corporate controlled network television could not embrace the waves of social, cultural and political change. His verses warned of a looming "social apocalypse borne of centuries of injustice and pent-up frustrations that can no longer be dulled, contained, or diminished by the drugs of capitalism."
Scott-Heron proclaimed that the revolution would be in the gutters and on the streets. His verses are directed at black, white and corporate America and it was a call to action. While the news was being broadcast by the biased television stations into the comforts of suburbia, the armchair politicos were blissfully unaware of the deteriorating inner-city conditions of the early 1970s.
Today Gil Scott-Heron remains a towering figure in black popular music. With a Master's degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins his forceful, no-nonsense street poetry motivated a legion of intelligent rappers while his engaging songwriting skills placed him square in the R&B charts later in his career.
By merging Afro-American social politics with jazz and rhythm and blues Scott-Heron forged the missing link between the beat poets and jazzbos of the 50's and 60's and the rap--hip hop artists of the 90's. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised sparked its own revolt inspiring minorities to utilize the powerful rap medium as their forum for widespread political discussions and within a decade, Scott-Heron's rhythm poetry had melded into the popular culture through groups such as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Silent for nearly ten years after the release Re-Ron, the proto-rapper revisited the recording music industry in the mid-'90s with a memo for the gangstas who had followed in his footsteps. His 1994 album Spirits began with Message to the Messengers and it was aimed squarely at the rappers whose sway, positive or negative, held deep meaning for the children of the 1990s. He urged them to take accountability in their art and in their community.
Sources:
For a full text of lyric please visit: http://www.msu.edu/~miazgama/TheRevolutionWillNotBeTelevized.htm
Gill Scott Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised:http://www.globaldarkness.com/articles/gill_scott_heron_revolution_willnotbe_televised.htm
Gil Scott-Heron:http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/profiles/scottherongil.shtml
"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (Gil Scott-Heron) © 1971, 1988 Bienstock Publishing Company (ASCAP)
The Revolution Will Be No Re-Run, Brother - The Revolution Will Be Live:www.exquisitedeadguy.50megs.com/revolutionpaper.html
Monday, December 15, 2008
Holiday Cheer
Hey everyone...
I thought you might enjoy this.
If you don't like singing, here is a picture of my dog in her new jacket.
I thought you might enjoy this.
If you don't like singing, here is a picture of my dog in her new jacket.
Happy Holidays!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Syllabus: 12/15 to 12/19
Monday
In class:
· Due: Completed Thesis Outline
· Holiday Party Sign-Up Sheet
· BRING LITERATURE BOOK TO CLASS
· Secular Rhymes and Songs, Ballads and Work Songs
HOMEWORK:
· Due Tomorrow: ROUGH DRAFT, Typed, MLA Format, citations ,etc
· Due Thursday: FINAL DRAFT, Typed, MLA Format, citations , final copy ready, Turn-it-in, etc
Tuesday
In class:
· Due: ROUGH DRAFT,
· Peer Edit! You must have a TYPED rough draft to participate. Otherwise, you will be working on an alternative assignment.
HOMEWORK:
§ Due tomorrow: Read/mark-up/highlight “The History of Jazz” and “The History of Rap”
§ BRING LITERATURE BOOK TO CLASS and Make corrections on rough draft. Final copy due THURSDAY.
Wednesday
In class:
· Due: Read/Mark-up: “History of Jazz/Rap”
· Louis Armstrong
· “(What Did I Do) To Be So Black and Blue”
· “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”
HOMEWORK:
· Due tomorrow: FINAL DRAFT!!
Thursday
In class:
· Due: FINAL DRAFT: both a hard copy and submitted to turn-it-in by start of class
· Grand Master Flash
· Public Enemy
HOMEWORK:
· Due Tomorrow: Finish Class work
Friday
In class:
· Public Enemy
· Queen Latifah
HOMEWORK:
· Due Monday: Song and Journal: Which song represents “your generation” Why and how? What principles or message does this song reflect? How does it connect to this week’s class? You need a line analysis and direct connections to the lyrics. Print a copy of the lyrics along with your explanation.
