Organ donations should be mandatory (essay brainstorming)

ESSAY BRAINSTORMING: Should organ donations be mandatory? I am arguing for this statement. 

Comprehension box 1: How volcanoes came to NZ

How volcanoes came to New Zealand

In Paragraph 1, the word indigenous means:
a) original ✔️

Along with leader and master, which other word is used to describe Ngatoroirangi?
c) chief ✔️

The area of NZ with the most occurences of geothermal activity is:
b) Rotorua ✔️

4. How the Ring of Fire was created is the main idea of: 
a) Paragraph 6 ✔️

5. What happened directly after Kuiwai learned of her brother's distress?
a) The fire demons were sent to rescue him ✔️

6. It is most likely that upon reaching the base of the mountain, Ngatoroirangi:
c) Reprimanded his men for disobeying him ✔️

7. Which word do you think best describes Ngatoroirangi?
c) Determined ✔️

8. Ngatoroirangi's orders to the men is the main idea of:
b) paragraph 3 ✔️

9. You can conclude that Ngatoroirangi's sister, Kuiwai, had incredible:
a) Powers ✔️

10. In Paragraph 8, it states Aruhoe was beyond their assistance, which means:
c) He had passed away ✔️

11. What caused Ngatoroirangi to double over in pain?
b) His men breaking their fast ✔️

12. Complete the sentence to make a fact, not an opinion: Ngatoroirangi was:
a) A spiritual leader ✔️

13. The author's main reasons for writing this text was to: 
a) describe a Maori creation myth ✔️

14. In Paragraph 3 the pronoun we in we'll share a celebratory feast refers to: 
c) The chief and his men ✔️

Score: 100% :)

Is climate change a lie?

Is climate change a lie? I will be arguing against this question. 

• Scientific evidence to prove that climate change is true - most scientists agree
• We are seeing the evidence of climate changes already - hotter temperatures mean ice caps are melting, leading to the sea level rising and flooding the Earth
• There is a reason that climate change is happening - we are releasing excessive carbon emissions into the air and not planting enough trees

THESIS: It's the question that the world is wondering: is climate change fake news or is it true? In this essay, I will be discussing why climate change is a very real issue on Earth, and the facts behind it. 

IDEA ORDER:
1. We are already seeing the effects of climate change: hotter temperatures, ice caps melting, sea level rising etc.
2. There is backed up scientific evidence that climate change is real and is happening: include researched info from the internet etc.
3. Climate change isn't happening because of nothing: it's happening because we are releasing too much carbon emissions into the air and destroying the trees.

a collection of poems

Should energy drinks be banned for adolescents?

For today's essay brainstorming, I decided to plan an essay based on 'should energy drinks be banned for people under the age of 16?'. 

This is a topic that's been popular in New Zealand after Countdown banned the sale of energy drinks to all people under this age. I argued for this idea. 



Some reasons why I am against energy drinks:

• Health is not benefited, there are only disadvantages
• Unhealthy and barely effective
• Addictive and costs a lot of money
• There are many better alternatives to energy drinks
• High levels of sodium

Strongest ideas (1 being the strongest, 3 being the least strongest)

1. Many health disadvantages/side effects of consuming energy drinks

- Rapid heartbeat, insomnia, nervousness, irritability, increased blood pressure etc.

2. Expensive and addictive

- The ingredient caffeine found in energy drinks has a tendency to cause withdrawal symptoms

such as anxiety and panic attacks in some frequent users.

Caffeine is addictive and harmful if consumed too much.

3. There are much better alternatives to energy drinks

  - Getting the right amount of sleep improves your general well being and replaces the need for

energy drinks enormously.

Gender portrayal in musicals (Critical Literacy)

Focus-representations
Vocab-stereotypes, construction, bias, gender, masculinity, femanity

Masculine:
woodcutting/lumberjack
barbeque, rugby, alcohol

Feminine:
the colour pink
raising children, cooking and cleaning


LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS: (1960s) Somewhere Green (interpretation)
 How does the text depict age, gender, and cultural groups?
In 'Somewhere Green', the woman is portrayed as soft, pink, delicate - a complete stereotype of women and femininity. It's almost as if she wants everything to be perfect, 'somewhere green' after reading a magazine where everything is perfect, and she longs for a life like that, a future just slightly out of her reach. 