In class:
· Due: Completed Thesis Outline
· Holiday Party Sign-Up Sheet
· BRING LITERATURE BOOK TO CLASS
· Secular Rhymes and Songs, Ballads and Work Songs
HOMEWORK:
· Due Tomorrow: ROUGH DRAFT, Typed, MLA Format, citations ,etc
· Due Thursday: FINAL DRAFT, Typed, MLA Format, citations , final copy ready, Turn-it-in, etc
Tuesday
In class:
· Due: ROUGH DRAFT,
· Peer Edit! You must have a TYPED rough draft to participate. Otherwise, you will be working on an alternative assignment.
HOMEWORK:
§ Due tomorrow: Read/mark-up/highlight “The History of Jazz” and “The History of Rap”
§ BRING LITERATURE BOOK TO CLASS and Make corrections on rough draft. Final copy due THURSDAY.
Wednesday
In class:
· Due: Read/Mark-up: “History of Jazz/Rap”
· Louis Armstrong
· “(What Did I Do) To Be So Black and Blue”
· “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”
HOMEWORK:
· Due tomorrow: FINAL DRAFT!!
Thursday
In class:
· Due: FINAL DRAFT: both a hard copy and submitted to turn-it-in by start of class
· Grand Master Flash
· Public Enemy
HOMEWORK:
· Due Tomorrow: Finish Class work
Friday
In class:
· Public Enemy
· Queen Latifah
HOMEWORK:
· Due Monday: Song and Journal: Which song represents “your generation” Why and how? What principles or message does this song reflect? How does it connect to this week’s class? You need a line analysis and direct connections to the lyrics. Print a copy of the lyrics along with your explanation.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Get Paid To Go To College!!
CHECK IT OUT (Click here --->) The Princeton Prize in Race Relations
In order to recognize, support, and encourage the young people of our country who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the cause of positive race relations, Princeton University annually sponsors an annual awards program for high school students—the Princeton Prize in Race Relations.
Applications postmarked by January 31 will be eligible for prizes—including cash awards up to $1,000 for particularly noteworthy work.
In order to recognize, support, and encourage the young people of our country who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the cause of positive race relations, Princeton University annually sponsors an annual awards program for high school students—the Princeton Prize in Race Relations.
Applications postmarked by January 31 will be eligible for prizes—including cash awards up to $1,000 for particularly noteworthy work.
- If you are a high school student involved in an activity that is helping to improve race relations in your school or community, we want to hear from you.
- If you know of a high school student who is helping to improve race relations, please encourage him or her to apply.
Princeton and its alumni recognize that the issue of race relations continues to be one of the most urgent and important challenges facing our country. The Princeton Prize in Race Relations was created to identify and commend young people who are working to increase understanding and mutual respect among all races. Through this effort, we hope to inspire others to join in these or similar efforts, and to undertake initiatives of their own.
Good Luck and take advantage of this opportunity!!!
~Ms. G
TEWWG Essay:
Please use this space (only) as a discussion board for your essay. Feel free to ask questions, post your thesis, ask for feedback, vent, etc.
This is for your peers and you to respond. Help out one another! If I see fit to jump in, then I will help you. If you have a question directly for me, say so in your post or email me.
Good luck.
Ms. Gentile
This is for your peers and you to respond. Help out one another! If I see fit to jump in, then I will help you. If you have a question directly for me, say so in your post or email me.
Good luck.
Ms. Gentile
Thursday, December 11, 2008
BLA GSA Ally Wall
Hey everyone...
I wanted to let you know that I appreciate the time you took today to look at The Ally Wall. It is important to educate each other and to tolerate differences.
I think the wall looks great, but I would love to fill up the entire hallway! If you (or your friends have anything to add, write something and leave it in my mailbox at school. You don't have to put your name; you can sign "anonymous" instead. Or, you can email me something, but indicate if you want your name to be posted or not. Lastly, you can post here in the comments section. If you want to include your name, fine, otherwise, leave it anonymous.
Please use this space to generate positive discussion and do not write slanderous or hate speech on this portion of the blog.
If you have already written something, thank you! If you would like to contribute, then please do!
Ms. Gentile
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Syllabus 12/5 to 12/12
Monday
In class:
Due: ESSAY: Typed, MLA format , no more than TWO pages: Answer the following questions: Is Janie considered a “feminist” why or why not? What are her biggest flaws, why? QUIZ GRADE!
Review and discuss
Discussion questions
HOMEWORK:
Due Tomorrow: Discussion questions from class (will help you with test)
Due Wednesday: Study for TEST: Novel, poetry (Johnson, Cullen, Hughes, McKay), background, Harlem Ren, etc.
Due Thursday: Grammar work: Pages 555 - 558, ex 2 and Review A. Pages 559 - 563, ex 3 and Review B. Pages 574 - 577, Review E and F. Write Out Sentences and follow directions.
Tuesday
In class:
Due: Discussion questions from class
· BRING GRAMMAR/WRITING BOOKS TO CLASS:
· Countee Cullen Poetry
HOMEWORK:
Due tomorrow: STUDY FOR TEST: Novel, poetry (Johnson, Cullen, Hughes, McKay), background, Harlem Ren, etc. Will be true/false, multiple choice, matching, character identification, etc.
Wednesday
In class:
· TEST!
· If you are absent on today, you need to see me during a STUDY hall (Not after school or in class) by the close of school on Friday 12/12
HOMEWORK:
Due tomorrow: Grammar work: Pages 555 - 558, ex 2 and Review A. Pages 559 - 563, ex 3 and Review B. Pages 574 - 577, Review E and F. Write Out Sentences and follow directions.
Thursday
In class:
· DUE: Grammar work
Introduce Writing Assignment
· Thesis workshop
HOMEWORK:
· Due Tomorrow: You must come to class with a Thesis statement.
Friday
In class:
· Due: Thesis Statement
· Create Thesis outline following format and citing specific passages from the test
HOMEWORK:
Due Monday: Completed Thesis Outline
Due Tuesday: ROUGH DRAFT, Typed, MLA Format, citations ,etc.
In class:
Due: ESSAY: Typed, MLA format , no more than TWO pages: Answer the following questions: Is Janie considered a “feminist” why or why not? What are her biggest flaws, why? QUIZ GRADE!
Review and discuss
Discussion questions
HOMEWORK:
Due Tomorrow: Discussion questions from class (will help you with test)
Due Wednesday: Study for TEST: Novel, poetry (Johnson, Cullen, Hughes, McKay), background, Harlem Ren, etc.
Due Thursday: Grammar work: Pages 555 - 558, ex 2 and Review A. Pages 559 - 563, ex 3 and Review B. Pages 574 - 577, Review E and F. Write Out Sentences and follow directions.
Tuesday
In class:
Due: Discussion questions from class
· BRING GRAMMAR/WRITING BOOKS TO CLASS:
· Countee Cullen Poetry
HOMEWORK:
Due tomorrow: STUDY FOR TEST: Novel, poetry (Johnson, Cullen, Hughes, McKay), background, Harlem Ren, etc. Will be true/false, multiple choice, matching, character identification, etc.
Wednesday
In class:
· TEST!
· If you are absent on today, you need to see me during a STUDY hall (Not after school or in class) by the close of school on Friday 12/12
HOMEWORK:
Due tomorrow: Grammar work: Pages 555 - 558, ex 2 and Review A. Pages 559 - 563, ex 3 and Review B. Pages 574 - 577, Review E and F. Write Out Sentences and follow directions.
Thursday
In class:
· DUE: Grammar work
Introduce Writing Assignment
· Thesis workshop
HOMEWORK:
· Due Tomorrow: You must come to class with a Thesis statement.
Friday
In class:
· Due: Thesis Statement
· Create Thesis outline following format and citing specific passages from the test
HOMEWORK:
Due Monday: Completed Thesis Outline
Due Tuesday: ROUGH DRAFT, Typed, MLA Format, citations ,etc.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Fun Opportunities!
Hey everyone...
I received some fun opportunities for all you. Check them out below and if it sounds like something you would be interested in, be sure to follow up! I will try to help you the best I can.