Whose views are excluded or privileged in the text?
It's the woman's views who are privileged in this text, the man and children are mentioned only very briefly. As this is a song written purposefully to depict the emotions many women in the 60s maybe felt, it is only natural for the woman to sing it. The men and children's perspectives have been left out purposefully. 

What if this text was told in a different time period?
If this text as told in a different time period, or if it were made now, it may have seemed that the director was challenging gender stereotypes back in the 60's, by making it 'satirical' or emphasising the stereotype that now seems very wrong in modern-day society. 

Why has the composer of the text presented certain people in certain ways?
The director composed the woman to be very stereotypical as it is how women were viewed, or had to be like, in the 60's. Women often had to cook and clean and raise the children whereas men had the high-paying jobs and owned the fancy cars and houses. Women were literally there to do the work only. 

LEGALLY BLONDE (2010's) I'm So Much Better (interpretation)

In Legally Blonde the woman's goals are much bigger and better, and they are achievable because of how the world has changed in contrast to what stereotypical women were actually able to do. 
Back in the 60's, women definitely did not go to law school, whereas in Legally Blonde, times have changed and so this woman is able to achieve her dreams. 
The women from Legally Blonde and Little Shop of Horrors each have goals, but they are very different.

Bartholomew and his Mushrooms (creative writing)

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 an undertaker named Bartholomew. He lived in a tiny apartment above a baker's shop. There was just one tiny problem in Bartholomew's life, that problem being he was addicted to mushrooms. Bartholomew had felt this way all his life, but in the recent years the problem had gotten worse, and he felt terrible about it. So, off to mushroom rehab he went, but in a horrific turn of events, he died of a mushroom overdose.

Mexican Nachos and Zebra Art (creative writing)

• Alphabet Story

  Write a story about sitting in the food court of a busy shopping mall. 
• Each word must start with the consecutive letter of the alphabet
• If you run out of letters, go back to the start of the alphabet.

Here's my story
Abandoned by caregivers driven eccentrically feral, Grace hides-away in June's Kebabs licking Mexican nachos obnoxiously, pessimistically questioning reality. She's tried understanding Vera's weird, xerocopied, yellow zebra art, but couldn't. 

Self-directed learning assessment

1. Pick one yellow task to work on for the next five weeks. 
I picked 'manage my learning time so I complete all tasks' because I feel like this is something I've been slack on for the past few weeks, I haven't completed tasks to the best of my ability lately and I'm a little behind on some of my work. 

What do I want to get out of this course? I want to be able to tick off all of these boxes because I know I can do it, I've met all of this criteria in the past.
 I also want to be up to date with all of my work in not only English but my core subjects like Maths and Social Studies. 

Figurative language course (mega-blog)

MIX AND MATCH

Figurative Language		A phrase common to people who speak the same language- saying one thing but meaning another.
Literal Language		Meaning exactly what you say.
Simile		Comparing two unlike things using the words like or as
Metaphor		Comparing two unlike things not using the words like or as.
Personification		Giving human qualities to non-human things.
Imagery		Writing with detail to arouse one or more of the 5 senses.
Idiom		Saying one thing and meaning something else.
Hyperbole		An exaggeration of the facts.
Alliteration		Repetition of consonant sounds in a piece of writing.

What am I learning?

I am learning the definitions of these words as they will come up a lot in the figurative language course. 

How does this work show my learning?

This work shows that I am able to match the correct words to their definitions and know the difference between similar meanings. 

_________________________________________________________________________

SIMILES AND METAPHORS

a: Copy these sentences onto your blog and highlight the simile in each:

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. 

b: Use a word from the box to complete each simile

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

c: For each of these sentences is it a simile or a metaphor?

1. As slippery as an eel. (simile)
2. Arnie was a man-mountain. (metaphor)
3. He was a lion in battle. (metaphor)
4. She is as pretty as a picture. (simile)
5. The striker was a goal machine. (metaphor)
6. The torch lit up the room as if the sun had already risen early. (simile)
7. The moon was a misty shadow. (metaphor)
8. My friend has a face like thunder. (simile)

d: Have a go at writing some Similes and Metaphors of your own:

Must Do - 3 (of each)

Should Do- 4-6 (of each)

Could Do- 6-8 (of each)

METAPHORS

He was a true savage beast

Kyle drank the Monster™ energy drink as if it were the nectar of the gods

Elmo burned with the rage of a thousand rhinos

SIMILES Natasha's rage was as wrathful as Mr Stokes during the teacher vs. students games

The ledge was as unstable as my finances

The hypebeast was a lit as a cigarette

_________________________________________________________________________

Alliteration is when a consonant sound is repeated over and over. 