~Ms. G
Teens In Print:
Want to see your name in print? Teens in Print, a citywide newspaper for teens by teens, is looking for articles, reviews, essays, letters, pictures, poems, art, photos, and stories from BPS high school students. Email your original work to: angela.smith.jcs@cityofboston.gov with your full name and age. For information on joining the T.i.P. teen staff, 617-541-2651, http://www.bostontip.com/
SAT VIDEOS:
The MIT Alumni Association is running a nationwide contest in which students compete to create funny, creative sketches teaching SAT vocabulary. They will award up to $600 in prize money to the video that receives the most number of votes from viewers. $200 of the prize will go directly to the winner(s) and $400 to the class or school club chosen by that person. To encourage participation, they will give a contestant 1 free iTunes song for every 5 videos he/she submits or refers (up to the first 1,000 video submissions). Contest starts Jan 1. http://www.brainyflix.com/
826 Boston:
826 Boston is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 7-18 with their creative and expository writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. They provide drop-in tutoring, after-school workshops, in-school tutoring, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications. 826 Boston is also looking for volunteer tutors! 617-442-5400, http://www.826boston.org/
Guitar Lessons:
Teen Guitar Lessons in Harvard Square: Beginning Guitar Classes as part of the Music Speaks program for Grades 9-12. New semester begins Jan 27! Scholarships available. Students who qualify and do not have guitar will be provided a new guitar donated by First Act Guitar Studio to keep upon the successful completion of the course. For information on how to apply for a scholarship, susan@passimcenter.org
Scholarship Contest:
Power of an Idea Scholarship Contest: Boston public high school and Boston charter school students (grades 9-12) get an opportunity to create an invention by taking an idea from concept to creation to patent. The winner of the contest will receive a $15,000 scholarship to be used for tuition and expenses for higher education. Also, as part of the prize package, the winner will receive legal patent services for the winning device, machine or process. Due Jan 6. For rules and other guidelines check out www.burnslev.com/constants/power-of-idea.asp
Get involved!
I received some fun opportunities for all you. Check them out below and if it sounds like something you would be interested in, be sure to follow up! I will try to help you the best I can.
~Ms. G
Teens In Print:
Want to see your name in print? Teens in Print, a citywide newspaper for teens by teens, is looking for articles, reviews, essays, letters, pictures, poems, art, photos, and stories from BPS high school students. Email your original work to: angela.smith.jcs@cityofboston.gov with your full name and age. For information on joining the T.i.P. teen staff, 617-541-2651, http://www.bostontip.com/
SAT VIDEOS:
The MIT Alumni Association is running a nationwide contest in which students compete to create funny, creative sketches teaching SAT vocabulary. They will award up to $600 in prize money to the video that receives the most number of votes from viewers. $200 of the prize will go directly to the winner(s) and $400 to the class or school club chosen by that person. To encourage participation, they will give a contestant 1 free iTunes song for every 5 videos he/she submits or refers (up to the first 1,000 video submissions). Contest starts Jan 1. http://www.brainyflix.com/
826 Boston:
826 Boston is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 7-18 with their creative and expository writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. They provide drop-in tutoring, after-school workshops, in-school tutoring, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications. 826 Boston is also looking for volunteer tutors! 617-442-5400, http://www.826boston.org/
Guitar Lessons:
Teen Guitar Lessons in Harvard Square: Beginning Guitar Classes as part of the Music Speaks program for Grades 9-12. New semester begins Jan 27! Scholarships available. Students who qualify and do not have guitar will be provided a new guitar donated by First Act Guitar Studio to keep upon the successful completion of the course. For information on how to apply for a scholarship, susan@passimcenter.org
Scholarship Contest:
Power of an Idea Scholarship Contest: Boston public high school and Boston charter school students (grades 9-12) get an opportunity to create an invention by taking an idea from concept to creation to patent. The winner of the contest will receive a $15,000 scholarship to be used for tuition and expenses for higher education. Also, as part of the prize package, the winner will receive legal patent services for the winning device, machine or process. Due Jan 6. For rules and other guidelines check out www.burnslev.com/constants/power-of-idea.asp
Get involved!
TEWWG: Study Questions Ch 19 - 20
Chapter 19:
The Novel as a Whole:
- How do the men determine which bodies are white and which are black? What do they do with the corpses once they decide their race? Do you think this is accurate?
- The Jim Crow Laws separated black and white in restaurants, rest rooms, transportation, etc. What do you think Tea Cake is saying about God in the following quotation: "'They's mighty particular how dese dead folks goes tuh judgement,' Tea Cake observed to the man working next to him. 'Look lak dey think God don't know nothin' about de Jim Crow Law.'"
- Why does Tea Cake decide to go where "de white folks know me"?
- What indications are there in the story that both Tea Cake and Janie know Tea Cake has rabies before they send for a doctor?
- Find a specific passage in this chapter showing that Janie prays for God's help, but also accepts that the decision over Tea Cake's fate may have already been made.
- How are the circumstances of Tea Cake's death an example of irony? How can Tea Cake's death be considered a "blessing" for him?
- Why do you think Janie would have preferred having white woman on the jury instead of white men?
- How do the black people at the trial demonstrate bigotry toward women?
- Why is it significant that Janie attends Tea Cake's funeral in her overalls instead of the expensive clothes she wears at Joe Stark's funeral?
- What is Janie telling Phoeby about love in the following quotation: "Love is lak de sea. It's us movin' thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it's different with every shore."
- Find the specific passage stating the two things Janie says people must do for themselves.
- In the following passage, indicate what the horizon symbolizes and what does the passage suggest about Janie's plan to live the rest of her life: "She pulled in her horizon like a great fish net. Pulled it from around the waist of the world and draped it over her shoulder. So much of like in its meshes! She called in her soul to come and see."
The Novel as a Whole:
- Has Janie changed as a character? Why or why not? Use detail to support your answer.
- Explain Hurston's use of race and racism in the novel. How does she show this theme through characters and events. What do you think she is trying to say about this theme?
- Hurston also uses Janie to demonstrate one's search for identity and quest to find one's self and to have a voice. Has she successfully done this? why or why not?
Monday, December 1, 2008
World AIDS Day
Here is the article I told you about today in class: Wal-mart and Death?
Now, keep the events of the article in mind and put the following information into perspective.
The 1st of December, World AIDS Day, is the day when individuals and organisations from around the world come together to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic. 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. While we have come a long ways since 1988, there is still much more to be done. The theme of World AIDS day is to Lead, Empower, and Deliver.
Did you know:
INTERNATIONAL STATISTICS*:
People living with HIV:
33 million people living with HIV worldwide
30.8 million adults
15.5 million women
2.0 million children under 15
New HIV cases in 2007:
2.7 million total new cases
2.3 million adults
370,000 children under 15
HIV-related deaths in 2007:
2.0 million total deaths
HIV BY REGION:
Sub-Saharan Africa
22 million adults and children living with HIV
1.9 million adults and children newly infected with HIV
5 % adult prevalence
1.5 million adult and child deaths due to AIDS
South and South-East Asia
4.2 million adults and children living with HIV
330,000 million adults and children newly infected with HIV
0.3% adult prevalence
340,000 adult and child deaths due to AIDS
4.2 million adults and children living with HIV
330,000 million adults and children newly infected with HIV
0.3% adult prevalence
340,000 adult and child deaths due to AIDS
East Asia
740,000 adults and children living with HIV
51,000 adults and children newly infected with HIV
0.1% adult prevalence
40,000 adult and child deaths due to AIDS
Eastern Europe and Central Asia
1.5 million adults and children living with HIV
110,000 adults and children newly infected with HIV
0.8% adult prevalence
58,000 adult and child deaths due to AIDS
Caribbean
230,000 adults and children living with HIV
20,000 adults and children newly infected with HIV
1.1% adult prevalence
14,000 adult and child deaths due to AIDS
Latin America
1.7 million adults and children living with HIV
110,000 adults and children newly infected with HIV
0.5% adult prevalence
63,000 adult and child deaths due to AIDS
North America
1.2 million adults and children living with HIV
54,000 adults and children newly infected with HIV
0.6% adult prevalence
23,000 adult and child deaths due to AIDS
Western and Central Europe
730,000 adults and children living with HIV
27,000 adults and children newly infected with HIV
0.3% adult prevalence
8,000 adult and child deaths due to AIDS
730,000 adults and children living with HIV
27,000 adults and children newly infected with HIV
0.3% adult prevalence
8,000 adult and child deaths due to AIDS
Middle East and North Africa
380,000 adults and children living with HIV
40,000 adults and children newly infected
0.3% adult prevalence
27,000 adult and child deaths due to AIDS
*All figures from UNAIDS.
The statistics above are based on documented cases, but what about the ones who don't know?If you are sexually active, please get tested. I encourage you to learn, educate yourself and others. If you can become part of this movement, do so! LEAD, EMPOWER, DELIVER!
~Ms. G
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