E.g The time ticked tediously by. The warm wind wafted across the window.

Highlight the alliterations in each of the following sentences: The sun sizzled the swimmers skin. I accidently ate an awful apple. Beth borrowed Barry’s books before biology. Slipping and sliding, I stumbled in the snow and slush. Many mysterious men mumbled messages. The gallant goat gobbled gobs of garbage greedily. The rapidly rising river rushed rampantly.

Finish these sentences with your own alliterations:

1. Red roses…
2. While wandering… the wind whistled wildly.
3. The tired traveller... told tales tediously.

_________________________________________________________________________

Personification is when you give qualities to non-human things

E.g The house watched me closely. The trees reached out to me. 

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.

Plot in the Hunger Games (interactive)

https://prezi.com/view/CWgMuxov6XmfzwJpHMwi/

Here is the link to my independent film study work, based on the plot in the Hunger Games. I must admit plot isn't my strong point especially in film but I'm proud of my work.

I am learning to describe the plot of a film as well as explain how it effected the film and the viewers. 

The Hunger Games | Essay preparation

Adverb sentences: 

> Ideally, the students would listen to their teacher. 

> Concerningly, Mrs Handley can't spell. 

> Equally, Jaime didn't finish her work either.

The 'W' Start

> Whereas Friday was warm and sunny, Saturday was cold and snowy. 

> While the cookies baked, we cleaned up the kitchen.

> With the end in mind, I picked my options for Year 11. 

The '-ing' Start

> Wanting a real show for the finale, the gamemakers spawned mountain lions in the arena. 

> Looking at the sky, I saw a plane.

> Needing sleep, I clambered into my warm, cosy bed. 

The '-ed' Start

> Uncommitted to her education, Jaime didn't finish her work before the deadline.

> Unmotivated to get out of bed, Jaime missed school for another day. 

The Red/White/Blue sentence

> The atmosphere at the netball courts was cold, miserable and snowy. 

> Slippery, muddy and freezing cold are all words to describe the football pitch on Wednesday. 

>Through the use of colour in The Hunger Games, the gamekeepers room was portrayed as clean, crisp, and sterile. 

> District 12 was portrayed as miserable, dark and dull through the use of colours such as brown, green, and grey. 

In 'The Hunger Games', colour effectively portrays the theme of rich vs. poor as a juxtaposition is drawn between the Capitol and District 12 to compare the two settings. 

Within the Capitol, costume is used effectively to portray the theme of rich versus poor. This explores the juxtaposition in costume between District 12 and the Capitol. 

THE HUNGER GAMES FILM STUDY: Costumes in film

Atmosphere/mood: how you feel in the surroundings.

1. Reaping scene, district 12
Simple, faded, raggedy clothing (dresses and skirts for the girls, shirts and shorts for the boys) that are a bland grey and dull blue in colour from being washed. These clothes are their 'Sunday best' because it is important to look presentable on reaping day. Moreso, the clothes act as 'uniforms' so everyone in the district looks the same, possibly to be able to recognise them. 
Whereas Effie Trinket, from the Capitol, her clothes and makeup are bright and colourful. The girls almost exclusively have their hair braided, the boys have short, crew cut hair. 

2. The Capitol
Everyone in the capitol wears glamorous, colourful, futuristic clothing, the director made it weird on purpose to represent how fashion has changed in the years in Panem. Makeup is very 'extra' and excessive, clothing is big, and hats are tall and vibrant. 'Over the top, loud and bright' fashion is in. Everyone looks very different and unique, in contrast to District 12. Men and women both wear makeup and it was common for them to wear coloured wigs. More effort and technology has been used to create the Capitol's clothing, whereas District 12 had really poor quality clothing and shoes. 


3. Beginning of the arena
-Dull colours: green, blacks, grey, etc.
- Jackets, cargos, t-shirts and hiking boots are worn.
-All look the same, because it doesn't matter what they wear when they die, makes it easier to watch them be killed. 
-Lightweight clothing
-Clothing matches environment and climate (humid)

~Seel paragraph~

In the infamous reaping scene, costume and makeup is used effectively to demonstrate the imbalance between the rich and the poor of Panem. For instance, the children of District 12 are dressed in almost-identical, dull, and over-worn clothing. In contrast, capitol citizen Effie Trinket arrives decked in a bright purple dress, an enormous matching headpiece and excessive make-up. This makes the audience feel sorry for the people of District 12 because Effie is, essentially, a symbol of wealth. We see that not everyone in Panem lives in poverty. The director did this to show the hard life of those in Katniss's home district. Coinciding with this is Effie's behaviour. She is loud, happy and confident whereas the people of the district are timid and quiet. This can be juxtaposed to the scene where Katniss and Peeta arrive in the Capitol. In this scene, everyone else is rich and clean, while they are the different ones. 

THE HUNGER GAMES: Settings in film

THE HUNGER GAMES FILM STUDY: Music in film

Track1
-Early in the movie, sort of an intro music
-Strumming a string instruments, slightly fast
-Unnerving sort of tone




Track2
-Picks up pace, tempo is faster than Track 1, gives the audience a 'moving' sort of feel
-Strumming, flute, tambourine: very unique instruments
-Futuristic, exotic
-Like you're going on the journey
-Builds up in anticipation, gets louder and slightly faster
Used when Katniss was hunting


Track3
-Sad sounding, like someone (Rue?) has just died
-Montage music? 
-Slow violin music
 (can't find the link to this music, oops)

Track4
-Deep, slow and sad
-Double bass instrument used, violins possibly
-Triumphant yet there's something 'wrong' 
-Gets faster and higher as the end nears
-Played in the reaping scene


~Mr Taylors lesson~

Song1:
Happy
Carefree
Chill
Fast tempo
Packed with major chords
Jack Johnson-vibes

Song2:
Sad, solemn, sombre
Slower tempo 
Driving down the highway, sad, vibes
Predominantly minor chords to give a sinister effect

CHORDS
Major: rich, full
Minor: sinister, a much different feel 

DYNAMICS (volume)
Louder: montage, to focus on the music, to portray strong emotion
Quieter: subtle, to focus on the scene and not the music itself


~The reaping scene~

As the tributes walk in: 
No music or dialogue as the children walk in, to get the audience to focus on the scene. 'Deathly silent' is a good word to describe it, everyone is feeling quite sad and sombre. A sense of realism, suspense (what's going to happen?), is portrayed through the use of silence. 

Propaganda film: 
The music is 'triumphant', uses minor chords, suspenseful. At a medium tempo, it is neither sad nor happy. Quieter and subtle, as not to draw the audience's attention

As the reaping happens: 
-Silence as Effie picks the card, suspenseful. Combined with the use of a close-up. 
-Eerie silence as Primrose walks up. A dutch tilt is used, along with silence, to let the audience know something isn't quite right. 
Silence as the three-finger-salute is used. 
-When Peter Malarkey, a new character, name is announced, the slow, sad, sinister and subtle violin music is used to portray how Peeta, and the District, is probably feeling at that moment: anxious, nervous, sad.
-Music is used to introduce Peeta, makes the audience feel sorry for him, as he is isolated, from the poorest District. The triumphant horn portrays a chance of victory.
-Minor chords used predominantly

~SEEL Paragraph~

In the reaping scene, music and silence are used judiciously yet effectively, to portray a foreboding (something evil coming) atmosphere. More specifically in this scene, the tributes from District 12 are selected for the games and we see Katniss volunteer as tribute for her sister. The male tribute selected was Peeta Mellark. Silence is used when the glamorous Effie Trinket draws out and reads the tributes names to make us feel like the moment is real, to make us focus, and draw out the suspense of the scene. The director has done this to make the audience feel worried about who will be chosen. Music was used to introduce the character of Peeta when his name is drawn. The music predominantly consists of minor chords and a slow tempo, which makes the audience feel sorry for him. This, combined with close-up shots of Peeta's worried facial expressions, draw the viewers in. 
(Include link to either next paragraph or another time in the film) 

HUNGER GAMES: Workshop 1

In 'The Hunger Games,' camera shots and angles are used effectively to show the theme of power. We see this when President Snow is addressing the crowds at the Tribute parade. In this scene, the director uses a low angle, over-the-shoulder, extreme wide-shot to show that Snow has control of the parade. The purpose of this is to introduce the antagonist character and show the power and control he has over others, including Katniss. Coinciding with this is the use of lighting, focusing on the tributes and Snow to show that they are the most figures in the scene. This can be juxtaposed to when the tributes, Katniss and Peeta, reclaim power from Snow in the arena by threatening to eat the nightlock berries and robbing Snow of his victor.